Exodus 11:10
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)
This page isn't yet indexed by search engines.
What’s striking here is that the verse doesn't just say Pharaoh refused to let Israel go; it explicitly states the reason God allowed it: "that my wonders may be multiplied." This reveals that Pharaoh's hardened heart wasn't just a personal failing, but a divinely orchestrated part of a larger plan to showcase God's power through increasingly dramatic miracles.
After God reveals that one final, devastating plague will come upon Egypt, Moses and Aaron have performed all the preceding signs before Pharaoh. Despite these wonders and the favor shown to Israel by the Egyptians, Pharaoh's heart remains hardened, and he still refuses to let God's people go.
Moses and Aaron performed incredible signs, yet Pharaoh remained unmoved. What does this tell us about the limits of external demonstrations?
Exodus 11:10 highlights a crucial point: even astonishing miracles can fail to break a hardened heart. The verse states, 'Moses and Aaron did all these wonders before Pharaoh...' These weren't small tricks; they were divine interventions designed to demonstrate God's power and authority.
The Limit of Signs
While signs and wonders can certainly point to God and His power, they are not a guaranteed path to belief or obedience for everyone. Pharaoh's reaction shows that a willing heart is essential for these wonders to lead to genuine change. His resistance, even in the face of overwhelming evidence, demonstrates that the problem isn't always a lack of information, but a deep-seated unwillingness to yield.
God's Purpose in Hardening
The verse also states, '...and the LORD hardened Pharaoh’s heart...' This reveals that God’s purposes were being worked out, even through Pharaoh's stubbornness. The continued resistance allowed God to display His power more dramatically and to ensure that Israel’s departure was not a reluctant release, but an expulsion that left no doubt about who was in control.
The text says 'the LORD hardened Pharaoh’s heart.' What does it mean for God to 'harden' a heart, and how does this align with human responsibility?
The phrase 'the LORD hardened Pharaoh’s heart' is one of the most theologically complex in the Bible. It’s essential to understand that this doesn't imply God forces an unwilling person to sin. Instead, it speaks to God's sovereign control over all things, including the hearts of people.
Sovereignty and Responsibility
Pharaoh had already demonstrated a stubborn and proud heart throughout the plagues. God’s action here is often understood as God withdrawing His restraining grace, allowing Pharaoh’s existing resistance to solidify. It’s like a farmer choosing not to water a particular plant; the plant’s inherent tendency to dry out is not by the farmer’s inaction, but the farmer’s action (or inaction) allows that tendency to manifest fully.
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.
This verse describes the climax of God's judgment on Egypt, where Pharaoh's hardened heart, a direct result of repeated divine intervention, finally leads to the Israelites' departure after a long period of oppression.
c. 1446 BC
Israelites Enslaved in Egypt
Following a period of prosperity, the Israelites become a numerous population in Egypt, leading to their enslavement and harsh oppression by the Egyptian rulers.
c. 1446 BC
Moses' Birth and Early Life
Moses is born during the period of Israelite enslavement. He is miraculously saved from Pharaoh's decree to kill all male infants and is raised in Pharaoh's own household.
c. 1446 BC
Moses Flees to Midian
After killing an Egyptian taskmaster, Moses flees Egypt and lives as a shepherd in Midian for many years.
c. 1446 BC
The Burning Bush and Divine Commission
God appears to Moses in a burning bush, commissioning him to return to Egypt and lead the Israelites out of slavery.
c. 1446 BC
This passage directly quotes Isaiah and applies the hardening of Pharaoh's heart to the unbelief of those who saw Jesus' signs, showing a theological parallel of God allowing people to become set in their ways due to persistent rejection.
Romans 9:17-18Paul uses Pharaoh as an example of God's sovereign power, showing that God hardens the heart of whomever he wills to demonstrate His mercy to others, reflecting the divine sovereignty seen in Exodus 11:10.
Deuteronomy 2:30This verse describes how the Lord 'made stubborn his spirit and hardened his heart' in relation to Sihon king of Heshbon, indicating a pattern in Scripture where God sovereignly influences leaders to resist His people for His purposes.
Psalm 105:25This Psalm recounts how God 'turned the hearts of their enemies to hate his people,' which is a similar divine action of influencing hearts that precedes and explains Pharaoh's continued resistance, even as it facilitated Israel's deliverance.
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…
What’s striking here is that the verse doesn't just say Pharaoh refused to let Israel go; it explicitly states the reason God allowed it: "that my wonders may be multiplied." This reveals that Pharaoh's hardened heart wasn't just a personal failing, but a divinely orchestrated part of a larger plan to showcase God's power through increasingly dramatic miracles.
After God reveals that one final, devastating plague will come upon Egypt, Moses and Aaron have performed all the preceding signs before Pharaoh. Despite these wonders and the favor shown to Israel by the Egyptians, Pharaoh's heart remains hardened, and he still refuses to let God's people go.
After God reveals that one final, devastating plague will come upon Egypt, Moses and Aaron have performed all the preceding signs before Pharaoh. Despite these wonders and the favor shown to Israel by the Egyptians, Pharaoh's heart remains hardened, and he still refuses to let God's people go.
Get the original Greek and Hebrew, verse-by-verse context, and related passages inside the app.
Ask a follow-up
Ask Sola things like:
Live chat about Exodus 11:10 is available in the Sola app.
The Purpose of God’s Action
Calvin and others emphasize that God’s hardening of Pharaoh's heart served a divine purpose: to magnify His own wonders and demonstrate His supreme power over Egypt and its gods. Pharaoh’s unyielding will became the stage upon which God’s mighty deliverance of Israel could be displayed in its fullest glory. God’s ultimate goal was the liberation of His people, and His sovereignty ensured that even human obstinacy would ultimately serve that end.
Pharaoh initially refused to let Israel go. But by the end of the plagues, the situation reversed dramatically. What led to Israel's expulsion?
The tenth verse concludes with Pharaoh's resolute refusal: '...he did not let the people of Israel go out of his land.' However, the preceding verses (and the context of chapter 11) reveal that this refusal was only temporary and that God’s plan was for Israel to be thrust out.
From Refusal to Expulsion
Calvin notes that God promised not just that Pharaoh would let Israel go, but that he would 'surely thrust you out hence altogether.' This shift from reluctant letting go to forceful expulsion is key. Pharaoh's hardened heart, intended to keep Israel bound, ultimately became the very instrument through which God forced them out. Each plague, met with renewed stubbornness, pushed Pharaoh closer to the point where his resistance would finally break, not out of willing submission, but out of sheer devastation and terror.
God's Power Manifested
This final expulsion was God’s ultimate demonstration of power. It wasn't just about freeing His people; it was about showcasing His complete victory over Egypt’s might and its gods. The 'wonders' culminated in a dramatic exodus, leaving no doubt that Israel’s God was sovereign and powerful.
Ten Plagues Inflicted on Egypt
Moses and Aaron, empowered by God, confront Pharaoh, demanding the release of the Israelites. Pharaoh repeatedly refuses, and God unleashes ten devastating plagues upon Egypt.
c. 1446 BC— this verse
The Tenth Plague Announced
God reveals to Moses that one final, devastating plague will strike Egypt: the death of all firstborn sons. This culminates the series of judgments against Pharaoh and Egypt.
c. 1446 BC
The Exodus of Israel
Following the tenth plague and Pharaoh's eventual reluctant permission, the Israelites depart from Egypt, beginning their journey to the Promised Land.
"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." — What’s striking here is that the verse doesn't just say Pharaoh refused to let Israel go; it explicitly states the reason God allowed it: "that my wonders may be multiplied." This reveals that Phar…
