Gnat

Hastings' Dictionary of the Bible

GNAT (  Matthew 23:24 ). Various members of the CulicidÅ“ , 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 out ’ (RV [Note: Revised Version.] ), especially in connexion with   Leviticus 11:22;   Leviticus 11:24 . An Arab proverb well illustrates the ideas of   Matthew 23:24 : ‘He eats an elephant and is suffocated by a gnat.’ In the RVm [Note: Revised Version margin.] of   Isaiah 51:6 ‘like gnats’ is suggested for ‘in like manner.’

E. W. G. Masterman.

Vine's Expository Dictionary of NT Words

1: Κώνωψ (Strong'S #2971 — Noun Masculine — konops — ko'-nopes )

denotes "the winegnat or midge," which breeds in fermenting or evaporating wine,  Matthew 23:24 , where the AV, "strain at" is corrected to "strain out," in the RV.

Watson's Biblical & Theological Dictionary

κωνωψ ,  Matthew 23:24 , a small-winged insect, comprehending a genus of the order of diptera. In those hot countries, as Servius remarks, speaking of the east, gnats and flies are very apt to fail into wine, if it be not carefully covered; and passing the liquor through a strainer, that no gnat or part of one might remain, became a proverb for exactness about little matters. This may help us to understand that passage,   Matthew 23:24 , where the proverbial expression of carefully straining out a little fly from the liquor to be drunk, and yet swallowing a camel, intimates, that the scribes and Pharisees affected to scruple little things, and yet disregarded those of the greatest moment.

American Tract Society Bible Dictionary

A small winged stinging insect, a mosquito, spoken of in the proverbial expression,  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,  Leviticus 11:23; and is applied to those who are superstitiously anxious in avoiding small faults, yet do not scruple to commit great sins.

King James Dictionary

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.

1. Any thing proverbially small.

Ye blind guides, who strain at a gnat, and swallow a camel.  Matthew 23

Fausset's Bible Dictionary

 Matthew 23:24 translated, "ye strain out a gnat," namely, in filtering liquors. Figuratively for "ye are punctilious about trifles" while reckless of enormities.

Morrish Bible Dictionary

The word κώνωψ is supposed to refer to any species of gnat or mosquito.  Matthew 23:24 should read 'strain out' in contrast to 'swallowing.'

Easton's Bible Dictionary

 Matthew 23:24 Leviticus 11:23 Exodus 8:16

Holman Bible Dictionary

Insects

Hastings' Dictionary of the New Testament

GNAT. —See Animals, p. 67a.

International Standard Bible Encyclopedia

nat (in English Versions of the Bible, only in   Matthew 23:24 , κώνωψ , kō̇nōps ̌ . In  Exodus 8:16 , for English Versions of the Bible "lice," one of the plagues of Egypt, כּנּם , kinnim , כּנּים ,minni , kinnı̄m , or כּנּם , kinnām , we find in the Revised Version, margin "sand flies" or "fleas" (Gesenius "gnat"; Mandelkern "culex"). For kemō kēn ( Isaiah 51:6 ), English Versions of the Bible "in like manner," Septuagint ὡσπερ ταῦτα , hō̇sper taúta , Vulgate (Jerome's Latin Bible , 390-405 ad) sicut haec , the Revised Version, margin has "like gnats" since כּן , kēn , elsewhere "thus," may here be taken to be a singular of the form כּנּים , kinnı̄m , 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.

In  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 kēn , "thus" (see supra ), is a repetition of kemō , whose meaning is practically the same, "in like manner" being the rendering in English Versions of the Bible of kemō kēn ̌ .

As to the creatures, kinnı̄m , 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, sknı́phes , which may mean "gnats" or "mosquitoes." See Flea; Lice .

Kitto's Popular Cyclopedia of Biblial Literature

Our Savior's allusion to the gnat is a kind of proverb, either in use in His time, or invented by Himself, 'Blind guides, who strain out a gnat, and swallow down [ as we say] a camel,' . He adopts the antithesis of the smallest insect to the largest animal, and applies it to those who are superstitiously anxious in avoiding small faults, yet do not scruple to commit their greatest sins. The typographical error, 'strain at a gnat,' first found its way into King James's translation, 1611. It is 'strain out' in the previous translations. The custom of filtering wine, among the Jews, for this purpose, was founded on the prohibition of 'all flying, creeping things' being used for food, excepting the saltatorii . According to the Talmud, eating a gnat incurred scourging or excommunication.

Cyclopedia of Biblical, Theological and Ecclesiastical Literature

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.