Bible Strands
Exodus 8:17
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.
Berean Standard Bible
Follow its threads on the canvas →
Study note
Setting — God instructs Moses to tell Aaron to strike the earth’s dust with his staff, initiating the plague. Aaron obeys the command as the judgment spreads across Egypt.
The words — The Hebrew verbs וַ/יֵּט (va/i.Yet) and וַ/יַּךְ (va/i.yaKh) denote stretching out and striking. These terms record the exact physical motions Aaron performs to execute the command.
The thread — The event reappears in Psalms 105:31 as a recalled act of divine speech and parallels the sudden judgment on Herod in Acts 12:23. Isaiah 23:9 similarly records God’s plan to disgrace earthly glory through judgment.
Why it lands — The text states that all the dust turned into gnats on man and beast, showing direct obedience to a divine command. It requires the reader to acknowledge that the judgment proceeds without human mediation or magical resistance.
Drafted by a language model from the text, its original words and its cross-references, then checked against them. It can still be wrong: open the verse in the app to report it.
The Hebrew words
King James Version
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.
Cross-references
- Psalms 105:31 He spoke, and insects swarmed—gnats throughout their country.
- Isaiah 23:9 The LORD of Hosts planned it, to defile all its glorious beauty, to disgrace all the renowned of the earth.
- 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.