גָּזָם
ga.zam
locust
Lexicon Entry
Lexicon data from STEPBible TIPNR, Tyndale House, Cambridge. Licensed under CC BY 4.0.
What Original Readers Understood
ExploredThe Hebrew word גָּזָם (ga.zam) is defined as "locust." This single-word designation indicates a straightforward and literal reference to an insect known to cause significant damage to crops. The word appears three times in the Bible, suggesting it is of notable importance or attention. Given its association with the semantic domain of Animals & Creatures, it is likely used to illustrate a specific problem or situation, perhaps related to agricultural or environmental concerns. Without additional context, it is difficult to determine the exact significance of the word's usage. However, its limited number of occurrences implies that it has a distinct and specific application within the biblical narrative.
Source data & methodology
Occurrences in Scripture
3 total occurrences across the text
What the swarming locust has left, the great locust has eaten. What the great locust has left, the grasshopper has eaten. What the grasshopper has left, the caterpillar has eaten.
Joel 2:25I will restore to you the years that the swarming locust has eaten, the great locust, the grasshopper, and the caterpillar, my great army, which I sent among you.
Amos 4:9“I struck you with blight and mildew many times in your gardens and your vineyards; and the swarming locusts have devoured your fig trees and your olive trees; yet you haven’t returned to me,” says Yahweh.