Gnats are small, flying insects that are mentioned in the Bible, specifically in the context of the plagues of Egypt. They are part of the third plague that God inflicted upon Egypt as a demonstration of His power and as a judgment against Pharaoh for refusing to let the Israelites go. The account of this plague is found in the book of Exodus.

Biblical Account:

In Exodus 8:16-19 , the narrative describes how the Lord instructed Moses to tell Aaron to stretch out his staff and strike the dust of the ground. As a result, gnats came upon men and animals throughout the land of Egypt. The passage reads:

"Then the LORD said to Moses, 'Tell Aaron, "Stretch out your staff and strike the dust of the ground," and throughout the land of Egypt the dust will become gnats.' They did this, and when Aaron stretched out his hand with the staff and struck the dust of the ground, gnats came upon men and animals. All the dust throughout the land of Egypt became gnats. The magicians tried to produce gnats by their secret arts, but they could not. And the gnats were on men and animals. The magicians said to Pharaoh, 'This is the finger of God.' But Pharaoh’s heart was hardened, and he would not listen to them, just as the LORD had said."

Significance:

The plague of gnats is significant for several reasons. Firstly, it demonstrates the power of God over creation, as He transforms the dust of the earth into living creatures. This act underscores the sovereignty of God over the natural world and His ability to use it to fulfill His purposes.

Secondly, the inability of the Egyptian magicians to replicate this miracle marks a turning point in the plagues. While they were able to mimic the first two plagues (the turning of the Nile into blood and the plague of frogs), they could not produce gnats. This failure led them to acknowledge the divine origin of the plague, stating, "This is the finger of God."

Lastly, the plague of gnats serves as a judgment against the Egyptian deities and the hardness of Pharaoh's heart. Despite the clear evidence of God's power, Pharaoh's refusal to heed the warnings and let the Israelites go highlights the spiritual blindness and stubbornness that can result from a hardened heart.

Cultural and Historical Context:

In the ancient Near East, gnats and other small insects were common nuisances, particularly in the warm and humid climate of Egypt. The transformation of dust into gnats would have been a particularly distressing plague, as it affected both people and animals, causing discomfort and potentially spreading disease.

Theologically, the plagues of Egypt, including the plague of gnats, are seen as acts of divine judgment against the false gods of Egypt. Each plague targeted specific aspects of Egyptian life and religion, demonstrating the impotence of their deities and the supremacy of the God of Israel.

Symbolism:

In a broader symbolic sense, gnats can represent the pervasive and inescapable nature of divine judgment. Just as the gnats covered the land and affected all living beings, so too does God's judgment reach all areas of life, leaving no one untouched. This serves as a reminder of the need for repentance and obedience to God's commands.3654. ken -- gnat, gnats, a gnat swarm
... 3653b, 3654. ken. 3655 . gnat, gnats, a gnat swarm. Transliteration:
ken Phonetic Spelling: (kane) Short Definition: gnats. Word ...
/hebrew/3654.htm - 6k

Fun and Mischief. His Little Cousin and the "Gnats. " the Aurora ...
... CHAPTER IV. Fun and Mischief. His Little Cousin and the "Gnats." The Aurora Borealis. ...
Fun and Mischief. His Little Cousin and the "Gnats." The Aurora Borealis. ...
/.../chapter iv fun and mischief.htm

The Simple Nature of the Soul is Asserted with Plato. The Identity ...
... dissection. Philosophers have affirmed it to be a certain fact, that gnats,
and ants, and moths have no pulmonary or arterial organs. ...
/.../tertullian/a treatise on the soul/chapter x the simple nature of.htm

Of the Siege of the City of Nisibis, and the Apostolic ...
... divine man consented and climbed up into a tower but when he saw the innumerable
host he discharged no other curse than to that mosquitoes and gnats might be ...
/.../the ecclesiastical history of theodoret/chapter xxvi of the siege of.htm

2 Cor. xiii. 10
... as great as between gnats and us, or much greater? Quite plainly it is much
greater, yea, infinite. If then we vainglorious creatures ...
/.../homilies on the epistles of paul to the corinthians/homily xxx 2 cor xiii.htm

Hypocrisy
... Mark you, my dear friends, I like you to strain at the gnats; I have no objection
to that at all"only do not swallow the camel afterwards. ...
//christianbookshelf.org/spurgeon/spurgeons sermons volume 5 1859/hypocrisy.htm

The Second Part.
... in lighter matters joyned with omission and neglect of greater, wise in circumstance,
and carelesse in substance, tithing mint, straining at gnats, &c. ...
/.../ward/a coal from the altar to kindle the holy fire of zeale/the second part.htm

Exodus
... God upon the obstinate king of Egypt and his unhappy land: the water of the Nile
is turned into blood (vii.), there are plagues of frogs, gnats, gadflies (viii ...
//christianbookshelf.org/mcfadyen/introduction to the old testament/exodus.htm

The Idols Crumble
... Gnats wove their mazes in the narrow casement that opened on the outside world,
and now and then the twitter of birds sounded very close to it. ...
//christianbookshelf.org/miller/the yoke/chapter xxviii the idols crumble.htm

Empedocles Increased the Absurdity of Pythagoras by Developing the ...
... Then opposed to spirit are those creatures which seem to have no respiration, being
unfurnished with lungs and windpipes, such as gnats, ants, moths, and ...
/.../a treatise on the soul/chapter xxxii empedocles increased the absurdity.htm

Face to Face with Shams
... There are ways of saying things, father,' said Philip, smiling; the gnats buzz,
and the thunder roars, and the ultimate elements of sound are much the same ...
/.../chapter xxiii face to face.htm

Gnats (5 Occurrences)
... Multi-Version Concordance Gnats (5 Occurrences). Exodus 8:16 And Jehovah
said to Moses, Say unto Aaron, Stretch out thy staff, and ...
/g/gnats.htm - 8k

Gnat (1 Occurrence)
... Bible "in like manner," Septuagint hosper tauta, Vulgate (Jerome's Latin Bible,
390-405 AD) sicut haec, the Revised Version, margin has "like gnats" since ken ...
/g/gnat.htm - 10k

Staff (91 Occurrences)
... Exodus 8:16 And Jehovah said to Moses, Say unto Aaron, Stretch out thy staff, and
smite the dust of the earth, and it shall become gnats throughout the land of ...
/s/staff.htm - 38k

Flashings (5 Occurrences)
... (YLT). Exodus 8:18 And the scribes do so with their flashings, to bring out the
gnats, and they have not been able, and the gnats are on man and on beast; (YLT) ...
/f/flashings.htm - 7k

Smiteth (156 Occurrences)
... Exodus 8:17 And they do so, and Aaron stretcheth out his hand with his rod, and
smiteth the dust of the land, and the gnats are on man and on beast; all the ...
/s/smiteth.htm - 38k

Stretcheth (33 Occurrences)
... Exodus 8:17 And they do so, and Aaron stretcheth out his hand with his rod, and
smiteth the dust of the land, and the gnats are on man and on beast; all the ...
/s/stretcheth.htm - 16k

Sorceries (11 Occurrences)
... (DBY). Exodus 8:18 And the scribes did so with their sorceries, to bring forth gnats;
but they could not. And the gnats were on man and on beast. (DBY). ...
/s/sorceries.htm - 9k

Gnaw (4 Occurrences)

/g/gnaw.htm - 8k

Vanished (13 Occurrences)
... And look attentively unto the earth beneath, For the heavens as smoke have vanished,
And the earth as a garment weareth out, And its inhabitants as gnats do die ...
/v/vanished.htm - 10k

Lice (4 Occurrences)
... to in Psalm 105:31. Some have supposed that the word denotes not lice properly,
but gnats. Others, with greater probability, take ...
/l/lice.htm - 10k

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