Exodus 9:10 kjv

And they took ashes of the furnace, and stood before Pharaoh; and Moses sprinkled it up toward heaven; and it became a boil breaking forth with blains upon man, and upon beast.

Exodus 9:10 nkjv

Then they took ashes from the furnace and stood before Pharaoh, and Moses scattered them toward heaven. And they caused boils that break out in sores on man and beast.

Exodus 9:10 niv

So they took soot from a furnace and stood before Pharaoh. Moses tossed it into the air, and festering boils broke out on people and animals.

Exodus 9:10 esv

So they took soot from the kiln and stood before Pharaoh. And Moses threw it in the air, and it became boils breaking out in sores on man and beast.

Exodus 9:10 nlt

So they took soot from a brick kiln and went and stood before Pharaoh. As Pharaoh watched, Moses threw the soot into the air, and boils broke out on people and animals alike.

Exodus 9 verses

Exodus 9 10 Meaning

Exodus 9:10 describes the sixth plague upon Egypt, where Moses and Aaron took soot from a furnace and threw it heavenward. This divinely orchestrated act resulted in boils and festering sores erupting on both people and animals throughout Egypt, serving as a powerful demonstration of God's judgment against Pharaoh and the land.

Exodus 9 10 Context

Exodus 9:10 describes the sixth plague in the series of ten, preceding the devastating hail plague and following the widespread death of livestock. By this point, Pharaoh has repeatedly refused to let Israel go, despite increasing pressure from the first five plagues and his own magicians’ diminishing ability to imitate or withstand divine power. This specific plague of boils is distinct because Moses and Aaron actively initiate it by casting ash into the air, and it impacts all Egyptians and animals, but notably bypasses the Israelites (as stated in verse 11, though implied here by the contrast). For the first time, the Egyptian magicians, who had previously attempted to replicate Moses’ miracles, are unable to stand before him due to the very affliction that covered the Egyptians, marking a complete spiritual and physical defeat. Historically and culturally, skin diseases were seen as highly debilitating and ritually defiling in ancient Near Eastern societies, affecting work, social standing, and religious practices. The plague was a direct assault on Egyptian well-being, their hygienic standards, and arguably a polemic against their deities associated with healing and protection (e.g., Imhotep, Sekhmet, Thoth).

Exodus 9 10 Word analysis

• And they took (vayiqḥu): This plural form refers to Moses and Aaron. Their direct, physical action underscores their role as instruments of God's judgment, distinguishing this plague's initiation from some others that began purely with a spoken word.
• ashes (pīḥāḥ): Fine soot, specifically from a furnace. This is significant because furnaces (like the "iron furnace" in Deut. 4:20, Jer. 11:4) symbolized the harsh bondage and oppression Israel endured in Egypt, particularly in brick-making. God used the very instrument/by-product of Egyptian cruelty and Israelite suffering as the catalyst for the plague against Egypt, turning their tools of oppression into instruments of divine wrath.
• from a furnace (mikibšan): The word kibshan refers to a lime-kiln or brick-kiln, commonly used in Egypt for brick manufacturing. This reinforces the symbol of Egypt as a place of forced labor and intense suffering for the Israelites. Using the ash from this furnace turns their instrument of torment into a source of punishment for them.
• and stood before Pharaoh (waya‘amdū lippənē Par‘ōh): This emphasizes Moses and Aaron's bold stance in the presence of Egypt's most powerful man. Despite Pharaoh's resistance, they continued to obey God's command directly.
• And Moses scattered (wayyizraq): The verb zaraq means to sprinkle or scatter, often with force or violence, like throwing something. It’s not a gentle release, but an act of powerful proclamation, a symbolic gesture signifying God's dominion over the very air and the earth's surface.
• it heavenward (šāmāyim): "Heavenward" indicates the divine origin and widespread nature of the coming plague. The judgment descends from above, signaling God's supreme authority over the earthly realm and all its inhabitants. It signifies that the affliction is from God Himself, not some natural occurrence.
• and it turned into (wayhī lə-): This highlights the immediate and supernatural transformation. The ashes did not simply fall, but changed their essence to become the plague, directly activated by divine power.
• boils (shəḥin): This Hebrew term refers to a skin inflammation, often with pus. It indicates a painful, visible, and deeply unpleasant skin condition. In other biblical contexts, it's a mark of severe judgment or curse (Deut. 28:27, Job 2:7).
• festering sores ('ăbaqa'at): This term further emphasizes the painful and debilitating nature of the boils, possibly referring to blistered or pustular eruptions. It indicates oozing, irritating, and physically revolting lesions, causing discomfort, itching, and shame.
• on man and beast (bā'ādām ūbabbaḥēmāh): This highlights the universal scope of the plague, affecting all Egyptians—from the highest official to the lowliest peasant—and their remaining livestock. This comprehensive impact underscores God's total power over creation and judgment on an entire nation. The specificity emphasizes that it was a total affliction, encompassing both the human population and the economically vital animals.

Exodus 9 10 Bonus section

The physical act of Moses casting ashes towards the heavens mirrors a ritualistic form of curse or imprecation known in the ancient Near East, although here, it is not mere incantation but divinely empowered action. The boils and sores also served a psychological warfare purpose; they would have prevented Pharaoh's army and laborers from effectively functioning, debilitating their capacity to pursue the Israelites later. The direct physical contact of the plague and its debilitating nature (the boils causing intense pain and defilement) stripped the Egyptians of their personal hygiene, a cultural point of pride for them, thereby adding a layer of shame and indignity to the suffering.

Exodus 9 10 Commentary

Exodus 9:10 reveals the escalating intensity and directness of God's judgments on Egypt. Unlike previous plagues initiated by God's spoken word or Moses' rod touching water, here Moses and Aaron actively participate by taking the symbolic ashes from the very "furnace" that signified Israel's bondage. Scattering these ashes heavenward, a deeply symbolic act, directly precipitates a universally felt affliction: agonizing boils and festering sores on every person and animal in Egypt, a clear divine retaliation. This plague, being visibly repulsive, painful, and debilitating, targeted the Egyptians' health, dignity, and their pagan deities associated with medicine and well-being (e.g., Imhotep, Sekhmet, Thoth). It was a humiliating and undeniable sign of Yahweh's unparalleled power, a power that even physically incapacitates Pharaoh's own magicians (verse 11). This plague demonstrated God's precise control, discriminating between Egyptians and Israelites (implied), and served His ultimate purpose of revealing His glory to Pharaoh and to all the nations. It showcases how God uses the very instruments or contexts of oppression as tools of judgment against the oppressor, turning their source of power into their demise.