Verse-by-Verse Bible Commentary

Albert Barnes' Notes on the Whole Bible

Compare Joel 2:7-8; the most striking fact in the flight of the locust-swarms was their apparent order and discipline, sweeping over the land like the invasion of a great army.

John Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible

The locusts have no king,.... These are small creatures also, yet very devouring ones; and consume the fruits of the earth, wherever they come and light; see Exodus 10:13; they are very numerous, and move in large bodies, and yet with great regularity and order; which shows the wisdom there is in them by natural instinct, though they have no king to command, guide, and direct them: in this the mystical locusts differ from them, who have a king, whose name is Abaddon, Revelation 9:11;

yet they go forth all of them by bands; the Targum is,

"they are all gathered together as one.'

They get together in one place; they associate and join themselves in bands, and keep together, though they have no ruler over them; an emblem of unity, concord, and harmony, let the form of government be what it will, as the best security to a people: and these creatures, when they move from place to place, they move in a body, in a very regular manner; "in precise order"^F21Vid. Hilier. Onomastic. Sacr. p. 187. , as the words may be rendered, with great exactness, everyone in his proper place, all in rank and file; and though they have no general to marshal them, yet are in, and march in as good order as the most regular army does. So the Arabic version,

"yet in their army, their affairs and manner are in a beautiful disposition;'

indeed they are God's army, as they are called, Joel 2:25; and it is he that gives them their wisdom, instructions, directions, and commission. It is rendered by some, "everyone cutting"; that is, as Kimchi^F23Sepher Shorash. rad. חצץ; so Stockius, p. 377. "exeidens omnia, herbas, scil. et fruges", Schindler. col. 633. so Ben Melech. interprets it, cutting the green grass and trees; or, "every one dividing"^F24חצץ כלו "unaquaeque sibi dividens", Bochart; so Schultens. ; that is, to himself, the prey or spoils, as kings do; see Isaiah 33:4.

Wesley's Explanatory Notes

The locusts have no king, yet go they forth all of them by bands;

Bands — Several companies, in exact order.

John Trapp Complete Commentary

Proverbs 30:27 The locusts have no king, yet go they forth all of them by bands;

Ver. 27. The locusts have no king.] They are all belly, which is joined to their mouths, and endeth at their tails; hence they make such havoc where they come in those Eastern countries. See Joel 2:11, where they are called "God’s great army." For though they have no king to command them, yet they go forth by bands, and march all in a company, to teach men concord and combination in lawful affairs and attempts. For,

“ Coniuncti pollent etiam vehementer inertes. ”

Those locusts in the Revelation (whereby is meant the Popish clergy), have their king Abaddon, the Pope, [Revelation 9:11] to whom they appeal from their lawful sovereign; yea, the rebellion of a clergyman against his prince is not treason, saith Sa the Jesuit, quia non est principi subiectus, because he is the Pope’s subject. And when the English clergy whipped King Henry II for a penance for Becket’s death, one of the Pope’s legates said unto him, Domine, noli minari, &c.: Sir, never threaten us, for we fear no menaces of men, as being of such a court as use to command kings and emperors. (a)

Thomas Coke Commentary on the Holy Bible

Proverbs 30:27. Yet go they forth all of them by bands— Yet go they forth sharing all amongst them. See Boch. tom. 1: Proverbs 15.

Matthew Poole's English Annotations on the Holy Bible

Have no king to rule and order them.

By bands; in great numbers, and in several companies, and in exact order, as is observed in Scripture, as Jude 6:5 7:12 Joel 1:6 2:7, and by other writers.

George Haydock's Catholic Bible Commentary

Bands, like an army. When one rises or falls, all do the like. They are so numerous in the East, as to darken the sun and spread destruction, Joel i., and ii. (Calmet)

E.W. Bullinger's Companion Bible Notes

no king. So we have no visible king, yet when "made wise" we see Him Who is invisible (John 14:19. Compare 1 Peter 1:8).

by bands = gathered together. So will God"s People. Septuagint renders it by keleusmatos = at one word of command. Same word as the assembling shout in 1 Thessalonians 4:16. Compare 1 Corinthians 15:23, "in his own order" or rank.

Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible - Unabridged

The locusts have no king, yet go they forth all of them by bands;

The locusts have no king, yet go they forth all of them by bands - literally, divided (Maurer); Joel 2:7-8; or, as the Chaldaic and Syriac, 'collected together' [ chotseets (Hebrew #2686)]: from chaatsats, a pebble, or means of calculation: all in their hands as it, were according to catalogue. Gejer translates, 'they go forth like archers,' another sense of the Hebrew. But the English version is preferable.

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge

The locusts

Exodus 10:4-6,13-15; Psalms 105:34; Joel 1:4,6,7; 2:7-11,25; Revelation 9:3-11

by bands

Heb. gathered together.