Flea (Hastings' Dictionary)

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 cover some of the same meanings, particularly flesh for food, and flesh of consanguinity. Cf. Ps 73-' •jjjM.

27_ pr 1117^ jer 5135^ Lv 25". Kp4at is only used twice in NT, and each time in the phrase icp^a ^7cli', Ro 14^, I Co 8". It is impossible to do justice to the biblical uses of this terra Flesh with- out clearly distinguishing at least the following live meanings : — 1. Substance of an animal body, whether of beast or of man (e.g. Gn 41^ Lv 4", Job 3P', 1 Co 15*). For this use of the term in its application to Food and to Sacrifices, see under these words.

It denotes the living human body in such places as Ex 4', Lv 13'° 17". Indeed, through a great part of OT flesh is equivalent to the whole human Body, on the principle mentioned s.u., in which application, it is to be noted, that the LXX often renders 1^2 (sing.), in accordance with Gr. idiom, by the plural crdp^cs (e.g. Gn 40'», Nu 12'^ Job 32=«), and even by aCifia (e.g. Lv 15", 1 K 21"). 2. Relation, of consanguinity or by marriaqe (e.g. Gn 2» 37", Neh 5», Is 58', Mt 19», 1 Co 10'*).

The literal word is used in the orig. in places where the versions, our own included, employ a peri- plirasis ' near of kin ' (e.^. Lv 18° 25'"'). In the same significance, the fuller phrase ' flesh and bones' is peculiarly biblical (e.g. Gn 2^3 29", Jg 9^ 2 S 5» 19'2- ", Eph S*, cf. Lk 24^). 3. Creature nature generally, human nature particularly.

In this use it can denote all terres- trial beings possessing life (Gn 7-') ; especially the finite earthly creature in contrast \vith God and with the spirit which immediately comes from God. ' The Egyptians are men, and not God ; and their horses tlesh, and not spirit' (Is 3P). The frailness and dependence of man is the thing marked by tliis contrast (ej. Gn 6', Job 34", Ps 56 78 Is 40"-' quoted 1 P l*").

There is a per- sistent tendency in translators and commentators to ignore this peculiarly biblical antithesis, and • IM mention in 1 8 2620 is due to corruption in MT (see Driver, Wellh., Budde, ad loc.) confound it with the Greek antithesis between material and immaterial. Further, though finite and creaturely weakness is imidiid in it, there is not necessarily any moral disparagement, e.g. ' all flesh ' is used for the ' whole human race ' in con- nexions that are most honourable, e.g.

Ps 65- 145-', Is 40», Jl 2». Conclusive as to this is the use of ' flesh ' for the human nature of our Lord (Jn 1", Ro 1'9», 1 Ti3'»). In the same line with this stands the more expanded phrase ' llesli and blood ' for human nature on its earthly side in contrast with something greater than itself (Mt 16", 1 Co 15=, Gal 1", Eph 6'^ He 2", to which should perhaps be added Jn 1'*). This phrase is peculiar to the NT, though germ.

ane to the OT idea ' the life of the flesh is in the blood,' and the beginning of the usage can be traced to the OT Apocr. writers (cf. Sir 14'® 17^'). It is common in Rabbinical literature. This whole biblical use of the term ' flesh ' in application to man means tliat he is so called from his creaturely nature, or from his nature on its creaturely side. i. As one constituent of human nature (the corj'oreal) combined or contrasted with the other.s.

OT usage presents a variety of such combina- tions. The whole of man is expressed as ' flesh ' and ' soul ' in Ps 63', Job 13'* 14-3 . ^s ' flesh ' and 'heart' in Ps 73-'«, Ezk 44'- », Ec 11'", Pr 14'»; as ' flesh,' ' heart,' and ' soul,' Ps 84-, in all which a duality of outer and inner, or lower and higher in man, is plainly intended.

But so far is ' flesh ' from being despised in these contrasts that it is joined with the higher elements in the relation of the whole man to God and to his future (?) hopes, as in Ps 63' 16" 84-', Job 19-". In the NT its use in this sense for the lower element in man, without any ethical disparagement, though not very frequent, is still clear.

In a sufficient number of passages it occurs coupled with ' spirit,' in the Pauline writ- ings as well as others, to show that these two are the natural elements of which man is made up, exactly as 'flesh' and 'soul,' 'flesh' and 'heart' are in the OT (e.g. Mt 26", Ro 2«- ^, 1 Co ;^% ' Flesh ' is used by St.

Paul of corporeal presence, cognizable by the senses, in contrast to fellowsliip in ' spirit ' (2 Co 5", Col 2'' '), indeed of man's earthly or bodily life without moral qualifica- tion (Gal 2^, Ph 1, ). Even when man s sinful state is the topic, the dual nature is sometimes expressed in the usual terms ; ' desires of the flesh and of the mind ' (Eph 2"), ' defilement of the flesh and spirit' (2 Co 7'), seem to mean that man's nature, in both its constituent parts, is afl'ecteil by sin.

There is a use of this antithesis, between flesh and spirit, in application to Christ, which points to lower and higher elements in His person- ality quite peculiar to Himself (e.g. Ro l'-*, 1 Ti 3", 1 P 3'"). S. Its ethical or doctrinal sense. Besides the morally indifferent applications of flesh already dis- cussed, there is in the NT, and esp. in the Pauline writings, a use of it which is charged with ethical or doctrinal content.

It is thus used once in contrast with ' mind ' (Ro 7''), more frequently with 'spirit' (Ro 8- »• »■ ' kv s. e. la. u Gal 5'«-^ 6"). In the same manner the adjectives ' fleshly,' ' carnal ' are contrasted with ' spiritual ' in Ro 7', 1 Co y-'*, 2 Co 1'^ Col 2'8 'fleshly mind,' orig. 'mind of the flesh.'

That in tre connexions cited above flesh with its adjective has reference to the principle of sin and its seat in man's fallen nature, while 'spirit' and 'spiritual' refer to the principle of the regenerate or divine life in man, There occurs in the same writing a quite unethical use of 'camaras equi%'alent to ' corporeal ' or 'earthlv,' «.^.

Ro 1527, 1 Co 911, 2 Co S3 104, He 716 ; for the complications both of read- ing and rendering in these passa^-es, created by the use of rafituxof or ffti.pxnoi. Bee Trench, N.T. S\jfumyms, s.v. FLESH-nOOK FLOCK 15 ^vill hardly be questioned. But various have been the accounts given of the rationale of this meta- phorical or indirect use of flesh and 'fleshly' in a theological or doctrinal sense.

Writers like Hol- 8ten, Plleiderer, Schenkel make strenuous eflbrts, witliout much success, to derive this peculiarly Pauline application of the term from the older sense of it as denoting the weakne.ss and frailty of man's nature.

The only account which seems to satisfy all the ideas involved is that the ' carnal ' denotes the sinful element in man's nature, be- cause that element entering his nature now in the ordinary course of human production is an inherit- ance of the flesh ; whereas the ' spiritual ' is that wliich comes into it from above, or is given in the New Birth. This explanation is conhrmed by our Lord's words, reported in Jn 3'.

For some further remarks on this question and on the possible con- nexion of all the meanings of flesh here noted, see PsycuoLooy. J. Laidlaw.