וְהָיָ֣ה לְאָבָ֔ק עַ֖ל כָּל־אֶ֣רֶץ מִצְרָ֑יִם וְהָיָ֨ה עַל־הָאָדָ֜ם וְעַל־הַבְּהֵמָ֗ה לִשְׁחִ֥ין פֹּרֵ֛חַ אֲבַעְבֻּעֹ֖ת בְּכָל־אֶ֥רֶץ מִצְרָֽיִם׃
(Exodus 9:9)
And it shall become dust over all the land of Mitsrayim, and it shall be upon man and upon beast as boils breaking out in blisters throughout all the land of Mitsrayim.
Word-by-Word Explanation
- וְהָיָה — “and it shall be / become.” Qal perfect with vav used in a future-result sense.
- לְאָבָק — “to dust.” Preposition ל (“to, as”) + noun אָבָק (“dust, fine powder”). Indicates transformation.
- עַל כָּל־אֶרֶץ מִצְרָיִם — “over all the land of Mitsrayim.” Preposition עַל (“upon, over”) + phrase “all the land of Mitsrayim.”
- וְהָיָה — “and it shall be.” Repetition emphasizes effect spreading further.
- עַל־הָאָדָם — “upon man.” Referring to humans in Mitsrayim.
- וְעַל־הַבְּהֵמָה — “and upon beast / livestock.”
- לִשְׁחִין — “as boils.” Preposition ל + noun שְׁחִין (“boil, inflammation, ulcer”).
- פֹּרֵחַ — “breaking out.” Qal participle masculine singular from פָּרַח (“to sprout, bloom”), here used metaphorically of skin eruptions spreading.
- אֲבַעְבֻּעֹת — “blisters.” Rare noun meaning skin pustules or blisters, intensifying the description of the boils.
- בְּכָל־אֶרֶץ מִצְרָיִם — “throughout all the land of Mitsrayim.” Closing phrase repeating scope for emphasis.
Word Order and Sentence Flow
The verse creates a three-part sequence of escalation:
- וְהָיָה לְאָבָק עַל כָּל־אֶרֶץ מִצְרָיִם — “It will become dust over all the land.”
- וְהָיָה עַל־הָאָדָם וְעַל־הַבְּהֵמָה — “It will be upon man and beast.”
- לִשְׁחִין פֹּרֵחַ אֲבַעְבֻּעֹת בְּכָל־אֶרֶץ מִצְרָיִם — “as boils breaking out in blisters throughout all the land.”
Hebrew poetry-like narrative style emphasizes totality by repeating “in all the land of Mitsrayim.”
Escalation Flow Chart
| Transformation | Target | Effect | Scope |
|---|---|---|---|
| לְאָבָק to dust |
עַל־הָאָדָם וְעַל־הַבְּהֵמָה on man and beast |
לִשְׁחִין פֹּרֵחַ אֲבַעְבֻּעֹת boils bursting with blisters |
בְּכָל־אֶרֶץ מִצְרָיִם throughout all the land |
How the Sentence Works (Beginner’s View)
- Repetition: The double וְהָיָה (“and it shall be”) drives the rhythm forward.
- Participles: פֹּרֵחַ shows an action in progress — the boils are actively spreading.
- Total scope: Twice repeating בְּכָל־אֶרֶץ מִצְרָיִם hammers home that no one and nothing was exempt.
Hebrew Unlocked!
In this verse, you’ve seen how Hebrew stacks clauses to build intensity: dust becomes disease, disease spreads to man and beast, and the calamity covers all of Mitsrayim. Each small word carries weight, showing how Biblical Hebrew conveys both drama and completeness with compact precision.
“Hebrew often piles phrases together like waves, building the picture layer by layer until the image is overwhelming.”
