Joel 1:6

6 A nation has invaded my land, a mighty army without number; it has the teeth of a lion, the fangs of a lioness.

Joel 1:6 in Other Translations

6 For a nation is come up upon my land, strong, and without number, whose teeth are the teeth of a lion, and he hath the cheek teeth of a great lion.

6 For a nation has come up against my land, powerful and beyond number; its teeth are lions' teeth, and it has the fangs of a lioness.

6 A vast army of locusts has invaded my land, a terrible army too numerous to count. Its teeth are like lions’ teeth, its fangs like those of a lioness.

6 My country's being invaded by an army invincible, past numbering, Teeth like those of a lion, fangs like those of a tiger.

6 For a nation is come up upon my land, strong, and without number; his teeth are the teeth of a lion, and he hath the jaw-teeth of a lioness.

6 A strong nation attacked my land. It has too many soldiers to count. They have teeth like lions. They have fangs like grown lions.

6 For a nation has invaded My land, powerful and without number; its teeth are the teeth of a lion, and it has the fangs of a lioness.

6 The locusts are like an army that has marched into our land. There are so many of them they can't even be counted. Their teeth are as sharp as a lion's teeth. They are like the fangs of a female lion.

Joel 1:6 Meaning and Commentary

Joel 1:6

For a nation is come up upon my land
A nation of locusts, so called from their great numbers, and coming from foreign parts; just as the ants are called a "people", and the conies a "folk", ( Proverbs 30:25 Proverbs 30:26 ) ; and which were an emblem of the nation of the Chaldeans, which came up from Babylon, and invaded the land of Judea; called by the Lord "my land", because he had chosen it for the habitation of his people; here he himself had long dwelt, and had been served and worshipped in it: though Kimchi thinks these are the words of the inhabitants of the land, or of the prophet; but if it can be thought they are any other than the words of God, they rather seem to be expressed by the drunkards in particular, howling for want of wine, and observing the reason of it: strong, and without number;
this description seems better to agree with the Assyrians or Chaldeans, who were a mighty and powerful people, as well as numerous; though locusts, notwithstanding they are weak, singly taken, yet, coming in large bodies, carry all before them, and there is no stopping them: whose teeth [are] the teeth of a lion, and he hath the cheek teeth of a
great lion;
or "the grinders" ^F13 of such an one; being hard, strong, and sharp, to bite off the tops, boughs, and branches of trees: Pliny

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FOOTNOTES:

F14 says, locusts will gnaw with their teeth the doors of houses; so the teeth of locusts are described in ( Revelation 9:8 ) ; this may denote the strength, cruelty, and voraciousness of the Chaldean army.
F13 (tweltm) "molares", Pagninus, Mercerus, Burkius.
F14 Nat. Hist. l. 11. c. 29.

Joel 1:6 In-Context

4 What the locust swarm has left the great locusts have eaten; what the great locusts have left the young locusts have eaten; what the young locusts have left other locusts have eaten.

5 Wake up, you drunkards, and weep! Wail, all you drinkers of wine; wail because of the new wine, for it has been snatched from your lips.

6 A nation has invaded my land, a mighty army without number; it has the teeth of a lion, the fangs of a lioness.

7 It has laid waste my vines and ruined my fig trees. It has stripped off their bark and thrown it away, leaving their branches white.

8 Mourn like a virgin in sackcloth grieving for the betrothed of her youth.

Cross References

• 1. Psalms 105:34; Joel 2:2,11,25
• 2. Revelation 9:8