Lexical Summary ababuah: Flute, Pipe Original Word: אֲבַעְבֻּעָה Strong's Exhaustive Concordance blains (by reduplication) from an unused root (meaning to belch forth); an inflammatory pustule (as eruption) -- blains. NAS Exhaustive Concordance Word Originfrom an unused word Definition blisters, boils NASB Translation sores (2). Brown-Driver-Briggs אֲבַעְבֻּעֹת noun feminine plural blisters, boils (ᵑ7 אֲבַעְבּוּעְיָן; compare ᵑ7 בֶּעְבַּע, Late Hebrew בַּעְבּוּעַ בּוּעָה, Syriac  ) Exodus 9:9 שְׁחִין מֹּרֵחַ אֲבַעְבֻּעֹת, compare Exodus 9:10. בוץ so Thes, better ביץ (compare Arabic Topical Lexicon Definition and Semantic Range The Hebrew noun אֲבַעְבֻּעָה designates an eruptive skin lesion such as a blister, boil, or carbuncle. Its nuance is more severe than a common rash, describing an inflamed, suppurating wound that leaves an unmistakable mark of affliction. Occurrences in Scripture The word appears twice, both in the narrative of the sixth Egyptian plague (Exodus 9:9; Exodus 9:10). No other canonical text employs the term, underscoring its special connection to that decisive contest between the God of Israel and the gods of Egypt. Historical Setting: The Sixth Plague The plague of boils struck Egypt after Pharaoh hardened his heart through five prior judgments. Moses and Aaron cast soot into the air, and the dust settled as painful boils upon “man and beast.” The magicians, formerly able to imitate some signs, could not stand before Moses “because the boils had afflicted them” (Exodus 9:11). In context, אֲבַעְבֻּעָה becomes a divine counter-sign to Egyptian ritual power and medical arts. Scholars note that temple priests often wore linen to protect from infection; here even they are rendered helpless. The lesion, therefore, functions as a public verdict against Egypt’s religious system. Theological Significance 1. Judgment with Moral Clarity: The sudden visibility of festering sores exposes sin’s hidden corruption. What had remained concealed in Pharaoh’s heart is now displayed on skin. Ministry and Pastoral Application • Call to Repentance: Visible affliction in Scripture often accompanies a summons to humble oneself (Job 2:7-13; Isaiah 1:5-6). Preachers may employ אֲבַעְבֻּעָה to illustrate the urgency of turning before hardness becomes terminal. Intertextual Echoes and Typology The soot tossed “toward the sky” (Exodus 9:10) recalls Abraham’s upward gaze at the stars (Genesis 15:5). For the patriarch, the sky held promise; for Pharaoh, judgment. Christ’s atonement reverses the curse, since He “went around doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil” (Acts 10:38). Every healing of lepers and the diseased in the Gospels silently answers the wound of אֲבַעְבֻּעָה, demonstrating the Messiah’s power to cleanse both body and soul. Key Berean Standard Bible Text Exodus 9:9: “It will become fine dust over all the land of Egypt, and festering boils will break out on man and beast throughout the land of Egypt.” Exodus 9:10: “So they took soot from a furnace and stood before Pharaoh. Moses tossed it into the air, and festering boils broke out on man and animal.” Summary אֲבַעְבֻּעָה serves as a vivid emblem of divine judgment against obstinate rebellion. Its limited occurrence underscores the uniqueness of the Exodus event while providing enduring lessons on God’s holiness, the danger of hardened hearts, and the hope of redemptive healing found ultimately in Jesus Christ. Forms and Transliterations אֲבַעְבֻּעֹ֔ת אֲבַעְבֻּעֹ֖ת אבעבעת ’ă·ḇa‘·bu·‘ōṯ ’ăḇa‘bu‘ōṯ avabuOtLinks Interlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel TextsEnglishman's Concordance Exodus 9:9 HEB: לִשְׁחִ֥ין פֹּרֵ֛חַ אֲבַעְבֻּעֹ֖ת בְּכָל־ אֶ֥רֶץ NAS: breaking out with sores on man KJV: breaking forth [with] blains upon man, INT: boils breaking sores all the land Exodus 9:10 2 Occurrences |
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surpass in whiteness; 
whiteness).