BDB4087 [H3654]

IV. כֵּן (?), כִּנִּם, כִּנָּם noun [masculine], meaning dubious; either gnat, gnats, gnat-swarm (so ᵐ5 ᵑ9 <TOPIC:Philo Judaeus> Philo^{Vita Mos. i, p. 97}, <TOPIC:Origen>Origen^{Hom. 4, 6 in Ex.}, and most moderns), or [louse,] lice (so ᵑ6 ᵑ7 Jos^{Ant. «JOSEPHUS:Antiquities 2:14»ii. 14}. 13 Boch^{Hieroz. II, ii, 572 f.}, as Late Hebrew כִּנָּה, plural כִּנִּים = maggots, and especially lice) — absolute perhaps כֵּן Isa 51:6 (see below); plural כִּנִּים Exod 8:13; Exod 8:14; Ps 105:31, כִּנִּם Exod 8:12; Exod 8:13; Exod 8:14 has, also, כִּנָּם probably a mere Masoretic device for כִּנִּם (compare Di), on account of preceding וַתְּהִי (on which see Ges^{«GKC:145»§ 145}. 4 Da^{Synt. § 116}); ⅏ has כנים throughout: — of Egyptian plague Exod 8:12; Exod 8:13 (twice in verse); Exod 8:14 (twice in verse) (all P), hence Ps 105:31 כְּמוֺכֵֿן יְמוּתוּן Isa 51:6 like a gnatswarm (?) shall they die (compare Di Du; Weir Che read כנים, compare Buhl^{p. 355}; > Brd De like this).

Note. — Nö^{M 54} Ba^{NB § 15, ES 53} Buhl^{Ges HWB ed. 12} connect this word etymologically with Aramaic כלמתא vermin, Ba and Buhl also with Assyrian kalmatu, id. [Dl^{HWB 333}], and even with Aramaic קלמתא, , Arabic , etc., Ethiopic louse; but these connections, as well as that with Late Hebrew כְּנִימָה, all involving radical מ, are most improbable

The Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew and English Lexicon
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