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Exodus 8:17

in Exodus 8

This they did, and when Aaron stretched out his hand with his staff and struck the dust of the earth, gnats came upon man and beast. All the dust of the earth turned into gnats throughout the land of Egypt.

BSB

The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾

ASV

And they did so; and Aaron stretched out his hand with his rod, and smote the dust of the earth, and there were lice upon man, and upon beast; all the dust of the earth became lice throughout all the land of Egypt.

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.

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This verse in Exodus 8

Commentary

4 notes on this verse

This site's exposition

Stretch out your staff and strike the dust

on Exodus 8:16-17

The third plague comes with no warning, closing the first set of three. The dust of the earth becomes gnats on man and beast, and dust is what the Nile leaves when the water goes down.

This site's exposition

All the dust of the earth turned into gnats

The Hebrew word has been rendered both lice and gnats, and the Berean Standard Bible reads gnats. Adam Clarke, on verse 16, notes how grievous such vermin would be to Egyptian priests, who shaved their bodies to keep clean of them.

The record, by era

The Puritans and the Awakening2 voices

And they did so,....

A commentator

Matthew Henry

1662–1714

Commentary on the Whole Bible (1710)

proposed

These lice, no doubt, were extremely vexatious, as well as scandalous, to the Egyptians. Though they had respite, they had respite but awhile, Rev. xi. The second woe was past, but behold the third woe came very quickly.

The words behind it

23 Hebrew words

Every 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.

  • וַיַּֽעֲשׂוּ־and they did

    vaiyaasu-H6213 →2628 times

  • כֵ֗ןso

    khenH3651 →771 times

  • וַיֵּט֩and he stretched out

    vaiyetH5186 →214 times

  • אַהֲרֹ֨ןAaron

    ʾaharonH175 →347 times

  • אֶת־<obj.>

    ʾet-H853 →10935 times

  • יָד֤וֹhand his

    yadoH3027 →1618 times

  • בְמַטֵּ֙הוּ֙with staff his

    vematehuH4294 →252 times

  • וַיַּךְ֙and he struck

    vaiyakhH5221 →499 times

  • אֶת־<obj.>

    ʾet-H853 →10935 times

  • עֲפַ֣ר[the] dust of

    ʾafarH6083 →110 times

  • הָאָ֔רֶץthe ground

    haaretzH776 →2504 times

  • וַתְּהִי֙and it was

    vatehiH1961 →3559 times

  • הַכִּנָּ֔םthe gnat[s]

    hakinamH3654 →7 times

  • בָּאָדָ֖םon <the> humankind

    baadamH120 →551 times

  • וּבַבְּהֵמָ֑הand on the livestock

    uvabehemahH929 →190 times

  • כָּל־all

    kol-H3605 →5413 times

  • עֲפַ֥ר[the] dust of

    ʾafarH6083 →110 times

  • הָאָ֛רֶץthe ground

    haaretzH776 →2504 times

  • הָיָ֥הit was

    hayahH1961 →3559 times

  • כִנִּ֖יםgnats

    khinimH3654 →7 times

  • בְּכָל־in all

    bekholH3605 →5413 times

  • אֶ֥רֶץ[the] land of

    ʾeretzH776 →2504 times

  • מִצְרָֽיִם׃Egypt

    mitzrayimH4714 →641 times

A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.

Related verses

6 in all, six open

The number beside each verse is how many compiled reference works tie it to this one. The strongest six stand open.

Psalms 105:31He spoke, and insects swarmed— gnats throughout their country.5 worksExodus 8:16Then the LORD said to Moses, “Tell Aaron, ‘Stretch out your staff and strike the dust of the earth, that it may turn into swarms of gnats throughout the land of Egypt.’”3 worksPsalms 107:40He pours out contempt on the nobles and makes them wander in a trackless wasteland.3 worksIsaiah 23:9The LORD of Hosts planned it, to defile all its glorious beauty, to disgrace all the renowned of the earth.2 worksActs 12:23Immediately, because Herod did not give glory to God, an angel of the Lord struck him down, and he was eaten by worms and died.2 works1 Samuel 6:5Make images of your tumors and of the rats that are ravaging the land. Give glory to the God of Israel, and perhaps He will lift His hand from you and your gods and your land.2 works

The walk

8 stops

Each 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

    Acts 12:23

    Immediately, because Herod did not give glory to God, an angel of the Lord struck him down, and he was eaten by worms and died.

    it leads to

    • Psalms 115:1

      Not to us, O LORD, not to us, but to Your name be the glory, because of Your loving devotion, because of Your faithfulness.

    • Acts 10:25–26

      As Peter was about to enter, Cornelius met him and fell at his feet to worship him.

    • 2 Thessalonians 2:4

      He will oppose and exalt himself above every so-called god or object of worship. So he will seat himself in the temple of God, proclaiming himself to be God.

    • Acts 14:14–15

      But when the apostles Barnabas and Paul found out about this, they tore their clothes and rushed into the crowd, shouting,

    • 1 Samuel 25:38

      About ten days later, the LORD struck Nabal dead.

  • Through

    Isaiah 23:9

    The LORD of Hosts planned it, to defile all its glorious beauty, to disgrace all the renowned of the earth.

    it leads to

    • Isaiah 13:11

      I will punish the world for its evil and the wicked for their iniquity. I will end the haughtiness of the arrogant and lay low the pride of the ruthless.

    • James 4:6

      But He gives us more grace. This is why it says: “God opposes the proud, but gives grace to the humble.”

    • Job 40:11–12

      Unleash the fury of your wrath; look on every proud man and bring him low.

Where this verse is studied

About Exodus

The Israelites Leaving Egypt, David Roberts, 1829. Public domain.
The Israelites Leaving Egypt, David Roberts, 1829. Public domain.
Exodus: the study guide →Read Exodus 8 →

This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763); Keil and Delitzsch, Biblical Commentary on the Old Testament: The Pentateuch and Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible.

Read on in Exodus 8 →