Meaning of HORSEFLY

Name with which it is erroneously translated into Jos. 24:12, in the 1960 revision of the Reina-Valera version, the Heb. term. «Sir'ãh».

It is a wasp ("Vespa crabo") larger than the one known in Europe. It is very common in Palestine. These wasps were released in large numbers to harass the Canaanites, demoralizing them (Ex. 23:28; Deut. 7:20; Josh. 24:12; cf. Wis. 12:8).

The hypothesis that would see in these wasps an allusion to an Egyptian invasion of Canaan, led by Thutmose III, and that would have facilitated Joshua's conquest of Canaan, has no internal logic.

An Egypt destroyed by the ten plagues would not have been able to launch itself into the destruction of Canaan, nor would it have done anything to facilitate Joshua's campaign if he had been able to.

Furthermore, this hypothesis is based on the conventional chronology of Egypt, which places Thutmose III around the date of the exodus, and the Amarna letters in the period of the conquest.