The sixth plague—the plague of boils—has always fascinated me. Most of the plagues are easy to discern right away. Plague of flies? Probably a lot of flies. Plague of darkness? Probably pretty dark.
But boils? What exactly is a boil?
Fortunately, I’m not the only one who has had this question. Though all of the plagues have attracted their own fair share of attention, the plague of boils arguably has the most. Everyone from archaeologists to epidemiologists have taken a stab at identifying what a boil is, and some of them have come up with some pretty interesting ideas.
The predominant opinion is that these boils amount to some form of leprosy or eczema, which can fester and turn into a painful sore on the skin. Others assume it’s some form of bacterial infection that creates agonizing blisters.
In one case, I even found a scholarly article from the National Library of Medicine that argues that the plague of boils in Exodus 6 is the “first medical report on the harmful effects of soot/dust on skin and presages the nowadays well-known harmful effects of soot-induced air pollution on the environment and human health.”
I’m sure Moses would be thrilled to know that one of his plagues is still being studied by some of the world’s foremost authorities in biotechnology.
Like the other plagues, the plague of boils has a standard cadence. God tells Moses what to do, Moses does it, and Pharaoh hardens his heart.
Unlike the other plagues though, there is a steady increase in the intensity. Whereas the previous plagues touched the land and the cattle, the plague of boils actually affects humans themselves. This is the first plague that does so, and the effect is so bad that the magicians who would try to replicate it can’t even physically stand in front of Pharaoh to try.
The mechanism by which the plague is brought to Egypt is also worth mentioning. In previous plagues, Aaron or Moses would “stretch forth their staff” and bring something to the earth. On this occasion, Moses is told to take soot from a kiln, throw it up in the air, and the boils would form from the ash to cover the entire nation.
Using a kiln is poetic. In Exodus 2, the Israelites were told to bake bricks—a process which would’ve required a kiln. Now, they’re using that same device to bring pain on the Egyptian people.
Consider also the use of fire. According to the ancients, the four basic elements are fire, earth, air, and water. God has already used water (Exodus 7:14-23) and dirt (Exodus 8:16-19) in previous plagues, and He’s going to use air (Exodus 10:12-13). In this plague, the plague of boils, He’s using fire. Truly God is Lord over all creation.
There’s zero doubt that the plague of boils is the most painful plague so far, and one that would’ve stood in the memory of His people for a long time. In Deuteronomy 28:27, Moses promised that God would smite the people with the “boils of Egypt” if they were disobedient. The only way that punishment is effective is if the memory still lingers.
And yet, still again, Pharaoh demurs. He hem-haws around the subject of letting the people go, still in denial of God’s power and holding fast to whatever pride he has left. God notices, and promises to get his attention one way or the other.
