Proverbs 30:27

Pro 30:27 The locusts have no king, yet go they forth all of them by bands;

Ver. 27. The locusts have no king.] They are all belly, which is joined to their mouths, and endeth at their tails; hence they make such havoc where they come in those Eastern countries. See Joe 2:11, where they are called "God’s great army." For though they have no king to command them, yet they go forth by bands, and march all in a company, to teach men concord and combination in lawful affairs and attempts. For,

“ Coniuncti pollent etiam vehementer inertes. ”

Those locusts in the Revelation (whereby is meant the Popish clergy), have their king Abaddon, the Pope, {Rev 9:11} to whom they appeal from their lawful sovereign; yea, the rebellion of a clergyman against his prince is not treason, saith Sa the Jesuit, quia non est principi subiectus, because he is the Pope’s subject. And when the English clergy whipped King Henry II for a penance for Becket’s death, one of the Pope’s legates said unto him, Domine, noli minari, &c.: Sir, never threaten us, for we fear no menaces of men, as being of such a court as use to command kings and emperors. {a}

{a} Jacob. Revius, De Vit. Pontiff

John Trapp, A Commentary or Exposition upon All the Books of the Old and New Testament (1647–1656) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

27. by bands] Lit. divided, i.e. not jostling one another like an unorganised rabble, but arranged in well-ordered ranks. Comp. the description of the ordered march of the locusts: “They break not their ranks, neither doth one thrust another.” Joe_2:7-8.

The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges (gen. ed. J. J. S. Perowne; Cambridge University Press, 1878–1918) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

The locusts have no king,.... These are small creatures also, yet very devouring ones; and consume the fruits of the earth, wherever they come and light; see Exo 10:13; they are very numerous, and move in large bodies, and yet with great regularity and order; which shows the wisdom there is in them by natural instinct, though they have no king to command, guide, and direct them: in this the mystical locusts differ from them, who have a king, whose name is Abaddon, Rev 9:11;

yet they go forth all of them by bands; the Targum is,

"they are all gathered together as one.''

They get together in one place; they associate and join themselves in bands, and keep together, though they have no ruler over them; an emblem of unity, concord, and harmony, let the form of government be what it will, as the best security to a people: and these creatures, when they move from place to place, they move in a body, in a very regular manner; "in precise order" (u), as the words may be rendered, with great exactness, everyone in his proper place, all in rank and file; and though they have no general to marshal them, yet are in, and march in as good order as the most regular army does. So the Arabic version,

"yet in their army, their affairs and manner are in a beautiful disposition;''

indeed they are God's army, as they are called, Joe 2:25; and it is he that gives them their wisdom, instructions, directions, and commission. It is rendered by some, "everyone cutting"; that is, as Kimchi (w) interprets it, cutting the green grass and trees; or, "every one dividing" (x); that is, to himself, the prey or spoils, as kings do; see Isa 33:4.

(u) Vid. Hilier. Onomastic. Sacr. p. 187. (w) Sepher Shorash. rad. so Stockius, p. 377. "exeidens omnia, herbas, scil. et fruges", Schindler. col. 633. so Ben Melech. (x) "unaquaeque sibi dividens", Bochart; so Schultens.

John Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible (1746–1763) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

Compare Joe 2:7-8; the most striking fact in the flight of the locust-swarms was their apparent order and discipline, sweeping over the land like the invasion of a great army.

Albert Barnes' Notes on the Bible (1834–1885) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

Bands, like an army. When one rises or falls, all do the like. They are so numerous in the East, as to darken the sun and spread destruction, Joel i., and ii. (Calmet)

George Leo Haydock (1774–1849), Haydock's Catholic Family Bible and Commentary, 1859 edition — public domain. Excludes Psalms (Douay-Rheims chapter numbering differs from Protestant) and Deuterocanonical books (Catholic canon only).

Have no king to rule and order them.

By bands; in great numbers, and in several companies, and in exact order, as is observed in Scripture, as Jdg 6:5; 7:12; Joe 1:6; 2:7, and by other writers.

Matthew Poole's English Annotations on the Holy Bible (1683–1685) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

The locusts have no king, (Pro_6:7) yet they show discipline, guidance, and order. They go forth all of them by bands; so that Joel (Joe_2:7, Joe_2:8) speaks of them as a well-ordered army, as it were men of war, marching every one on his ways, not entangling their ranks, walking every one in his path. Septuagint, "The locusts are without a king, yet march at one command in good order."

The Pulpit Commentary (1880–1919), ed. H.D.M. Spence-Jones & Joseph S. Exell — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Bands - Several companies, in exact order.

John Wesley, Explanatory Notes Upon the Whole Bible (1754–1765) — public domain. Text via the GEBible commentary corpus.

lizard

a small reptile that has four legs, a long, slender body, and a tail

translationWords

locust

king

palace

unfoldingWord translationNotes — © Distant Shores Media and the Door43 World Missions Community, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Source: git.door43.org/Door43/en_tn.