A catastrophic locust plague brings total agricultural ruin, striking at the very heart of the local economy and food supply: the vine and the fig tree. The devastation is so absolute that it leaves these essential plants completely bare and lifeless. Although the events are spoken of as if they have already occurred, this actually reflects a future decree. The destruction is so certain to happen that it is described in the past tense [אבן עזרא, רד״ק]. The voice delivering this heavy message is either the prophet himself or the people of the land crying out in mourning over their impending disaster [רד״ק].
The locust swarm descends upon the vines, consuming them entirely and reducing them to an absolute wasteland [מצודת דוד, שטיינזלץ]. The impact on the fig trees carries both physical and emotional weight. For the people, the ruined fig tree becomes a source of deep disappointment and frustration [רש״י, רד״ק], standing as a symbol of a curse and anger [מצודת ציון, מצודת דוד, שטיינזלץ, רד״ק].
Looking closely at the physical damage, the fig tree is left empty and lacking any real substance, much like foam floating on the surface of water [אבן עזרא]. The severe trauma to the plant might even cause the exposed wood to produce actual foam and blisters [מלבי״ם]. This relates directly to the way the locusts attack the trees, systematically peeling away their outer bark [רד״ק]. Rather than eating the solid wood, the insects gnaw off the bark, suck out the vital moisture trapped between the bark and the inner wood, and discard the peeled layers onto the ground [רד״ק, מלבי״ם, שטיינזלץ, רש״י]. Another perspective suggests that the locusts consume the leaves and the early fruits, casting the remains to the earth and leaving the tree entirely naked [רד״ק].
As a direct result of this intense peeling and the loss of their protective bark, the branches are left completely exposed. Stripped of their outer covering and drained of all their natural moisture, these branches dry out and take on a stark, white appearance [רש״י, מצודת דוד, מצודת ציון, שטיינזלץ]. They remain permanently in this dry, bleached, and thoroughly ruined state [אבן עזרא, רד״ק, מלבי״ם].