They said,

قَالُوا يَا مُوسَىٰ إِمَّا أَن تُلْقِيَ وَإِمَّا أَن نَّكُونَ نَحْنُ الْمُلْقِينَ ﴿115﴾

"0 Musa either you throw (first) or shall we be the ones to throw."

The Arabic word:'' اِلقَا ‘ ء ! 'ilga' means to drop something down. On the day of encounter the sorcerers asked the prophet Musa (علیہ السلام) if he would drop down his staff first or should they throw theirs first? This question of the sorcerers was perhaps to show their complacency about their art, though the mode of their sentence indicated that they wanted to start first, but for giving an impression of power to their opponent they put that question. Since-the prophet Musa (علیہ السلام) had nothing to fear about, he invited them saying 'you drop.'