Moses and Aaron did all these wonders before Pharaoh, and the LORD hardened Pharaoh’s heart, and he did not let the people of Israel go out of his land.
English Standard Version (ESV)
The verse highlights that after all the wonders Moses and Aaron performed, God then hardened Pharaoh's heart. This isn't just about Pharaoh's stubbornness; it underscores that God's sovereign hand was actively involved in the escalating situation, allowing the wonders to multiply even as Pharaoh's resistance solidified.
Moses and Aaron did all these wonders before Pharaoh, and the LORD hardened Pharaoh’s heart, and he did not let the people of Israel go out of his land.
English Standard Version (ESV)
After a series of devastating plagues, Moses and Aaron have just announced the final, most terrible plague: the death of every firstborn in Egypt. Pharaoh, despite all that has happened, remains defiant and unwilling to let the Israelites go, setting the stage for God's ultimate judgment on Egypt and the people's departure.
We often blame Pharaoh for his stubbornness, but what does the text really say about who hardened his heart?
This verse is quite direct: 'the LORD hardened Pharaoh's heart.' This isn't just a passive observation; it's a powerful statement about God's sovereignty.
Divine Sovereignty in Action
This verse marks the end of a series of plagues. What is the significance of this final confrontation before the people are actually freed?
Exodus 11:10 serves as a pivotal summary, bringing together the actions of Moses and Aaron with God's sovereign decree regarding Pharaoh.
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The Grand Finale
Understand the original words
chazaq · Hebrew Verb
To make heavy or stubborn; in a theological context, it refers to God confirming a person’s own self-willed rejection of His truth, thereby fixing their rebellious state.
lebab · Hebrew Noun
The seat of the intellect, will, emotions, and moral decision-making; the core of human personality that is often the site of rebellion against God.
The hardened heart of Pharaoh, as described in this verse, isn't just his personal stubbornness. It's presented as God's sovereign action, allowing Pharaoh's resistance to serve His greater purpose of demonstrating His power through escalating wonders and ultimately securing a more dramatic liberation for His people.
c. 1446 BC— this verse
The Ten Plagues of Egypt
A series of devastating supernatural events sent by God through Moses and Aaron to persuade Pharaoh to release the Israelites from slavery.
c. 1446 BC
The Tenth Plague Announced
God informs Moses that one final, devastating plague will strike Egypt, resulting in the death of every firstborn son.
c. 1446 BC
Israelites instructed to 'borrow' Egyptian treasures
God commands the Israelites to ask their Egyptian neighbors for silver and gold items, which they would then take with them as they left.
c. 1446 BC
Moses confronts Pharaoh one last time
Moses delivers God's final warning and announcement of the tenth plague to Pharaoh, who remains defiant.
c. 1446 BC
The Exodus Begins
Following the death of the firstborn, Pharaoh finally commands the Israelites to leave Egypt immediately, marking the beginning of their liberation.
This passage directly quotes Isaiah's prophecy about spiritual blindness and hardened hearts, mirroring Pharaoh's resistance despite God's wonders, showing a pattern of rejection and divine allowance for that rejection.
Romans 9:17-18Paul uses Pharaoh as an example of God's sovereign power to harden hearts for His purposes, illustrating the theological concept that God's actions, even hardening, serve His ultimate glory and mercy.
Deuteronomy 2:30This verse speaks of God making Sihon, king of Heshbon, stubborn and stiff-hearted to deliver him into Israel's hand, demonstrating a biblical precedent for God hardening a ruler's heart to achieve His redemptive purposes for His people.
Psalm 105:25This psalm recounts how the Lord turned the hearts of the Egyptians to hate His people, which is a facet of God's overarching control over hearts, leading to the conditions for Israel's deliverance, just as Pharaoh's hardened heart led to further plagues.
calvinExodus 11:1-10: "And the LORD said unto Moses, Yet will I bring one plague more upon Pharaoh, and upon Egypt; afterwards he will let you go hence: when he shall let you go, he shall surely thrust you out hence altogether."
And the Lord said unto Moses, Yet will I bring one plague more upon Pharaoh, and upon Egypt; afterwards he will let you go hence: when he shall let you go, he shall surely thrust you out hence altogether.
Dixerat autem Jehova ad Mosen, Adhuc plagam unam adducam super P…
gillExodus 11:10: "And Moses and Aaron did all these wonders before Pharaoh: and the LORD hardened Pharaoh's heart, so that he would not let the children of Israel go out of his land."
And Moses and Aaron did all these wonders before Pharaoh, Which are related in the preceding chapters: and the Lord hardened Pharaoh's heart: one time after another, and yet more and more: so that he would not let the children of Israel go out of his land; until the last plague, the slaying of the firstborn, was bro…
The verse highlights that after all the wonders Moses and Aaron performed, God then hardened Pharaoh's heart. This isn't just about Pharaoh's stubbornness; it underscores that God's sovereign hand was actively involved in the escalating situation, allowing the wonders to multiply even as Pharaoh's resistance solidified.
After a series of devastating plagues, Moses and Aaron have just announced the final, most terrible plague: the death of every firstborn in Egypt. Pharaoh, despite all that has happened, remains defiant and unwilling to let the Israelites go, setting the stage for God's ultimate judgment on Egypt and the people's departure.
After a series of devastating plagues, Moses and Aaron have just announced the final, most terrible plague: the death of every firstborn in Egypt. Pharaoh, despite all that has happened, remains defiant and unwilling to let the Israelites go, setting the stage for God's ultimate judgment on Egypt and the people's departure.
"Moses and Aaron did all these wonders before Pharaoh, and the LORD hardened Pharaoh’s heart, and he did not let the people of Israel go out of his land." — The verse highlights that after all the wonders Moses and Aaron performed, God then hardened Pharaoh's heart. This isn't just about Pharaoh's stubbornness; it underscores that God's sovereign hand…
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Last reviewed October 2026