Isaiah 33:4

4 and your spoil is gathered as the caterpillar gathers; ¹as locusts leap, it is leapt upon.

Isaiah 33:4 Meaning and Commentary

Isaiah 33:4

And your spoil shall be gathered [like] the gathering of
the caterpillar
This is the answer of the Lord to the prayer of his church, signifying that their enemies should flee, be scattered, and perish, and that they should be victorious, and enjoy the spoils of them; which they should gather as easily as the caterpillar or locust, as some render it, gathers and consumes herbs, and every green thing; or as easily as they are gathered, and laid on heaps, being weak and unable to defend themselves: most understand it of the Jews going into the camp of the Assyrians, after the destruction of them by the angel, and gathering their spoil. The Targum is,

``and the house of Israel shall gather the substance of the people, their enemies, as they gather a locust:''

the antichristian locusts or caterpillars are here meant, whose substance shall fall into the hands of the followers of Christ, when they shall have got the victory of them; this is the flesh of the whore, her worldly substance, which the kings of the earth, the Christian kings, shall eat or enjoy, ( Revelation 17:16 ) : as the running to and fro of locusts shall he run upon them:
or "upon it"; the spoil; as these locusts, of which see ( Revelation 9:3 Revelation 9:4 ) run to and fro, and pillaged them in times past, as the creatures, to whom they are compared, run to and fro and destroy the fruits of the earth, so now everyone of the followers of Christ shall run and seize upon the spoil of the antichristian states.

Isaiah 33:4 In-Context

2 O LORD, be gracious to us; we wait for you. Be our arm every morning, our salvation in the time of trouble.

3 At the tumultuous noise peoples flee; when you lift yourself up, nations are scattered,

4 and your spoil is gathered as the caterpillar gathers; as locusts leap, it is leapt upon.

5 The LORD is exalted, for he dwells on high; he will fill Zion with justice and righteousness,

6 and he will be the stability of your times, abundance of salvation, wisdom, and knowledge; the fear of the LORD is Zion's treasure.

Cross References

• 1. [Joel 2:4, 5]