The Plague of Boils in Egypt: Ash, Miracles and Divine Providence

After the plague of pestilence, the Egyptians enjoyed three quiet weeks. Moshe and Aaron did not appear with new warnings. Then one day, they suddenly arrived in Pharaoh’s courtyard — without permission, of course. Standing before Pharaoh, each of them took handfuls of furnace soot. Aaron transferred his soot into Moshe’s hands, and Moshe gathered everything into one hand, closed his fist, and threw the ashes upward. The ashes rose all the way to the Throne of Glory. There they were heated, then descended and spread across the entire land of Egypt, bringing forth a severe plague of boils upon humans and animals.

Great miracles occurred in this moment. 

• Moshe’s hand held eight times its normal capacity — one hand contained what should have filled four handfuls, and then it contracted to half its size. Unlike human nature, where a full vessel cannot be poured into another full vessel, God made space within the small to hold abundance. 

• A human arrow cannot travel such a distance upward, yet Moshe threw light ash to the heavens themselves.

• A tiny quantity of ash spread over all Egypt, which was a vast territory.

• A single type of ash produced twenty-four kinds of boils.

From Head to Toe Without Relief

God brought twenty-four varieties of boils upon the Egyptians, and there was no cure. The treatment for one type worsened another, and they suffered from them all simultaneously.

Imagine the scene: suddenly, without warning, hot ash fell from the sky. Even indoors there was no escape. The ash penetrated their clothing and covered their bodies with sores from head to foot. Their flesh blistered and decayed. The ash struck only Egyptians; an Israelite standing beside them remained untouched, and not even a single grain landed on him. Precise Divine providence was evident. You oppressed Israel under the scorching sun — now your own flesh burns with boils.

The Egyptians found no rest. Painful blisters on their feet made standing unbearable. They lifted one foot and then the other in a strange, restless dance. Sitting hurt even more; lying down on oozing wounds was unthinkable. For an entire week they shifted endlessly, unable to find relief, just as they had forced Israel to work through pain and injury.

If an Egyptian lost balance during this painful “dance,” the fall brought indescribable agony. To rise, he had to press wounded hands against the ground, intensifying the pain. When two Egyptians bumped into each other, their cries pierced the air. Normally they might have struck each other, but the boils prevented even making a fist.

Their bodies were covered in sores — some itching, some burning, some throbbing. They could not scratch with injured hands, and rubbing against walls worsened open wounds. They twisted their bodies in strange movements, trying to ease the itching without causing greater pain.

They wept from suffering, but the salty tears stung their wounds, forcing them to choke back their cries — just as Jewish women once suppressed their cries during childbirth to hide their babies. Parents watched their children suffer yet hesitated to touch them, knowing it would cause pain to both. Children clung to their parents for help, but the parents had to stand back helplessly — a mirror of how Egyptian taskmasters denied Israel comfort and care.

Night fell, and the Egyptians were exhausted, hungry, and sleepless. Like Israel after days of brutal labor, they endured relentless suffering. For an entire week they faced itching, burning pain, hunger because wounded hands could not handle food, and sleeplessness because they could not lie down. Pain, hunger, and exhaustion combined into a state of near madness.

Even the animals were struck — donkeys, horses, camels, cattle, sheep, dogs, and cats writhed in agony. Meanwhile, the animals of Israel grazed peacefully nearby, untouched.

A Sanctification of God’s Name

The Egyptian magicians wanted to imitate the miracle through sorcery, but shame held them back. Covered in boils and unable even to heal themselves, they stayed hidden indoors rather than appear before Moshe. Still Pharaoh refused to release Israel, for at this stage God had hardened his heart to multiply signs and wonders in Egypt.