Psalms 105:31 — Word Study
WLCאָ֭מַר וַיָּבֹ֣א עָרֹ֑ב כִּ֝נִּ֗ים בְּכָל־ גְּבוּלָֽם׃
BSAHe spokeʼâmar■ [gave the command, said the word] and insectsʻârôb [divers sorts of flies, swarms of flies] swarmedbôwʼ▸ [came in great numbers, descended upon] gnatskên [small flying insects, mosquitoes] throughoutkôl [in all, across] their countrygᵉbûwl [land, borders, territory]
| Greek | English | Parsing |
|---|---|---|
| אָ֭מַר | he spoke | Verb, Qal, perfect third person masculine singular |
| וַיָּבֹ֣א | and it came | Verb, Qal, sequential imperfect third person masculine singular |
| עָרֹ֑ב | a swarm of flies | Noun common, masculine singular absolute |
| כִּ֝נִּ֗ים | gnats | Noun common, masculine plural absolute |
| בְּכָל־ | in all | Preposition, noun common masculine singular construct |
| גְּבוּלָֽם׃ | territory their | Noun common masculine singular construct, suffix |
Every word in the verse. Click a row to open it in the panel on the left.
| BSB | He spoke, and insects swarmed— gnats throughout their country. |
| KJV | He spake, and there came divers sorts of flies, and lice in all their coasts. |
| ASV | He spake, and there came swarms of flies, And lice in all their borders. |
| YLT | He hath said, and the beetle cometh, Lice into all their border. |
| WEB | He spoke, and swarms of flies came, and lice in all their borders. |
| BBE | He gave the word, and there came the dog-fly, and insects over all the land. |
Where they part company is in the rendering of עָרֹב — see How Translations Differ.
One main clause followed by a sequential clause and two noun phrases, showing the direct result of God's command.
6 commentators on this verse
Gill, Jamieson, Poole, Trapp & more — read them ›
clause
subjectעָרֹב
verbאָמַר
The sentence as the grammar sees it Open the tree ›
Every word here is used elsewhere in the Old Testament.
Bars are logarithmic — אֵת, the commonest word in the Hebrew Bible, stands about 11,000 times, so a linear scale would leave everything else invisible. Click a row to open that word.
Deep Study — Psalms 105:31
Sections marked generated are written from the data on this page rather than by a named author. Everything else — the lexicon entries, the cross references, the manuscript readings, the counts — is quoted from its source unchanged.
Context — God's Judgments on Egyptgenerated
Psalm 105:31 recounts how God executed His judgments upon Egypt, specifically through the command that led to a plague of insects. This verse highlights God's authority over creation and His ability to bring about His will through spoken commands. The surrounding verses illustrate the severity of the plagues, showcasing God's power in delivering Israel from bondage.
Cross References
| Reference | Text (BSB) | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Psalm 78:45 | He sent swarms of flies that devoured them, and frogs that devastated them. |
| 2 | Exodus 8:21–24 | But if you will not let My people go, I will send swarms of flies upon you and your officials and your people and your houses. The houses of the Egyptians and even the ground where they stand will be full of flies. |
| 3 | Isaiah 7:18 | On that day the LORD will whistle to the flies at the farthest streams of the Nile and to the bees in the land of Assyria. |
| 4 | Exodus 8:16–18 | Then the LORD said to Moses, “Tell Aaron, ‘Stretch out your staff and strike the dust of the earth, that it may turn into swarms of gnats throughout the land of Egypt.’” |
The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge — 4 references, hung on the phrase they belong to
The Key Word — אָ֭מַר, 'A.margenerated
The verb אָ֭מַר ('amar) means 'to say' or 'to speak,' and it encompasses a range of uses including commanding and promising. In this verse, it emphasizes God's authoritative command that brings about the swarming of insects.
As a perfect tense verb in the Qal stem, it indicates a completed action in the past, affirming that God's word was effective and resulted in immediate action — the insects swarmed as commanded.
How Translations Differ — measured against the Berean Standard Biblegenerated
This study reads the verse in the Berean Standard Bible, so the BSB is the wording every comparison below is made against.
Sentence Structuregenerated
The main verb אָ֭מַר governs the verse, indicating God's action. It is followed by a sequential verb וַיָּבֹ֣א, which describes the result of God's command.
The structure emphasizes the cause-and-effect relationship: God speaks, and the insects come. The order of the Hebrew words highlights the immediacy of God's command leading to the swarming of insects.
Septuagint Backgroundgenerated
The Septuagint translates אָ֭מַר as εἶπεν, which means 'he said.' This choice reflects a direct rendering of the Hebrew verb, maintaining the emphasis on God's spoken command.
For עָרֹב, the Septuagint uses κυνόμυια, indicating a specific type of insect, which narrows the focus from a general swarm to a particular kind, possibly reflecting the translators' understanding of the text.
In plain words — the whole versegenerated
Psalm 105:31 tells us that God spoke and commanded insects to swarm in the land of Egypt. This verse illustrates God's power and authority, showing that His words bring about immediate results, as seen in the plagues that afflicted Egypt.
Frequently Asked Questionsgenerated
This indicates God's authority and power, showing that His command directly resulted in the plague of insects, demonstrating His control over creation.
The verse refers to a swarm of insects, specifically gnats, which are small flying insects that can be a nuisance, highlighting the severity of the plague.
This verse is part of a series of judgments that God executed against Egypt to compel Pharaoh to release the Israelites from slavery, showcasing God's power and the consequences of disobedience.
The act of speaking emphasizes God's authority and the effectiveness of His word, illustrating that creation responds to His commands.
Reflection Questionsgenerated
- How does understanding God's authority in this verse affect my view of His word today?
- In what ways have I seen God's commands bring about change in my life or in the world around me?
- What can I learn from the way God executed judgment through His word in this passage?
- How can I apply the principle of God's word being effective in my own speaking and actions?
The early church on this verse — how the Fathers read it
Early Church Fathers referenced this verse to illustrate God's power in the plagues of Egypt, as seen in Augustine's writings.
"He spoke the word, and there came all manner of flies, and lice in all their quarters" [Psalms 105:31].Early Church Fathers on Psalms 105 →
Commentators on this verse — 6 expositors, verse by verse
Each of these wrote on Psalms 105:31 itself, not merely on the chapter around it.
John Gill1697–1771Gill's Exposition of the Entire BibleHe spake, and there came divers sorts of flies,.... Or a "mixture" (z) of various insects, and, as some interpret it, of wild beasts; and so Kimchi says evil beasts are meant, which were raised up to
Read John Gill on Psalms 105 →Robert Jamieson1802–1880Jamieson, Fausset, and Brown's CommentaryHe turned their waters into blood, and slew their fish. -The three plagues omitted out of the ten are the murrain of the cattle and the boils, the fifth and the sixth, and the darkness, the ninth;
Read Robert Jamieson on Psalms 105 →Matthew Poole1624–1679Matthew Poole's Commentary on the Holy BibleOr, borders, i.e. in all their land, even to the utmost ends or borders of it.
Read Matthew Poole on Psalms 105 →John Trapp1601–1669Trapp's Complete Commentary on the Old and New TestamentsPsalms 105:31 He spake, and there came divers sorts of flies, [and] lice in all their coasts.Ver. 31. He stake, and there came divers sorts of flies] Heb. a mixture, sc. of wasps, hornets, dog flies (the most troublesome of all other κυνομυιαι), all sorts of insects. And lice in all their coasts] This the magicians could not do, Quid ciniphe vilius, &c.? saith Philo, What is baser than a louse? yet hereby God can tame the sturdiest of his rebels. Some kings and other nobles have died of the lousy disease; as Herod, Philip of Spain, &c.
Read John Trapp on Psalms 105 →CambridgeThe Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges31. He spake, and there came swarms of flies (R.V.): the fourth plague, Exodus 8:20 ff., cp. Psalms 78:45 : and lice (or sand-flies or fleas) in all their borders: the third plague, Exodus 8:16 ff., not mentioned in Psalms 78. their coasts] I.e. their borders.
Read Cambridge on Psalms 105 →Daniel Denison Whedon1808–1885Whedon's Commentary on the Bible29-36. For an explanation of these verses see notes on Psalms 78:44-51
Read Daniel Denison Whedon on Psalms 105 →The verse in English, compared — 17 translations, and where they part company
Every translation on this page is a decision someone had to make and commit to. Read down a column and you see one translator's judgement; read across a row and you see the range the Greek actually allows. The BSB is the wording the rest of this page is measured against, so it is listed first.
Modern formal
He spoke, and insects swarmed— gnats throughout their country.
He spoke, and swarms of flies came, and lice in all their borders.
He spoke, and insects swarmed—gnats throughout their country.
He ordered flies to come; gnats invaded their whole territory.
Tyndale line
He spake, and there came divers sorts of flies, and lice in all their coasts.
He spake, and there came swarms of flies, And lice in all their borders.
He spake, and there came swarms of flies, and lice in all their borders.
He spoke, and there came divers sorts of flies, and lice in all their borders.
He spake, and there came swarmes of flies and lice in all their quarters.
Strictly literal
He spoke, and there came dog-flies, [and] gnats in all their borders.
He hath said, and the beetle cometh, Lice into all their border.
He has commanded, and the beetle comes, || Lice into all their border.
He spoke, and there came various wild beasts, lice also within all their boundary.
He spoke, and swarms of flies and gnats came throughout their country.
From the Latin
And it was reputed to him unto justice, to generation and generation for evermore.
Simplified
He gave the command, and flies spread throughout their land; mosquitoes were everywhere.
He gave the word, and there came the dog-fly, and insects over all the land.
Counted from the translations carried on this site, not from a survey of every English Bible. A rendering shared by many versions is usually inherited rather than independently arrived at — the Tyndale line in particular runs through most of them.
The sentence as the grammar sees it — from the MACULA Hebrew treebank
This is not our own analysis: it is the scholarly syntax tree for the verse, showing how the clause actually holds together.
Boxes are the grammarian's groupings — clause, noun phrase, prepositional phrase.
The four witnesses to this verse — Masoretic, Septuagint, Samaritan, Qumran
The Masoretic Text reads אָ֭מַר וַיָּבֹ֣א עָרֹ֑ב כִּ֝נִּ֗ים בְּכָל־ גְּבוּלָֽם׃, while the Septuagint matches 4 out of the 6 words, indicating a strong alignment with the Hebrew text. The Dead Sea Scrolls show partial restoration, confirming the presence of key terms but with some editorial additions.
אָ֭מַר וַיָּבֹ֣א עָרֹ֑ב כִּ֝נִּ֗ים בְּכָל־ גְּבוּלָֽם׃
4 of the 6 words are matched. This is the word-by-word correspondence, not the Septuagint's own sentence — its word order and its articles are its own.
[אמר] [ויבא] [ערב] כנים בכול [גבול׳ם]
1 word on the leather — 1 partly restored, 4 supplied entire by an editor.
Four traditions, not one. “On the leather” means the letters physically survive on the scroll, as against letters an editor has supplied to fill a hole in it — a restoration is a scholar’s reading, not a reading of the manuscript. Words in [square brackets] are supplied; the notes count them apart from what survives.
The map of this verse — what each word keeps company with
This is a map of two things, both counted rather than judged. Company kept: which words stand within three words of each of these, anywhere in the Hebrew Bible — the thicker the line, the more often the pair meet compared with chance. Built from: the words a word is made out of, taken from its own Strong’s entry. It is not a map of meaning: nothing here claims two words mean the same thing. Click any circle to see the numbers behind it.
Lexicons — every word in Psalms 105:31
One dossier per word, with every reference work grouped by kind — Hebrew lexicons, morphology, Bible dictionaries, topical chains and the English of the translators themselves. The verse sits at the head of each block with the word under study lit, so you never lose your place. The panel above gives the short answer; this is the long one, and it is the part of the page worth indexing.
Every entry below is the lexicographer's own text. On the Hebrew: Brown-Driver-Briggs entire and its gloss set, Strong's Hebrew Dictionary, and Tyndale House's Translators Brief lexicon. Where a cell says a work has no entry, that work genuinely has none for this word.
אָמַר (amar) is a Hebrew verb meaning 'to say' or 'to utter,' with a broad range of uses including to promise, command, or even boast. It appears in various forms, such as in the Qal (to say), Niphal (to be told), and Hiphil (to avow). The entries highlight its versatility in both spoken and internal contexts, though no specific verse is noted.
אָמַר 5287 vb. utter, say
Qal
Say
Say in the heart (= think)
Promise
Command (esp. late)
Niph. be said, told
Hiph. avow, avouch (lit. cause to declare)
Hithp. act proudly, boast
base
H559 אָמַר utter, say .. Say
. Say in the heart (= think)
. Promise
. Command (esp. late)
. be said, told
. avow, avouch (lit. cause to declare)
. act proudly, boast
559 'amar aw-mar'
a primitive root; to say (used with great
latitude):--answer, appoint, avouch, bid, boast self, call,
certify, challenge, charge, + (at the, give) command(-ment),
commune, consider, declare, demand, X desire, determine, X
expressly, X indeed, X intend, name, X plainly, promise,
publish, report, require, say, speak (against, of), X still, X
suppose, talk, tell, term, X that is, X think, use (speech),
utter, X verily, X yet.
אָמַר (a.mar) — to say.
1) to say, speak, utter
1a) (Qal) to say, to answer, to say in one's heart, to think, to command, to promise, to intend
1b) (Niphal) to be told, to be said, to be called
1c) (Hithpael) to boast, to act proudly
1d) (Hiphil) to avow, to avouch
Aramaic equivalent: a.mar (אֲמַר "to say" H0560)
V-Qal-Perf-3ms — Verb · Qal · perfect third person masculine singularHVqp3ms
spok (1Ki 7:33).
See SEA, THE MOLTEN.
בּוֹא (bo) is a Hebrew verb meaning to come or go in, with a wide range of applications including entering, arriving, and bringing in. It can refer to both physical movement and abstract concepts like events coming to pass. The verb appears in various forms, such as Qal (to come), Hiphil (to cause to come), and Hophal (to be brought). There is no significant disagreement among lexicons regarding its meanings.
בּוֹא 2569 vb. come in, come, go in, go
Qal
come in
come (approach, arrive)
go, i.e. walk, associate with
go from speaker, but with limit of motion given
Hiph.
cause to come in, bring in (conduct, lead, obj. persons and animals)
cause to come, bring, bring near, etc. (animate obj.)
Hoph.
be brought in (of pers. and things)
be brought
be introduced, put
base
H935 בּוֹא come in, come, go in, go .. come in
. come (approach, arrive)
. go, i.e. walk, associate with
. go from speaker, but with limit of motion given
. . cause to come in, bring in (conduct, lead, obj. persons and animals)
. cause to come, bring, bring near, etc. (animate obj.)
. . be brought in (of pers. and things)
. be brought
. be introduced, put
935 bow' bo
a primitive root; to go or come (in a wide variety of
applications):--abide, apply, attain, X be, befall, +
besiege, bring (forth, in, into, to pass), call, carry, X
certainly, (cause, let, thing for) to come (against, in, out,
upon, to pass), depart, X doubtless again, + eat, + employ,
(cause to) enter (in, into, -tering, -trance, -try), be
fallen, fetch, + follow, get, give, go (down, in, to war),
grant, + have, X indeed, (in-)vade, lead, lift (up), mention,
pull in, put, resort, run (down), send, set, X (well) stricken
(in age), X surely, take (in), way.
בּוֹא (bo) — to come (in): come.
: come/go_in
1) to go in, enter, come, go, come in
1a) (Qal)
1a1) to enter, come in
1a2) to come
1a2a) to come with
1a2b) to come upon, fall or light upon, attack (enemy)
1a2c) to come to pass
1a3) to attain to
1a4) to be enumerated
1a5) to go
1b) (Hiphil)
1b1) to lead in
1b2) to carry in
1b3) to bring in, cause to come in, gather, cause to come, bring near, bring against, bring upon
1b4) to bring to pass
1c) (Hophal)
1c1) to be brought, brought in
1c2) to be introduced, be put
לְב֥וֹא (bo) — Lebo-(Hamath).
This name means to go in, enter
Combined with cha.mat (חֲמָת "Hamath" H2574)
בּוֹא (bo) — to come (in): towards.
: towards/entrance
1) to go in, enter, come, go, come in
1a) (Qal)
1a1) to enter, come in
1a2) to come
1a2a) to come with
1a2b) to come upon, fall or light upon, attack (enemy)
1a2c) to come to pass
1a3) to attain to
1a4) to be enumerated
Conj | V-Qal-ConsecImperf-3ms — Verb · Qal · sequential imperfect third person masculine singularHc/Vqw3ms
עָרֹב (arob) likely means 'swarm,' suggesting a connection to 'mixture' and 'incessant motion.' It is associated with mosquitoes and various types of flies, indicating a diverse range of insects. The term appears in contexts related to swarming behavior.
עָרֹב 9 n.m. prob. swarm (mixture, from incessant, involved motion)
base
H6157 עָרֹב prob. swarm (mixture, from incessant, involved motion)
6157 `arob aw-robe'
from 6148; a mosquito (from its swarming):--divers sorts of
flies, swarm.
see HEBREW for 06148
עָרֹב (a.rov) — swarm.
1) swarm
1a) probable meaning from 'mixture' and 'incessant or involved motion'
N-ms — Noun common · masculine singular absoluteHNcmsa
fliz.
See FLY.
→ General scriptures concerning Ec 10:1
→ Plague of Ex 8:21-31; Ps 78:45; 105:31
→ FIGURATIVE Isa 7:18
כֵּן (ken) refers to a gnat or lice, with some uncertainty about its exact meaning. It is noted to be used only in the plural form in Exodus 8:17-18. The word is derived from a root meaning to fasten, likely referencing the insect's sting.
כֵּן (?), כִּנִּם, כִּנָּם n.[m.], mng. dub.; either gnat, gnats, gnat-swarm, or [louse,] lice
base
H3654 כֵּן (?), כִּנִּם, כִּנָּם mng. dub.; either gnat, gnats, gnat-swarm, or [louse,] lice
3654 ken kane
from 3661 in the sense of fastening; a gnat (from infixing
its sting; used only in plural (and irreg. in Exod. 8:17,18;
כֵּן (ken) — gnat.
gnat, gnats, gnat-swarm
N-mp — Noun common · masculine plural absoluteHNcmpa
כֹּל (kol) means 'all' or 'the whole.' It can refer to totality, including every person or thing, and is often used with a following genitive to specify what is included. The term can also denote a broader sense of everything in existence or all circumstances of life. The lexicons do not show significant disagreement on its meanings.
כֹּל once כּוֹל n.m. the whole, all
with foll. gen. (as usually) the whole of, to be rendered, however, often in our idiom, to avoid stiffness, any or every
Absolutely:
without the art., all things, all
with the art. הַכֹּל
where the sense is limited by the context to things (or persons) just mentioned
in a wider sense, all, whether of all mankind or of all living things, the universe, or of all the circumstances of life (chiefly late)
base
H3605 כֹּל once כּוֹל the whole, all . with foll. gen. (as usually) the whole of, to be rendered, however, often in our idiom, to avoid stiffness, any or every
. Absolutely: . without the art., all things, all
. with the art. הַכֹּל . where the sense is limited by the context to things (or persons) just mentioned
. in a wider sense, all, whether of all mankind or of all living things, the universe, or of all the circumstances of life (chiefly late)
3605 kol kole
or (Jer. 33:8) kowl {kole}; from 3634; properly, the whole;
hence, all, any or every (in the singular only, but often in a
plural sense):--(in) all (manner, (ye)), altogether, any
(manner), enough, every (one, place, thing), howsoever, as
many as, (no-)thing, ought, whatsoever, (the) whole,
whoso(-ever).
see HEBREW for 03634
כֹּל (kol) — all.
1) all, the whole
1a) all, the whole of
1b) any, each, every, anything
1c) totality, everything
Aramaic equivalent: kol (כֹּל "all" H3606)
Prep | N-ms — Preposition · noun common masculine singular constructHR/Ncmsc
ol: Used in various combinations, and with different meanings.
(1) All along, "Weeping all along as he went" (Jer 41:6), i.e. throughout the whole way he went, feigning equal concern with the men from Shiloh, etc., for the destruction of the Temple, so as to put them off their guard.
(2) All in all, "That God may be all in all" (1Co 15:28, Greek: panta en pasin, "all things in all (persons and) things"). "The universe, with all it comprises, will wholly answer to God's will and reflect His mind" (Dummelow).
גְּבוּל (gbuwl) refers to a border or boundary, often implying a defined territory. It can denote a physical limit, such as a coast or landmark, and can also have figurative uses, like a region of darkness. The word is derived from a root meaning 'cord' and encompasses various meanings related to boundaries and territories.
גְּבוּל 240 n.m. border, boundary, territory
border, boundary
territory (enclosed within boundary)
base
H1366 גְּבוּל border, boundary, territory
1366 gbuwl gheb-ool'
or (shortened) gbul {gheb-ool'}; from 1379; properly, a cord
(as twisted), i.e. (by implication) a boundary; by extens. the
territory inclosed:--border, bound, coast, X great, landmark,
limit, quarter, space.
see HEBREW for 01379
גְּבוּל (ge.vul) — border: boundary.
: boundary
1) border, territory
1a) border
1b) territory (enclosed within boundary)
1c) region, territory (of darkness) (fig.)
Also means: ge.vul (גְּבוּל ": area" H1366H)
גְּבוּל (ge.vul) — border: area.
: area
1) border, territory
1a) border
1b) territory (enclosed within boundary)
1c) region, territory (of darkness) (fig.)
N-ms | Suff — Noun common masculine singular construct · suffixHNcmsc/Sp3mp