Exodus 9:9

ESV 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."

NIV It will become fine dust over the whole land of Egypt, and festering boils will break out on people and animals throughout the land."

NASB Then it will become fine dust over all the land of Egypt, and will turn into boils breaking out with sores on every person and animal through all the land of Egypt.'

CSB It will become fine dust over the entire land of Egypt. It will become festering boils on people and animals throughout the land of Egypt."

NLT The ashes will spread like fine dust over the whole land of Egypt, causing festering boils to break out on people and animals throughout the land.'

KJV 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.

NKJV And it will become fine dust in all the land of Egypt, and it will cause boils that break out in sores on man and beast throughout all the land of Egypt.”

What does Exodus 9:9 mean?

Moses was instructed to throw handfuls of soot or ashes into the air in front of Pharaoh (Exodus 9:8). As the ashes dissipated, they would become a fine dust bringing "boils" and "sores" on men and animals alike. This sixth plague (Exodus 3:20) would involve debilitating, painful skin conditions. Such problems are noted in the lives of men like Job (Job 2:7–8) and Hezekiah (Isaiah 38:21).

The exact nature of these boils is uncertain. Several possibilities have been suggested. On one hand, the Egyptians recently experienced a wave of infesting insects (Exodus 8:17, 24). These can bring disease, including bacteria that cause painful ulcers on the skin. In that case, it would mean God using that mechanism to further punish Pharaoh and the Egyptian slaveholders. On the other hand, the effects seem to happen so rapidly that the men standing in front of Moses are rendered unable to stand (Exodus 9:11). In either case, there is no question that God is the cause of the disaster. Where Egyptian idols such as Sekhmet and Isis were expected to prevent such things, they will fail.

This passage does not explicitly say that the lands and people of Israel would be spared (Exodus 9:4, 26; 10:23). Given the context, however, it seems likely that the Hebrews were not subjected to these boils and sores. God will later include similar troubles as part of Israel's promised punishment for breaking their covenant with the Lord (Deuteronomy 28:27, 35).

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