Joel 1:4

“That which the palmer worm hath left hath the locust eaten, etc.] These, with the two following, are four kinds of, locusts as Jarchi observes; though it is difficult to fix the particular species designed; they seem to have their names from some peculiar properties belonging to them; as the first of these from their sheering or cropping off the fruits and leaves of trees; and the second from the vast increase of them, the multitude they bring forth and the large numbers they appear in: and that which the locust hath left hath the canker worm eaten; which in the Hebrew language is called from its licking up the fruits of the earth, by which it becomes barren: and that which the canker worm…”

“This verse states the subject on which he afterwards expands. Four species or stages of locusts, rather than four different insects, are meant (compare Lev 11:22). Literally, (1) the gnawing locust; (2) the swarming locust; (3) the licking locust; (4) the consuming locust; forming a climax to the most destructive kind. The last is often three inches long, and the two antennÃ&brvbr, each an inch long. The two hinder of its six feet are larger than the rest, adapting it for leaping. The first "kind" is that of the locust, having just emerged from the egg in spring, and without wings. The second is when at the end of spring, still in their first skin, the locusts put forth little ones without…”

“That which the palmerworm hath left, hath the locust eaten - The creatures here spoken of are different kinds of locusts, so named from their number or voracity. We, who are free from this scourge of God, know them only by the generic name of locusts. But the law mentions several sorts of locusts, each after its kind, which might be eaten . In fact, above eighty different kinds of locusts have been observed , some of which are twice as large as that which is the ordinary scourge of God . Slight as they are in themselves, they are mighty in God’s Hand; beautiful and gorgeous as they are, floating in the sun’s rays , they are a scourge, including other plagues, famine, and often, pestilence.…”

“Palmer - worm - Four sorts of insects, are here mentioned, which succeeded each other, and devoured all that might be a support to the Jews, whence ensued a grievous famine. Joel 1:5”

“1:4 The disaster that had befallen Judah was a catastrophic plague of locusts. Some commentators have understood the four kinds of locusts mentioned here to represent four ancient empires that conquered Israel. Others have suggested that the words indicate four stages in the development of locusts. Most likely, the prophet was using multiple terms to emphasize the extent of the destruction wrought by wave after wave of the voracious insects.”

“That which the palmerworm hath left: Heb. The residue of the palmer-worm, Joe 2:25; Amo 4:9; The learned Bochart, and others, are of the opinion that the four Hebrew words, gazam, yelek, arbeh, chasil, respectively rendered the palmer-worm, locust, canker-worm and caterpillar, denote four different species of locusts. See note on Exo 10:4 the locust eaten: Exo 10:12-15; Deu 28:38, Deu 28:42; Kg1 8:37; Ch2 6:28, Ch2 7:13; Psa 78:46, Psa 105:34; Amo 7:1; Rev 9:3-7 the cankerworm eaten: Nah 3:15-17 the caterpillar: Isa 33:4; Jer 51:14, Jer 51:27 Joel 1:5”