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.
Complete and trustworthy, Hastings' Dictionary of the Bible is a thorough reference (5,915 entries) for all readers of the Bible. For nearly a century, lay people and scholars alike have valued the authoritative contents and the convenient format of this one-volume work.Wikipedia
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