Insects: Gnat
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Topical Encyclopedia
The gnat is a small, flying insect mentioned in the Bible, specifically in the New Testament. In biblical times, gnats were common in the regions of the Near East, including Israel, and were known for their swarming behavior and tendency to be a nuisance. The gnat is referenced in the context of Jesus' teachings, where it serves as a metaphor for the meticulous and often misguided focus on minor details at the expense of more significant matters.

Biblical Reference:

The most notable mention of the gnat is found in the Gospel of Matthew, where Jesus addresses the Pharisees and scribes. In Matthew 23:24 , Jesus says, "You blind guides! You strain out a gnat but swallow a camel." This statement is part of a series of "woes" pronounced by Jesus against the religious leaders of His time. The metaphor of straining out a gnat while swallowing a camel highlights the hypocrisy and misplaced priorities of the Pharisees, who were known for their strict adherence to the minutiae of the law while neglecting its weightier matters, such as justice, mercy, and faithfulness.

Cultural and Religious Context:

In the Jewish dietary laws, as outlined in the Torah, certain insects were considered unclean and were not to be consumed (Leviticus 11:20-23). The gnat, being a small insect, would have been included in this category. The Pharisees, in their zeal to maintain ritual purity, would go to great lengths to avoid consuming even the smallest unclean creature, such as a gnat, by straining their drinks. This practice, while demonstrating their commitment to the law, became a symbol of their tendency to focus on trivial aspects of the law while ignoring its more profound ethical demands.

Symbolism and Interpretation:

The gnat, in this context, symbolizes the minor, often legalistic concerns that can distract believers from the core principles of their faith. Jesus' use of the gnat in His rebuke of the Pharisees serves as a caution against legalism and the danger of elevating ritualistic practices above the fundamental teachings of love, justice, and mercy. The contrast with the camel, a much larger and also unclean animal, underscores the absurdity of such misplaced priorities.

Theological Implications:

From a theological perspective, the mention of the gnat in Jesus' teaching invites believers to examine their own lives and religious practices. It challenges them to consider whether they are focusing on minor details at the expense of more significant spiritual truths. The gnat serves as a reminder to prioritize the heart of God's commandments and to live out one's faith with integrity and compassion.

In summary, the gnat, though a small and seemingly insignificant creature, carries a profound message in the biblical narrative. It serves as a metaphor for the dangers of legalism and the importance of aligning one's actions with the core values of the faith.
Torrey's Topical Textbook
Matthew 23:24
You blind guides, which strain at a gnat, and swallow a camel.
Torrey's Topical Textbook

Library

The Doxology
... all these things, from the tiniest insects in the water-drop, to the most vast star ...
Is not, not merely sun and stars, but even the meanest gnat which hums in ...
/.../christianbookshelf.org/kingsley/sermons for the times/sermon x the doxology.htm

Jesus' Last Public Discourse. Denunciation of Scribes and ...
... such as were applied to the ulcers of cattle produced from the bites, grubs, etc.,
of insects.] 24 Ye blind guides, that strain out the gnat, and swallow the ...
/.../mcgarvey/the four-fold gospel/cx jesus last public discourse.htm

Life.
... sea, or are wafted by the winds, and grow; and after them come insects; then birds ...
The Lord shall rejoice in His works, even to the tiniest gnat that dances in ...
//christianbookshelf.org/kingsley/westminster sermons/sermon xvii life.htm

Death.
... of animals which roam among them, and the millions of millions of insects which
buzz ... to prove a pet theory of its own, it will strain at any gnat, and swallow ...
//christianbookshelf.org/kingsley/westminster sermons/sermon xviii death.htm

The Passage Quoted Adversely by Heretics, Namely, "The Son Can do ...
... except nothing, so that one blasphemer has even said: "He cannot make even a gnat,"
[2369] mocking ... [2369] As a matter of fact, gnats and insects generally are ...
/.../ambrose/works and letters of st ambrose/chapter iv the passage quoted.htm

The Sea of Glass
... when leaves are budding, flowers blossoming, birds building, and countless insects
springing up to ... on round you now in every leaf, and every gnat which dances ...
/.../kingsley/the good news of god/sermon xxxiv the sea of.htm

The Life of Sir Thomas Browne.
... To this ambition, perhaps, we owe the Frogs of Homer, the Gnat and the ... Then follow
"Answers to certain queries about fishes, birds, and insects;" and "A letter ...
//christianbookshelf.org/browne/christian morals/the life of sir thomas.htm

The Creation of Luminous Bodies.
... This pretended science is a true spider's web; if a gnat or a fly, or some ... weak and
slight in themselves, often by the help of the smallest insects and of the ...
/.../basil/basil letters and select works/homily vi the creation of.htm

The Northern Mountains
... the cracked bark of the trees, in the earth undermined by hymenopterous insects,
life stirs ... long, blue and gray, and of a shape something between a gnat and a ...
//christianbookshelf.org/kingsley/at last/chapter xi the northern mountains.htm

Faustus Willing to Believe not Only that the Jewish but that all ...
... flower in every thorn, and food in every plant, and honey in every insect, although
we would not feed on insects or on ... Ye strain out a gnat and swallow a camel ...
/.../faustus willing to believe not.htm

Resources
Is it wrong to kill spiders or step on bugs? | GotQuestions.org

What is the anointing? What does it mean to be anointed? | GotQuestions.org

What is the difference between Microevolution and Macroevolution? | GotQuestions.org

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Subtopics

Insects

Insects: Ant

Insects: Bald Locust

Insects: Bee

Insects: Beetle

Insects: Cankerworm

Insects: Caterpillar

Insects: Clean and Unclean (Ceremonially Speaking)

Insects: Created by God

Insects: Divided Into: Clean and Fit for Food

Insects: Divided Into: Unclean and Abominable

Insects: Earthworm

Insects: Fed by God

Insects: Flea

Insects: Fly

Insects: Gnat

Insects: Grasshopper

Insects: Hornet

Insects: Lice

Insects: Locust

Insects: Maggot

Insects: Moth

Insects: Palmer-Worm

Insects: Spider

Related Terms

Locust (25 Occurrences)

Moth (10 Occurrences)

Fly (33 Occurrences)

Insect (6 Occurrences)

Flies (16 Occurrences)

Zoology

Lice (4 Occurrences)

Wonder-workers (16 Occurrences)

Fig-tree (33 Occurrences)

Figtree

Thing (4185 Occurrences)

Bite (13 Occurrences)

Blight (5 Occurrences)

Creep (8 Occurrences)

Attempting (24 Occurrences)

Arts (48 Occurrences)

Stretching (84 Occurrences)

Scorpion (6 Occurrences)

Fig (45 Occurrences)

Palmerworm (2 Occurrences)

Creeping (43 Occurrences)

Changed (177 Occurrences)

Touch (82 Occurrences)

Plagues (28 Occurrences)

Unable (102 Occurrences)

Venomous (4 Occurrences)

Vampire

Vein (1 Occurrence)

Nocturnal (1 Occurrence)

Nerve (1 Occurrence)

Nest (22 Occurrences)

Obliterate (1 Occurrence)

Leg (24 Occurrences)

Lizard (3 Occurrences)

Grasshopper (12 Occurrences)

Gall (17 Occurrences)

Weasel (1 Occurrence)

Wood (226 Occurrences)

Wane (2 Occurrences)

Wax (32 Occurrences)

Warp (9 Occurrences)

Wasp

Web (5 Occurrences)

Wing (18 Occurrences)

Washed (113 Occurrences)

Insensate (1 Occurrence)

Isle (15 Occurrences)

Fever (13 Occurrences)

Flying (22 Occurrences)

Famine (99 Occurrences)

Fours (4 Occurrences)

Fallow (5 Occurrences)

Falcon (2 Occurrences)

Tinkling (4 Occurrences)

Dog-fly (1 Occurrence)

Murrain (1 Occurrence)

Porcupine (3 Occurrences)

Beast (243 Occurrences)

Bore (221 Occurrences)

Beak (2 Occurrences)

Beard (23 Occurrences)

Bee (1 Occurrence)

Beetle (7 Occurrences)

Bear (425 Occurrences)

Bat (2 Occurrences)

Boil (29 Occurrences)

Chameleon (1 Occurrence)

Caterpillar (6 Occurrences)

Cricket (2 Occurrences)

Colour (22 Occurrences)

Cuckoo (2 Occurrences)

Abdomen (4 Occurrences)

Apis (1 Occurrence)

Acacia (28 Occurrences)

Silkworm

Safe (388 Occurrences)

Style (5 Occurrences)

Shittah (2 Occurrences)

Spider (3 Occurrences)

Insects: Fly
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