Καὶ οὐκ ἠδύναντο οἱ φαρμακοὶ στῆναι ἐναντίον Μωυσῆ διὰ τὰ ἕλκη ἐγένετο γὰρ τὰ ἕλκη ἐν τοῖς φαρμακοῖς καὶ ἐν πάσῃ γῇ Αἰγύπτου (Exodus 9:11 LXX)
וְלֹֽא־יָכְל֣וּ הַֽחַרְטֻמִּ֗ים לַעֲמֹ֛ד לִפְנֵ֥י מֹשֶׁ֖ה מִפְּנֵ֣י הַשְּׁחִ֑ין כִּֽי־הָיָ֣ה הַשְּׁחִ֔ין בַּֽחֲרְטֻמִּ֖ם וּבְכָל־מִצְרָֽיִם׃
The Defeat of Egypt’s Experts in Two Tongues
Exodus 9:11 depicts the collapse of Egyptian magical power under the plague of boils. The Hebrew and Greek texts closely parallel one another, but they introduce subtle variations in terminology and syntax that shape how the event is framed. Hebrew emphasizes the inability of the חַרְטֻמִּים (magicians/scribes) to stand before Moshe, while the LXX reinterprets them as φαρμακοί (“sorcerers”), linking them to Hellenistic categories of occult practice. Both texts highlight the inescapable reach of the plague — afflicting Egypt’s religious elite as well as the nation at large.
From חַרְטֻמִּים to φαρμακοί
The Hebrew חַרְטֻמִּים refers to Egyptian priests, scribes, or magicians, a term rooted in Egyptian loanwords. The LXX chooses φαρμακοί, literally “poisoners” or “sorcerers,” a word associated in Greek with magic through the use of potions and incantations. This lexical choice frames the Egyptian elite not as priestly scribes but as practitioners of illicit magical arts, reshaping the theological confrontation into one between divine power and sorcery.
Standing Before Moshe
The Hebrew phrase לַעֲמֹד לִפְנֵי מֹשֶׁה (“to stand before Moshe”) conveys physical presence and perhaps judicial confrontation. The Greek rendering στῆναι ἐναντίον Μωυσῆ conveys the same sense, though ἐναντίον intensifies opposition (“to stand against”). The LXX subtly shifts the scene from ritual inability to a rhetorical defeat in direct confrontation.
Boils: From שְׁחִין to ἕλκη
Hebrew uses שְׁחִין, a general word for boils or inflamed sores. The LXX translates with ἕλκη, a standard Greek medical term for ulcers or sores. This choice reflects Hellenistic vocabulary but also enhances the universality of the affliction: the plague is cast in precise medical terms that transcend Egyptian context.
Universal Scope: From Egypt’s Elite to Egypt Entire
The Hebrew concludes: כִּי־הָיָה הַשְּׁחִין בַּחֲרְטֻמִּם וּבְכָל־מִצְרָיִם (“for the boils were upon the magicians and upon all Egypt”). The LXX parallels this: ἐγένετο γὰρ τὰ ἕλκη ἐν τοῖς φαρμακοῖς καὶ ἐν πάσῃ γῇ Αἰγύπτου. Both emphasize that no social class or region was spared — the same sores afflicted the powerful magicians and the whole land alike.
Hebrew-Greek Morphological Comparison
| Hebrew Word | Greek Translation | Grammatical Notes | Translation Technique |
|---|---|---|---|
| וְלֹא־יָכְלוּ | καὶ οὐκ ἠδύναντο | Qal imperfect 3mp with negation → imperfect middle indicative 3pl | Direct equivalence |
| הַחַרְטֻמִּים | οἱ φαρμακοί | Plural noun with article → plural noun with article | Lexical substitution into Greek cultural idiom |
| לַעֲמֹד לִפְנֵי מֹשֶׁה | στῆναι ἐναντίον Μωυσῆ | Infinitive construct with preposition → infinitive aorist with preposition | Literal with intensification |
| מִפְּנֵי הַשְּׁחִין | διὰ τὰ ἕλκη | Preposition מִן (“because of”) → διὰ + accusative | Direct functional equivalence |
| הַשְּׁחִין | τὰ ἕλκη | Definite noun sg. → definite plural noun | Medical term substitution |
| וּבְכָל־מִצְרָיִם | καὶ ἐν πάσῃ γῇ Αἰγύπτου | Preposition + noun → preposition + noun phrase with γῆ | Expansion for emphasis (“in all the land of Egypt”) |
Reflections at the Threshold
This verse marks the turning point where Egypt’s spiritual elite could no longer oppose Moshe. The Hebrew’s idiom of standing conveys inability, while the Greek’s use of ἐναντίον heightens confrontation. The LXX’s lexical choices — translating חַרְטֻמִּים as φαρμακοί and שְׁחִין as ἕλκη — situate the plague in categories familiar to a Hellenistic world, emphasizing sorcery defeated and sickness universalized. Both texts affirm the same truth: the power of YHWH humbles the powers of Egypt.
