So the Lord said to Moses and Aaron: Each of you take handfuls of soot from a kiln, and in the presence of Pharaoh let Moses scatter it toward the sky. 9 It will turn into fine dust over the whole land of Egypt and cause festering boils on human being and beast alike throughout the land of Egypt. 10 So they took the soot from a kiln and appeared before Pharaoh. When Moses scattered it toward the sky, it caused festering boils on human being and beast alike. 11 Because of the boils the magicians could not stand in Moses’ presence, for there were boils on the magicians as well as on the rest of the Egyptians. 12 But the Lord hardened Pharaoh’s heart, and he would not listen to them, just as the Lord had said to Moses.
Moses and Aaron, following the Lord’s command, take soot from a kiln and throw it into the air in Pharaoh’s presence. This act results in the sixth plague, where festering boils break out on humans and animals throughout Egypt. Pharaoh’s magicians, who had previously attempted to replicate God’s wonders, are rendered powerless as they themselves suffer from the boils. Despite the severity of this plague and its direct impact on the Egyptian people and their religious figures, Pharaoh remains obstinate, as the Lord hardens his heart. The soot from the kiln, which may symbolize the forced labor and suffering of the Israelites in brickmaking, becomes an instrument of divine judgment, demonstrating God’s justice in liberating His people.
God continues to demonstrate his supremacy over Egyptian deities and their priests. The boils strike at Egypt's religious and medical system, exposing the impotence of their gods and magicians (Ex. 8:18–19). This plague specifically undermines gods associated with healing, such as Sekhmet (goddess of plagues and healing) and Imhotep (deified healer). This systematic dismantling of Egypt’s officially recognized deities emphasizes not only God's power but also His judgment against idolatry, calling Egypt and all nations to acknowledge Him as the true God (cf. Isa. 44:9–20; Ps. 96:5).
In Egyptian culture, priests were expected to remain ritually pure to perform their religious duties. Their affliction with boils not only humiliates them but also demonstrates that they are utterly powerless before the Lord, highlighting God's absolute dominion over all spiritual and physical realms (cf. Ps. 115:3). Throughout salvation history, God humbles human pride and demonstrates His sovereignty over all human institutions and powers.
In the New Testament, Jesus' healing ministry demonstrates His divine authority over sickness (e.g., Matt. 8:1–17). The magicians’ inability to stand before Moses foreshadows the defeat of Satan and his forces before Christ (Luke 10:17–20). Just as the plagues were signs of God's power leading to the liberation of Israel, the miracles of Jesus are signs of the coming of God's Kingdom and the ultimate liberation from sin and death (Luke 4:18–21). God’s transforming power over suffering and evil culminates in the cross of Christ, where Jesus turns the greatest act of human oppression into the means of salvation (cf. 1 Cor. 1:18–25).
Pharaoh's hardened heart parallels the spiritual blindness addressed in the New Testament. Jesus confronts hardened hearts in the Pharisees and others who resist His message (Mark 3:5; John 12:37–40). Yet, God’s patience offers the opportunity for repentance, as Peter writes: “The Lord does not delay his promise... but is patient with you, not wishing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance” (2 Pet. 3:9). Pharaoh's hard heart serves as a warning about the dangers of resisting God's grace, yet it also highlights God's sovereignty and purpose in history, as Paul reflects in Romans 9:17–18: “For the Scripture says to Pharaoh, ‘I raised you up for this very purpose, to display my power in you and that my name might be proclaimed in all the earth.’”
Almighty God, You revealed Your power over false gods and humbled the proud in Egypt, showing that You alone are sovereign over all creation. Transform our suffering into redemption through Christ, who bore our infirmities and healed our wounds by His cross. This we pray through Christ our Lord. Amen!
Sources
- McSorley, Joseph. An Outline History of the Church by Centuries (From St. Peter to Pius XII). 2nd ed., B. Herder Book Co., 1944.
- Orchard, Bernard, et al. A Catholic Commentary on Holy Scripture. Feb. 1953.
- Chiu, José Enrique Aguilar, et al. The Paulist Biblical Commentary. Paulist Press, 2018.
- Faculty of the University of Navarre. The Navarre Bible: New Testament Expanded Edition. Four Courts / Scepter, 2008.
- Brown, Raymond Edward, et al. The New Jerome Biblical Commentary. Prentice Hall, 1990.
- Charpentier, Etienne. How to Read the Old Testament. Translated by John Bowden, 1981.
- Komonchak, Joseph, et al., editors. The New Dictionary of Theology.
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