Flea
1Sa 24:14; 1Sa 26:20). Translated "(thou pursuest) after one flea," David implying his extreme insignificance, fleas in Palestine abounding in a degree not known with us.
International Standard Bible Encyclopedia on Flea
Flea fle (par`osh; compare Arabic barghut, "flea," and barghash, "mosquito" (1Sa 24:14; 26:20); kinnim (Ex 8:16), "lice," the Revised Version, margin "sandflies" or "fleas"; Septuagint skniphes, probably best rendered "gnat"; see GNAT; LICE): In 1 Sam 24 Saul seeks David in the wilderness of En-gedi, and David, after cutting off the skirt of Saul's robe in the cave, calls out to him, "After whom is the king of Israel come out? after whom dost thou pursue? after a dead dog, after a flea" (24:14). Again in 1Sa 26:20 Saul seeks David in the wilderness of Ziph, and David after taking the spear and cruse from beside Saul while he slept, cries out to him, ".... the king of Israel is come out to seek a flea, as when one doth hunt a partridge in the mountains." The flea is here used as a symbol of David's insignificance, coupled perhaps, in the second passage, with a thought of the difficulty that Saul had in laying hands on him. In Encyclopedia Biblica Cheyne finds fault with a similar interpretation given in DB on the ground that it is absurd that David should refer to hunting "a single fl…
Hastings' Dictionary of the Bible on Flea
An insect, Pulex irritans, L., universal in warm climates, and a great pest to man and the animals which it infesta. Insignificant as it is, its bite is very irritating, often causing considerable swelling and intolerable itching, which robs its victim of many an hour of sleep, and makes him ridiculous in hia frequently vain etlbrts to catch his tormentor. The habit of the natives of the East of sleeping in the same clothes which they wear by day, and spreading their beds on the mats on which they sit, contributes much to the multiplication of the insect in their houses and camps. I'leas swarm esp. in the filthy tents of the Bedawin, and in stables and dog kennels. The flea is mentioned by David (1 S '24'''),* who compares hira.self to this contemptible insect, in order to ridicule the insensate character of Saul's persecution by liken- ing it to the vain hunt above alluded to. In Ex 8" RVm has ' fleas ' for ' lice ' (wh. see). G. E. Post. FLESH, represented by lirj, ik-^ in OT, and by adp( and Kp^as in NT. iK:f occurs very seldom in comp. witli the constant word is-2, but seems to c…
Smith's Bible Dictionary on Flea
an insect but twice mentioned in Scripture, viz., in (1 Samuel 24:14; 26:20) Fleas are abundant in the East, and afford the subject of many proverbial expressions.
References
- Orr, J. (ed.) (1915) The International Standard Bible Encyclopedia. Chicago: Howard-Severance Company. [Public Domain]
- Easton, M.G. (1893) Easton's Bible Dictionary. 3rd edn. Thomas Nelson. [Public Domain]
- Nave, O.J. (1897) Nave's Topical Bible. Topical Bible Publishing Co.. [Public Domain]
- Hastings, J. (ed.) (1909) A Dictionary of the Bible. Edinburgh: T&T Clark. [Public Domain]
- Smith, W. (ed.) (1884) Smith's Bible Dictionary. London: John Murray. [Public Domain]
- Fausset, A.R. (1878) Fausset's Bible Dictionary. [Public Domain]A Critical and Expository Bible Cyclopaedia