Exodus 4:21
in Exodus 4The 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 he will not let the people go.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
And Jehovah said unto Moses, When thou goest back into Egypt, see that thou do before Pharaoh all the wonders which I have put in thy hand: but I will harden his heart and he will not let the people go.
KJV
And the Lord said unto Moses, When thou goest to return into Egypt, see that thou do all those wonders before Pharaoh, which I have put in thine hand: but I will harden his heart, that he shall not let the people go.
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This verse in Exodus 4
Commentary
8 notes on this verseNow many have been troubled by the story of Pharaoh, in dealing with whom God says several times, "I will harden Pharaoh's heart." For if he is hardened by God and through being hardened sins, he is not himself responsible for the sin; and if this is so, Pharaoh has no free will. And someone will say that in the same way those who are lost have no free will and will not be lost on their own account.
This site's exposition
But I will harden his heart
This first of nineteen hardening statements comes before any plague. The text puts the act on Pharaoh or leaves it stative through five plagues until 9:12, "the LORD hardened Pharaoh’s heart".
The record, by era
The Church Fathers2 voices
And you must not deny free will to Pharaoh just because God says in a number of places, "I have hardened Pharaoh" or "I will harden the heart of Pharaoh," for it does not thereby follow that it was not Pharaoh himself that hardened his own heart. Furthermore, we read that this happened to Pharaoh after the plague of flies had been removed from the Egyptians, as the Scripture testifies: "And Pharaoh's heart was hardened so that neither this time would he let the people go." Thus it was that both God and Pharaoh caused this hardening of the heart: God, by his just judgments, Pharaoh, by his free will.
Now let no one along with pagans or Manichaeans dare to censure or blame the justice of God. It is to be believed as most certain that not the violence of God but his own repeated wickedness and indomitable pride in opposition to God's commands …
The Puritans and the Awakening2 voices
And the Lord said unto Moses,....
Note, Ministers must expect with many to labour in vain: we must not think it strange if we meet with those who will not be wrought upon by the strongest arguments and fairest reasonings; yet our judgment is with the Lord. Words are put into his mouth with which to address Pharaoh,
The Nineteenth Century1 voice
A commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
I will harden - Calamities which do not subdue the heart harden it. In the case of Pharaoh, the hardening was at once a righteous judgment, and a natural result of a long series of oppressions and cruelties.
1 more voice on this verse
The Nineteenth Century1 voice
But I will harden his heart - The case of Pharaoh has given rise to many fierce controversies, and to several strange and conflicting opinions. Would men but look at the whole account without the medium of their respective creeds, they would find little difficulty to apprehend the truth. If we take up the subject in a theological point of view, all sober Christians will allow the truth of this proposition of St. Augustine, when the subject in question is a person who has hardened his own heart by frequently resisting the grace and spirit of God: Non obdurate Deus impertiendo malitiam, sed non impertiendo misericordiam; Epist. 194, ad Sixtum, “God does not harden men by infusing malice into them, but by not imparting mercy to them.” And this other will be as readily credited: Non operatur Deus in homine ipsam duritiam cordis; sed indurare eum dicitur quem mollire noluerit, sic etiam excaecare quem illuminare noluerit, et repellere eum quem noluerit vocare. “God does not work this hardness of heart in man; but he may be said to harden him whom he refuses to soften, to blind him whom he refuses to enlighten, and to repel him whom he refuses to call.” It is but just and right that he should withhold those graces which he had repeatedly offered, and which the sinner had despised and rejected. Thus much for the general principle. The verb חזק chazak, which we translate harden, literally signifies to strengthen, confirm, make bold or courageous; and is often used in the sacred writings to excite to duty, perseverance, etc., and is placed by the Jews at the end of most books in the Bible as an exhortation to the reader to take courage, and proceed with his reading and with the obedience it requires. It constitutes an essential part of the exhortation of God to Joshua, Jos 1:7: Only be thou Strong, רק חזק rak chazak. […]
The words behind it
24 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| וַיֹּ֣אמֶר | vaiyomer | and he said | H559 → | 5305 times |
| יְהוָה֮ | yahweh | Yahweh | H3068 → | 6520 times |
| אֶל־ | ʾel- | to | H413 → | 5510 times |
| מֹשֶׁה֒ | mosheh | Moses | H4872 → | 765 times |
| בְּלֶכְתְּךָ֙ | belekhtekha | when going you | H1980 → | 1546 times |
| לָשׁ֣וּב | lashuv | to return | H7725 → | 1056 times |
| מִצְרַ֔יְמָה | mitzraymah | Egypt towards | H4714 → | 641 times |
| רְאֵ֗ה | reeh | see | H7200 → | 1300 times |
| כָּל־ | kol- | all | H3605 → | 5413 times |
| הַמֹּֽפְתִים֙ | hamofetim | the wonders | H4159 → | 36 times |
| אֲשֶׁר־ | ʾasher- | which | H834 → | 5497 times |
| שַׂ֣מְתִּי | samti | I have put | H7760 → | 584 times |
| בְיָדֶ֔ךָ | veyadekha | in hand your | H3027 → | 1618 times |
| וַעֲשִׂיתָ֖ם | vaasitam | and you will do them | H6213 → | 2628 times |
| לִפְנֵ֣י | lifnei | <to> before | H6440 → | 2123 times |
| פַרְעֹ֑ה | faroh | Pharaoh | H6547 → | 274 times |
| וַאֲנִי֙ | vaani | and I | H589 → | 874 times |
| אֲחַזֵּ֣ק | ʾachazek | I will make strong | H2388 → | 291 times |
| אֶת־ | ʾet- | <obj.> | H853 → | 10935 times |
| לִבּ֔וֹ | libo | heart his | H3820 → | 595 times |
| וְלֹ֥א | velo' | and not | H3808 → | 5168 times |
| יְשַׁלַּ֖ח | yeshalach | he will let go | H7971 → | 845 times |
| אֶת־ | ʾet- | <obj.> | H853 → | 10935 times |
| הָעָֽם׃ | haam | the people | H5971 → | 1873 times |
וַיֹּ֣אמֶרand he said
vaiyomerH559 →5305 times
יְהוָה֮Yahweh
yahwehH3068 →6520 times
אֶל־to
ʾel-H413 →5510 times
מֹשֶׁה֒Moses
moshehH4872 →765 times
בְּלֶכְתְּךָ֙when going you
belekhtekhaH1980 →1546 times
לָשׁ֣וּבto return
lashuvH7725 →1056 times
מִצְרַ֔יְמָהEgypt towards
mitzraymahH4714 →641 times
רְאֵ֗הsee
reehH7200 →1300 times
כָּל־all
kol-H3605 →5413 times
הַמֹּֽפְתִים֙the wonders
hamofetimH4159 →36 times
אֲשֶׁר־which
ʾasher-H834 →5497 times
שַׂ֣מְתִּיI have put
samtiH7760 →584 times
בְיָדֶ֔ךָin hand your
veyadekhaH3027 →1618 times
וַעֲשִׂיתָ֖םand you will do them
vaasitamH6213 →2628 times
לִפְנֵ֣י<to> before
lifneiH6440 →2123 times
פַרְעֹ֑הPharaoh
farohH6547 →274 times
וַאֲנִי֙and I
vaaniH589 →874 times
אֲחַזֵּ֣קI will make strong
ʾachazekH2388 →291 times
אֶת־<obj.>
ʾet-H853 →10935 times
לִבּ֔וֹheart his
liboH3820 →595 times
וְלֹ֥אand not
velo'H3808 →5168 times
יְשַׁלַּ֖חhe will let go
yeshalachH7971 →845 times
אֶת־<obj.>
ʾet-H853 →10935 times
הָעָֽם׃the people
haamH5971 →1873 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 9:18Therefore God has mercy on whom He wants to have mercy, and He hardens whom He wants to harden.
it leads to
- 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…
Reached by 2 separate paths from here.
- Deuteronomy 2:30
But Sihon king of Heshbon would not let us pass through, for the LORD your God had made his spirit stubborn and his heart obstinate, that He might deliver him into your hand, as…
Reached by 3 separate paths from here.
- Romans 9:15–16
For He says to Moses: “I will have mercy on whom I have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I have compassion.”
- Romans 11:7–8
What then? What Israel was seeking, it failed to obtain, but the elect did. The others were hardened,
- 2 Thessalonians 2:10–12
and with every wicked deception directed against those who are perishing, because they refused the love of the truth that would have saved them.
- Joshua 11:20
Through
Joshua 11:20For 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…
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.
- Deuteronomy 20:16–17
However, in the cities of the nations that the LORD your God is giving you as an inheritance, you must not leave alive anything that breathes.
- Romans 9:18
Through
Isaiah 63:17Why, 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.
it leads to
- Isaiah 6:10
Make the hearts of this people calloused; deafen their ears and close their eyes. Otherwise they might see with their eyes, hear with their ears, understand with their hearts, and turn and be healed.”
- Isaiah 6:10
Where this verse is studied
On this page
Studies9
On this chapter
About Exodus
Who and where
2 names in this verse with a page on the site.
This page draws on 9 works. Open the list of works
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869); Augustine of Hippo, ON GRACE AND FREE WILL 23; Caesarius of Arles, SERMON 101.4; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763); Keil and Delitzsch, Biblical Commentary on the Old Testament: The Pentateuch; Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible; Origen of Alexandria, ON FIRST PRINCIPLES 3.1.7 and R. C. Sproul, Chosen by God.