Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Exodus 8:21
Else, if thou wilt not let my people go, behold, I will send swarms [of flies] upon thee, and upon thy servants, and upon thy people, and into thy houses: and the houses of the Egyptians shall be full of swarms [of flies], and also the ground whereon they [are].
21. swarms of flies ] Heb. ‘rb, except here and in the sequel, only Psa 78:45; Psa 105:31 (in allusions to this plague). ‘rb might mean a mixture (cf. ‘reb, Exo Exo 12:38, a ‘ mixed multitude’), and so possibly a swarm (AV. rightly kept ‘of flies’ in italics); but some definite insect is evidently meant; and it is best to suppose that the word, whatever its etymology may be 1 [122] , denotes some particularly irritating kind of fly, LXX. , or dog-fly: in Psa 78:45 the ‘rb is said to have ‘eaten,’ or devoured, the Egyptians. Flies are a common pest in Egypt; swarms are often brought up by the S. wind, settling everywhere, filling the houses, irritating men and animals alike, and often carrying with them the germs of contagious diseases, especially ophthalmia, diphtheria, and (one kind) malignant pustules (Post in DB. ii. 25). In Isa 7:18 the ‘fly’ (the ordinary word) is a symbol for the Egyptian armies. The ‘dog-fly’ is described by Philo ( Vit M. p. 101), who lived in Egypt, as a biting insect, attacking its victim with the force of a dart, and not desisting till it had had its fill of blood and flesh.
[122] The meaning ‘the sucker ’ (Ges.), from an isolated sense, to ‘eat,’ of the Arab. ‘araba (which generally has very different meanings: Lane, Arab. Lex. p. 1991). is very uncertain.
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
Swarms of flies – Generally, supposed to be the dog-fly, which at certain seasons is described as a plague far worse than mosquitos. Others, however, adopt the opinion that the insects were a species of beetle, which was reverenced by the Egyptians as a symbol of life, of reproductive or creative power. The sun-god, as creator, bore the name Chepera, and is represented in the form, or with the head, of a beetle.
Fuente: Albert Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
The FOURTH plague – FLIES
Verse 21. Swarms of flies upon thee] It is not easy to ascertain the precise meaning of the original word hearob; as the word comes from arab, he mingled, it may be supposed to express a multitude of various sorts of insects. And if the conjecture be admitted that the putrid frogs became the occasion of this plague, (different insects laying their eggs in the bodies of those dead animals, which would soon be hatched, see on Ex 8:14), then the supposition that a multitude of different hinds of insects is meant, will seem the more probable. Though the plague of the locusts was miraculous, yet God both brought it and removed it by natural means; see Ex 10:13-19.
Bochart, who has treated this subject with his usual learning and ability, follows the Septuagint, explaining the original by , the dog-fly; which must be particularly hateful to the Egyptians, because they held dogs in the highest veneration, and worshipped Anubis under the form of a dog. In a case of this kind the authority of the Septuagint is very high, as they translated the Pentateuch in the very place where these plagues happened. But as the Egyptians are well known to have paid religious veneration to all kinds of animals and monsters, whence the poet: –
Omnigenumque deum monstra, et latrator Anubis,
I am inclined to favour the literal construction of the word: for as ereb, Ex 12:38, expresses that mixed multitude of different kinds of people who accompanied the Israelites in their departure from Egypt; so here the same term being used, it may have been designed to express a multitude of different kinds of insects, such as flies, wasps, hornets, c., &c. The ancient Jewish interpreters suppose that all kinds of beasts and reptiles are intended, such as wolves, lions, bears, serpents, &c. Mr. Bate thinks the raven is meant, because the original is so understood in other places and thus he translates it in his literal version of the Pentateuch: but the meaning already given is the most likely. As to the objection against this opinion drawn from Ex 8:31, there remained not one, it can have very little weight, when it is considered that this may as well be spoken of one of any of the different kinds, as of an individual of one species.
Fuente: Adam Clarke’s Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible
Swarms of flies; Heb. a mixture of insects or flies, as appears from Psa 78:45, which were of various kinds, as bees, wasps, gnats, hornets, &c, infinite in their numbers, and doubtless larger and more venomous and pernicious than the common ones were.
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole
Else, if thou wilt not let my people go,…. But remainest obstinate and inflexible:
behold, I will send swarms of flies upon thee; the word used is generally thought to signify a “mixture”, and is interpreted by many a mixture of various creatures; the Targum of Jonathan paraphrases it a mixture of wild beasts, and so Josephus k understands it of all sorts of beasts, of many forms, and such as were never seen before; according to Jarchi, all sorts of evil beasts are meant, as serpents and scorpions, mixed together; and so Aben Ezra says it signifies evil beasts mixed together, as lions, wolves, bears, and leopards; but it is not likely the houses should be filled with these, or the ground covered with them, as after related: and besides, they would soon have destroyed, all the inhabitants of the land, since as it follows they are said to be upon them; rather a mixture of insects is intended; the Septuagint; version renders it the “dog fly”, and so Philo the Jew l; which, as Pliny m says, is very troublesome, to dogs especially, about their ears, and this version Bochart n approves of:
and upon thy servants, and upon thy people, and into thy houses; they should be sent unto and settle first on his own person, and also on his ministers and courtiers, and upon all his subjects in general, and get into their houses, and be very troublesome guests there:
and the houses of the Egyptians shall be full of the swarms of flies, and also the ground whereon they are; their number would be so very great.
k Antiqu. l. 2. c. 14. sect. 3. l De Vita Mosis, l. 1. p. 622. m Nat. Hist. l. 11. c. 34. n Hierozoic. par. 2. l. 4. c. 15. col. 555.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
21. Swarms of flies The precise nature of this plague is doubtful . The word used, , occurs only in this place and in the two psalms where this judgment is described, so that we get no aid in interpretation from parallel passages . The rendering of the Septuagint is dog-fly, an insect which in Egypt gives great annoyance to man and beast; and as the authority of that version is very high on Egyptian subjects, this is the most usual interpretation . These insects are described as coming in immense swarms, and settling in black masses on whatever part of the person of the traveller is exposed . Stuart Poole considers it to have been the domestic fly, which is now the most troublesome insect in Egypt . Hengstenberg quotes a traveller as saying: “Men and beasts are cruelly tormented by them . You can form no conception of their fury when they want to settle on any part of your body . You may drive them away, but they settle again immediately, and their obstinacy wearies out the most patient man . ” The distress arising from ophthalmia, now so common in Egypt, is much aggravated by the swarms of flies . Others, as Adam Clarke, Wordsworth, Kurtz, following a Jewish tradition, consider this plague to have been swarms of all kinds of noxious insects, and the author of the Book of Wisdom seems to have supposed that there were beasts also . ( Wis 11:15-16, etc.) Swarming creatures of some kind, probably of various species of insects, so afflicted Pharaoh that he yielded more than ever before, and consented to allow the Israelites to go into the wilderness and sacrifice. Further than this we cannot yet affirm.
Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
Exo 8:21. Swarms of flies A mixture or multitude of noxious creatures: orab, signifies a mixture collected from various species of little beasts or insects. Some understand by it serpents, scorpions, and other venomous animals. The margin of our Bibles renders it, a mixture of noisome beasts. Wis 2:15-17. Whatever may be the precise meaning of
Fuente: Commentary on the Holy Bible by Thomas Coke
The plague of flies was a striking display of divine sovereignty. For as Beelzebub, the god of flies, so called, was probably one of the idols of Egypt, nothing could be more admirably suited to show the Lord’s displeasure, than by punishing them in the very objects of their own idolatry.
Fuente: Hawker’s Poor Man’s Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
Exo 8:21 Else, if thou wilt not let my people go, behold, I will send swarms [of flies] upon thee, and upon thy servants, and upon thy people, and into thy houses: and the houses of the Egyptians shall be full of swarms [of flies], and also the ground whereon they [are].
Ver. 21. Shall be full of swarms of flies. ] Of all the ten plagues this was the most troublesome; for that they never suffered men to rest: so worldly cares; nocte ac die non dabunt requiem, as those tyrants in Jer 16:1-21 .
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
swarms of flies. Ellipsis supplied. But should not be thus limited. Hebrew root shows that they were mixed: all sorts of insects.
and. Note the Figure of speech Polysyndeton (App-6) emphasises the universality of the plague.
Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics
swarms: or, a mixture of noisome beasts, etc. The word arov is rendered , kunomuia, the dog-fly, by the LXX (who are followed by the learned Bochart), which must have been particularly hateful to the Egyptians, because they held dogs in the highest veneration, under which form they worshipped Anubis. Psa 78:45, Psa 105:31, Isa 7:18
Reciprocal: Exo 8:24 – there Exo 10:6 – fill
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
Exo 8:21. Swarms of flies The original word, , means properly a mixture, or multitude of noisome creatures. And some understand by it, swarms of venomous insects and noxious animals, as serpents, scorpions, &c. See the margin. The Septuagint renders it , the dog-fly, flies these which stick fast in the skin, lance it with a sharp proboscis, and suck the blood. Bochart and several others approve of this translation, the rather because this insect was peculiarly offensive to dogs, animals held in religious veneration by the Egyptians. But no doubt, insects of various kinds are included, not only flies, but gnats, wasps, hornets, and those probably more pernicious than the common ones were.