For they would come up with their livestock and their tents; they would come like locusts in number—both they and their camels could not be counted—so that they laid waste the land as they came in.
English Standard Version (ESV)
It's easy to focus on the overwhelming numbers of the invaders, but notice they brought their tents and livestock. This detail reveals they weren't just a raiding party; they came to occupy, plunder, and live off the land indefinitely, treating Israel not just as a target, but as a resource to be consumed.
For they would come up with their livestock and their tents; they would come like locusts in number—both they and their camels could not be counted—so that they laid waste the land as they came in.
English Standard Version (ESV)
Following years of Israelite apostasy and oppression, a devastating invasion by the Midianites and their allies has rendered the land utterly ravaged. These nomadic raiders, likened to countless locusts, brought their entire households and livestock, sweeping through the fertile land, consuming all in their path and leaving nothing behind for the terrified Israelites who were forced to hide in caves. This relentless pillaging, described in vivid imagery, underscores the dire consequence of Israel’s turning away from God, leaving them vulnerable and desperate.
Imagine a force so vast it blots out the sun, not with organized ranks, but like a living, devouring plague. This wasn't a conventional army; it was something far more terrifying.
The Midianites and their allies weren't a formal military force marching into battle. They were nomadic tribes, moving with their entire households – their livestock and tents – not to conquer territory in the traditional sense, but to strip the land bare.
Why did God allow such utter devastation to fall upon His people? The answer lies not just with the invaders, but with Israel's own choices.
This invasion wasn't a random act of aggression; it was a direct consequence of Israel's repeated disobedience. The book of Judges makes it clear that when Israel 'did evil in the sight of the LORD,' God allowed foreign powers to oppress them as a form of discipline.
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Understand the original words
arbeh · Hebrew Noun
A migratory insect that appears in swarms; symbolically represents divine judgment, overwhelming numbers, and total destruction of vegetation and resources.
The verse vividly portrays the overwhelming, destructive nature of the Midianite invasion, highlighting how Israel's spiritual state directly led to their physical devastation and oppression.
c. 11th century BC
Israel's Idolatry and Disobedience
After periods of relative peace and prosperity under judges like Deborah, the Israelites returned to worshipping Canaanite gods, neglecting their covenant with the Lord. This spiritual unfaithfulness weakened them, making them vulnerable to external threats.
c. 11th century BC
Midianite Raids Begin
Following Israel's renewed disobedience, the Lord allowed the Midianites, along with Amalekites and other eastern desert tribes, to attack Israel. Initially, these were smaller raids targeting harvests.
c. 11th century BC— this verse
Midianites Establish Dominance
The raids escalated over seven years, with the invaders bringing their families, livestock, and tents. They moved like a swarm, consuming crops and livestock, forcing the Israelites into hiding places like caves.
c. 11th century BC
Israel's Cry to the Lord
Crushed by the oppressive Midianite presence, the Israelites finally cried out to the Lord for deliverance. This desperate plea marked the beginning of their turning back to God.
c. 11th century BC
Gideon is Called
In response to Israel's cry, the Lord appeared to Gideon, a man from a humble family, commissioning him as a judge and deliverer to save Israel from the Midianites.
This passage provides a vivid poetic description of locusts invading the land, mirroring the devastating and countless numbers of the Midianite invaders described in Judges.
Exodus 10:4-6Similar to the plagues of Egypt, this text highlights the overwhelming and destructive nature of locusts, drawing a parallel to the Midianites' uncountability and their intent to ravage the land.
Jeremiah 51:14This verse uses the imagery of a great multitude of locusts as a metaphor for a conquering army, underscoring the sheer, overwhelming force of the invaders.
Psalm 78:46This Psalm recounts God giving their crops and labor to the locust and their toil to the locust, reflecting the utter devastation and loss of sustenance caused by such swarming invasions, similar to the Midianites' impact on Israel.
gillJudges 6:5: "For they came up with their cattle and their tents, and they came as grasshoppers for multitude; for both they and their camels were without number: and they entered into the land to destroy it."
For they came up with their cattle, and their tents,.... Brought their flocks and their herds with them, to eat up the increase of the earth, and their tents, which they pitched and removed from place to place, for the convenience of feeding their cattle, and while they cut down the fruit…
expositorsJudges 6:1-14: "And the children of Israel did evil in the sight of the LORD: and the LORD delivered them into the hand of Midian seven years."
THE DESERT HORDES; AND THE MAN AT OPHRAHJdg 6:1-14 JABIN king of Canaan defeated and his nine hundred chariots turned into ploughshares, we might expect Israel to make at last a start in its true career. The tribes have had their third lesson and should know the peril of infidelity. Without God they are weak as water. Will they not bind themselves now i…
It's easy to focus on the overwhelming numbers of the invaders, but notice they brought their tents and livestock. This detail reveals they weren't just a raiding party; they came to occupy, plunder, and live off the land indefinitely, treating Israel not just as a target, but as a resource to be consumed.
Following years of Israelite apostasy and oppression, a devastating invasion by the Midianites and their allies has rendered the land utterly ravaged. These nomadic raiders, likened to countless locusts, brought their entire households and livestock, sweeping through the fertile land, consuming all in their path and leaving nothing behind for the terrified Israelites who were forced to hide in caves. This relentless pillaging, described in vivid imagery, underscores the dire consequence of Israel’s turning away from God, leaving them vulnerable and desperate.
Following years of Israelite apostasy and oppression, a devastating invasion by the Midianites and their allies has rendered the land utterly ravaged. These nomadic raiders, likened to countless locusts, brought their entire households and livestock, sweeping through the fertile land, consuming all in their path and leaving nothing behind for the terrified Israelites who were forced to hide in caves. This relentless pillaging, described in vivid imagery, underscores the dire consequence of Israel’s turning away from God, leaving them vulnerable and desperate.
"For they would come up with their livestock and their tents; they would come like locusts in number—both they and their camels could not be counted—so that they laid waste the land as they came in." — It's easy to focus on the overwhelming numbers of the invaders, but notice they brought their tents and livestock. This detail reveals they weren't just a raiding party; they came to occupy, plun…
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Last reviewed October 2026