Strong's Greek: 3292 -- (Not Used)zzz

Lexical Summary

(Not Used): (Not Used)

(Not Used)
Part of Speech:
Transliteration: (Not Used)
(Not Used)

Topical Lexicon

Natural background

Strong’s Greek 3292 designates the common fly—an insect noted for its persistence, rapid breeding, attraction to decay, and ability to spread corruption. In the ancient Near East, flies proliferated near stagnant water and refuse, so they became an everyday reminder of impurity and nuisance. Their short life-cycle and swarming habit made them an apt image for sudden invasion, moral decay, and judgment.

Occurrences in the Septuagint

Although absent from the Greek New Testament, the word appears repeatedly in the Septuagint, where it translates the principal Hebrew terms for “fly” or “swarm.” Key passages include:
• Exodus 8:24; 8:31 – the fourth plague: “Dense swarms of flies poured into Pharaoh’s palace …”.
• Psalm 78:45; Psalm 105:31 – God “sent swarms of flies that devoured them.”
• Ecclesiastes 10:1 – “As dead flies give perfume a bad odor, so a little folly outweighs wisdom and honor.”
• Isaiah 7:18 – the Lord whistles and the fly swarms in as an instrument of discipline.

In 2 Kings 1:2–3 the Philistine deity Baal-zebub (“lord of the flies”) is mocked for his impotence, and later Jewish translators often rendered the title with this same Greek word.

Symbolism in the Old Testament

1. Judgment and discipline. The plague of flies (Exodus 8) demonstrated Yahweh’s power over Egypt’s gods, ruining the land and exposing the futility of pagan worship. Isaiah 7:18 re-applies the image: like a cloud of flies summoned at God’s whistle, foreign armies will descend on faithless Judah.
2. Corruption and folly. Ecclesiastes 10:1 shows how something tiny can spoil what is valuable; the fly embodies seemingly minor sins that produce disproportionate damage.
3. Spiritual counterfeit. “Baal-zebub” suggests a demon-god who thrives amid decay. Later, Beelzebul in the Gospels (for example, Matthew 12:24) echoes the same derisive title, portraying Satan as the ruler of all that is filthy and destructive.

Intertestamental and early Jewish literature

Early Jewish writers employed the term to stress the impurity associated with idolatry and the corruption of moral compromise. They also drew on the plague narrative to assure Israel that covenant loyalty would keep destructive forces “outside the camp.”

Theological themes

• God’s sovereignty: swarms of flies bow to His command, arriving and departing exactly when He speaks (Exodus 8:31).
• Holiness versus corruption: flies are drawn to decay; holiness repels decay. The contrast underscores the call for inner purity (Leviticus 11:44–45).
• Small beginnings, great effects: as a few flies taint costly ointment, so “a little leaven leavens the whole lump” (Galatians 5:9). Different metaphors, same principle.
• Spiritual warfare: the mock-title “lord of the flies” exposes the adversary as sovereign only over rot; Christ, by contrast, is “the Lord of glory” (1 Corinthians 2:8).

Christological and ministerial application

1. Exposing false powers. When Jesus is accused of casting out demons by Beelzebul (Matthew 12:24–28), He unmasks Satan’s divided kingdom and displays a power far superior to the “lord of the flies.”
2. Guarding the heart. Ecclesiastes 10:1 urges believers to remove “little” sins before they fester. Pastors can use the image to warn against tolerated compromise that eventually ruins testimony.
3. Deliverance and purity. Just as God differentiated Goshen from Egypt during the plague (Exodus 8:22), He still makes a distinction between His people and the world, calling the church to live undefiled in a decaying culture (Philippians 2:15).

Contemporary application

• Personal holiness: conduct regular spiritual “clean-outs” so no “dead fly” remains to taint character or ministry.
• Apologetics: highlight the impotence of false gods; the idols of modern life are still “lords of the flies,” promising pleasure yet breeding corruption.
• Mission and mercy: like Israel in Goshen, the church can be a place of refuge from the swarms—offering the gospel, cleansing, and wholeness to a world afflicted by decay.

Related concepts

Plague, uncleanness, idolatry, demonic powers, holiness.

Links

Interlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel Texts