Exodus 8:16

16 And the Lord said to Moses, Speak thou to Aaron, Hold forth thy rod, and smite the dust of the earth (Say thou to Aaron, Stretch forth thy staff, and strike the dust of the earth), and little flies, or gnats, be in all the land of Egypt.

Exodus 8:16 Meaning and Commentary

Exodus 8:16

And the Lord said unto Moses
On the twenty seventh day of the month, according to Bishop Usher, the same day the flogs were removed; no warning is given him of the next plague, at least there is no account of any:

say unto Aaron, stretch out thy rod, and smite the dust of the land;
in some one part of the land, that place nearest to him where there was a quantity of dust; for it cannot be imagined that he should smite all the dust of the land in every part of it, but smiting one part served for the whole:

that it may become lice throughout all the land of Egypt:
not gnats, as some, nor flies, as others, but lice, though perhaps not of the common and ordinary sort, but new and extraordinary, and it may be of different sorts, suitable to different creatures.

Exodus 8:16 In-Context

14 and they gathered them into great heaps, and the land was rotten, or corrupted with stink. [and they gathered them together into great heaps without number, and the earth stank.]

15 Soothly Pharaoh saw that rest was given, and he made grievous his heart, and he heard not them, as the Lord commanded. (But when Pharaoh saw that the trouble had ceased, he hardened his heart, and he would not listen to them, as the Lord had said.)

16 And the Lord said to Moses, Speak thou to Aaron, Hold forth thy rod, and smite the dust of the earth (Say thou to Aaron, Stretch forth thy staff, and strike the dust of the earth), and little flies, or gnats, be in all the land of Egypt.

17 And they did so; and Aaron held forth the hand, and held the rod, and smote the dust of [the] earth; and gnats were made in men, and in work beasts; all the dust of the earth was turned into gnats by all the land of Egypt. (And they did so; and Aaron stretched forth the staff with his hand, and struck the dust of the earth; and gnats came on people, and on the work beasts; yea, all the dust of the earth was turned into gnats in all the land of Egypt.)

18 And the witches did in like manner by their enchantments, that they should bring forth gnats, and they might not; and gnats were as well in men as in work beasts. (And the witches did likewise with their enchantments, so that they would also bring forth gnats, but they could not do so; still, gnats covered all the people, and the work beasts as well.)