And the LORD said unto Moses, Say unto Aaron, Stretch out thy rod, and smite the dust of the land, that it may become lice throughout all the land of Egypt.

EXODUS 8:16KJV
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Exodus 8:16 (KJV)

What does Exodus 8:16 mean?

Exodus 8:16 describes God instructing Moses to tell Aaron to stretch out his staff and strike the dust of the land, causing the dust to become lice throughout all of Egypt. This verse marks the beginning of another plague that God brings upon Egypt as a sign of His power.

In this scene, the LORD (God) is speaking directly to Moses, giving him a specific command to pass on to Aaron. The situation is part of the ongoing confrontation between God and Pharaoh, where God is sending plagues to persuade Pharaoh to let the Israelites go. The transformation of dust into lice shows a miraculous event affecting the entire land, emphasizing the scope and seriousness of the plague.

The Hebrew behind Exodus 8:16

  • LORD (יְהוָה, Yahweh): This is the personal name of God, used here to show that the command comes directly from Israel’s God, not just any deity.
  • lice (כִּנִּים, kinnim): The word often refers to small biting insects, possibly lice or gnats. The exact species is debated, but the main point is the sudden, overwhelming infestation.
  • dust (עָפָר, ‘afar): This word means the fine particles of earth. The transformation of something as common as dust into a plague highlights God’s control over even the most ordinary elements of creation.

Why Exodus 8:16 matters

  • Exodus 8:16 shows that God’s power extends over all creation, even turning dust into living creatures, which would have been especially striking in the Egyptian religious context.
  • This verse marks a shift in the plagues, as this one comes without warning to Pharaoh, showing an escalation in God’s actions.
  • The detail that the lice came from the dust of the land emphasizes the totality of the plague—it affected everyone and everywhere in Egypt, not just a specific group or location.

Where else these words appear

“lice” Hebrew H3654 · used in 5 verses

  • Exodus 8:17 And they did so; for Aaron stretched out his hand with his rod, and smote the dust of the earth, and it became lice in man, and in beast; all the dust of the land became lice throughout all the land of Egypt.
  • Exodus 8:18 And the magicians did so with their enchantments to bring forth lice, but they could not: so there were lice upon man, and upon beast.
  • Psalms 105:31 He spake, and there came divers sorts of flies, and lice in all their coasts.

“dust” Hebrew H6083 · used in 103 verses

  • Genesis 2:7 And the LORD God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul.
  • Job 4:19 How much less in them that dwell in houses of clay, whose foundation is in the dust, which are crushed before the moth?
  • Psalms 103:14 For he knoweth our frame; he remembereth that we are dust.