Prayer Tents Bible References - Prayer Tents

GRASSHOPPER

An insect of the order Orthoptera, represented by two families: the short-horned Acrididae and the long-horned Tettigonidae. Often confused with the locust, the grasshopper is a relatively solitary insect lacking the gregarious features of locusts. Nevertheless, some short-horned grasshoppers may also exhibit a gregarious phase, at which time they are properly called locusts.

The Bible contains only a few references to true grasshoppers, all within the OT. The general Hebrew term for grasshopper is ḥāgāḇ. The Talmud uses this term to refer to any species of short-horned grasshopper, but it can also designate gregarious locusts (2 Chr. 7:13; possibly also Eccl. 12:5). The ḥāgāḇ is listed as one of four exceptions to the prohibition against eating winged insects that dart about on four legs (Lev. 11:20-22). The ḥāgāḇ is acceptable for food because it also has a pair of jointed legs used for leaping. For the same reason, the solʿām and the ḥargōl are also listed as edible grasshoppers. The solʿām, usually translated “bald locust,” is a short-horned grasshopper from the subfamily Tyrxalinae. According to the Talmud, the ḥargōl can refer to any species of the long-horned Tettigonidae. The fourth exception to the dietary prohibition is the ʾarbeh, the ubiquitous desert locust.

See Locust.

Ronald A. Simkins