Kinnim

Kinnim (Hebrew: כִּנִּים) refers to the third plague visited upon Egypt, as described in the Book of Exodus in the Hebrew Bible (Exodus 8:16-19). It is generally translated as "gnats," "lice," or "fleas."

The narrative states that God instructed Moses to have Aaron strike the dust of the earth with his staff, causing the dust to turn into kinnim which then infested both people and animals throughout Egypt. This plague followed the plague of blood (Dam) and preceded the plague of flies (Arov).

Unlike the first two plagues, Aaron, not Moses, performed the action that initiated the plague of kinnim. Notably, the Egyptian magicians were unable to replicate this plague, leading them to acknowledge the power of God by declaring "This is the finger of God."

The exact identity of the kinnim remains a subject of debate among biblical scholars. The term is relatively rare, appearing only in the Exodus account and Psalm 105:31. Different interpretations focus on various small, irritating insects.