John Gill Commentary Proverbs 30:27

"The locusts have no king, Yet go they forth all of them by bands;" — Proverbs 30:27 (ASV)

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 10:13–15) ; 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" <sup>F21</sup> , 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 ^F23 interprets it, cutting the green grass and trees; or, "every one dividing" ^F24 ; that is, to himself, the prey or spoils, as kings do; see (Isaiah 33:4) .

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FOOTNOTES:

• F21: Vid. Hilier. Onomastic. Sacr. p. 187.
• F23: Sepher Shorash. rad. (Uux) ; so Stockius, p. 377. "exeidens omnia, herbas, scil. et fruges", Schindler. col. 633. so Ben Melech.
• F24: (wlk Uux) "unaquaeque sibi dividens", Bochart; so Schultens.