Lexical Summary qerets: extremity, end, corner Original Word: קֶרֶץ Strong's Exhaustive Concordance destruction From qarats; extirpation (as if by constriction) -- destruction. see HEBREW qarats NAS Exhaustive Concordance Word Originfrom qarats Definition perhaps nipping NASB Translation horsefly (1). Brown-Driver-Briggs קֶ֫רֶץ noun masculine dubious word, apparently nipping, concrete nipper usually interpreted (since Hi) of a nipping or stinging insect (compare Aramaic קָרוֺצָא, Arabic  biting insect); e.g. gadfly (compare ThesAdd. 111), figurative of Nebuchadr. מִצָּפוֺן בָּא ׳ק Jeremiah 46:20 a gadfly cometh from the north; ᵑ9 (Aq Symm) stimulator, i.e. קֹרֵץ; Thes and others, more Generally, excidium. Topical Lexicon Definition and Usage קֶרֶץ appears once in the Old Testament, in Jeremiah 46:20, where it is rendered “gadfly”. In the pastoral imagery of the Ancient Near East, a gadfly was a small but aggressive insect that tormented cattle, forcing even the strongest heifer into panicked flight. Scripture harnesses that rural reality to portray the sudden, harassing judgment God would unleash against Egypt. Historical Background Jeremiah 46 records oracles spoken after Pharaoh Necho’s defeat at Carchemish (605 BC) and before Nebuchadnezzar’s later campaign into Egypt (ca. 568 BC). Egypt—long regarded as a political giant—had allied with Judah against Babylon. Jeremiah announced that the very power Judah hoped would save her would itself be humbled. By picturing Egypt as “a beautiful heifer” and Babylon as the gadfly from the north, the prophet famously reduced a world empire to a creature helpless before an insect of God’s appointing. Figurative Significance in Jeremiah 46:20 1. Exposure of Pride. Egypt’s beauty and fertility were legendary, yet one sting from the Almighty’s instrument would lay her low (compare Proverbs 16:18). Theological Themes • Sovereignty over Nations: The Lord governs world affairs, raising and toppling kingdoms at will (Daniel 2:21). Related Biblical Imagery While קֶרֶץ is unique, similar insect symbolism underscores God’s mastery of judgment: Each text depicts minor creatures achieving what armies cannot—proof that God needs no equal force to overcome opposition. Ministerial Applications 1. Humility before God. Nations and individuals alike must recognize that pride draws divine resistance (James 4:6). Summary קֶרֶץ, though mentioned only once, vividly encapsulates God’s ability to subdue the proud through the smallest of agents. The lone occurrence in Jeremiah 46:20 testifies to the LORD’s sovereignty, exposes human arrogance, and calls God’s people to steadfast trust in His unassailable rule. Forms and Transliterations קֶ֥רֶץ קרץ Keretz qe·reṣ qereṣLinks Interlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel TextsEnglishman's Concordance Jeremiah 46:20 HEB: פִיָּ֖ה מִצְרָ֑יִם קֶ֥רֶץ מִצָּפ֖וֹן בָּ֥א NAS: heifer, [But] a horsefly is coming KJV: heifer, [but] destruction cometh; INT: pretty Egypt a horsefly the north is coming |
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