The Day of the Lord
The appearance of them is as the appearance of horses; and as horsemen, so shall they run. Joel 2:4
The appearance of... The resemblance of the locust’s head to that of a horse is striking, so much so that the prophet reiterates the word “appearance.” Horses were not used for agricultural purposes in ancient times, but were the most feared military equipment (Exo. 15:1, 19; Deut. 20:1; Jos. 11:4).
The simile continues with “as of chariots” (verse 5), “Like a mighty people” (verse 5), “like mighty men” (verse 7); and “like soldiers” (verse 7).
The noise these locusts would make would sound like many horse hooves. They can destroy an entire farm in just a few minutes.
Rev. 9:7 “And the shapes of the locusts [were] like unto horses prepared unto battle; and on their heads [were] as it were crowns like gold, and their faces [were] as the faces of men.”
In the context of the overall comparison to locusts, the invading force is likened to an army (Joel 2:5) consisting of horses… cavalry, and chariots (Joel 2:4-5). Such an association is facilitated by three facts: (1) The heads of locusts and horses are similar in appearance. The German and Italian words for “locust” literally mean “hay-horse” and “little horse,” respectively (Wolff, Joel and Amos, p. 45, n. 46; cf. also Driver, The Books of Joel and Amos, p. 52).
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