FLY
(a) Insect of the order Diptera; especially the house fly (“Musca domestica”). Flies of various kinds are so annoying in hot countries (Is. 7:18; Eccl. 10:1), that the inhabitants of Ekron worshiped Baal-zebub, god of flies, whom they believed capable of giving orders to this detestable annoyance (2 Kings 1:2).
(b) Heb. «’Arob», voracious insect, which gives painful bites, widespread throughout Egypt; The V. M. translates “gadfly” (Ex. 8:20; Ps. 105:31), which devoured
(Ps. 78:45) and devastated the country (Ex. 8:21). The LXX also translates gadfly (“kunomuian”).