Exodus 8:17Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

The divine might of God is particularly evident when He accomplishes remarkable acts through what is weak and seemingly insignificant. This is why in another scripture He declares, “For my power is made perfect in weakness” (2 Cor. 12:9). In the Old Testament, God used small creatures like gnats and mice to defeat vast armies (Ex. 8 and Ex. 10; 1 Sam. 5 and 1 Sam. 6) and even referred to swarms of locusts as demonstrations of His great power (Joel 2:25). He also overturned the mighty tower of Babel through a mere confusion of languages (Gen. 11). During battles, He scattered numerous foes with just three hundred men (Judg. 7) and brought down a city with the sound of trumpets (Nab. 6). Furthermore, through the humble youth David, He triumphed over an entire hostile army (1 Sam. 17). In the New Testament, with only twelve disciples, He successfully spread His message across the world, despite facing severe persecution. Therefore, let us stand in awe of God's mighty power; let us revere and worship Him!

The initial two afflictions strike the Nile, while the third plague descends upon the fertile black soil of the Nile valley, known as Chemi. Swarms of gnats, referred to in Hebrew as ‘Kinnim’ (with the Egyptian root Ken, which conveys the notion of multitude as well as calamity), likely aligning with the Egyptian term Hennems, Mosquitos, represent a significant torment for travelers in Egypt. As chronicled by Herodotus, these insects, overwhelming in numbers, became an unbearable source of suffering, leading even the magicians to declare, "this is the finger of God," particularly since they could not conjure up gnats themselves. Cook suggests this event occurred in early October. It is noteworthy that many translations render ‘Kinnim’ not as gnats but as lice, as both types of insects are abundant in Egypt.