The Third Plague (Exodus 8:16-19)

16 Then the Lord said to Moses, “Say to Aaron, ‘Stretch out your staff and strike the dust of the earth, so that it may become gnats [any two-winged biting insects, possibly mosquitos, the most bothersome member of the gnat family] in all the land of Egypt.’” 17 And they did so. Aaron stretched out his hand with his staff and struck the dust of the earth, and there were gnats on man and beast. All the dust of the earth became gnats [massive superabundance] in all the land of Egypt. 18 The magicians tried by their secret arts to produce gnats, but they could not [first failure]. So there were gnats on man and beast. 19 Then the magicians said to Pharaoh, “This is the finger of God.” [This plague produces some kind of understanding by the magicians that a miracle had taken place but fails to persuade Pharaoh.] But Pharaoh's heart was hardened, and he would not listen to them, as the Lord had said.