Joel 1:6

6 For why a folk strong and unnumberable ascended on my land. The teeth thereof be as the teeth of a lion, and the cheek teeth thereof be as of a whelp of a lion. (For a people, strong and innumerable, came upon my land. Their teeth be like the teeth of a lion; and their molars be like that of a lion's cub.)

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 A locust ate the residue of a wortworm, and a bruchus ate the residue of a locust, and rust ate the residue of a bruchus.

5 Drunken men, wake ye, and weep; and yell ye, all that drink wine in sweetness; for it perished from your mouth. (Drunken people, wake ye up, and weep; and yell ye, all who drink wine for its sweetness; for it hath perished from your mouth.)

6 For why a folk strong and unnumberable ascended on my land. The teeth thereof be as the teeth of a lion, and the cheek teeth thereof be as of a whelp of a lion. (For a people, strong and innumerable, came upon my land. Their teeth be like the teeth of a lion; and their molars be like that of a lion's cub.)

7 It setted my vinery into desert, and took away the rind of my fig tree. It made naked and spoiled that vinery, and casted forth; the branches thereof be made white. (They destroyed my vines, and took the rind off my fig trees. They made bare and spoiled that vineyard, and cast it down; its branches were made white.)

8 Wail thou, as a virgin girded with a sackcloth on the husband of her time of marriage. (Wail thou, like a virgin clothed with a sackcloth for her husband, at the time of her marriage.)