Exodus 9:34
in Exodus 9When Pharaoh saw that the rain and hail and thunder had ceased, he sinned again and hardened his heart—he and his officials.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
And when Pharaoh saw that the rain and the hail and the thunders were ceased, he sinned yet more, and hardened his heart, he and his servants.
KJV
And when Pharaoh saw that the rain and the hail and the thunders were ceased, he sinned yet more, and hardened his heart, he and his servants.
⋯
This verse in Exodus 9
Commentary
7 notes on this verseHe sinned yet more, and hardened his heart - These were merely acts of his own; “for who can deny,” says Mr. Psalmanazar, “that what God did on Pharaoh was much more proper to soften than to harden his heart; especially when it is observable that it was not till after seeing each miracle, and after the ceasing of each plague, that his heart is said to have been hardened?
This site's exposition
Then Moses departed from Pharaoh, went out of the city
on Exodus 9:33-34
Verse 34 is the last time in the book that Pharaoh is the one hardening his heart, and his servants are named with him. From chapter 10 forward the subject of that verb is the LORD.
This site's exposition
he sinned again and hardened his heart
Once the storm stops, Pharaoh and his officials harden their hearts, and the text calls it sin. Albert Barnes notes that verses 34 and 35 use two different Hebrew verbs for the hardening.
The record, by era
The Puritans and the Awakening3 voices
The prayer of Moses opened and shut heaven, like Elias's ( Jam. v. 17, 18 ), and such is the power of God's two witnesses ( Rev. xi. 6 ); yet neither Moses nor Elias, nor those two witnesses, could subdue the hard hearts of men. Pharaoh was frightened into a compliance by the judgment, but, when it was over, his convictions vanished, and his fair promises were forgotten.
And when Pharaoh saw that the rain, and the hail, and the thunders were ceased,....
The prayer of Moses opened and shut heaven, like Elias's ( Jam. v. 17, 18 ), and such is the power of God's two witnesses ( Rev. xi. 6 ); yet neither Moses nor Elias, nor those two witnesses, could subdue the hard hearts of men. Pharaoh was frightened into a compliance by the judgment, but, when it was over, his convictions vanished, and his fair promises were forgotten.
The Nineteenth Century1 voice
He sinned yet more, and hardened his heart - These were merely acts of his own; “for who can deny,” says Mr. Psalmanazar, “that what God did on Pharaoh was much more proper to soften than to harden his heart; especially when it is observable that it was not till after seeing each miracle, and after the ceasing of each plague, that his heart is said to have been hardened?
The words behind it
13 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| וַיַּ֣רְא | vaiyar' | and he saw | H7200 → | 1300 times |
| פַּרְעֹ֗ה | paroh | Pharaoh | H6547 → | 274 times |
| כִּֽי־ | ki- | that | H3588 → | 4482 times |
| חָדַ֨ל | chadal | it had ceased | H2308 → | 58 times |
| הַמָּטָ֧ר | hamatar | the rain | H4306 → | |
| וְהַבָּרָ֛ד | vehabarad | and the hail | H1259 → | 29 times |
| וְהַקֹּלֹ֖ת | vehakolot | and the thunder claps | H6963 → | 506 times |
| וַיֹּ֣סֶף | vaiyosef | and he repeated | H3254 → | 212 times |
| לַחֲטֹ֑א | lachato' | to sin | H2398 → | 238 times |
| וַיַּכְבֵּ֥ד | vaiyakhbed | and he made heavy | H3513 → | 113 times |
| לִבּ֖וֹ | libo | heart his | H3820 → | 595 times |
| ה֥וּא | hu' | he | H1931 → | 1879 times |
| וַעֲבָדָֽיו׃ | vaavadav | and servants his | H5650 → | 799 times |
וַיַּ֣רְאand he saw
vaiyar'H7200 →1300 times
פַּרְעֹ֗הPharaoh
parohH6547 →274 times
כִּֽי־that
ki-H3588 →4482 times
חָדַ֨לit had ceased
chadalH2308 →58 times
הַמָּטָ֧רthe rain
hamatarH4306 →
וְהַבָּרָ֛דand the hail
vehabaradH1259 →29 times
וְהַקֹּלֹ֖תand the thunder claps
vehakolotH6963 →506 times
וַיֹּ֣סֶףand he repeated
vaiyosefH3254 →212 times
לַחֲטֹ֑אto sin
lachato'H2398 →238 times
וַיַּכְבֵּ֥דand he made heavy
vaiyakhbedH3513 →113 times
לִבּ֖וֹheart his
liboH3820 →595 times
ה֥וּאhe
hu'H1931 →1879 times
וַעֲבָדָֽיו׃and servants his
vaavadavH5650 →799 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
Ecclesiastes 8:11When the sentence for a crime is not speedily executed, the hearts of men become fully set on doing evil.
it leads to
- Isaiah 26:10
Though grace is shown to the wicked man, he does not learn righteousness. In the land of righteousness he acts unjustly and fails to see the majesty of the LORD.
- Psalms 50:21–22
You have done these things, and I kept silent; you thought I was just like you. But now I rebuke you and accuse you to your face.
- Romans 2:4–5
Or do you disregard the riches of His kindness, tolerance, and patience, not realizing that God’s kindness leads you to repentance?
- 2 Peter 3:3–10
Most importantly, you must understand that in the last days scoffers will come, scoffing and following their own evil desires.
- Matthew 24:49–50
And he begins to beat his fellow servants and to eat and drink with drunkards.
- Isaiah 26:10
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.
- 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
Studies6
About Exodus
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments; John Calvin, Commentary on the Four Last Books of Moses Arranged in the Form of a Harmony; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763); Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible and Origen of Alexandria, On Prayer.