Exodus 9:8

 Exodus 9:8

And the LORD said unto Moses and unto Aaron, Take to you handfuls of ashes of the furnace, and let Moses sprinkle it toward the heaven in the sight of Pharaoh.

a. ASV: And Jehovah said unto Moses and unto Aaron, Take to you handfuls of ashes of the furnace, and let Moses sprinkle it toward heaven in the sight of Pharaoh. [Thomas Nelson & Sons first published the American Standard Version in 1901. This translation of the Bible is in the public domain.]

b. YLT: And Jehovah saith unto Moses and unto Aaron, 'Take to you the fulness of your hands of soot of a furnace, and Moses hath sprinkled it towards the heavens, before the eyes of Pharaoh, [The Young's Literal Translation was translated by Robert Young, who believed in a strictly literal translation of God's word. This version of the Bible is in the public domain.]

c. Classic Amplified: The Lord said to Moses and Aaron, Take handfuls of ashes or soot from the brickkiln and let Moses sprinkle them toward the heavens in the sight of Pharaoh. [Amplified Bible, Classic Edition (AMPC) Copyright © 1954, 1958, 1962, 1964, 1965, 1987 by The Lockman Foundation]

d. Stone Edition Torah/Prophets/Writings: HASHEM said to Moses and Aaron, “Take you yourselves handfuls of furnace soot, and let Moses hurl it heavenword before Pharaoh’s eyes. [The Artscroll Series/Stone Edition, THE TANACH--STUDENT SIZE EDITION Copyright 1996, 1998 by Mesorah Publications, Ltd.]

e. NLT: Then the LORD said to Moses and Aaron, “Take handfuls of soot from a brick kiln, and have Moses toss it into the air while Pharaoh watches. [Scripture quotations marked (NLT) are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2007. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.]

1. “And the LORD said unto Moses and unto Aaron, Take to you handfuls of ashes of the furnace…” 

a. [And the] LORD [Strong: 3068 Yᵉhôvâh, yeh-ho-vaw'; from H1961; (the) self-Existent or Eternal; Jeho-vah, Jewish national name of God:—Jehovah, the Lord.]

b. said [Strong: 559 ʼâmar, aw-mar'; a primitive root; to say (used with great latitude):—answer, appoint, avouch, bid, boast self, call, certify, challenge, charge, (at the, give) command(-ment), commune, consider, declare, demand, × desire, determine, × expressly, × indeed, × intend, name, × plainly, promise, publish, report, require, say, speak (against, of), × still, × suppose, talk, tell, term, × that is, × think, use (speech), utter, × verily, × yet.]

c. unto [Strong: 413 ʼêl, ale; (but only used in the shortened constructive form אֶל ʼel ); a primitive particle; properly, denoting motion towards, but occasionally used of a quiescent position, i.e. near, with or among; often in general, to:—about, according to, after, against, among, as for, at, because(-fore, -side), both...and, by, concerning, for, from, × hath, in(-to), near, (out) of, over, through, to(-ward), under, unto, upon, whether, with(-in).]

d. Moses [Strong: 4872 Môsheh, mo-sheh'; from H4871; drawing out (of the water), i.e. rescued; Mosheh, the Israelite lawgiver:—Moses.]

e. [and] unto [Strong: 413 ʼêl, ale; (but only used in the shortened constructive form אֶל ʼel ); a primitive particle; properly, denoting motion towards, but occasionally used of a quiescent position, i.e. near, with or among; often in general, to:—about, according to, after, against, among, as for, at, because(-fore, -side), both...and, by, concerning, for, from, × hath, in(-to), near, (out) of, over, through, to(-ward), under, unto, upon, whether, with(-in).]

f. Aaron [Strong: 175 ʼAhărôwn, a-har-one'; of uncertain derivation; Aharon, the brother of Moses:—Aaron.]

g. Take [to you] [Strong: 3947 lâqach, law-kakh'; a primitive root; to take (in the widest variety of applications):—accept, bring, buy, carry away, drawn, fetch, get, infold, × many, mingle, place, receive(-ing), reserve, seize, send for, take (away, -ing, up), use, win.]

h. handfuls [Strong: 2651 chôphen, kho'-fen; from an unused root of uncertain signification; a fist (only in the dual):—fists, (both) hands, hand(-ful).]

i. [Strong: 4393 mᵉlôʼ, mel-o'; rarely מְלוֹא mᵉlôwʼ; or מְלוֹ mᵉlôw; (Ezekiel 41:8), from H4390; fulness (literally or figuratively):—× all along, × all that is (there-) in, fill, (× that whereof...was) full, fulness, (hand-) full, multitude.]

j. [of] ashes [Strong: 6368 pîyach, pee'-akh; from H6315; a powder (as easily puffed away), i.e. ashes or dust:—ashes.]

k. [of the] furnace [Strong: 3536 kibshân, kib-shawn'; from H3533; a smelting furnace (as reducing metals):—furnace.]

1). Some of the bricks that the Israelites made were dried in the sun, but some were dried in brick kilns, where also metals were melted. It was probably from these the ashes were taken. 

2. “...and let Moses sprinkle it toward the heaven in the sight of Pharaoh.”

a. [and let] Moses [Strong: 4872 Môsheh, mo-sheh'; from H4871; drawing out (of the water), i.e. rescued; Mosheh, the Israelite lawgiver:—Moses.]

b. Sprinkle [it] [Strong: 2236 zâraq, zaw-rak'; a primitive root; to sprinkle (fluid or solid particles):—be here and there, scatter, sprinkle, strew.]

c. [toward the] heaven  [Strong: 8064 shâmayim, shaw-mah'-yim; dual of an unused singular שָׁמֶה shâmeh; from an unused root meaning to be lofty; the sky (as aloft; the dual perhaps alluding to the visible arch in which the clouds move, as well as to the higher ether where the celestial bodies revolve):—air, × astrologer, heaven(-s).]

d. [in the] sight [Strong: 5869 ʻayin, ah'-yin; probably a primitive word; an eye (literally or figuratively); by analogy, a fountain (as the eye of the landscape):—affliction, outward appearance, before, think best, colour, conceit, be content, countenance, displease, eye((-brow), (-d), -sight), face, favour, fountain, furrow (from the margin), × him, humble, knowledge, look, (+ well), × me, open(-ly), + (not) please, presence, regard, resemblance, sight, × thee, × them, + think, × us, well, × you(-rselves).]

e. [of] Pharaoh [Strong: 6547 Parʻôh, par-o'; of Egyptian derivation; Paroh, a general title of Egyptian kings:—Pharaoh.]

1). Since they did this in the sight of Pharaoh, it is possible that Pharaoh was afflicted right then. 

2). These were the wonders that the LORD did in the land of Egypt. They were the gifts of the Spirit being demonstrated in the Old Testament.

a). Exodus 3:20  And I will stretch out my hand, and smite Egypt with all my wonders which I will do in the midst thereof: and after that he will let you go.

b). Concerning Spiritual Gifts, Kenneth Hagin:  The working of miracles, then, is a specific act such as dividing a stream by the sweep of a mantle…Elijah received his mantle and smote the Jordan River. Dividing the waters by a sweep of his mantle was actually working a miracle. That was in intervention in the ordinary course of nature. In the realm of healing, many times miracles are received, but they are not working of miracles, they are healing miracles. Everything that God does is miraculous in a sense, but it is not like turning common dust into insects just by a gesture. It is not like turning common water into wine just by speaking a word, that is the working of miracles. Water turned into wine by the process of nature is a natural miracle. But water turned into wine by speaking a word, as Jesus did in John 2:1-11, is the meaning of the spiritual gift of the working of miracles. A miracle, therefore, is a supernatural intervention in the ordinary course of nature, a temporary suspension of the accustomed order, an interruption of the system of nature as we know it operated by the force of the Spirit. This gift was more prominent in the Old Testament than in the New testament. Although people were healed and gifts of healings were in operation in the Old Testament, gifts of healings were more in operation in the New Testament than in the Old Testament. The working of miracles was used for the miraculous deliverance of God’s people from Egyptian bondage. We see this gift used when God convinced Pharaoh to let Israel go. A number of miracles were wrought there (Exodus 7-14). When Aaron threw down his rod and it was turned into a serpent, that was the working of miracles. When the dust was turned into insects and all the other plagues followed, this was the gift of the working of miracles in operation. Coming out of Egypt, the Israelites faced the Red Sea with Pharaoh and his hosts close behind, ready to make them slaves again. Mountains loomed on one side, the wilderness on the other, the sea in front of them, and the enemy behind them, their situation seemed hopeless But Moses  looked to the Lord and the Lord told him to stretch forth his rod. Moses obeyed and the sea divided. That was the working of a miracle. It was divine intervention in the ordinary course of nature.