Exodus

Exodus 8:16–19

¹⁶Then 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.’”

¹⁷This 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.

¹⁸The 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,^b and he would not listen to them, just as the LORD had said.

Footnotes

b 8:19 Or stiffened or strengthened

Read all of Exodus 8

Word by word

Each English word or phrase beside the Hebrew it translates, in the order of the English. Choose a number to open that word’s study.

Exodus 8:16

English	Hebrew	Sounds like	Grammar	Word study
Then the LORD	יְהוָה֮	Yah·weh	Noun - proper - masculine singular	H3068 Yahweh
said	וַיֹּ֣אמֶר	way·yō·mer	Conjunctive waw; Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular	H559 utter, say
to	אֶל־	’el-	Preposition	H413 motion to
Moses	מֹשֶׁה֒	mō·šeh	Noun - proper - masculine singular	H4872 Moses
Tell	אֱמֹר֙	’ĕ·mōr	Verb - Qal - Imperative - masculine singular	H559 utter, say
Aaron	אַהֲרֹ֔ן	’a·hă·rōn	Noun - proper - masculine singular	H175 Aaron
Stretch out	נְטֵ֣ה	nə·ṭêh	Verb - Qal - Imperative - masculine singular	H5186 stretch out, spread out, extend, incline, bend
your staff	מַטְּךָ֔	maṭ·ṭə·ḵā	Noun - masculine singular construct; second person masculine singular	H4294 staff, rod, shaft
and strike	וְהַ֖ךְ	wə·haḵ	Conjunctive waw; Verb - Hifil - Imperative - masculine singular	H5221 smite
the dust	עֲפַ֣ר	‘ă·p̄ar	Noun - masculine singular construct	H6083 dry earth, dust
of the earth	הָאָ֑רֶץ	hā·’ā·reṣ	Article; Noun - feminine singular	H776 earth, land
that it may turn into	וְהָיָ֥ה	wə·hā·yāh	Conjunctive waw; Verb - Qal - Conjunctive perfect - third person masculine singular	H1961 fall out, come to pass, become, be
swarms of gnats	לְכִנִּ֖ם	lə·ḵin·nim	Preposition-l; Noun - masculine plural	H3654 right, veritable, honest
throughout	בְּכָל־	bə·ḵāl	Preposition-b; Noun - masculine singular construct	H3605 the whole, all
the land	אֶ֥רֶץ	’e·reṣ	Noun - feminine singular construct	H776 earth, land
of Egypt	מִצְרָֽיִם׃	miṣ·rā·yim	Noun - proper - feminine singular	H4714 Egypt, Egyptians

Exodus 8:17

English	Hebrew	Sounds like	Grammar	Word study
This they did	וַיַּֽעֲשׂוּ־	way·ya·‘ă·śū-	Conjunctive waw; Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine plural	H6213 do, make
and when Aaron	אַהֲרֹ֨ן	’a·hă·rōn	Noun - proper - masculine singular	H175 Aaron
stretched out	וַיֵּט֩	way·yêṭ	Conjunctive waw; Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular	H5186 stretch out, spread out, extend, incline, bend
his hand	יָד֤וֹ	yā·ḏōw	Noun - feminine singular construct; third person masculine singular	H3027 hand
with his staff	בְמַטֵּ֙הוּ֙	ḇə·maṭ·ṭê·hū	Preposition-b; Noun - masculine singular construct; third person masculine singular	H4294 staff, rod, shaft
and struck	וַיַּךְ֙	way·yaḵ	Conjunctive waw; Verb - Hifil - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular	H5221 smite
the dust	עֲפַ֣ר	‘ă·p̄ar	Noun - masculine singular construct	H6083 dry earth, dust
of the earth	הָאָ֔רֶץ	hā·’ā·reṣ	Article; Noun - feminine singular	H776 earth, land
gnats	הַכִּנָּ֔ם	hak·kin·nām	Article; Noun - masculine singular	H3654 right, veritable, honest
came upon	וַתְּהִי֙	wat·tə·hî	Conjunctive waw; Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person feminine singular	H1961 fall out, come to pass, become, be
man	בָּאָדָ֖ם	bā·’ā·ḏām	Preposition-b, Article; Noun - masculine singular	H120 man, mankind
and beast	וּבַבְּהֵמָ֑ה	ū·ḇab·bə·hê·māh	Conjunctive waw, Preposition-b, Article; Noun - feminine singular	H929 beast, animal, cattle
All	כָּל־	kāl-	Noun - masculine singular construct	H3605 the whole, all
the dust	עֲפַ֥ר	‘ă·p̄ar	Noun - masculine singular construct	H6083 dry earth, dust
of the earth	הָאָ֛רֶץ	hā·’ā·reṣ	Article; Noun - feminine singular	H776 earth, land
turned into	הָיָ֥ה	hā·yāh	Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person masculine singular	H1961 fall out, come to pass, become, be
gnats	כִנִּ֖ים	ḵin·nîm	Noun - masculine plural	H3654 right, veritable, honest
throughout	בְּכָל־	bə·ḵāl	Preposition-b; Noun - masculine singular construct	H3605 the whole, all
the land	אֶ֥רֶץ	’e·reṣ	Noun - feminine singular construct	H776 earth, land
of Egypt	מִצְרָֽיִם׃	miṣ·rā·yim	Noun - proper - feminine singular	H4714 Egypt, Egyptians

Exodus 8:18

English	Hebrew	Sounds like	Grammar	Word study
The magicians	הַחַרְטֻמִּ֧ים	ha·ḥar·ṭum·mîm	Article; Noun - masculine plural	H2748 engraver, writer
tried	וַיַּעֲשׂוּ־	way·ya·‘ă·śū-	Conjunctive waw; Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine plural	H6213 do, make
to produce	לְהוֹצִ֥יא	lə·hō·w·ṣî	Preposition-l; Verb - Hifil - Infinitive construct	H3318 go or come out
gnats	הַכִּנִּ֖ים	hak·kin·nîm	Article; Noun - masculine plural	H3654 right, veritable, honest
using their magic arts	בְּלָטֵיהֶ֛ם	bə·lā·ṭê·hem	Preposition-b; Noun - masculine plural construct; third person masculine plural	H3909 secrecy, mystery
but they could	יָכֹ֑לוּ	yā·ḵō·lū	Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person common plural	H3201 be able, have power, prevail, endure
not	וְלֹ֣א	wə·lō	Conjunctive waw; Adverb - Negative particle	H3808 not
And the gnats	הַכִּנָּ֔ם	hak·kin·nām	Article; Noun - masculine singular	H3654 right, veritable, honest
remained	וַתְּהִי֙	wat·tə·hî	Conjunctive waw; Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person feminine singular	H1961 fall out, come to pass, become, be
on man	בָּאָדָ֖ם	bā·’ā·ḏām	Preposition-b, Article; Noun - masculine singular	H120 man, mankind
and beast	וּבַבְּהֵמָֽה׃	ū·ḇab·bə·hê·māh	Conjunctive waw, Preposition-b, Article; Noun - feminine singular	H929 beast, animal, cattle

Exodus 8:19

English	Hebrew	Sounds like	Grammar	Word study
This	הִ֑וא	hî	Pronoun - third person feminine singular	H1931 he, she
is the finger	אֶצְבַּ֥ע	’eṣ·ba‘	Noun - feminine singular construct	H676 finger
of God	אֱלֹהִ֖ים	’ĕ·lō·hîm	Noun - masculine plural	H430 God
the magicians	הַֽחַרְטֻמִּים֙	ha·ḥar·ṭum·mîm	Article; Noun - masculine plural	H2748 engraver, writer
said	וַיֹּאמְר֤וּ	way·yō·mə·rū	Conjunctive waw; Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine plural	H559 utter, say
to	אֶל־	’el-	Preposition	H413 motion to
Pharaoh	פַּרְעֹ֔ה	par·‘ōh	Noun - proper - masculine singular	H6547 Pharaoh
But Pharaoh’s	פַּרְעֹה֙	par·‘ōh	Noun - proper - masculine singular	H6547 Pharaoh
heart	לֵב־	lêḇ-	Noun - masculine singular construct	H3820 inner man, mind, will, heart
was hardened	וַיֶּחֱזַ֤ק	way·ye·ḥĕ·zaq	Conjunctive waw; Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular	H2388 be or grow firm, strong, strengthen
and he would not	וְלֹֽא־	wə·lō-	Conjunctive waw; Adverb - Negative particle	H3808 not
listen	שָׁמַ֣ע	šā·ma‘	Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person masculine singular	H8085 hear
to them	אֲלֵהֶ֔ם	’ă·lê·hem	Preposition; third person masculine plural	H413 motion to
just as	כַּאֲשֶׁ֖ר	ka·’ă·šer	Preposition-k; Pronoun - relative	H834 particle of relation
the LORD	יְהוָֽה׃ס	Yah·weh	Noun - proper - masculine singular	H3068 Yahweh
had said	דִּבֶּ֥ר	dib·ber	Verb - Piel - Perfect - third person masculine singular	H1696 speak