Charles Ellicott Commentary Exodus 8:16-17

"And Jehovah said unto Moses, Say unto Aaron, Stretch out thy rod, and smite the dust of the earth, that is may become lice throughout all the land of Egypt. And they did so; and Aaron stretched out his hand with his rod, and smote the dust of the earth, and there were lice upon man, and upon beast; all the dust of the earth became lice throughout all the land of Egypt." — Exodus 8:16-17 (ASV)

THE THIRD PLAGUE (Exodus 8:16–17)

It is disputed whether this plague was one of lice or of mosquitoes. Josephus and the Jewish commentators generally take the former view. The latter view is supported by the Septuagint and Vulgate, and by authorities such as Philo, Artapanus, Origen, and St. Augustine in ancient times, and Rosenmüller, Michaelis, Oedmann, Gesenius, Keil, and Kalisch in modern times.

The word used, kinnim, seems connected with the Greek κίνψ or κώνωψ and is reasonably regarded as formed by onomatopoeia from the sharp, tingling sound the insect makes when on the wing. (In Egyptian, the word for “mosquito” is Khnemms, according to Brugsch, Diet. Hierogl. p. 1103.)

The trouble mosquitoes caused the Egyptians of the Delta is noted by Herodotus (ii. 95). Modern writers, such as Forskal (Descript. Anim. p. 85), declare that they amount to an absolute pest at certain seasons.

They are most troublesome towards October, and are said to attack not only the exposed parts of the skin, but especially the ears, the nostrils, and the eyes, where they do great damage. Some have thought that mosquitoes do not molest cattle (Exodus 8:17); but Kalisch says, “They molest especially beasts, such as oxen and horses, flying into their eyes and nostrils, driving them to madness and fury, and sometimes even torturing them to death.”

It should be noted that the third plague, whatever it was, came without warning. It was God’s judgment on Pharaoh for hardening his heart and breaking his promise (Exodus 8:15), and he was not given the option of avoiding it by submission to God’s will.

Smite the dust of the land.—Dust prevails in Egypt to an extent that is highly inconvenient.

One writer says, “We travelled to Ashmim through clouds of dust, raised by a high wind, which intercepted our view as much as if we had been travelling in a fog.” Another notes, “There is one great source of discomfort arising from the dryness of the atmosphere, namely, an excessive quantity of dust.”

When all the dust of the land became mosquitoes (Exodus 8:17), the plague must indeed have been great.