In biblical times, the term "vermin" referred to various small animals or insects that were considered pests, often causing destruction to crops, food supplies, or property. The presence of vermin is frequently associated with divine judgment or a consequence of disobedience to God's commandments.

Biblical References:

1. Locusts: One of the most notable instances of vermin in the Bible is the plague of locusts sent upon Egypt as the eighth plague. In Exodus 10:12-15 , God commands Moses to stretch out his hand over Egypt so that locusts would swarm over the land and consume every plant left by the hail. This event highlights the destructive power of vermin as an instrument of divine judgment: "They covered the face of all the land, so that the land was darkened, and they devoured every plant in the land and all the fruit of the trees that the hail had left."

2. Mice and Rats: In 1 Samuel 6:4-5 , the Philistines, after capturing the Ark of the Covenant, are afflicted with tumors and a plague of mice. To appease the God of Israel, they create golden images of the tumors and mice as a guilt offering: "Make images of your tumors and of the rats that are destroying the land, and give glory to the God of Israel."

3. Lice or Gnats: The third plague upon Egypt involved lice or gnats, as described in Exodus 8:16-18 . Aaron stretched out his staff, and the dust of the earth became lice throughout Egypt. This plague demonstrated God's power over creation and the inability of Pharaoh's magicians to replicate the miracle: "The magicians tried to produce gnats by their secret arts, but they could not."

4. Cankerworms and Caterpillars: In Joel 1:4 , the prophet describes a devastating sequence of locust invasions, including cankerworms and caterpillars, as a metaphor for the coming judgment upon Judah: "What the devouring locust has left, the swarming locust has eaten; what the swarming locust has left, the young locust has eaten; and what the young locust has left, the destroying locust has eaten."

Symbolism and Theological Significance:

Vermin in the Bible often symbolize the consequences of sin and disobedience. They serve as a reminder of the fragility of human endeavors without divine protection. The presence of vermin as a form of judgment underscores the sovereignty of God over nature and His ability to use even the smallest creatures to fulfill His purposes.

Practical Implications:

In biblical law, the presence of vermin could render food or property unclean, necessitating purification or destruction. Leviticus 11:29-31 lists various creatures considered unclean, including rodents and certain insects, emphasizing the importance of maintaining purity and cleanliness in daily life.

Cultural Context:

In ancient agrarian societies, the threat of vermin was a constant concern, as they could devastate crops and lead to famine. The biblical narrative reflects this reality, using vermin as a tangible representation of divine intervention and the need for reliance on God's provision and protection.1. (n.) Noxious, troublesome or mischievous animals such as squirrels, rats, mice, flies, and lice.

2. (n. sing. & pl.) Hence, in contempt, noxious human beings.

The Plagues of Egypt
... If they came as other vermin come, they would have still been miraculous: God would
still have sent them; and it would be a miracle that God should make them ...
/.../kingsley/the gospel of the pentateuch/sermon x the plagues of.htm

The Galleys
... Huddled together in damp and filthy prisons, crawling with vermin, covered with
sores and ulcers, brawling, blaspheming and fighting, the galley slaves made a ...
/.../forbes/life of st vincent de paul/chapter 4 the galleys.htm

Second Part of the Book.
... So much vermin was there about this hermitage, that none durst come thither
by a long way. A deacon was in that land, who heard ...
/.../second part of the book.htm

The Power of this Twofold Patience, the Spiritual and the Bodily ...
... 9173] while Job with mighty equanimity kept scraping off [9174] the unclean overflow
of his own ulcer, while he sportively replaced the vermin that brake out ...
/.../christianbookshelf.org/tertullian/of patience/chapter xiv the power of this.htm

(And Last): Homeward Bound
... On board of her some friends of ours had lately been glad to sleep in a dog-hutch
on deck, to escape the filth and vermin of the berths; and went hungry for ...
//christianbookshelf.org/kingsley/at last/chapter xvii and last homeward.htm

Various Experiences --Continued
... Vermin of different kinds prevented sleep; and not long after going to bed I heard
a noise downstairs that indicated the arrival of company of no desirable sort ...
/.../cole/trials and triumphs of faith/chapter xv various experiencescontinued.htm

The Sixth Commandment
... They never left him till they had nailed him to the cross, and taken away
his life. Hatred is a vermin which lives upon blood. Because ...
/.../watson/the ten commandments/2 6 the sixth commandment.htm

The Little Foxes.
... work hard. Another devouring little fox is, "My church." "Salt" and "fire"
is the sure and only antidote for such nasty vermin. We ...
/.../orr/food for the lambs or helps for young christians/the little foxes.htm

Our Lord Shows St. Teresa the Place which She had by Her Sins ...
... The ground seemed to be saturated with water, mere mud, exceedingly foul, sending
forth pestilential odours, and covered with loathsome vermin. ...
/.../teresa/the life of st teresa of jesus/chapter xxxii our lord shows.htm

The Martyrdom
... They were only to stop at wretched country villages, where none of the conveniences
of life were to be had, where the dirt and vermin were an intolerable ...
/.../chapter lxviii the martyrdom.htm

Vermin (1 Occurrence)
... and lice. 2. (n. sing. & pl.) Hence, in contempt, noxious human beings.
Multi-Version Concordance Vermin (1 Occurrence). Jeremiah 43 ...
/v/vermin.htm - 7k

Verse (5 Occurrences)

/v/verse.htm - 8k

Vermillion (1 Occurrence)

/v/vermillion.htm - 6k

Imagery (5 Occurrences)
... every man in his chambers of imagery," ie dark chambers on whose walls were pictures
in relief representing all kinds of reptiles and vermin, worshipped by ...
/i/imagery.htm - 10k

Things (10975 Occurrences)
... animals without fins or scales in Leviticus 11:10-12, birds of prey and the like
(verse 18), winged creeping things (verses 20, 23), creeping vermin (verses 41 ...
/t/things.htm - 10k

Detestable (121 Occurrences)
... animals without fins or scales in Leviticus 11:10-12, birds of prey and the like
(verse 18), winged creeping things (verses 20, 23), creeping vermin (verses 41 ...
/d/detestable.htm - 39k

Images (158 Occurrences)
... See IMAGE. The ordinary words for "image" by a slight change came to mean
vermin, carrion, false gods, no gods, carcasses, dung, etc. ...
/i/images.htm - 70k

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