Difference between revisions of "Gnat"

<p> <strong> [[Gnat]] </strong> (&nbsp; Matthew 23:24 ). Various members of the <em> CulicidÅ“ </em> , mosquitoes and true gnats, are found in Palestine; of the former, four species are known which are fever-bearing. These and such small insects are very apt to fall into food or liquid, and require to be ‘strained <em> out </em> ’ [[(Rv]] [Note: Revised Version.] ), especially in connexion with &nbsp; Leviticus 11:22; &nbsp; Leviticus 11:24 . An [[Arab]] proverb well illustrates the ideas of &nbsp; Matthew 23:24 : ‘He eats an elephant and is suffocated by a gnat.’ In the RVm [Note: Revised Version margin.] of &nbsp; Isaiah 51:6 ‘like gnats’ is suggested for ‘in like manner.’ </p> <p> [[E.]] [[W.]] [[G.]] Masterman. </p>

<div> '''1: κώνωψ ''' (Strong'S #2971 — Noun Masculine — konops — ko'-nopes ) </div> <p> denotes "the winegnat or midge," which breeds in fermenting or evaporating wine, &nbsp;Matthew 23:24 , where the [[Av,]] "strain at" is corrected to "strain out," in the [[Rv.]] </p>

<p> [[A]] small winged stinging insect, a mosquito, spoken of in the proverbial expression, &nbsp;Matthew 23:24 , "Ye strain at a gnat, and swallow in a camel," which should read, as it did in the first English translations, "Ye strain out a gnat," etc. The expression alludes to the [[Jewish]] custom of filtering wine, for fear of swallowing any insect forbidden by the law as unclean, &nbsp;Leviticus 11:23; and is applied to those who are superstitiously anxious in avoiding small faults, yet do not scruple to commit great sins. </p>

<p> [[Gnat,]] n. nat. [[A]] small insect, or rather a genus of insects, the Culex, whose long cylindric body is composed of eight rings. They have six legs and their mouth is formed by a flexible sheath, inclosing bristles pointed like stings. The sting is a tube containing five or six spicula of exquisite fineness, dentated or edged. The most troublesome of this genus is the musketoe. </p> 1. Any thing proverbially small. <p> Ye blind guides, who strain at a gnat, and swallow a camel. &nbsp;Matthew 23 </p>

<p> <b> [[Gnat.]] </b> —See Animals, p. 67a. </p>

<p> ''''' nat ''''' (in English [[Versions]] of the Bible, only in &nbsp; Matthew 23:24 , κώνωψ , <i> '''''kō̇nōps''''' </i> ̌ . In &nbsp;Exodus 8:16 , for English Versions of the Bible "lice," one of the plagues of Egypt, כּנּם , <i> '''''kinnim''''' </i> , כּנּים ,minni , <i> '''''kinnı̄m''''' </i> , or כּנּם , <i> '''''kinnām''''' </i> , we find in the Revised Version, margin "sand flies" or "fleas" (Gesenius "gnat"; Mandelkern "culex"). For <i> '''''kemō kēn''''' </i> (&nbsp;Isaiah 51:6 ), English Versions of the Bible "in like manner," [[Septuagint]] ὡσπερ ταῦτα , <i> '''''hō̇sper taúta''''' </i> , [[Vulgate]] (Jerome's <i> Latin Bible </i> , 390-405 ad) <i> sicut haec </i> , the Revised Version, margin has "like gnats" since כּן , <i> '''''kēn''''' </i> , elsewhere "thus," may here be taken to be a singular of the form כּנּים , <i> '''''kinnı̄m''''' </i> , which occurs in [[Ex]] 8): In the New [[Testament]] passage, the difference between the King James Version and the Revised Version (British and American) should be noted. "Strain at a gnat, and swallow a camel" is changed to "strain out the gnat and swallow the camel," the reference being to the inconsistency of the Jewish religious leaders in taking extraordinary pains in some things, as in the preparation of food, while leaving weightier matters unattended to. </p> <p> In &nbsp;Isaiah 51:6 , the suggestion of the Revised Version, margin, "They that dwell therein shall die like gnats," seems a decided improvement on the "shall die in like manner" of English Versions of the Bible, especially as <i> '''''kēn''''' </i> , "thus" (see <i> supra </i> ), is a repetition of <i> '''''kemō''''' </i> , whose meaning is practically the same, "in like manner" being the rendering in English Versions of the Bible of <i> '''''kemō kēn''''' </i> ̌ . </p> <p> As to the creatures, <i> ''''' kinnı̄m ''''' </i> , of the [[Egyptian]] plague, there is little choice between "lice" of English Versions of the Bible and the others suggested, except as we may be influenced by the Septuagint rendering, <i> ''''' sknı́phes ''''' </i> , which may mean "gnats" or "mosquitoes." See [[Flea]]; [[Lice]] . </p>

<p> '''Bibliography Information''' McClintock, John. Strong, James. Entry for 'Gnat'. Cyclopedia of Biblical, Theological and [[Ecclesiastical]] Literature. https://www.studylight.org/encyclopedias/eng/tce/g/gnat.html. [[Harper]] & Brothers. New York. 1870. </p>