﴿ قَالَ بَلْ أَلْقُوا۟ ۖ فَإِذَا حِبَالُهُمْ وَعِصِيُّهُمْ يُخَيَّلُ إِلَيْهِ مِن سِحْرِهِمْ أَنَّهَا تَسْعَىٰ ﴾

“He answered: "Nay, you throw [first]." And lo! by virtue of their sorcery, their [magic] ropes and staffs seemed to him to be moving rapidly:”

(He said) Moses said to them: (Nay, do ye throw) you first! And so they threw 72 staffs and 72 ropes. (Then Lo! their cords and their staves, by their magic, appeared to him) to Moses (as though they ran) they moved about.