Exodus 8:18
in Exodus 8The magicians tried to produce gnats using their magic arts, but they could not. And the gnats remained on man and beast.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
And the magicians did so with their enchantments to bring forth lice, but they could not: and there were lice upon man, and upon beast.
KJV
And the magicians did so with their enchantments to bring forth lice, but they could not: so there were lice upon man, and upon beast.
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This verse in Exodus 8
Commentary
5 notes on this verseThe magicians did so - That is, They tried the utmost of their skill, either to produce these insects or to remove this plague; but they could not, no juggling could avail here, because insects must be produced which would stick to and infix themselves in man and beast, which no kind of trick could possibly imitate; and to remove them, as some would translate the passage, was to their power equally impossible.
This site's exposition
to bring forth lice, but they could not
The magicians had matched the rod, the blood and the frogs at 7:11, 7:22 and 8:7, and here their enchantments stop. Clarke puts the difference down to the smallness of the creature, since an insect that fastens on man and beast is past the reach of sleight of hand. By 9:11 they cannot stand before Moses at all, because the boils are on them.
The record, by era
The Medieval Church1 voice
A commentator
Isidore of SevilleQUESTIONS ON THE OLD TESTAMENT, EX 14:4-7 · Written before 636.
proposed
After these plagues, gnats are brought forth. This animal flies through the air suspended on wings. But it is so subtle and minute that it escapes being seen by the eye unless one looks closely. But when it lands on the body it drills in …
The Puritans and the Awakening2 voices
They attempted to imitate it, but they could not. When they failed in this, it should seem they attempted to remove it; for it follows, So there were lice upon man and beast, in spite of them. This forced them to confess themselves overpowered: This is the finger of God (
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — unbalanced-parens
And the magicians did so with their enchantments, to bring forth lice,....
The words behind it
13 Hebrew wordsEvery Hebrew word of this verse in the order it stands, with what it means and the door to its own study. The last column counts the times a word stands in the whole Bible: the rarer the word, the more the places it appears belong together.
| Hebrew | Sound | Meaning | Word study | In the Bible |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| וַיַּעֲשׂוּ־ | vaiyaasu- | and they did | H6213 → | 2628 times |
| כֵ֨ן | khen | thus | H3651 → | 771 times |
| הַחַרְטֻמִּ֧ים | hachartumim | the magicians | H2748 → | 11 times |
| בְּלָטֵיהֶ֛ם | belateihem | by enchantments their | H3909 → | 6 times |
| לְהוֹצִ֥יא | lehotzi' | to bring forth | H3318 → | 1067 times |
| אֶת־ | ʾet- | <obj.> | H853 → | 10935 times |
| הַכִּנִּ֖ים | hakinim | the gnats | H3654 → | 7 times |
| וְלֹ֣א | velo' | and not | H3808 → | 5168 times |
| יָכֹ֑לוּ | yakholu | they were able | H3201 → | 194 times |
| וַתְּהִי֙ | vatehi | and it was | H1961 → | 3559 times |
| הַכִּנָּ֔ם | hakinam | the gnat[s] | H3654 → | 7 times |
| בָּאָדָ֖ם | baadam | on <the> humankind | H120 → | 551 times |
| וּבַבְּהֵמָֽה׃ | uvabehemah | and on the livestock | H929 → | 190 times |
וַיַּעֲשׂוּ־and they did
vaiyaasu-H6213 →2628 times
כֵ֨ןthus
khenH3651 →771 times
הַחַרְטֻמִּ֧יםthe magicians
hachartumimH2748 →11 times
בְּלָטֵיהֶ֛םby enchantments their
belateihemH3909 →6 times
לְהוֹצִ֥יאto bring forth
lehotzi'H3318 →1067 times
אֶת־<obj.>
ʾet-H853 →10935 times
הַכִּנִּ֖יםthe gnats
hakinimH3654 →7 times
וְלֹ֣אand not
velo'H3808 →5168 times
יָכֹ֑לוּthey were able
yakholuH3201 →194 times
וַתְּהִי֙and it was
vatehiH1961 →3559 times
הַכִּנָּ֔םthe gnat[s]
hakinamH3654 →7 times
בָּאָדָ֖םon <the> humankind
baadamH120 →551 times
וּבַבְּהֵמָֽה׃and on the livestock
uvabehemahH929 →190 times
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
The walk
8 stopsEach card is a verse this one points to, and under it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it.
Through
Exodus 7:11But Pharaoh called the wise men and sorcerers and magicians of Egypt, and they also did the same things by their magic arts.
it leads to
- Exodus 7:22
But the magicians of Egypt did the same things by their magic arts. So Pharaoh’s heart was hardened, and he would not listen to Moses and Aaron, just as the LORD had said.
- Exodus 8:7
But the magicians did the same thing by their magic arts, and they also brought frogs up onto the land of Egypt.
- 2 Timothy 3:8
Just as Jannes and Jambres opposed Moses, so also these men oppose the truth. They are depraved in mind and disqualified from the faith.
- Daniel 2:2
So the king gave orders to summon the magicians, enchanters, sorcerers, and astrologers to explain his dreams. When they came and stood before the king,
- 2 Thessalonians 2:9
The coming of the lawless one will be accompanied by the working of Satan, with every kind of power, sign, and false wonder,
- Exodus 7:22
Through
Daniel 5:8So all the king’s wise men came in, but they could not read the inscription or interpret it for him.
it leads to
- Daniel 2:27
Daniel answered the king, “No wise man, enchanter, medium, or magician can explain to the king the mystery of which he inquires.
- Genesis 41:8
In the morning his spirit was troubled, so he summoned all the magicians and wise men of Egypt. Pharaoh told them his dreams, but no one could interpret them for him.
- Daniel 4:7
When the magicians, enchanters, astrologers, and diviners came in, I told them the dream, and they could not interpret it for me.
- Daniel 2:27
About Exodus
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Isidore of Seville, QUESTIONS ON THE OLD TESTAMENT, EX 14:4-7; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763) and Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible.