The Hebrew chasil refers to a devouring insect, likely a type of locust or caterpillar in its consuming stage. The name is derived from chasal (to eat up, to consume) and emphasizes the destructive power of the creature.
Chasil appears in Solomon's prayer at the temple dedication (1 Kings 8:37) as one of the plagues God might send as discipline. Joel 1:4 lists four stages or types of locusts — gazam, arbeh, yeleq, and chasil — as agents of divine judgment that strip the land bare. The image of consuming locusts is deeply rooted in the Exodus plagues (Exodus 10) and became a prophetic symbol for devastating divine judgment. Yet even this destruction is reversible: Joel 2:25 promises restoration of what the locust devoured, a stunning picture of divine grace and renewal.