Exodus 8:17 - Printer Friendly

ESV: And they did so. Aaron stretched out his hand with his staff and struck the dust of the earth, and there were gnats on man and beast. All the dust of the earth became gnats in all the land of Egypt.

NIV: They did this, and when Aaron stretched out his hand with the staff and struck the dust of the ground, gnats came on people and animals. All the dust throughout the land of Egypt became gnats.

NASB: They did so; and Aaron extended his hand with his staff and struck the dust of the earth, and there were gnats on every person and animal. All the dust of the earth turned into gnats through all the land of Egypt.

CSB: And they did this. Aaron stretched out his hand with his staff, and when he struck the dust of the land, gnats were on people and animals. All the dust of the land became gnats throughout the land of Egypt.

NLT: So Moses and Aaron did just as the Lord had commanded them. When Aaron raised his hand and struck the ground with his staff, gnats infested the entire land, covering the Egyptians and their animals. All the dust in the land of Egypt turned into gnats.

KJV: And they did so; for Aaron stretched out his hand with his rod, and smote the dust of the earth, and it became lice in man, and in beast; all the dust of the land became lice throughout all the land of Egypt.

NKJV: And they did so. For Aaron stretched out his hand with his rod and struck the dust of the earth, and it became lice on man and beast. All the dust of the land became lice throughout all the land of Egypt.

This plague took place when Aaron followed God's command to take his staff and touch it to the ground (Exodus 8:16). The insects involved are hard to identify. Languages—especially ancient ones—don't always use the same categories for naming animals. The word kinnim' is from a root implying "fastening," so these may have been biting insects such as lice, fleas, or mosquitoes. Biting insects are notorious for spreading disease, so these may have been part of a mechanism the Lord used to send the fifth plague of diseased livestock (Exodus 9:3). Or He may have inflicted the livestock directly.

In any case, the infestation is so massive that it seems like the very dust of Egypt's desert climate has turned into bugs. Pharaoh should have recognized this as a warning from God, as his court magicians will. Instead, the Pharaoh will continue to resist (Exodus 8:18–19)

Exodus 8:16–19 records the third plague: a massive infestation of small insects. These may have been literal "gnats," though the Hebrew word may imply lice, fleas, mosquitos, or all of these. For the first time, Pharaoh's occultists cannot even pretend to match this miracle. The Egyptian magicians attribute the plague to divine power. Yet the Egyptian king is still obstinate, refusing to release the Israelites.

After Pharaoh ignores the first plague (Exodus 7:20–23), God sends a swarm of frogs. Pharaoh's magicians can summon frogs, but they can't get rid of them. So, he appeals to Moses. Though the plague is lifted, Pharaoh re-jects the command to release Israelite slaves. This leads to a plague of gnats and then one of flies, with similar results. The arrival of these creatures might have been caused by the corruption of the Nile River, but only God's supernatural work could make them disappear. Future plagues will be increasingly severe (Exodus 9:6, 10, 22; 10:4, 22; 12:29–32).

Moses and Aaron offered a sign to Pharaoh (Exodus 7:10–13), but he still refused to release the Hebrew slaves (Ex-odus 1:11–14). This triggered the first of the ten plagues of Egypt: turning water into blood (Exodus 7:20–21). This chapter includes the next three disasters: frogs, gnats, and flies. Pharaoh stubbornly refuses to concede each time. Upcoming plagues will escalate (Exodus 9:6, 10, 22, 10:4, 22), leading to the death of Egypt's firstborn (Exodus 12:29–32) and Israel's release (Exodus 12:41).

The book of Exodus establishes God's covenant relationship with the full-fledged nation of Israel. The descendants of Abraham prosper after settling in Egypt, only to be enslaved by a fearful, hateful Egyptian Pharaoh. God appoints Moses to lead the people out of this bondage. Moses serves as God's spokesman, as the Lord brings plagues and judgments on Egypt, leading to the release of Israel.