Animals

אַרְבֶּה Locust (arbeh)

Every verse in which this word stands — 24 places, in canonical order, first appearance to last. These are the places the lexicon carries under this word's own entry, counting every form the text writes it in, which is the number on the list.

Creeping thingGematria 208×24 in TanakhKosherFirst appearance:

The arbeh — the eighth plague, the first of Vayikra 11:22's four permitted kinds, and the standing figure of the uncountable horde.

Exodus 10:4שמות י:ד

כִּי אִם־מָאֵן אַתָּה לְשַׁלֵּחַ אֶת־עַמִּי הִנְנִי מֵבִיא מָחָר אַרְבֶּה בִּגְבֻלֶֽךָ

Else, if thou refuse to let My people go, behold, to-morrow will I bring locusts into thy border;

Exodus 10:12שמות י:יב

וַיֹּאמֶר יְהוָה אֶל־מֹשֶׁה נְטֵה יָדְךָ עַל־אֶרֶץ מִצְרַיִם בָּֽאַרְבֶּה וְיַעַל עַל־אֶרֶץ מִצְרָיִם וְיֹאכַל אֶת־כָּל־עֵשֶׂב הָאָרֶץ אֵת כָּל־אֲשֶׁר הִשְׁאִיר הַבָּרָֽד

And the LORD said unto Moses: ‘Stretch out thy hand over the land of Egypt for the locusts, that they may come up upon the land of Egypt, and eat every herb of the land, even all that the hail hath left.’

Exodus 10:13שמות י:יג

וַיֵּט מֹשֶׁה אֶת־מַטֵּהוּ עַל־אֶרֶץ מִצְרַיִם וַֽיהוָה נִהַג רוּחַ קָדִים בָּאָרֶץ כָּל־הַיּוֹם הַהוּא וְכָל־הַלָּיְלָה הַבֹּקֶר הָיָה וְרוּחַ הַקָּדִים נָשָׂא אֶת־הָאַרְבֶּֽה

And Moses stretched forth his rod over the land of Egypt, and the LORD brought an east wind upon the land all that day, and all the night; and when it was morning, the east wind brought the locusts.

Exodus 10:14שמות י:יד

וַיַּעַל הָֽאַרְבֶּה עַל כָּל־אֶרֶץ מִצְרַיִם וַיָּנַח בְּכֹל גְּבוּל מִצְרָיִם כָּבֵד מְאֹד לְפָנָיו לֹא־הָיָה כֵן אַרְבֶּה כָּמֹהוּ וְאַחֲרָיו לֹא יִֽהְיֶה־כֵּֽן

And the locusts went up over all the land of Egypt, and rested in all the borders of Egypt; very grievous were they; before them there were no such locusts as they, neither after them shall be such.

Exodus 10:14שמות י:יד

וַיַּעַל הָֽאַרְבֶּה עַל כָּל־אֶרֶץ מִצְרַיִם וַיָּנַח בְּכֹל גְּבוּל מִצְרָיִם כָּבֵד מְאֹד לְפָנָיו לֹא־הָיָה כֵן אַרְבֶּה כָּמֹהוּ וְאַחֲרָיו לֹא יִֽהְיֶה־כֵּֽן

And the locusts went up over all the land of Egypt, and rested in all the borders of Egypt; very grievous were they; before them there were no such locusts as they, neither after them shall be such.

Exodus 10:19שמות י:יט

וַיַּהֲפֹךְ יְהוָה רֽוּחַ־יָם חָזָק מְאֹד וַיִּשָּׂא אֶת־הָאַרְבֶּה וַיִּתְקָעֵהוּ יָמָּה סּוּף לֹא נִשְׁאַר אַרְבֶּה אֶחָד בְּכֹל גְּבוּל מִצְרָֽיִם

And the LORD turned an exceeding strong west wind, which took up the locusts, and drove them into the Red Sea; there remained not one locust in all the border of Egypt.

Exodus 10:19שמות י:יט

וַיַּהֲפֹךְ יְהוָה רֽוּחַ־יָם חָזָק מְאֹד וַיִּשָּׂא אֶת־הָאַרְבֶּה וַיִּתְקָעֵהוּ יָמָּה סּוּף לֹא נִשְׁאַר אַרְבֶּה אֶחָד בְּכֹל גְּבוּל מִצְרָֽיִם

And the LORD turned an exceeding strong west wind, which took up the locusts, and drove them into the Red Sea; there remained not one locust in all the border of Egypt.

Leviticus 11:22ויקרא יא:כב

אֶת־אֵלֶּה מֵהֶם תֹּאכֵלוּ אֶת־הָֽאַרְבֶּה לְמִינוֹ וְאֶת־הַסָּלְעָם לְמִינֵהוּ וְאֶת־הַחַרְגֹּל לְמִינֵהוּ וְאֶת־הֶחָגָב לְמִינֵֽהוּ

even these of them ye may eat: the locust after its kinds, and the bald locust after its kinds, and the cricket after its kinds, and the grasshopper after its kinds.

Deuteronomy 28:38דברים כח:לח

זֶרַע רַב תּוֹצִיא הַשָּׂדֶה וּמְעַט תֶּאֱסֹף כִּי יַחְסְלֶנּוּ הָאַרְבֶּֽה

Thou shalt carry much seed out into the field, and shalt gather little in; for the locust shall consume it.

Judges 6:5שופטים ו:ה

כִּי הֵם וּמִקְנֵיהֶם יַעֲלוּ וְאָהֳלֵיהֶם יבאו כְדֵֽי־אַרְבֶּה לָרֹב וְלָהֶם וְלִגְמַלֵּיהֶם אֵין מִסְפָּר וַיָּבֹאוּ בָאָרֶץ לְשַׁחֲתָֽהּ

For they came up with their cattle and their tents, and they came in as locusts for multitude; both they and their camels were without number; and they came into the land to destroy it.

Judges 7:12שופטים ז:יב

וּמִדְיָן וַעֲמָלֵק וְכָל־בְּנֵי־קֶדֶם נֹפְלִים בָּעֵמֶק כָּאַרְבֶּה לָרֹב וְלִגְמַלֵּיהֶם אֵין מִסְפָּר כַּחוֹל שֶׁעַל־שְׂפַת הַיָּם לָרֹֽב

Now the Midianites and the Amalekites and all the children of the east lay along in the valley like locusts for multitude; and their camels were without number, as the sand which is upon the sea-shore for multitude.

1 Kings 8:37מלכים א ח:לז

רָעָב כִּֽי־יִהְיֶה בָאָרֶץ דֶּבֶר כִּֽי־יִהְיֶה שִׁדָּפוֹן יֵרָקוֹן אַרְבֶּה חָסִיל כִּי יִהְיֶה כִּי יָֽצַר־לוֹ אֹיְבוֹ בְּאֶרֶץ שְׁעָרָיו כָּל־נֶגַע כָּֽל־מַחֲלָֽה

If there be in the land famine, if there be pestilence, if there be blasting or mildew, locust or caterpillar; if their enemy besiege them in the land of their cities; whatsoever plague, whatsoever sickness there be;

Jeremiah 46:23ירמיהו מו:כג

כָּרְתוּ יַעְרָהּ נְאֻם־יְהוָה כִּי לֹא יֵֽחָקֵר כִּי רַבּוּ מֵֽאַרְבֶּה וְאֵין לָהֶם מִסְפָּֽר

They cut down her forest, saith the LORD, Though it cannot be searched; Because they are more than the locusts, And are innumerable.

Joel 1:4יואל א:ד

יֶתֶר הַגָּזָם אָכַל הָֽאַרְבֶּה וְיֶתֶר הָאַרְבֶּה אָכַל הַיָּלֶק וְיֶתֶר הַיֶּלֶק אָכַל הֶחָסִֽיל

That which the palmer-worm hath left hath the locust eaten; And that which the locust hath left hath the canker-worm eaten; And that which the canker-worm hath left hath the caterpiller eaten.

Joel 1:4יואל א:ד

יֶתֶר הַגָּזָם אָכַל הָֽאַרְבֶּה וְיֶתֶר הָאַרְבֶּה אָכַל הַיָּלֶק וְיֶתֶר הַיֶּלֶק אָכַל הֶחָסִֽיל

That which the palmer-worm hath left hath the locust eaten; And that which the locust hath left hath the canker-worm eaten; And that which the canker-worm hath left hath the caterpiller eaten.

Joel 2:25יואל ב:כה

וְשִׁלַּמְתִּי לָכֶם אֶת־הַשָּׁנִים אֲשֶׁר אָכַל הָֽאַרְבֶּה הַיֶּלֶק וְהֶחָסִיל וְהַגָּזָם חֵילִי הַגָּדוֹל אֲשֶׁר שִׁלַּחְתִּי בָּכֶֽם

And I will restore to you the years that the locust hath eaten, the canker-worm, and the caterpiller, and the palmer-worm, My great army which I sent among you. .

Nahum 3:15נחום ג:טו

שָׁם תֹּאכְלֵךְ אֵשׁ תַּכְרִיתֵךְ חֶרֶב תֹּאכְלֵךְ כַּיָּלֶק הִתְכַּבֵּד כַּיֶּלֶק הִֽתְכַּבְּדִי כָּאַרְבֶּֽה

There shall the fire devour thee; The sword shall cut thee off, It shall devour thee like the canker-worm; Make thyself many as the canker-worm, Make thyself many as the locusts.

Nahum 3:17נחום ג:יז

מִנְּזָרַיִךְ כָּֽאַרְבֶּה וְטַפְסְרַיִךְ כְּגוֹב גֹּבָי הַֽחוֹנִים בַּגְּדֵרוֹת בְּיוֹם קָרָה שֶׁמֶשׁ זָֽרְחָה וְנוֹדַד וְלֹֽא־נוֹדַע מְקוֹמוֹ אַיָּֽם

Thy crowned are as the locusts, And thy marshals as the swarms of grasshoppers, Which camp in the walls in the cold day, But when the sun ariseth they flee away, And their place is not known where they are.

Psalms 78:46תהלים עח:מו

וַיִּתֵּן לֶחָסִיל יְבוּלָם וִֽיגִיעָם לָאַרְבֶּֽה

He gave also their increase unto the caterpillar, And their labour unto the locust.

Psalms 105:34תהלים קה:לד

אָמַר וַיָּבֹא אַרְבֶּה וְיֶלֶק וְאֵין מִסְפָּֽר

He spoke, and the locust came, And the canker-worm without number,

Psalms 109:23תהלים קט:כג

כְּצֵל־כִּנְטוֹתוֹ נֶהֱלָכְתִּי נִנְעַרְתִּי כָּֽאַרְבֶּֽה

I am gone like the shadow when it lengtheneth; I am shaken off as the locust.

Proverbs 30:27משלי ל:כז

מֶלֶךְ אֵין לָאַרְבֶּה וַיֵּצֵא חֹצֵץ כֻּלּֽוֹ

The locusts have no king, Yet go they forth all of them by bands;

Job 39:20איוב לט:כ

הְֽתַרְעִישֶׁנּוּ כָּאַרְבֶּה הוֹד נַחְרוֹ אֵימָֽה

Hast thou made him to leap as a locust? The glory of his snorting is terrible.

2 Chronicles 6:28דברי הימים ב ו:כח

רָעָב כִּֽי־יִהְיֶה בָאָרֶץ דֶּבֶר כִּֽי־יִֽהְיֶה שִׁדָּפוֹן וְיֵרָקוֹן אַרְבֶּה וְחָסִיל כִּי יִהְיֶה כִּי יָֽצַר־לוֹ אוֹיְבָיו בְּאֶרֶץ שְׁעָרָיו כָּל־נֶגַע וְכָֽל־מַחֲלָֽה

If there be in the land famine, if there be pestilence, if there be blasting or mildew, locust or caterpillar; if their enemies besiege them in the land of their cities; whatsoever plague or whatsoever sickness there be;

Every Hebrew word for “locust”, with its gematria →

Quick answers

What is the Hebrew word for locust?

Locust in Hebrew is ארבה, with a gematria of 208 in the standard method.

How many times is the locust mentioned in the Tanakh?

The word stands 24 times in the Tanakh, first at Exodus 10:4.

A spelling is not a word. The bare letters ארבה stand 14 times in the corpus, which is a different question and often a different number: the same letters can spell a name or another word entirely, and the creature written with a particle attached is a spelling that search never returns. It is here, as itself.

See all 14 occurrences of the spelling ארבה →