### Core Meaning & Semantic Range
The Hebrew word **châçîyl**, represented by `{{H2625}}`, describes a ravaging insect, translated as **caterpillar** or a type of locust. Its base definition is "the ravager." It appears 6 times across 6 unique verses, consistently depicting a creature of immense destructive capability, often as part of a catastrophic plague.
### Biblical Occurrences & Contextual Analysis
In the biblical narrative, `{{H2625}}` is almost always associated with agricultural devastation and divine judgment. In Joel's prophecy, the **caterpiller** is the last in a four-stage swarm of insects that devours everything left by the palmerworm, locust, and cankerworm [[Joel 1:4]]. This same swarm is later described by God as "my great army" [[Joel 2:25]]. In both Solomon's prayer and the historical account in Chronicles, the **caterpiller** is listed alongside famine, pestilence, and mildew as a potential calamity that would cause the people to turn to God ([[1 Kings 8:37]]; [[2 Chronicles 6:28]]). It is also used to consume the increase and labor of a nation [[Psalms 78:46]] and as a metaphor for the thorough gathering of spoil from an enemy [[Isaiah 33:4]].
### Related Words & Concepts
Several other Hebrew words for locust-like creatures appear alongside `{{H2625}}`, creating a picture of an overwhelming swarm:
* `{{H697}}` **ʼarbeh** (grasshopper, locust): A common term for locust, often appearing with **châçîyl** to describe a plague that consumes a land's resources [[Psalms 78:46]] or as part of a list of potential disasters [[1 Kings 8:37]].
* `{{H1501}}` **gâzâm** (palmer-worm): Defined as a kind of locust, it is mentioned in Joel as the first wave in a devastating sequence of insects, followed by the locust, cankerworm, and **caterpiller** [[Joel 1:4]].
* `{{H3218}}` **yeleq** (cankerworm, caterpillar): A devouring young locust. It is part of the destructive progression in Joel, eating what the locust leaves behind, just before the **châçîyl** arrives ([[Joel 1:4]], [[Joel 2:25]]).
* `{{H1357}}` **gêb** (locust): This word for locust is used in parallel with **châçîyl** in Isaiah to illustrate how an enemy's spoil will be gathered completely [[Isaiah 33:4]].
### Theological Significance
The theological significance of `{{H2625}}` is tied directly to its destructive nature.
* **Instrument of Divine Judgment:** The **caterpiller** is consistently portrayed not as a random natural disaster, but as a specific tool used by God for judgment. Solomon's prayer acknowledges that its presence would be a reason for national repentance [[2 Chronicles 6:28]].
* **Symbol of Complete Devastation:** Its placement in Joel as the final devourer highlights its role in ensuring nothing is left. It represents the totality of judgment, consuming even the remnants left by previous calamities [[Joel 1:4]].
* **A Part of God's Army:** The swarms, including the **caterpiller**, are explicitly called God's "great army" which He sent among His people, reinforcing the concept of God's absolute sovereignty over creation and His use of it to fulfill His purposes [[Joel 2:25]].
### Summary
In summary, `{{H2625}}` is a term signifying a "ravager," specifically a destructive caterpillar or locust. While appearing only a few times, its context is powerful. It functions as a symbol of thorough devastation and is explicitly identified as an instrument of divine judgment, a component of God's "great army" sent to enact His will upon the land and its people.
TRV