Grasshopper

Grasshopper. Numerous references to grasshoppers and locusts in the Bible show what an impact these insects had in the hot, dry lands of the ancient world. Some of these references are literal (Ex. 10:4-19) while others are symbolic (Num. 13:33).

The terms grasshopper and locust are often used interchangeably. A locust is one kind of grasshopper. Another term used rarely for these insects is katydid (Lev. 11:22), (NIV). It has a brown-colored body two to three inches long. Airborne, with two sets of wings, the locust was dreaded because of its destructive power as a foliage-eating insect in the ancient world.
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Maggot

Maggot

Worms are kind of icky things. They live in the ground, and they are slimy. But a maggot is a worse kind of animal in that it usually lives within dead flesh, and lives off of the dying animal or person. There they are “worse” in some way.

These animals are identified as benefitting from death, and in the scheme of things in the Bible, it would seem they are also the servants (or very similar to Satan) who has pleasure in dying and death. This is a great problem as far as holiness is concerned. Something that touches or handles a corpse (animal or human) becomes unclean, so a maggot would basically be an animal that craves and has great pleasure in wallowing in death and uncleanness.

Hell and maggots

Our concept of hell being filled with maggots would come from their association with death and dying.

Isa 14:11 Thy pomp is brought down to the grave, and the noise of thy viols: the worm is spread under thee, and the worms cover thee.

I believe that has a reference to those people covering themselves with worms, as if there were some kind of cold or they sought protection from some kind of discomfort like a person in the cold, and they would cover themselves with worms. Although it does not talk of cold in hell, but a covering as if somehow that would alleviate some of their grief (which it doesn’t).

–DCox


A maggot is a type of worm, and it is connected with the eating of dead bodies, so it is unclean, and related to death in the Bible.

Maggot (see Lice; Worm).

Source: [Anon-Animals]

Spider

Spider. Hundreds of different species of spiders are found in the Holy Land. A spider’s skill at spinning threads into a web is one of nature’s miracles. The fragile web of a spider is used to demonstrate the folly of placing confidence in something other than the stable, dependable God (Job 8:14).
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Lice

Lice. Lice thrive in dry, dusty climates where sanitation is poor. These tiny insects are parasites with flat, colorless bodies. They cling to animals, humans, or plants, sucking blood or sap. The Egyptian nobles and priests shaved their heads and beards so lice could find no hiding place on their bodies. An infestation of lice, the third plague of the Exodus, must have been particularly bothersome to them (Ex. 8:16-18), (gnats, RSV, NIV, NASB; maggots, NEB).

Source: [Anon-Animals]

See also Maggot,

Lice is a type of insect that lives in the hairy parts of animals and people, eating and living off of them as a host. In the Bible it is associated with evil.

More Posts from Insects Category

Katydid

Katydid (see Grasshopper).

Source: [Anon-Animals]




Katydid

The idea of grasshoppers are that they devour farmers fields and crops, making them a threat to their existence. They are hated by farmers, especially as they have the possibility of multiplying and attacking in great swarms that do great destruct to farmers crops, as well as their fodder for their animals.

 

Flea

Flea. Fleas flourished in the sand and dust of the Holy Land. Classified as parasites, these tiny insects attach themselves to a body and suck blood from their host. Fleas have no wings, but they do have strong legs and can jump several inches at one leap. The flea that lives on man is tiny, but it can be very irritating. David described himself as a mere flea being pursued by a king (1 Sam. 24:14; 26:20). He may have seemed insignificant, but he irritated King Saul.
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