Mentioned only here and Proverbs 6:6 in the Bible, “Ants are small, yet…extremely wise…of little strength, yet…store up their food in the summer.” an apt description.
And, if anyone has ever stopped to watch, they can carry “a ton” of stuff — up to 5,000 times their body weight! (From a 2013 Ohio State study: www.natureworldnews.com/articles/5970/20140210/ants-support-5-000-times-body-weight-before-losing-heads.htm)
“Hyrax” (Greek) is probably the correct identification for the furry little guys still known in the Middle East today. Only mentioned 3 other times in the Bible, they’re “creatures of little power, yet they make their home in the crags.”
I’ve seen them at Ein Gedi, Israel, going in and out between cracks in a vertical rock cliff that they just shouldn’t be able to do!
“Locusts” is the standard Hebrew term for a “multitudinous swarm” of critters that show up, destroy and disappear en masse (see Exodus 10:4). They “have no king, yet they advance together in ranks.”
Their ability to swoop in and then swoop out — seemingly in formation — is amazing!
Lizards are mentioned only here and it’s an appropriate translation, maybe the noisy warm-climate gecko. Still, “spider” is a possible translation.
All we know for sure is it “can be caught with the hand, yet it is found in kings’ palaces.” Amazing, big strong soldiers can’t break into a king’s palace but all these little fellows just come and go at will!
The message of this extended wise saying? I guess size doesn’t matter all that much! And wisdom will win in the end!