### Core Meaning & Semantic Range
The Hebrew word **yeleq**, represented by `{{H3218}}`, is defined as a **devourer; specifically, the young locust; cankerworm, caterpillar**. Its definition comes from an unused root meaning to lick up. It appears **9 times** across **7 unique verses**, where it consistently portrays a force of consumption and devastation.
### Biblical Occurrences & Contextual Analysis
In the biblical narrative, `{{H3218}}` is used both literally and figuratively to describe an overwhelming, destructive force. In the book of Joel, it is part of a sequence of four devouring insects sent as judgment, with the cankerworm eating what the locust has left behind [[Joel 1:4]]. This swarm is explicitly called God's "great army" [[Joel 2:25]]. The prophets also use the term as a powerful military metaphor. Jeremiah describes an invading army's horses coming up "as the rough caterpillers" [[Jeremiah 51:27]] and a land being filled with men "as with caterpillers" [[Jeremiah 51:14]] to illustrate their vast numbers and destructive capacity.
### Related Words & Concepts
Several related Hebrew words for devouring insects appear alongside `{{H3218}}`, creating a comprehensive picture of agricultural ruin and divine judgment:
* `{{H697}}` **ʼarbeh** (a locust (from its rapid increase); grasshopper, locust): This is a common term for locusts and is often paired with `{{H3218}}` to describe an innumerable swarm, as seen when God sent plagues upon the land [[Psalms 105:34]].
* `{{H1501}}` **gâzâm** (a kind of locust; palmer-worm): This word appears in Joel as part of the destructive sequence of insects, representing one stage of the devouring plague sent by God ([[Joel 1:4]], [[Joel 2:25]]).
* `{{H2625}}` **châçîyl** (the ravager, i.e. a locust; caterpillar): Often appearing as the final stage of the plague in Joel, this ravager eats what the cankerworm `{{H3218}}` has left, signifying total devastation [[Joel 1:4]].
### Theological Significance
The theological weight of `{{H3218}}` is tied to its role as an agent of divine action and a symbol of overwhelming force.
* **Instrument of Divine Judgment:** The cankerworm is presented as part of God's "great army" which He sends among His people, demonstrating that such natural disasters are instruments of His sovereign will [[Joel 2:25]].
* **Symbol of Invading Armies:** The term is used metaphorically to depict the terrifying might of human armies. This imagery emphasizes not just their numbers but their consuming, unstoppable nature in executing judgment [[Jeremiah 51:27]].
* **Image of Swift Plunder:** In Nahum, the cankerworm is described as a force that "spoileth, and flieth away," highlighting the speed and efficiency with which an enemy can plunder and vanish [[Nahum 3:16]].
### Summary
In summary, `{{H3218}}` is a potent word that moves beyond its simple definition of a young locust. It functions in Scripture as a vivid symbol of complete and rapid devastation. Whether as part of a literal plague or a metaphor for an invading army, **yeleq** consistently represents an overwhelming force deployed to execute judgment, leaving ruin in its wake.
TRV