Psalms 104:34
He spoke, and the locust came, and the bruchus, of which there was no number.
The verse in its languages
- Vulgate (Clementine)
- Dixit, et venit locusta, et bruchus cujus non erat numerus :
- Septuagint (Swete)
- εἶπεν, καὶ ἦλθεν ἀκρὶς καὶ βροῦχος οὗ οὐκ ἦν ἀριθμός,
- Hebrew (WLC) shown from Psalms 105:34
- אָ֭מַר וַיָּבֹ֣א אַרְבֶּ֑ה וְ֝יֶ֗לֶק וְאֵ֣ין מִסְפָּֽר
Haydock's commentary
Bruchus. An insect of the locust kind, (Challoner) or a worm which spoils corn, &c. (Worthington)
From Haydock's Catholic Bible Commentary, 1859, in the transcription made by Todd Easton and kept online by John Paul Wohlschied at johnblood.gitlab.io/haydock.
The Fathers on this verse
St Augustine Expositions on the Book of Psalms, Psalm CV
24. “He spake the word, and the locust came, and the caterpillar, of which there was no number” ( ver. 34 ). The locusts and the caterpillars are one plague: of which the one is the parent, the other the offspring.
St Augustine Expositions on the Book of Psalms, Psalm CIX
22. “I go hence like a shadow that declineth” ( ver. 22 ). By this he signified death itself. For as night comes of the shadow’s declining, so death comes of mortal flesh. “And am driven away as the locusts.” This I think would be more suitably understood of His members, that is, of His faithful disciples. That he might make it much plainer, he preferred writing “locusts” in the plural number: although many may be understood where the singular number is used, as in that passage, “He spake, and the locust came;” but it would have been more obscure. His disciples, then, were driven away, that is, were put to flight by persecutors, either the multitude of whom He wished to be signified by the word locusts, or their passing from one place to another.