The verb knhstia/w is a variant of the desiderative knhsia/w (cf. kappa 1868), "I want to scratch". The metaphorical use given here, as "having itchy ears", must come (as Adler's note implies) from Julian, Letter 111.67, though he uses a different form of the present participle: "There are at any rate many of his [Athanasius'] disciples who can adequately comfort your itchy and needy ears (ta\s a)koa\s u(mw=n knhstiw/sas kai\ deome/nas) with impious words".