n
interpreters, to the prophet as an individual; for, in this case the
antithesis would be lost altogether. The comparison of vers. 7 and 19
clearly shows that, according to a common practice (compare the
Introduction to Micah, and the whole prophecy of Habakkuk), the prophet
speaks in the name of the people of God. A strange, unheard-of event! A
heathen host has invaded the land of the people of God! The antithesis
is in ii. 18: "Then the Lord was jealous for His land, and spared His
people." We do not think that the prophet loses sight of his image. He
designates the locust as the heathen host; but he would not have chosen
this designation, which, when literally [Pg 310] understood, is very
strange, unless the matter had induced him to do so. If it be
understood figuratively, Amos vi. 14 entirely harmonizes with it.--In
the same verse (Joel i. 6) it is said: "His teeth, the teeth of a lion,
cheek teeth of a lion to him;" on which Rev. ix. 8 is to be compared.
This comparison is quite suitable to figurative locusts, to furious
enemies (compare Is. v. 29; Nah. ii. 12, 13; Jer. ii. 15, iv. 7, xlix.
19; Ezek. xxxii. 2; Dan. vii. 4), but not to natural locusts; for the
lion cannot possibly be the symbol of mere voracity.

It is remarkable, that in the description of the locusts in this verse,
and throughout, their flying is not mentioned at all. It is only in
chap. ii. 2, "Day of darkness and gloominess, day of clouds and thick
darkness," that _Credner_ supposes such an allusion to exist. The
darkness is, according to him, in consequence of the swarm of locusts
coming up in the skies. But the incorrectness of such a supposition is
immediately perceived, upon a comparison of chap. ii. 10. Before the
host, and before it arrives, the earth quakes, the heavens tremble, sun
and moon cover themselves with darkness, and the stars withdraw their
shining. It is only after all this has happened, that the Lord
approaches at the head of His host. It is not from this host,
therefore, that the darkness can proceed. On the contrary, the
darkening of the heavens, as is quite conclusively shown by the
numerous almost literally agreeing parallel passages (compare the
remarks on Zech. xiv. 6), is the symbol of the anger of God, the sign
that He approaches as a Judge, and an Avenger. But in what way could
the omission of every reference to the flying of the locusts, in a
description so minute, be accounted for other than this: that the
reali