Focused Passage

Exodus 8:16-19

Frogs, Gnats, Flies, and the LORD’s Distinction

The LORD escalates judgment through frogs, gnats, and flies; Pharaoh bargains and hardens his heart; Egypt’s magicians confess the finger of God; and the LORD makes a distinction between Egypt and His people.

Berean Standard Bible, Public Domain - Translation notes - Reference sources

16 Then the LORD said to Moses, “Tell Aaron, ‘Stretch out your staff and strike the dust of the earth, that it may turn into swarms of gnats throughout the land of Egypt.’”

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.

18 The magicians tried to produce gnats using their magic arts, but they could not. And the gnats remained on man and beast.

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

Study Helps

References and Original Words

Verse 16

Original words

Then the LORD יְהוָה֮ H3068 Noun - proper - masculine singular said וַיֹּ֣אמֶר H559 Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular to אֶל־ H413 Preposition Moses מֹשֶׁה֒ H4872 Noun - proper - masculine singular Tell אֱמֹר֙ H559 Verb - Qal - Imperative - masculine singular . . . אֶֽל־ H413 Preposition Aaron אַהֲרֹ֔ן H175 Noun - proper - masculine singular Stretch out נְטֵ֣ה H5186 Verb - Qal - Imperative - masculine singular - אֶֽת־ H853 Direct object marker your staff מַטְּךָ֔ H4294 Noun - masculine singular construct | second person masculine singular and strike וְהַ֖ךְ H5221 Conjunctive waw | Verb - Hifil - Imperative - masculine singular - אֶת־ H853 Direct object marker the dust עֲפַ֣ר H6083 Noun - masculine singular construct of the earth הָאָ֑רֶץ H776 Article | Noun - feminine singular that it may turn into וְהָיָ֥ה H1961 Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Conjunctive perfect - third person masculine singular swarms of gnats לְכִנִּ֖ם H3654 Preposition-l | Noun - masculine plural throughout בְּכָל־ H3605 Preposition-b | Noun - masculine singular construct the land אֶ֥רֶץ H776 Noun - feminine singular construct of Egypt מִצְרָֽיִם׃ H4714 Noun - proper - feminine singular
Verse 17

Original words

This they did וַיַּֽעֲשׂוּ־ H6213 Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine plural . . . כֵ֗ן H3651 Adverb and when Aaron אַהֲרֹ֨ן H175 Noun - proper - masculine singular - אֶת־ H853 Direct object marker stretched out וַיֵּט֩ H5186 Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular his hand יָד֤וֹ H3027 Noun - feminine singular construct | third person masculine singular with his staff בְמַטֵּ֙הוּ֙ H4294 Preposition-b | Noun - masculine singular construct | third person masculine singular and struck וַיַּךְ֙ H5221 Conjunctive waw | Verb - Hifil - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular - אֶת־ H853 Direct object marker the dust עֲפַ֣ר H6083 Noun - masculine singular construct of the earth הָאָ֔רֶץ H776 Article | Noun - feminine singular gnats הַכִּנָּ֔ם H3654 Article | Noun - masculine singular came upon וַתְּהִי֙ H1961 Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person feminine singular man בָּאָדָ֖ם H120 Preposition-b, Article | Noun - masculine singular and beast וּבַבְּהֵמָ֑ה H929 Conjunctive waw, Preposition-b, Article | Noun - feminine singular All כָּל־ H3605 Noun - masculine singular construct the dust עֲפַ֥ר H6083 Noun - masculine singular construct of the earth הָאָ֛רֶץ H776 Article | Noun - feminine singular turned into הָיָ֥ה H1961 Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person masculine singular gnats כִנִּ֖ים H3654 Noun - masculine plural throughout בְּכָל־ H3605 Preposition-b | Noun - masculine singular construct the land אֶ֥רֶץ H776 Noun - feminine singular construct of Egypt מִצְרָֽיִם׃ H4714 Noun - proper - feminine singular
Verse 18

Original words

The magicians הַחַרְטֻמִּ֧ים H2748 Article | Noun - masculine plural tried וַיַּעֲשׂוּ־ H6213 Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine plural . . . כֵ֨ן H3651 Adverb to produce לְהוֹצִ֥יא H3318 Preposition-l | Verb - Hifil - Infinitive construct - אֶת־ H853 Direct object marker gnats הַכִּנִּ֖ים H3654 Article | Noun - masculine plural using their magic arts בְּלָטֵיהֶ֛ם H3909 Preposition-b | Noun - masculine plural construct | third person masculine plural but they could יָכֹ֑לוּ H3201 Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person common plural not וְלֹ֣א H3808 Conjunctive waw | Adverb - Negative particle And the gnats הַכִּנָּ֔ם H3654 Article | Noun - masculine singular remained וַתְּהִי֙ H1961 Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person feminine singular on man בָּאָדָ֖ם H120 Preposition-b, Article | Noun - masculine singular and beast וּבַבְּהֵמָֽה׃ H929 Conjunctive waw, Preposition-b, Article | Noun - feminine singular
Verse 19

Original words

This הִ֑וא H1931 Pronoun - third person feminine singular is the finger אֶצְבַּ֥ע H676 Noun - feminine singular construct of God אֱלֹהִ֖ים H430 Noun - masculine plural the magicians הַֽחַרְטֻמִּים֙ H2748 Article | Noun - masculine plural said וַיֹּאמְר֤וּ H559 Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine plural to אֶל־ H413 Preposition Pharaoh פַּרְעֹ֔ה H6547 Noun - proper - masculine singular But Pharaoh’s פַּרְעֹה֙ H6547 Noun - proper - masculine singular heart לֵב־ H3820 Noun - masculine singular construct was hardened וַיֶּחֱזַ֤ק H2388 Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular and he would not וְלֹֽא־ H3808 Conjunctive waw | Adverb - Negative particle listen שָׁמַ֣ע H8085 Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person masculine singular to them אֲלֵהֶ֔ם H413 Preposition | third person masculine plural just as כַּאֲשֶׁ֖ר H834 Preposition-k | Pronoun - relative the LORD יְהוָֽה׃ס H3068 Noun - proper - masculine singular had said דִּבֶּ֥ר H1696 Verb - Piel - Perfect - third person masculine singular

BSB notes

  • Or stiffened or strengthened

Berean Standard Bible (BSB): CC0 Public Domain Scripture text. Focused passages are drawn from the same reader contract as the full chapter. Reference sources explains external study-link sources.