Exodus 9:11 - Printer Friendly

ESV: And the magicians could not stand before Moses because of the boils, for the boils came upon the magicians and upon all the Egyptians.

NIV: The magicians could not stand before Moses because of the boils that were on them and on all the Egyptians.

NASB: The soothsayer priests could not stand before Moses because of the boils, for the boils were on the soothsayer priests as well as on all the Egyptians.

CSB: The magicians could not stand before Moses because of the boils, for the boils were on the magicians as well as on all the Egyptians.

NLT: Even the magicians were unable to stand before Moses, because the boils had broken out on them and all the Egyptians.

KJV: And the magicians could not stand before Moses because of the boils; for the boil was upon the magicians, and upon all the Egyptians.

NKJV: And the magicians could not stand before Moses because of the boils, for the boils were on the magicians and on all the Egyptians.

By throwing soot into the air (Exodus 9:8–9), Moses triggers an epidemic of painful sores and boils. These appear immediately, leaving the court occultists (Exodus 7:22; 8:7, 18) disabled. Such magicians had been part of Pharaoh's court since the time of Joseph (Genesis 41:8, 24). They had used their secret arts to duplicate turning a staff into a serpent (Exodus 7:11), to turn water into blood (Exodus 7:22), and to make frogs come from water (Exodus 8:7). However, the magicians were unable to duplicate the plague of gnats, leading them to claim the work was by the "finger of God" (Exodus 8:18–19).

Men labeled as "magicians" appear again later in the Old Testament. Depending on the context, they may also be referred to as seers, sorcerers, or diviners. They served in Babylon during Daniel's time as servants to the king (Daniel 1:20; 2:2, 27; 4:7, 9; 5:11). Scripture acknowledges their human wisdom and perhaps even spiritual power. However, Daniel's wisdom from God far surpassed the wisdom of the magicians. The lives of Joseph, Moses, and Daniel show that the power of magicians is vastly inferior to the power of God.

Exodus 9:8–12 records the sixth plague (Exodus 3:20), involving skin lesions and sores. Up until now, Pharaoh has been deliberately obstinate and hard-headed (Exodus 5:2; 7:13–14, 22; 8:15, 19, 32; 9:7). He has ignored every command from God and each sign of divine power. In this passage, Pharaoh nears a point of no return (Proverbs 29:1). As promised (Exodus 4:21), the Lord makes an example of Egypt's ruler by making the Egyptian king even more headstrong. This will lead to an exceptional display of divine power: an epic hailstorm.

After four devastating plagues, Pharaoh continues to resist God's command to free the Hebrew slaves. Through Moses, the Lord sends two more: death of Egyptian livestock and an epidemic of skin lesions. Pharoah refuses to respond to the first, and God makes him stubborn after the second. This leads to the most terrifying sign yet: the seventh plague of hail and fire. Pharoah claims to repent. Yet as soon as the hail stops, he again chooses obstinance. After this, the Lord will use Pharaoh as a tool to demonstrate divine judgment.

Moses and Aaron brought the Lord's command that Pharaoh should release Hebrew slaves (Exodus 5:1–4). Over and over, Egypt's king was obstinate. This resulted in divine plagues meant to demonstrate God's power and authority (Exodus 7:20; 8:6, 17, 24). In this chapter, God sends three more disasters: a plague on livestock, an epidemic of skin sores, and an obliterating storm of hail and lightning. Pharaoh will once again choose stubbornness, passing a point of no return (Proverbs 29:1). For the remaining plagues (Exodus 10—12) and after (Exodus 14:4), Pharaoh will be a living example of the Lord's divine judgment (Exodus 4:21).

The book of Exodus establishes God's covenant relationship with the full-fledged nation of Israel. The descendants of Abraham prosper after settling in Egypt, only to be enslaved by a fearful, hateful Egyptian Pharaoh. God appoints Moses to lead the people out of this bondage. Moses serves as God's spokesman, as the Lord brings plagues and judgments on Egypt, leading to the release of Israel.