This plague is not just about suffering; it’s a demonstration that even the air itself, which carries the dust, becomes an instrument of God's judgment. The ashes from the furnace, symbolizing the Egyptians' own oppressive labor and their pagan worship, are transformed from the very source of their suffering into a source of painful affliction on their bodies and animals.
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.” 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. And the magicians could not stand before Moses because of the boils, for the boils came upon the magicians and upon all the Egyptians.
English Standard Version (ESV)
Following the plague of hail, Moses is instructed to take ashes from a furnace and cast them toward the sky before Pharaoh. This symbolic act will unleash a fifth plague: boils erupting on both people and animals across Egypt. Even the hardened magicians will be affected, unable to stand before Moses because of these painful afflictions.
God's power isn't just about grand gestures; it's often demonstrated in the specific, tangible actions of His servants. See how the plague unfolds through Moses.
The ninth plague, the boils, begins with a deliberate act by Moses. God instructs him to take handfuls of ashes from a furnace and sprinkle them toward heaven.
A Visible Sign of Invisible Power
This wasn't just a random act; it was a symbolic demonstration. The ashes, often associated with mourning or purification, become the vehicle for a devastating plague. This act made the invisible power of God visible and undeniable, even to the hardened heart of Pharaoh.
Authority Granted
When God commands Moses to sprinkle the ashes, He's not just giving an instruction; He's granting authority. Moses, acting as God's agent, wields power over the very elements, turning a common substance into a source of affliction. This highlights how God empowers His messengers to carry out His judgments and purposes.
Boils and blains aren't just symptoms; they are the physical manifestation of a deeper spiritual sickness. Explore the agonizing reality of this plague.
The plague described as 'boils breaking out in sores' (shechin and ababuoth in Hebrew) was an intensely painful and visible affliction.
A Grievous Affliction
These weren't minor skin irritations. Commentaries suggest they were inflammatory swellings, burning pustules, or carbuncles that caused immense suffering. The eruption was painful, and the attempt to scratch brought no relief but only more agony.
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More Than Physical Pain
This plague directly attacked the Egyptians and their livestock, causing widespread suffering. It was a tangible consequence of their nation's rebellion against God, led by Pharaoh's stubborn refusal to let the Israelites go. The physical torment mirrored the spiritual torment of being enslaved to sin and defiance.
When God unleashes His judgment, even the most skilled practitioners of deception are rendered powerless. See how the magicians fare against this plague.
In the midst of this devastating plague, the Egyptian magicians, who had previously mimicked some of God's power, were utterly defeated.
Incapacity of Falsehood
The text states that 'the magicians could not stand before Moses because of the boils, for the boils were upon the magicians and upon all the Egyptians.' Their ability to replicate plagues with their sorceries failed when faced with the genuine power of the Almighty.
A Clear Distinction
This failure served as a crucial distinction between God's true power and the deceptive practices of the magicians. It exposed their limitations and reinforced that true authority resides with God alone. Their inability to cure or even stand against the boils underscored the futility of opposing God's sovereign 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.
chartom · Hebrew Noun
A general term for those who practiced occult arts, sorcery, or divination, often serving as advisors in ancient courts. In the Bible, they are consistently represented as opposing the servants of the true God.
shechin · Hebrew Noun
An inflammatory, often painful skin eruption, typically ulcerous. In the biblical context, it serves as a sign of divine judgment or physical impurity.
This plague, the sixth of ten, directly targeted the Egyptians and their animals with a painful, visible affliction, striking at their physical well-being and demonstrating God's escalating judgment beyond mere inconvenience.
c. 1446 BC
The Ten Plagues Begin
God sends a series of devastating plagues upon Egypt to force Pharaoh to release the Israelites from slavery.
c. 1446 BC
Plague of Frogs
Egypt is overrun with frogs, a significant plague impacting daily life and religious practices.
c. 1446 BC
Plague of Gnats
The dust of the earth turns into gnats, afflicting both people and animals, demonstrating God's power over nature.
c. 1446 BC
Plague of Flies
Swarms of flies plague the Egyptians, while the land of Goshen where the Israelites lived is spared.
c. 1446 BC
Plague on Livestock
A deadly pestilence strikes down all the livestock in Egypt, except for that of the Israelites.
c. 1446 BC— this verse
Plague of Boils and Blains
Moses sprinkles ashes from a furnace into the air, causing boils and painful sores to break out on all Egyptians and their animals.
c. 1446 BC
Plague of Hail
A devastating hailstorm, accompanied by fire, destroys crops and any Egyptians or animals caught in the open.
This passage directly refers back to this plague as 'the boil of Egypt,' highlighting its distinctive and terrible nature as a divine punishment for disobedience.
Job 2:7Job suffers from severe boils as part of his trial, showing a similar affliction that is agonizing and widespread, underscoring the painful and debilitating nature of skin diseases in ancient times.
Revelation 16:2This New Testament passage describes a similar plague of boils falling upon those who bear the mark of the beast, drawing a parallel between the judgments in Exodus and the future divine wrath.
Psalm 78:45This psalm recounts the plagues of Egypt, specifically mentioning the sending of swarms of flies and frogs, but the overall theme of divine judgment through bodily affliction resonates with the boils described in Exodus.
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 suffering; it’s a demonstration that even the air itself, which carries the dust, becomes an instrument of God's judgment. The ashes from the furnace, symbolizing the Egyptians' own oppressive labor and their pagan worship, are transformed from the very source of their suffering into a source of painful affliction on their bodies and animals.
Following the plague of hail, Moses is instructed to take ashes from a furnace and cast them toward the sky before Pharaoh. This symbolic act will unleash a fifth plague: boils erupting on both people and animals across Egypt. Even the hardened magicians will be affected, unable to stand before Moses because of these painful afflictions.
Following the plague of hail, Moses is instructed to take ashes from a furnace and cast them toward the sky before Pharaoh. This symbolic act will unleash a fifth plague: boils erupting on both people and animals across Egypt. Even the hardened magicians will be affected, unable to stand before Moses because of these painful afflictions.
"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.” So they took soot from the kiln and stood before Pharaoh. And Moses threw it in the air, and i…" — This plague is not just about suffering; it’s a demonstration that even the air itself, which carries the dust, becomes an instrument of God's judgment. The ashes from the furnace, symbolizing the Eg…
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Last reviewed October 2026
