Deuteronomy 28:42 Meaning: When Locusts Take Possession
Locusts will consume all of your trees and the fruit of your ground.
All thy trees and fruit of thy land shall the locust consume.
All thy trees and the fruit of thy ground shall the locust possess.
all thy trees and the fruit of thy ground doth the locust possess;
All thy trees and the fruit of thy ground shall the locust possess.
Meaning in one sentence
Locusts consuming trees and fruit in Deuteronomy 28:42 is a covenant curse. What does the Hebrew verb 'yarash' reveal about God's judgment?
Context
Deuteronomy 28 is a solemn chapter. Moses stands before Israel and lays out two paths: obedience brings blessing, disobedience brings curse. After the blessings in verses 1, 14, the curses begin in verse 15 and grow more intense as they go. By verse 42, the picture is devastating. Locusts strip away what little remains, not just the grain in the field (v. 38) or the grapes on the vine (v. 39), but the trees themselves and every fruit they would have borne for years to come. Nothing is left untouched. This is not random misfortune. It is the covenant's own logic turned against a people who have turned away from their God.
Key Words
The Hebrew verb behind “consume” in many translations is yarash. It means to take possession of, to inherit, to dispossess. This is the same word used when Israel entered Canaan to take the land as their own (Deuteronomy 1:8). Here, the locusts do not simply eat the crops; they take legal ownership. The trees and fruit no longer belong to you. The creature becomes the heir.
This changes how you read the verse. A swarm of locusts is terrible enough, but the real blow is judicial. God is saying: what you were given as a gift will be handed over to another. The ground itself (adamah, v. 42) yields its produce to someone else. Every tree (etz), olive, fig, pomegranate, that took years to grow becomes food for a creature that does not know its Maker. The loss is complete, and it carries the weight of a courtroom verdict.
How Christians Read This Verse
Christians across traditions read this verse within the larger story of covenant. Reformed interpreters (like Matthew Henry) see it as a sobering reminder that God's justice is real and that sin carries concrete consequences. Catholic tradition has often understood these temporal punishments as loving discipline meant to turn hearts back, not merely to destroy. Eastern Orthodox readers emphasize the communal dimension, a whole people suffers when they walk away from God's ways. Both Catholic and Orthodox teaching also point forward to Christ, who bore the full curse on the cross so that those in him would never face final dispossession. These readings do not contradict each other; they hold different parts of the same truth.
A common misunderstanding
Some read this verse and think the locust swarm is simply a natural disaster, bad luck, agricultural misfortune. In fact, it is specifically covenantal. The same hand that gave the land now removes its fruit. The curse is not random; it is the opposite side of the same promise that brought blessing.
Living This Out
What do you rely on that took years to grow? A career you built, a family you nurtured, a reputation you protected. This verse asks you to consider whether those things have become your security instead of God. It also warns that disobedience can open the door to losing what you assumed was yours. But here is the hope, the covenant has two sides. The same God who warns of complete loss also promises complete restoration to those who return. This week, let the verse search your heart: is anything more precious to you than the One who gave it?
Main takeaway: Disobedience to God can bring the complete loss of everything we depend on, down to the trees that took decades to grow.
For Families
For ages 5, 8
God told His people that if they disobeyed, bugs would eat all the fruit from the trees. That would be very sad. Obeying God keeps us safe and happy.
For ages 9, 12
This verse is part of a long list of bad things that would happen if Israel turned away from God. The locusts eating the trees means even things that took years to grow can be lost when we stop following God. But the same covenant that promised these curses also promised forgiveness if the people repented. God's warnings are meant to protect us, not to hurt us for no reason.
Questions People Ask
What kind of locust is mentioned in Deuteronomy 28:42?
The Hebrew word is 'tzlatzal,' which likely refers to a specific type of locust, possibly the migratory locust that appears in large swarms. Unlike the common 'arbeh' (another word for locust), 'tzlatzal' may emphasize the noise of their wings or the darkness they create. It is a word used only here and in Isaiah 18:1, where it describes the buzzing of insects.
Is this curse literal or symbolic?
Christians have understood it both ways. The literal reading: actual locust swarms would devastate Israel's agriculture as a direct judgment. The symbolic reading: the curse represents any complete loss of provision and security. Most interpreters hold both together, the literal event carried a deeper spiritual meaning about the consequences of covenant unfaithfulness.
How does this verse relate to the New Covenant?
The New Covenant in Christ fulfills the old covenant and transforms it. Jesus took the curse of disobedience upon himself on the cross (Galatians 3:13). So while Deuteronomy's curses still show us God's holiness and the seriousness of sin, believers in Christ are no longer under that condemnation. The warnings remain to keep us humble and dependent, not to terrify us.
Why do some translations say 'consume' and others 'possess'?
The Hebrew verb 'yarash' normally means 'to take possession of, to inherit.' Some translators choose 'consume' because locusts eat the trees. But 'possess' captures the legal meaning: the locusts take ownership. Both ideas are present, the eating is real, but the deeper point is that the land's produce is transferred to another.
What did trees and fruit symbolize in ancient Israel?
Trees were a sign of long-term blessing. Olive trees took over a decade to bear fruit, and fig trees were a symbol of peace and prosperity (1 Kings 4:25). A locust that ate the trees destroyed not just this year's harvest but years of future harvests. It meant the loss of security, sustenance, and hope.
For pastors & researchers
Hebrew interlinear, 8 commentaries & word study