Exodus 10:1
in Exodus 10Then the LORD said to Moses, “Go to Pharaoh, for I have hardened his heart and the hearts of his officials, that I may perform these miraculous signs of Mine among them,
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
And Jehovah said unto Moses, Go in unto Pharaoh: for I have hardened his heart, and the heart of his servants, that I may show these my signs in the midst of them,
KJV
And the Lord said unto Moses, Go in unto Pharaoh: for I have hardened his heart, and the heart of his servants, that I might shew these my signs before him:
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This verse in Exodus 10
Commentary
7 notes on this verseHardened his heart - God suffered his natural obstinacy to prevail, that he might have farther opportunities of showing forth his eternal power and Godhead.
This site's exposition
for I have hardened his heart
on Exodus 10:1-2
The LORD gives a reason for the sequence of signs, and the reason is instruction. Israel is to “tell your children and grandchildren how severely I dealt with the Egyptians”.
The record, by era
The Puritans and the Awakening3 voices
These plagues are standing monuments of the greatness of God, the happiness of the church, and the sinfulness of sin; and standing monitors to the children of men in all ages, not to provoke the Lord to jealousy, nor to strive with their Maker.
And the Lord said unto Moses, go in unto Pharaoh, for I have hardened his heart,....
Of God's victorious power over the kingdom of Satan, to restrain the malice and chastise the insolence of his and his church's enemies. These plagues are standing monuments of the greatness of God, the happiness of the church, and the sinfulness of sin, and standing monitors to the children of men in all ages not to provoke the Lord to jealousy nor to strive with their Maker.
The Nineteenth Century2 voices
A commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
proposed
show these my signs, &c.--Sinners even of the worst description are to be admonished even though there may be little hope of amendment, and hence those striking miracles that carried so clear and conclusive demonstration of the being and character of the true God were performed in lengthened series before Pharaoh to leave him without excuse when judgment should be finally executed.
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — starts-lowercase
Hardened his heart - God suffered his natural obstinacy to prevail, that he might have farther opportunities of showing forth his eternal power and Godhead.
How the passage was read
What the Jewish commentators add
GO IN UNTO PHARAOH; FOR I HAVE HARDENED HIS HEART AND THE HEART OF HIS SERVANTS. The Holy One, blessed be He, informed Moses that it is He Who has hardened their hearts in spite of their fear of Him during the hail and their confession of sin.
This section is reception history: how the passage was read and kept in the Jewish tradition. Where a reading parts from an essential of the Christian faith, the section says so at that point.
Texts and citation data: Sefaria; each excerpt follows its version’s licence. 3 further sources are cited on this chapter that carry no English text this site may quote or only restate the verse.
The words behind it
20 Hebrew wordsEvery Hebrew word of this verse in the order it stands, with what it means and the door to its own study. The last column counts the times a word stands in the whole Bible: the rarer the word, the more the places it appears belong together.
| Hebrew | Sound | Meaning | Word study | In the Bible |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| וַיֹּ֤אמֶר | vaiyomer | and he said | H559 → | 5305 times |
| יְהוָה֙ | yahweh | Yahweh | H3068 → | 6520 times |
| אֶל־ | ʾel- | to | H413 → | 5510 times |
| מֹשֶׁ֔ה | mosheh | Moses | H4872 → | 765 times |
| בֹּ֖א | bo' | go | H935 → | 2568 times |
| אֶל־ | ʾel- | to | H413 → | 5510 times |
| פַּרְעֹ֑ה | paroh | Pharaoh | H6547 → | 274 times |
| כִּֽי־ | ki- | for | H3588 → | 4482 times |
| אֲנִ֞י | ʾani | I | H589 → | 874 times |
| הִכְבַּ֤דְתִּי | hikhbadti | I have made heavy | H3513 → | 113 times |
| אֶת־ | ʾet- | <obj.> | H853 → | 10935 times |
| לִבּוֹ֙ | libo | heart his | H3820 → | 595 times |
| וְאֶת־ | veet | and <obj.> | H853 → | 10935 times |
| לֵ֣ב | lev | [the] heart of | H3820 → | 595 times |
| עֲבָדָ֔יו | ʾavadav | servants his | H5650 → | 799 times |
| לְמַ֗עַן | lemaan | so as | H4616 → | 272 times |
| שִׁתִ֛י | shiti | to perform I | H7896 → | 83 times |
| אֹתֹתַ֥י | ʾototai | signs my | H226 → | 80 times |
| אֵ֖לֶּה | ʾeleh | these | H428 → | 746 times |
| בְּקִרְבּֽוֹ׃ | bekirbov | in midst his | H7130 → | 227 times |
וַיֹּ֤אמֶרand he said
vaiyomerH559 →5305 times
יְהוָה֙Yahweh
yahwehH3068 →6520 times
אֶל־to
ʾel-H413 →5510 times
מֹשֶׁ֔הMoses
moshehH4872 →765 times
בֹּ֖אgo
bo'H935 →2568 times
אֶל־to
ʾel-H413 →5510 times
פַּרְעֹ֑הPharaoh
parohH6547 →274 times
כִּֽי־for
ki-H3588 →4482 times
אֲנִ֞יI
ʾaniH589 →874 times
הִכְבַּ֤דְתִּיI have made heavy
hikhbadtiH3513 →113 times
אֶת־<obj.>
ʾet-H853 →10935 times
לִבּוֹ֙heart his
liboH3820 →595 times
וְאֶת־and <obj.>
veetH853 →10935 times
לֵ֣ב[the] heart of
levH3820 →595 times
עֲבָדָ֔יוservants his
ʾavadavH5650 →799 times
לְמַ֗עַןso as
lemaanH4616 →272 times
שִׁתִ֛יto perform I
shitiH7896 →83 times
אֹתֹתַ֥יsigns my
ʾototaiH226 →80 times
אֵ֖לֶּהthese
ʾelehH428 →746 times
בְּקִרְבּֽוֹ׃in midst his
bekirbovH7130 →227 times
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
The walk
8 stopsEach card is a verse this one points to, and under it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it.
Through
Romans 9:17For the Scripture says to Pharaoh: “I raised you up for this very purpose, that I might display My power in you, and that My name might be proclaimed in all the earth.”
it leads to
- Exodus 9:16
But I have raised you up for this very purpose, that I might display My power to you, and that My name might be proclaimed in all the earth.
- Proverbs 16:4
The LORD has made everything for His purpose—even the wicked for the day of disaster.
- Exodus 14:17–18
And I will harden the hearts of the Egyptians so that they will go in after them. Then I will gain honor by means of Pharaoh and all his army and chariots and horsemen.
- Exodus 10:1–2
Then the LORD said to Moses, “Go to Pharaoh, for I have hardened his heart and the hearts of his officials, that I may perform these miraculous signs of Mine among them,
- Exodus 9:16
Through
Exodus 4:21The LORD instructed Moses, “When you go back to Egypt, see that you perform before Pharaoh all the wonders that I have put within your power. But I will harden his heart so that…
it leads to
- Romans 9:18
Therefore God has mercy on whom He wants to have mercy, and He hardens whom He wants to harden.
- Isaiah 63:17
Why, O LORD, do You make us stray from Your ways and harden our hearts from fearing You? Return, for the sake of Your servants, the tribes of Your heritage.
- Exodus 14:8
And the LORD hardened the heart of Pharaoh king of Egypt so that he pursued the Israelites, who were marching out defiantly.
- Joshua 11:20
For it was of the LORD to harden their hearts to engage Israel in battle, so that they would be set apart for destruction and would receive no mercy, being annihilated as the LORD…
- Romans 9:18
Where this verse is studied
On this page
Studies4
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About Exodus
Who and where
1 name in this verse with a page on the site.
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763); John Wesley, Explanatory Notes upon the Old Testament and Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible.