Psalms 105:34 — Word Study
WLCאָ֭מַר וַיָּבֹ֣א אַרְבֶּ֑ה וְ֝יֶ֗לֶק וְאֵ֣ין מִסְפָּֽר׃
BSAHe spokeʼâmar■ [said, commanded] and the locustsʼarbeh [grasshoppers, cankerworms] camebôwʼ▸ young locustsyeleq [caterpillars, devouring insects] withoutʼayin numbermiçpâr [innumerable, countless]
| Greek | English | Parsing |
|---|---|---|
| אָ֭מַר | he spoke | Verb, Qal, perfect third person masculine singular |
| וַיָּבֹ֣א | and it came | Verb, Qal, sequential imperfect third person masculine singular |
| אַרְבֶּ֑ה | locust[s] | Noun common, masculine singular absolute |
| וְ֝יֶ֗לֶק | and locust[s] | Conjunction, noun common masculine singular absolute |
| וְאֵ֣ין | and there not | Conjunction, noun common masculine singular construct |
| מִסְפָּֽר׃ | [was] a number | Noun common, masculine singular absolute |
Every word in the verse. Click a row to open it in the panel on the left.
| BSB | He spoke, and the locusts came— young locusts without number. |
| KJV | He spake, and the locusts came, and caterpillers, and that without number, |
| ASV | He spake, and the locust came, And the grasshopper, and that without number, |
| YLT | He hath said, and the locust cometh, And the cankerworm — innumerable, |
| WEB | He spoke, and the locusts came with the grasshoppers, without number. |
| BBE | At his word the locusts came, and young locusts more than might be numbered, |
The translations agree on the essential meaning of the verse, emphasizing God's command and the arrival of locusts.
The structure consists of a main clause followed by two subordinate clauses that provide details about the locusts and their quantity.
6 commentators on this verse
Gill, Jamieson, Trapp, Ellicott & more — read them ›
clause
subjectאַרְבֶּה
verbאָמַר
The sentence as the grammar sees it Open the tree ›
Every word here is used elsewhere in the Old Testament.
Bars are logarithmic — אֵת, the commonest word in the Hebrew Bible, stands about 11,000 times, so a linear scale would leave everything else invisible. Click a row to open that word.
Deep Study — Psalms 105:34
Sections marked generated are written from the data on this page rather than by a named author. Everything else — the lexicon entries, the cross references, the manuscript readings, the counts — is quoted from its source unchanged.
Context — God's Judgment in Egyptgenerated
Psalm 105:34 describes how God spoke and commanded the locusts to come as part of His judgment against Egypt. This verse reflects God's power and authority over creation, as He uses natural elements to execute His will. The surrounding verses recount other plagues, emphasizing the severity of God's actions against those who opposed Him.
Cross References
| Reference | Text (BSB) | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Psalm 78:46 | He gave their crops to the grasshopper, the fruit of their labor to the locust. |
| 2 | Exodus 10:12–15 | Then the LORD said to Moses, “Stretch out your hand over the land of Egypt, so that the locusts may swarm over it and devour every plant in the land—everything that the hail has left behind.” |
| 3 | Joel 1:4–7 | What the devouring locust has left, the swarming locust has eaten; what the swarming locust has left, the young locust has eaten; and what the young locust has left, the destroying locust has eaten. |
| 4 | Joel 2:25 | I will repay you for the years eaten by locusts— the swarming locust, the young locust, the destroying locust, and the devouring locust — My great army that I sent against you. |
| 5 | Revelation 9:3–10 | And out of the smoke, locusts descended on the earth, and they were given power like that of the scorpions of the earth. |
The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge — 5 references, hung on the phrase they belong to
The Key Word — אָמַר, 'A.margenerated
The verb אָמַר (amar) means 'to say' or 'to speak.' It is a versatile verb used in various contexts, including commands and promises. In this verse, it indicates God's authoritative command that brings about immediate results.
The parsing as a perfect tense indicates a completed action, emphasizing that God's speaking is effective and results in the immediate arrival of the locusts.
How Translations Differ — measured against the Berean Standard Biblegenerated
This study reads the verse in the Berean Standard Bible, which translates it as 'He spoke, and the locusts came.' The KJV and ASV agree with this rendering, maintaining the same structure and meaning.
Sentence Structuregenerated
The main verb אָמַר governs the sentence, with the verb וַיָּבֹא following it in a sequential manner. The subjects אַרְבֶּ֑ה and יֶ֗לֶק are introduced after the action, highlighting the immediate consequences of God's word.
The structure emphasizes the cause-and-effect relationship between God's command and the arrival of the locusts, with the absence of a number being a key detail that underscores the overwhelming nature of the event.
Septuagint Backgroundgenerated
In the Septuagint, the Hebrew verb אָמַר is rendered as εἶπεν (eipen), which also means 'to say.' This choice reflects a direct translation that maintains the authoritative tone of the original.
The Greek term ἀκρὶς is used for locusts, which aligns closely with the Hebrew meaning, emphasizing the destructive nature of these insects.
In plain words — the whole versegenerated
Psalm 105:34 tells us that God spoke, and countless locusts came. This verse highlights God's power to command nature as part of His judgment against Egypt, reflecting His authority and the swift consequences of His words.
Frequently Asked Questionsgenerated
This indicates God's authority over creation, showing that His words have the power to bring about significant events.
Locusts symbolize destruction and judgment, as they consume crops and devastate the land.
It is part of a series of judgments God executed to demonstrate His power and to compel Pharaoh to release the Israelites.
We learn that God's word is powerful and effective, bringing about His will in the world.
Reflection Questionsgenerated
- How do I see God's authority reflected in the world around me?
- In what ways have I experienced the consequences of God's word in my life?
- What does this verse teach me about the nature of God's commands?
- How can I apply the lesson of obedience to God's word in my daily life?
The early church on this verse — how the Fathers read it
The verse is quoted by Augustine of Hippo to illustrate God's power in commanding nature, reflecting on the plagues in Egypt.
"He spoke the word, and the locust came, and the caterpillar, of which there was no number" [Psalms 105:34].Early Church Fathers on Psalms 105 →
Commentators on this verse — 6 expositors, verse by verse
Each of these wrote on Psalms 105:34 itself, not merely on the chapter around it.
John Gill1697–1771Gill's Exposition of the Entire BibleHe spake, and the locusts came,.... A great army of them, and covered the land, that it was even darkened by them; and were such as had never been seen before, or ever were since; this is the eighth
Read John Gill on Psalms 105 →Robert Jamieson1802–1880Jamieson, Fausset, and Brown's CommentaryHe turned their waters into blood, and slew their fish. -The three plagues omitted out of the ten are the murrain of the cattle and the boils, the fifth and the sixth, and the darkness, the ninth;
Read Robert Jamieson on Psalms 105 →John Trapp1601–1669Trapp's Complete Commentary on the Old and New TestamentsPsalms 105:34 He spake, and the locusts came, and caterpillers, and that without number,Ver. 34. He spake, and the locusts came] These are called God’ s great army, and their terrible invasion is graphically described, Joe 2:3-5, &c.
Read John Trapp on Psalms 105 →Charles John Ellicott1819–1905Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers(34) Caterpillars.—To the locust, ‘aarbeh, alone mentioned in Exodus, the psalmist adds, as a poetical synonym to suit his parallelism, caterpillar (yelek), a word occurring in Joe 1:4; Joe 2:25; Nahum 3:15; Jeremiah 51:14; Jeremiah 51:27. By derivation the word means “licker” (comp. Numbers 22:4), and is possibly used in a wide or general sense for insects of the locust kind. (See Bible Educator, IV. 294.)
Read Charles John Ellicott on Psalms 105 →CambridgeThe Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges25–36. The enmity of the Egyptians to Israel, and the display of Jehovah’s power which prepared the way for the Exodus.
Read Cambridge on Psalms 105 →Daniel Denison Whedon1808–1885Whedon's Commentary on the Bible34. Locusts… caterpillars—These words must signify either different species of the locust family, or different stages of their propagation.
Read Daniel Denison Whedon on Psalms 105 →The verse in English, compared — 17 translations, and where they part company
Every translation on this page is a decision someone had to make and commit to. Read down a column and you see one translator's judgement; read across a row and you see the range the Greek actually allows. The BSB is the wording the rest of this page is measured against, so it is listed first.
Modern formal
He spoke, and the locusts came— young locusts without number.
He spoke, and the locusts came with the grasshoppers, without number.
He spoke, and the locusts came—young locusts without number.
He ordered locusts to come, innumerable grasshoppers.
Tyndale line
He spake, and the locusts came, and caterpillers, and that without number,
He spake, and the locust came, And the grasshopper, and that without number,
He spake, and the locust came, and the cankerworm, and that without number,
He spoke, and the locusts came, and caterpillars, and that without number,
He spake, and the grashoppers came, and caterpillers innumerable,
Strictly literal
He spoke, and the locust came, and the cankerworm, even without number;
He hath said, and the locust cometh, And the cankerworm — innumerable,
He has commanded, and the locust comes, || And the cankerworm—innumerable,
He spoke, and the locusts came, and crickets, and that without number;
He spoke, and the locusts came, so many locusts.
From the Latin
They did not destroy the nations of which the Lord spoke unto them.
Simplified
He gave the command, and swarms of locusts came—countless locusts:
At his word the locusts came, and young locusts more than might be numbered,
Counted from the translations carried on this site, not from a survey of every English Bible. A rendering shared by many versions is usually inherited rather than independently arrived at — the Tyndale line in particular runs through most of them.
The sentence as the grammar sees it — from the MACULA Hebrew treebank
This is not our own analysis: it is the scholarly syntax tree for the verse, showing how the clause actually holds together.
Boxes are the grammarian's groupings — clause, noun phrase, prepositional phrase.
The four witnesses to this verse — Masoretic, Septuagint, Samaritan, Qumran
The Masoretic Text reads אָ֭מַר וַיָּבֹ֣א אַרְבֶּ֑ה וְ֝יֶ֗לֶק וְאֵ֣ין מִסְפָּֽר׃, which is confirmed by the Septuagint, showing agreement in the word choice. The Dead Sea Scrolls contain some restored words, indicating partial preservation but overall alignment with the Masoretic Text.
אָ֭מַר וַיָּבֹ֣א אַרְבֶּ֑ה וְ֝יֶ֗לֶק וְאֵ֣ין מִסְפָּֽר׃
6 of the 6 words are matched. This is the word-by-word correspondence, not the Septuagint's own sentence — its word order and its articles are its own.
[אמר] [ויבא] [ארבה] וילק ואין [מספר]
2 words on the leather — 4 supplied entire by an editor.
Four traditions, not one. “On the leather” means the letters physically survive on the scroll, as against letters an editor has supplied to fill a hole in it — a restoration is a scholar’s reading, not a reading of the manuscript. Words in [square brackets] are supplied; the notes count them apart from what survives.
The map of this verse — what each word keeps company with
This is a map of two things, both counted rather than judged. Company kept: which words stand within three words of each of these, anywhere in the Hebrew Bible — the thicker the line, the more often the pair meet compared with chance. Built from: the words a word is made out of, taken from its own Strong’s entry. It is not a map of meaning: nothing here claims two words mean the same thing. Click any circle to see the numbers behind it.
Lexicons — every word in Psalms 105:34
One dossier per word, with every reference work grouped by kind — Hebrew lexicons, morphology, Bible dictionaries, topical chains and the English of the translators themselves. The verse sits at the head of each block with the word under study lit, so you never lose your place. The panel above gives the short answer; this is the long one, and it is the part of the page worth indexing.
Every entry below is the lexicographer's own text. On the Hebrew: Brown-Driver-Briggs entire and its gloss set, Strong's Hebrew Dictionary, and Tyndale House's Translators Brief lexicon. Where a cell says a work has no entry, that work genuinely has none for this word.
אָמַר (amar) is a Hebrew verb meaning 'to say' or 'to utter,' with a broad range of uses including to promise, command, or even boast. It appears in various forms, such as in the Qal (to say), Niphal (to be told), and Hiphil (to avow). The entries highlight its versatility in both spoken and internal contexts, though no specific verse is noted.
אָמַר 5287 vb. utter, say
Qal
Say
Say in the heart (= think)
Promise
Command (esp. late)
Niph. be said, told
Hiph. avow, avouch (lit. cause to declare)
Hithp. act proudly, boast
base
H559 אָמַר utter, say .. Say
. Say in the heart (= think)
. Promise
. Command (esp. late)
. be said, told
. avow, avouch (lit. cause to declare)
. act proudly, boast
559 'amar aw-mar'
a primitive root; to say (used with great
latitude):--answer, appoint, avouch, bid, boast self, call,
certify, challenge, charge, + (at the, give) command(-ment),
commune, consider, declare, demand, X desire, determine, X
expressly, X indeed, X intend, name, X plainly, promise,
publish, report, require, say, speak (against, of), X still, X
suppose, talk, tell, term, X that is, X think, use (speech),
utter, X verily, X yet.
אָמַר (a.mar) — to say.
1) to say, speak, utter
1a) (Qal) to say, to answer, to say in one's heart, to think, to command, to promise, to intend
1b) (Niphal) to be told, to be said, to be called
1c) (Hithpael) to boast, to act proudly
1d) (Hiphil) to avow, to avouch
Aramaic equivalent: a.mar (אֲמַר "to say" H0560)
V-Qal-Perf-3ms — Verb · Qal · perfect third person masculine singularHVqp3ms
spok (1Ki 7:33).
See SEA, THE MOLTEN.
בּוֹא (bo) is a Hebrew verb meaning to come or go in, with a wide range of applications including entering, arriving, and bringing in. It can refer to both physical movement and abstract concepts like events coming to pass. The verb appears in various forms, such as Qal (to come), Hiphil (to cause to come), and Hophal (to be brought). There is no significant disagreement among lexicons regarding its meanings.
בּוֹא 2569 vb. come in, come, go in, go
Qal
come in
come (approach, arrive)
go, i.e. walk, associate with
go from speaker, but with limit of motion given
Hiph.
cause to come in, bring in (conduct, lead, obj. persons and animals)
cause to come, bring, bring near, etc. (animate obj.)
Hoph.
be brought in (of pers. and things)
be brought
be introduced, put
base
H935 בּוֹא come in, come, go in, go .. come in
. come (approach, arrive)
. go, i.e. walk, associate with
. go from speaker, but with limit of motion given
. . cause to come in, bring in (conduct, lead, obj. persons and animals)
. cause to come, bring, bring near, etc. (animate obj.)
. . be brought in (of pers. and things)
. be brought
. be introduced, put
935 bow' bo
a primitive root; to go or come (in a wide variety of
applications):--abide, apply, attain, X be, befall, +
besiege, bring (forth, in, into, to pass), call, carry, X
certainly, (cause, let, thing for) to come (against, in, out,
upon, to pass), depart, X doubtless again, + eat, + employ,
(cause to) enter (in, into, -tering, -trance, -try), be
fallen, fetch, + follow, get, give, go (down, in, to war),
grant, + have, X indeed, (in-)vade, lead, lift (up), mention,
pull in, put, resort, run (down), send, set, X (well) stricken
(in age), X surely, take (in), way.
בּוֹא (bo) — to come (in): come.
: come/go_in
1) to go in, enter, come, go, come in
1a) (Qal)
1a1) to enter, come in
1a2) to come
1a2a) to come with
1a2b) to come upon, fall or light upon, attack (enemy)
1a2c) to come to pass
1a3) to attain to
1a4) to be enumerated
1a5) to go
1b) (Hiphil)
1b1) to lead in
1b2) to carry in
1b3) to bring in, cause to come in, gather, cause to come, bring near, bring against, bring upon
1b4) to bring to pass
1c) (Hophal)
1c1) to be brought, brought in
1c2) to be introduced, be put
לְב֥וֹא (bo) — Lebo-(Hamath).
This name means to go in, enter
Combined with cha.mat (חֲמָת "Hamath" H2574)
בּוֹא (bo) — to come (in): towards.
: towards/entrance
1) to go in, enter, come, go, come in
1a) (Qal)
1a1) to enter, come in
1a2) to come
1a2a) to come with
1a2b) to come upon, fall or light upon, attack (enemy)
1a2c) to come to pass
1a3) to attain to
1a4) to be enumerated
Conj | V-Qal-ConsecImperf-3ms — Verb · Qal · sequential imperfect third person masculine singularHc/Vqw3ms
אַרְבֶּה (arbeh) refers to a kind of locust, specifically noted for its rapid increase. The term can also imply a locust swarm and has figurative meanings related to sudden disappearance, insignificance, and activity. It is derived from a root meaning to increase, as noted in Strong's entries.
אַרְבֶּה a kind of locust
base
H697 אַרְבֶּה a kind of locust
697 'arbeh ar-beh'
from 7235; a locust (from its rapid increase):--
grasshopper, locust.
see HEBREW for 07235
אַרְבֶּה (ar.beh) — locust.
1) a kind of locust, locust swarm (coll)
2) (CLBL)
2a) sudden disappearance (fig.)
2b) insignificance (fig.)
2c) activity (fig.)
N-ms — Noun common · masculine singular absoluteHNcmsa
יֶ֫לֶק (yekeq) refers to a young locust or caterpillar, derived from a root meaning to lick up or devour. The term specifically denotes the early developmental stage of locusts, emphasizing their consuming nature. It is mentioned in the context of devourers, particularly in agricultural settings.
יֶ֫לֶק n.m. a kind of locust
base
H3218 יֶ֫לֶק
3218 yekeq yeh'-lek
from an unused root meaning to lick up; a devourer;
specifically, the young locust:--cankerworm, caterpillar.
יֶ֫לֶק (ye.leq) — locust.
1) young locust (early stage of development)
1a) caterpillar (as devouring)
Conj | N-ms — Conjunction · noun common masculine singular absoluteHC/Ncmsa
אַ֫יִן (ayin) primarily means 'nothing' or 'nought' and serves as a negative particle indicating absence or negation, such as 'is not' or 'there is not.' It can also express lack of possession or existence. The word is derived from a root meaning to be non-existent, and it appears frequently in various grammatical constructions.
אַ֫יִן, אָ֑֫יִן cstr. אֵין subst. prop. nothing, nought
to nothing, as nothing
cstr. אֵין, very freq. as particle of negation, is not, are not, was not, were not
אֵין לְ׳, with subst., or pron., there is (was) not to … = … have, has, had, etc. not
in circumst. clauses
with inf. and ל׳, it is not to …
with prefixes
base
H369 אַ֫יִן, אָ֑֫יִן cstr. אֵין subst. prop. nothing, nought . to nothing, as nothing
. cstr. אֵין, very freq. as particle of negation, is not, are not, was not, were not
. אֵין לְ׳, with subst., or pron., there is (was) not to … = … have, has, had, etc. not
. in circumst. clauses
. with inf. and ל׳, it is not to …
. with prefixes
369 'ayin ah'-yin
as if from a primitive root meaning to be nothing or not
exist; a non-entity; generally used as a negative
particle:--else, except, fail, (father-)less, be gone,
in(-curable), neither, never, no (where), none, nor, (any,
thing), not, nothing, to nought, past, un(-searchable),
well-nigh, without. Compare 370.
see HEBREW for 0370
אַ֫יִן (a.yin) — nothing.
1) nothing, not, nought n
1a) nothing, nought neg
1b) not
1c) to have not (of possession) adv
1d) without w/prep
1e) for lack of
Conj | Part — Conjunction · noun common masculine singular constructHC/Ncmsc
מִסְפָּר (mispar) means 'number' or 'tale.' It can refer to definite or indefinite quantities, ranging from large to small. The word also encompasses concepts of narration and recounting. The entries consistently highlight its numerical and narrative aspects without significant disagreement.
מִסְפָּר 133 n.m. number, tale
base
H4557 מִסְפָּר number, tale
4557 micpar mis-pawr'
from 5608; a number, definite (arithmetical) or indefinite
(large, innumerable; small, a few); also (abstractly)
narration:--+ abundance, account, X all, X few, (in-)finite,
(certain) number(-ed), tale, telling, + time.
see HEBREW for 05608
מִסְפָּר (mis.par) — number.
1) number, tale
1a) number
1a1) number
1a2) innumerable (with negative)
1a3) few, numerable (alone)
1a4) by count, in number, according to number (with prep)
1b) recounting, relation
N-ms — Noun common · masculine singular absoluteHNcmsa
num'-ber:
I. NUMBER AND ARITHMETIC
II. NOTATION OF NUMBERS
1. By Words
2. By Signs
3. By Letters
III. NUMBERS IN OLD TESTAMENT HISTORY
IV. ROUND NUMBERS
V. SIGNIFICANT NUMBERS
1. Seven and Its Multiples
(1) Ritual Use of Seven
(2) Historical Use of Seven
(3) Didactic or Literary Use of Seven
(4) Apocalyptic Use of Seven
2. The Number Three
3. The Number Four
4. The Number Ten
5. The Number Twelve
6. Other Significant Numbers
VI. GEMATRIA
LITERATURE
I. Number and Arithmetic.
The system of counting followed by the Hebrews and the Semites generally was the decimal system, which seems to have been suggested by the use of the ten fingers. Hebrew had separate words only for the first nine units and for ten and its multiples. Of the sexagesimal system, which seems to have been introduced into Babylonia by the Sumerians and which, through its development there, has influenced the measurement of time and space in the…
Like most Oriental nations, it is probable that the Hebrews in their written calculations made use of the letters of the alphabet. That they did so in post-Babylonian times we have conclusive evidence in the Maccabaean coins; and it is highly probable that this was the ease also in earlier times. But though, on the one hand, it is certain that in all existing MSS of the Hebrew text of the Old Testament the numerical expressions are written at length, yet, on the other, the variations in the several versions between themselves and from the Hebrew text, added to the evident inconsistencies in numerical statement between certain passages of that text itself seems to prove that some shorter mode of writing was originally in vogue, liable to be misunderstood, and in fact misunderstood by copyists and translators. These variations appear to have proceeded from the alphabetic method of writing…
Isa 65:11. See GAD 3.