Joel 1:4 Meaning and Explanation
“That which the palmerworm hath left hath the locust eaten; and that which the locust hath left hath the cankerworm eaten; and that which the cankerworm hath left hath the caterpiller eaten.”
King James Version (KJV)
Read this verse in context with translation switching:
Read Full Chapter →Four waves of locusts strip the land in succession, each finishing what the last began until nothing green remains.
What Does Joel 1:4 Mean?
Here is the calamity itself. Joel names four kinds or stages of devouring insects, and the grammar is relentless: what one leaves, the next consumes. The repetition paints total ruin. Wave after wave, the swarms move across the fields until there is nothing left to eat. Whatever escaped one mouth fell to another.
The picture is meant to overwhelm, and it does. Sin and judgment can work like this in a life or a people, one loss compounding another until what seemed secure is gone. Yet the very thoroughness of the devastation sets the stage for the mercy Joel will later announce, when God promises to restore the years the locust has eaten. For now the prophet only lets us see the bare, stripped ground, so that we will understand how complete the coming restoration is.
Joel 1:4 in the Original Language
The four terms (גָּזָם, אַרְבֶּה, יֶלֶק, חָסִיל) likely describe locusts at different stages or in different swarms, the layered words underscoring relentless, total loss.
Frequently Asked Questions About Joel 1:4
What does Joel 1:4 mean?
Four waves of locusts strip the land in succession, each finishing what the last began until nothing green remains.