Original Word: יֶלֶק
Part of Speech: Noun Masculine
Transliteration: yekeq
Pronunciation: yeh'-lek
Phonetic Spelling: (yeh'-lek)
KJV: cankerworm, caterpillar
NASB: creeping locust, locusts, locust, young locusts
Word Origin: [from an unused root meaning to lick up]

1. a devourer
2. specifically, the young locust

cankerworm, caterpillar

From an unused root meaning to lick up; a devourer; specifically, the young locust -- cankerworm, caterpillar.

Word Origin
from an unused word
Definition
(a kind of) locust
NASB Translation
creeping locust (5), locust (1), locusts (2), young locusts (1).

יֶ֫לֶק noun masculine^{Nahum 3:16} a kind of locust, absolute יֶלֶק Nahum 3:16 5t.; יָ֑לֶק Joel 1:4 2t.; — always collective:

a. as devouring "" גָּזָם, אַרְבֶּה, חָסִיל, Joel 1:4 (twice in verse); Joel 2:25; "" אַרְבֶּה Psalm 105:34 (of Egyptian plague), compare Nahum 3:15 a (but strike out We).

b. in simile of multitude of men Nahum 3:15b Jeremiah 51:14; of horses Jeremiah 51:27 (יֶלֶק סָמָר).

c. in simile of scattering and disappearing Nahum 3:16.

יַלְקוּט see לקט.

Meaning and identity

יֶלֶק designates a specific stage of the locust life-cycle distinguished by its voracious, creeping activity before the full-grown, flying phase. Scripture employs the term figuratively for destructive forces and literally for an insect able to strip vegetation with relentless efficiency.

Occurrences in Scripture

Psalm 105:34; Jeremiah 51:14; Jeremiah 51:27; Joel 1:4; Joel 2:25; Nahum 3:15 (twice); Nahum 3:16 combine to present nine Old Testament appearances. Each passage portrays either divine judgment or God’s sovereign restoration.

• Psalm 105:34 underscores the LORD’s mastery over creation in the Exodus narrative: “He spoke, and the locusts came— young locusts without number.”
• Joel 1:4 laments successive waves of devastation: “What the devouring locust has left, the swarming locust has eaten; what the swarming locust has left, the young locust has eaten …”
• Joel 2:25 offers hope: “Then I will repay you for the years the locusts have eaten—the swarming locust, the young locust, and the destroying locust—My great army that I sent against you.”
• Jeremiah 51 and Nahum 3 adopt the image to predict Babylon’s overthrow and Nineveh’s collapse, likening invading armies and fleeing merchants to yeleq swarms.

Historical background

Locust plagues were a familiar dread in the ancient Near East. Moist springs birthed massive broods; when aridity returned, migrating hordes devoured every green thing. The Hebrews witnessed such calamities (Deuteronomy 28:38) and naturally used the phenomenon to illustrate national catastrophe. Archaeological and climatological studies confirm periodic plagues throughout the Fertile Crescent, validating the severe economic and social disruption reflected in the prophetic books.

Theological significance

1. Instrument of covenant discipline. In Joel, yeleq embodies the covenant curses detailed in Deuteronomy 28. The insect’s arrival signals Yahweh’s displeasure but simultaneously His call to repentance.
2. Symbol of totality. The progression from one locust species or stage to another (Joel 1:4) communicates an exhaustive judgment—nothing escapes.
3. Proof of divine sovereignty. Psalm 105:34 attributes the swarm to God’s spoken command, reinforcing that even chaotic natural forces serve His redemptive plan.
4. Pledge of restoration. Joel 2:25 promises that God not only halts the yeleq but compensates for all it consumed, revealing His heart to redeem wasted years.

Prophetic and eschatological imagery

The military metaphors in Jeremiah 51 and Nahum 3 demonstrate how inspired writers leveraged the locust’s overwhelming numbers and rapid movement to describe invading armies. Revelation 9 later draws on the same motif, portraying demonic hordes shaped like locusts. The continuity links historical judgments to the ultimate Day of the LORD, urging readiness for Christ’s return.

Practical ministry applications

• Repentance and hope: Preachers often cite Joel 2:25 to reassure believers that no loss is irretrievable under God’s grace.
• Spiritual vigilance: The stealthy, gnawing nature of yeleq warns against tolerating “small” sins that silently consume spiritual vitality.
• Missions and discipleship: Just as locusts multiply swiftly, the Church is called to spread the gospel rapidly and pervasively—yet with life-giving rather than destructive effect.

Christological and redemptive themes

The plague imagery culminates at Calvary, where Christ absorbs the full curse of the law. The “years the locusts have eaten” find ultimate repayment in the new creation secured by His resurrection. Yeleq, therefore, highlights humanity’s inability to rescue itself from judgment and the necessity of a divine Redeemer.

Related Hebrew terms and distinctions

Joel pairs yeleq with gazam (“devouring”), arbeh (“swarming”), and chasil (“destroying”) to convey successive waves of ruin. While each term designates a locust form or species, yeleq emphasizes the creeping nymph stage—smaller yet no less devastating—illustrating how judgment can begin subtly before reaching full force.

Summary

יֶלֶק serves Scripture as a vivid emblem of both devastation and deliverance. Its nine appearances warn of covenant breach, assure of God’s governing hand over history, and ultimately direct attention to the gracious restoration offered through the gospel.

הַיֶּ֔לֶק הַיֶּ֖לֶק הַיָּ֑לֶק הילק וְ֝יֶ֗לֶק וילק יֶ֥לֶק ילק כְּיֶ֥לֶק כַּיֶּ֔לֶק כַּיָּ֑לֶק כילק haiYalek haiYelek hay·yā·leq hay·ye·leq hayyāleq hayyeleq kaiYalek kaiYelek kay·yā·leq kay·ye·leq kayyāleq kayyeleq kə·ye·leq keYelek kəyeleq veYelek wə·ye·leq wəyeleq ye·leq Yelek yeleqInterlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel Texts