Commentary - Exodus 9:8-12

Bird's-eye view

In this sixth plague, the conflict between Yahweh and the gods of Egypt escalates dramatically. Up to this point, the plagues have attacked Egypt's resources and environment. Now, God brings the judgment directly to the bodies of the Egyptians themselves. This is a personal, painful, and humiliating affliction. The plague of boils serves not only as a punishment but also as a powerful demonstration of God's sovereignty over human health and well being, and it results in the utter disgrace of Pharaoh's magical advisors. Their inability to even stand before Moses is a picture of the complete collapse of pagan wisdom in the face of divine power. The passage concludes, as is becoming the pattern, with Yahweh purposefully hardening Pharaoh's heart, ensuring that God's full glory will be displayed through the king's continued defiance.

Outline

Context In Exodus

The plague of boils marks a significant turning point in the series of ten judgments. It is the sixth plague, concluding the second cycle of three. Unlike the previous plagues, there is no warning given to Pharaoh, indicating an increase in the severity and immediacy of God's judgment. This is also the first plague to cause direct physical suffering to the Egyptian people, moving from ecological disaster to personal affliction. This plague directly challenges Egyptian deities of medicine and healing, such as Imhotep and Sekhmet, demonstrating Yahweh's superior power over life and health. The complete incapacitation of the magicians is the final time they are mentioned, signifying their total and undeniable defeat.

Commentary

Exodus 9:8

Then Yahweh said to Moses and Aaron, “Take for yourselves handfuls of soot from a kiln, and let Moses toss it toward the sky in the sight of Pharaoh.”

The action begins, as it always does, with the sovereign word of God. "Then Yahweh said..." This is the engine of history. Nothing happens by chance; everything proceeds from the declared counsel of God. He instructs Moses and Aaron to take soot from a kiln. This is not a random detail. Where does soot from a kiln come from? It comes from the brickyards, the very furnaces where the Hebrew slaves were brutally oppressed. God is now taking the dust of their affliction, the symbol of their bondage, and is weaponizing it against their oppressors. This is righteous poetry. It is a profound illustration of the principle that men will reap what they sow. The instruments of Egypt's cruel industry are about to become the instruments of their agony. Moses is to perform this act "in the sight of Pharaoh," ensuring there is no ambiguity about the source of the coming judgment. This is a direct, public challenge.

Exodus 9:9

And it will become fine dust over all the land of Egypt, and it will become boils breaking out with sores on man and beast through all the land of Egypt.

God declares what will happen before it happens, demonstrating His omniscience and control. The soot, a tangible substance, will be miraculously transformed into a fine dust that covers the entire land. This is a reversal of the creation blessing. Instead of fruitful dust, this is a dust of judgment. The effect will be boils, painful and erupting sores, afflicting both "man and beast." God's judgment is comprehensive. It strikes at the heart of Egyptian life: its people and its livestock, which were central to its economy and religious system. Many of the Egyptian gods were depicted with animal heads, and so the affliction of the beasts was also an attack on their false deities. This plague would have been a direct assault on any sense of security and well being the Egyptians might have had left.

Exodus 9:10

So they took the soot from the kiln and stood before Pharaoh; and Moses tossed it toward the sky, and it became boils breaking out with sores on man and beast.

Obedience to God's command is immediate. Moses and Aaron do exactly as they were told. Moses, acting as God's agent, tosses the soot toward the sky. The heavens, which the Egyptians worshiped, now become the delivery system for their judgment. The result is instantaneous and exactly as God predicted. The boils erupt. The cause and effect are undeniable. Pharaoh, who set himself up as a god on earth, can do nothing to stop this judgment from the God in heaven. He is a spectator to his own humiliation.

Exodus 9:11

And 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.

This verse is the climax of the confrontation between the power of God and the occultic powers of Egypt. The magicians, who had earlier tried to replicate God's miracles, are now utterly defeated. They are not just unable to stop the plague; they are afflicted by it themselves. They are so ravaged by the boils that they "could not stand before Moses." This is both a literal and a figurative statement. They are physically too sick and in too much pain to present themselves in court, but it also signifies their complete spiritual and intellectual collapse. Their magic, their wisdom, their religion has been shown to be utterly impotent. The would be spiritual defenders of Egypt are sent scurrying away, scratching their sores. This is a public mockery of the powers of darkness. When the true God stands up, all pretenders must fall down.

Exodus 9:12

And Yahweh hardened Pharaoh’s heart with strength, and he did not listen to them, just as Yahweh had spoken to Moses.

Here we come to a central theological point of the entire Exodus narrative. Who is in charge here? Yahweh is. After this debilitating and humiliating plague, one might expect Pharaoh to break. But he does not. And the reason he does not is that "Yahweh hardened Pharaoh's heart." The text says He hardened it "with strength," meaning He confirmed and intensified the rebellion that was already there. God is not violating Pharaoh's will; He is giving him over to it and strengthening him in it for a divine purpose. Pharaoh had already hardened his own heart multiple times. Now God judicially hands him over to that hardness. This is not done to be cruel, but so that God's power might be displayed on a grander stage. Pharaoh's stubbornness serves God's plan. And all of this happens "just as Yahweh had spoken to Moses." God is never surprised. History is unfolding precisely according to His script. The word of God is infallible, and His purposes cannot be thwarted, not even by the most powerful man on earth.

Application

The principles displayed in this passage are timeless. First, we see that God stands in solidarity with the oppressed. He takes the very dust of their slavery and uses it to bring down the proud. This should be a comfort to the afflicted and a stark warning to all who build their kingdoms on the backs of others. God sees, and He will repay.

Second, the humiliation of the magicians is a picture of the failure of all human systems that set themselves up against God. Whether it is the occult, secular philosophy, political ideologies, or scientific materialism, any worldview that does not have the true God at its center will ultimately be unable to stand. It will be shown to be bankrupt, incapable of solving the fundamental problems of the human condition, symbolized here by the boils.

Finally, the hardening of Pharaoh's heart teaches us about divine sovereignty. God is in control of all things, even the rebellion of wicked men. He uses their defiance to accomplish His good purposes and to magnify His own glory. This means that for the believer, there is no room for fear. The God who turned the soot of Egypt into a plague for His glory is the same God who works all things together for the good of those who love Him, who are called according to His purpose.