אֲבַעְבֻּעֹת (a.va.bu.ah)
a.va.bu.ah
boil
H:N-FQuick Reference
- Language
- Biblical Hebrew
- Testament
- Old Testament
- Occurrences
- 2 verses
- Root
- —
- Part of speech
- H:N-F
Word Overview
The Hebrew noun aḇaʿbûʿōt refers specifically to blisters or boils, describing painful skin eruptions that swell up. The word derives from a root meaning "to swell," which captures the physical nature of the affliction. In Scripture, it appears only twice, both in the book of Exodus during the narrative of the plagues.
These occurrences mark the sixth plague, where Moses throws soot into the air and it becomes painful boils on people and animals throughout Egypt (Exodus 9:8–10). The term highlights a tangible, bodily suffering rather than a general illness. It serves as a direct judgment against the gods of Egypt, showing that even their physical bodies were vulnerable to the God of Israel.
Translators consistently render this word as "boils" or "blisters," preserving the concrete imagery of swollen, painful skin. The brevity of its usage underscores the severity of the moment; it is not a chronic condition but a sudden, divine intervention that leaves no one unaffected in the land.
Based on public-domain lexicons (Strong's, Thayer, Gesenius, Brown-Driver-Briggs and others).
What This Word Means for Your Faith
The word aḇaʿbûʿōt describes painful skin eruptions, specifically boils or blisters that swell up. In Exodus, this term marks the sixth plague, where soot turned into physical afflictions on people and animals across Egypt. This was not a vague illness but a tangible, sudden judgment that affected everyone in the land.
For your faith, this word reminds us that God’s power is real and present in our physical world. Just as the boils showed that even Egypt’s gods were vulnerable, we can trust that no situation is beyond God’s control. When you face pain or hardship, remember that God sees your suffering and holds ultimate authority over it.
This concrete imagery helps us understand that God cares about our whole being, not just our spirits. It invites us to bring our physical struggles to Him, knowing He is both sovereign and compassionate. In times of trouble, we can rest in the hope that God is working, even when the path is unclear.
How it's translated
How this word is rendered word-by-word in the 2 verses where it appears, by frequency.
- blisters2×
Forms in the text
The inflected forms of this word as they appear in Scripture, by frequency.
- אֲבַעְבֻּעֹ֖ת1×
- אֲבַעְבֻּעֹ֔ת1×
Key Verses
-
Exodus 9:9
It shall become small dust over all the land of Egypt, and shall be boils and blisters breaking out on man and on animal, throughout all the land of Egypt.”
This verse introduces the plague by describing how the dust becomes boils and blisters breaking out on man and animal, setting the stage for the judgment.
-
Exodus 9:10
They took ashes of the furnace, and stood before Pharaoh; and Moses sprinkled it up toward the sky; and it became boils and blisters breaking out on man and on animal.
Here the action is completed as Moses sprinkles the ashes, and the boils actually break out, showing the direct result of God’s command through His prophet.