It shall become fine dust over all the land of Egypt, and become boils breaking out in sores on man and beast throughout all the land of Egypt.”
English Standard Version (ESV)
This plague is not just about boils appearing; it's about the very substance of Egypt turning against its people and creatures. The "fine dust" that descends isn't just dirt—it's the transformed ashes that Moses threw into the air, a tangible manifestation of God's judgment that directly inflicts this agonizing affliction.
It shall become fine dust over all the land of Egypt, and become boils breaking out in sores on man and beast throughout all the land of Egypt.”
English Standard Version (ESV)
Following the plague of boils that afflicted livestock, Moses is instructed to take ashes from a brick kiln and sprinkle them toward the sky in Pharaoh's sight. This act of defiance is meant to unleash a devastating plague upon both people and animals throughout Egypt, further demonstrating God's power and Pharaoh's futility. The magicians, unable to replicate this plague, are rendered powerless, highlighting the supernatural nature of God's judgment.
God's judgment on Egypt isn't just distant thunder; it becomes a physical, painful reality. What does this shift from external plague to internal suffering signify?
In Exodus 9, God instructs Moses to take handfuls of ashes from a furnace and sprinkle them toward heaven. These ashes, a symbol of destruction and emptiness, transform into a devastating plague: boils and blains that afflict both people and animals across Egypt.
This isn't just a random disease. The ashes themselves are imbued with divine power, signifying that the affliction is directly from God's hand. It’s a judgment that moves from the external – the dust and darkness – to the deeply personal and internal, manifesting as painful sores. This plague hits where it hurts most: the body, the source of comfort and daily life, and the animals, crucial for sustenance and status.
This visceral pain serves as a stark reminder of the cost of Pharaoh's defiance. It’s a judgment that seeks to penetrate the hardened heart by making the consequences of rebellion unbearable.
When the magicians themselves couldn't stand due to the boils, what does this reveal about their power and Pharaoh’s stubbornness?
The text highlights a critical moment: even the Egyptian magicians, who had previously mimicked some of God's plagues, are incapacitated by this affliction. They are so overcome by their boils that they cannot stand before Moses.
This is a profound declaration of God’s sovereignty. The very 'wise men' of Egypt, who relied on their own understanding and arcane abilities, are rendered helpless. Their magic, which had offered Pharaoh a false sense of security and resistance against God's power, utterly fails them.
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Pharaoh's refusal to relent even when his most trusted advisors are struck down demonstrates a deep-seated 'madness' and 'perversity,' as Calvin notes. It’s not just ignorance; it’s a wilful hardening of the heart. God uses these moments to expose the impotence of human power and the futility of resisting His divine will.
Understand the original words
shechin · Hebrew Noun
A painful, inflamed, and pus-filled swelling of the skin. Biblically, these were often viewed as divine judgments or manifestations of ritual and physical impurity.
This plague, occurring after a series of escalating judgments, directly afflicted the Egyptians and their animals, emphasizing God's sovereign power over both nature and health, and serving as a direct refutation of any supposed power held by Egyptian deities or magicians.
~1446 BC
The Exodus from Egypt
The Israelites, after centuries of slavery in Egypt, are led out by Moses and God's mighty power. This event marks the beginning of their journey to the Promised Land.
c. 1446 BC
The Ten Plagues Begin
God sends a series of devastating plagues upon Egypt to pressure Pharaoh into releasing the Israelites. These plagues escalate in severity, demonstrating God's escalating judgment.
c. 1446 BC
The Plague of Frogs
The second plague involves frogs infesting the land, highlighting God's power over nature and the Egyptians' gods.
c. 1446 BC
The Plague of Gnats
The third plague brings swarms of gnats (or lice), afflicting both people and animals. This plague further demonstrates the supernatural nature of God's judgment.
c. 1446 BC
The Plague of Flies
The fourth plague unleashes thick swarms of flies, but spares the Israelite region of Goshen, showing God's selective power.
c. 1446 BC
The Plague of Livestock
The fifth plague strikes the livestock of Egypt, killing horses, donkeys, camels, cattle, and sheep, while Israelite livestock remain unharmed.
c. 1446 BC— this verse
The Plague of Boils and Blains
Moses throws soot from a furnace into the air, and it spreads as fine dust, causing painful boils and sores on Egyptians and their animals. The magicians are unable to stand before Moses due to this plague.
This passage directly recalls the plague of boils as a specific curse from God, highlighting its severity and painful nature as a divine consequence for disobedience.
Job 2:7Job's affliction with painful boils is a powerful reminder of suffering that can afflict righteous people, and echoes the physical torment experienced by the Egyptians during this plague.
Revelation 16:2The pouring out of the first bowl in Revelation describes sores on those who bear the mark of the beast, drawing a parallel between this ancient plague and future divine judgment involving painful afflictions.
Amos 4:10Amos prophesies against Israel, mentioning a plague like that of Egypt and the destruction of their armies, showing how this specific Egyptian plague served as a template for God's judgment on His people when they strayed.
calvinExodus 9:8-12: "And the LORD said unto Moses and unto Aaron, Take to you handfuls of ashes of the furnace, and let Moses sprinkle it toward the heaven in the sight of Pharaoh."
- And the Lord said unto Moses. God does not now postpone the time of the punishment, but redoubles the plagues in a continuous series; nor does he threaten Pharaoh, but, leaving him, executes the judgment which He decreed; both because it was now more than sufficiently manifested that admonitions were of no avail with…
gillExodus 9:9: "And it shall become small dust in all the land of Egypt, and shall be a boil breaking forth with blains upon man, and upon beast, throughout all the land of Egypt."
And it shall become small dust in all the land of Egypt,.... Which ashes, thrown up into the air, should be so multiplied and spread as to be over all the land of Egypt, and come down like showers of snow or sleet everywhere, only of a hot and scalding nature; or these handfuls of ashes were to be cast up into the air,…
This plague is not just about boils appearing; it's about the very substance of Egypt turning against its people and creatures. The "fine dust" that descends isn't just dirt—it's the transformed ashes that Moses threw into the air, a tangible manifestation of God's judgment that directly inflicts this agonizing affliction.
Following the plague of boils that afflicted livestock, Moses is instructed to take ashes from a brick kiln and sprinkle them toward the sky in Pharaoh's sight. This act of defiance is meant to unleash a devastating plague upon both people and animals throughout Egypt, further demonstrating God's power and Pharaoh's futility. The magicians, unable to replicate this plague, are rendered powerless, highlighting the supernatural nature of God's judgment.
Following the plague of boils that afflicted livestock, Moses is instructed to take ashes from a brick kiln and sprinkle them toward the sky in Pharaoh's sight. This act of defiance is meant to unleash a devastating plague upon both people and animals throughout Egypt, further demonstrating God's power and Pharaoh's futility. The magicians, unable to replicate this plague, are rendered powerless, highlighting the supernatural nature of God's judgment.
"It shall become fine dust over all the land of Egypt, and become boils breaking out in sores on man and beast throughout all the land of Egypt.”" — This plague is not just about boils appearing; it's about the very substance of Egypt turning against its people and creatures. The "fine dust" that descends isn't just dirt—it's the transformed ashe…
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Last reviewed October 2026