The Third Plague: Gnats

16 Then the Lord said to Moses, “Tell Aaron: Stretch out your staff and strike the dust of the earth, and it will become gnats[a] throughout the land of Egypt.” 17 And they did this. Aaron stretched out his hand with his staff, and when he struck the dust of the earth, gnats were on man and beast. All the dust of the earth became gnats throughout the land of Egypt. 18 The magicians tried to produce gnats using their occult practices, but they could not. The gnats remained on man and beast.(A)

19 “This is the finger of God,”(B) the magicians said to Pharaoh. But Pharaoh’s heart hardened, and he would not listen to them, as the Lord had said.

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Footnotes

  1. Exodus 8:16 Perhaps sand fleas or mosquitoes

The Plague of Gnats

16 Then the Lord said to Moses, “Tell Aaron, ‘Stretch out your staff(A) and strike the dust of the ground,’ and throughout the land of Egypt the dust will become gnats.” 17 They did this, and when Aaron stretched out his hand with the staff and struck the dust of the ground, gnats(B) came on people and animals. All the dust throughout the land of Egypt became gnats. 18 But when the magicians(C) tried to produce gnats by their secret arts,(D) they could not.

Since the gnats were on people and animals everywhere, 19 the magicians said to Pharaoh, “This is the finger(E) of God.” But Pharaoh’s heart(F) was hard and he would not listen,(G) just as the Lord had said.

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