The magicians are first mentioned in 7.11 and again in 7.22, 8.7, and 9.11. According to 7.11 both the wise men of Egypt and the sorcerers were considered magicians and were able to perform acts of “magic,” or secret arts.

Tried … to bring forth is an interpretation of the Hebrew, which literally says “they did thus by their sorcery to bring forth gnats.” The last part of the sentence, of course, tells us they were not able to produce any more gnats. So the first part may mean several things: 1) that they imitated Aaron’s gesture and also struck the ground with their rods; 2) that they simply went through some of their own secret rituals; or 3) that they did both at the same time, striking the ground with their rods while saying some of their secret words.

Neither Revised Standard Version nor Good News Translation allow for this third possibility. Instead they seem to identify the word “thus” with the word for “by their sorcery.” It is quite possible, however, that option 3) is intended. One may therefore translate “The magicians did the same thing, and tried to make gnats appear by means of their magic, but they failed” (so New American Bible, New Jerusalem Bible, and Translator’s Old Testament). For some readers the meaning of “did the same thing” may be unclear. Therefore one may also translate “The magicians struck the ground with their rods and used their secret powers to try to make gnats appear.”

So there were gnats on man and beast describes the extent of the plague, but it does not indicate whether the gnats flew or crawled on them, or whether they stung them. The intended meaning, though, is simply to emphasize that “there were gnats everywhere” (Good News Translation). But Good News Translation fails to bring out the idea that “both humans and animals” (New Revised Standard Version) were attacked. Contemporary English Version makes this clear by saying “and gnats stayed on people and animals.”

Quoted with permission from Osborn, Noel D. and Hatton, Howard A. A Handbook on Exodus. (UBS Helps for Translators). New York: UBS, 1999. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .