† IV. כֵּן (?), 
כִּנִּם, 
כִּנָּם noun [
masculine], meaning dubious; either 
gnat, gnats, gnat-swarm (so 
 
 
 Philo
Vita Mos. i, p. 97, Origen
Hom. 4, 6 in Ex., and most moderns), or [louse,] lice (so 
 
 
 Jos
Ant. ii. 14. 13 Boch
Hieroz. II, ii, 572 f., as Late Hebrew 
כִּנָּה, plural 
כִּנִּים = 
maggots, and especially 
lice) — absolute perhaps 
כֵּן Isaiah 51:6 (see below); plural 
כִּנִּים Exodus 8:13; 
Exodus 8:14; 
Psalm 105:31, 
כִּנִּם Exodus 8:12; 
Exodus 8:13; 
Exodus 8:14 has, also, 
כִּנָּם probably a mere Masoretic device for 
כִּנִּם (compare Di), on account of preceding 
וַתְּהִי (on which see Ges
§ 145. 4 Da
Synt. § 116); Samaritan has 
כנים throughout: — of Egyptian plague 
Exodus 8:12; 
Exodus 8:13 (twice in verse); 
Exodus 8:14 (twice in verse) (all P), hence 
Psalm 105:31; 
כְּמוֺכֵֿן יְמוּתוּן Isaiah 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
louse; but these connections, as well as that with Late Hebrew 
כְּנִימָה, all involving radical 
מ, are most improbable
														
Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew and English Lexicon, Unabridged, Electronic Database.
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