Isaiah 33:4

4 And your spoil shall be gathered like the gathering of the caterpillar: as the running to and fro of locusts shall he run upon them.

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, have mercy on us; we wait for thee: thou wert the strength of thy people in the beginning, be also our saving health in the time of tribulation.

3 At the noise of the tumult the peoples fled; at the lifting up of thyself the Gentiles were scattered.

4 And your spoil shall be gathered like the gathering of the caterpillar: as the running to and fro of locusts shall he run upon them.

5 The LORD shall be exalted; he who dwells on the heights: for he has filled Zion with judgment and righteousness.

6 And in thy times wisdom and knowledge, and the strength of salvation shall reign: the fear of the LORD shall be his treasure.