Still Pharaoh’s heart was hardened, and he would not listen to them, as the LORD had said.
English Standard Version (ESV)
The Hebrew word used here for "hardened" means "to be strong" or "to become firm," highlighting that Pharaoh chose to become unyielding rather than God directly forcing his will. This reveals that God's action, described as hardening Pharaoh's heart, aligns with Pharaoh's own persistent resistance to truth.
Still Pharaoh’s heart was hardened, and he would not listen to them, as the LORD had said.
English Standard Version (ESV)
After Moses and Aaron performed the miracle of Aaron's rod turning into a serpent, Pharaoh's magicians were able to do the same with their enchantments. Though Aaron's rod ultimately swallowed theirs, this display of seemingly equal power was enough for Pharaoh to harden his heart, refusing to listen to Moses and Aaron's demand to let the Israelites go, just as God had predicted.
Why does the Bible say God hardened Pharaoh's heart, when Pharaoh himself seemed so defiant?
This verse touches on a profound tension in Scripture: God's ultimate control and human free will. The Hebrew word used here, 'hazak' (to be strong, firm, or hard), appears in different forms throughout the Exodus narrative regarding Pharaoh's heart.
Think of it like this: God, in His justice and foreknowledge, permitted Pharaoh's hardened heart to reach its final, unyielding state. He didn't force Pharaoh to be wicked, but He allowed the consequences of Pharaoh's own persistent rebellion to play out, ultimately serving His greater purposes. Pharaoh was responsible for his choices, yet God remained sovereign over the entire situation.
Pharaoh saw Aaron's rod turn into a serpent, but then his magicians did the same! Why didn't that convince him?
In Exodus 7, Moses and Aaron perform a miracle: Aaron's staff becomes a serpent. Pharaoh, instead of being swayed, calls for his own wise men and sorcerers, who replicate the feat. This moment reveals a critical aspect of Pharaoh's hardened heart:
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This highlights how human pride and a desire to avoid God's commands can make us blind to truth, even when presented with undeniable evidence.
Understand the original words
lēḇ · Hebrew Noun
The inner person, including the mind, will, and emotions; in the Exodus narrative, it signifies the site of moral decision-making where Pharaoh resisted the command of God.
ḥāzaq · Hebrew Verb
To become stubborn, resistant, or unresponsive; in a theological context, it describes the state of a person who persistently rejects God’s revelation and moral authority, leading to divine judgment.
YHWH · Hebrew Noun
The personal, covenantal name of God revealed to Israel; He who is self-existent, faithful, and the sovereign Lord of history.
This verse captures a critical moment where Pharaoh's repeated defiance, despite witnessing God's power through escalating plagues, fulfills God's earlier word about his hardened heart. It highlights a pattern of resistance that God permits, leading to even greater displays of His power and judgment.
c. 1440 BC
Israelites Enslaved in Egypt
Following a period of prosperity, the Israelites in Egypt faced growing oppression and were eventually forced into brutal labor building cities for Pharaoh.
c. 1440 BC
Moses' Encounter at the Burning Bush
God commissions Moses to return to Egypt and demand Pharaoh let His people go, foretelling Pharaoh's resistance.
c. 1440 BC
First Confrontation: Moses and Aaron before Pharaoh
Moses and Aaron deliver God's demand to Pharaoh, who immediately responds with increased oppression of the Israelites.
c. 1440 BC
The First Plague: Water Turned to Blood
Aaron strikes the Nile, turning it to blood, a sign also mimicked by the Egyptian magicians, though to a lesser extent.
c. 1440 BC
The Second Plague: Frogs
Egypt is overrun by frogs, a plague that affects the entire land. Pharaoh promises to let the people go if Moses pleads for relief.
c. 1440 BC
The Third Plague: Gnats
Aaron strikes the dust, and gnats infest people and animals. The magicians fail to replicate this plague, admitting, 'This is the finger of God.'
c. 1440 BC— this verse
Pharaoh's Heart Continues to Harden
Despite witnessing multiple plagues and even the magicians' failure to replicate them, Pharaoh's heart remains stubborn, refusing to let Israel go as the LORD had predicted.
This passage directly addresses God's sovereign choice to show mercy or harden hearts, echoing the theme of Pharaoh's unyielding stance in Exodus, and explaining it as part of God's divine prerogative.
John 12:40Quoting Isaiah, this verse states God blinded their eyes and hardened their hearts, mirroring the concept in Exodus where Pharaoh's resistance leads to a spiritual inability to understand or change.
2 Thessalonians 2:11-12This passage speaks of God sending a powerful delusion on those who do not love the truth, a concept that aligns with Pharaoh's hardened heart, showing how persistent rejection of God can lead to a state where deception is believed.
Proverbs 16:18This proverb states that pride goes before destruction, and a haughty spirit before a fall, which is a fitting parallel to Pharaoh's obstinate refusal to obey God, ultimately leading to his downfall.
Hebrews 3:8This verse warns against hardening your hearts as in the rebellion, directly referencing the Israelites' stubbornness in the wilderness and connecting it to the same kind of unresponsiveness seen in Pharaoh's heart.
gillExodus 7:13: "And he hardened Pharaoh's heart, that he hearkened not unto them; as the LORD had said."
And he hardened Pharaoh's heart,.... Or, "notwithstanding the heart of Pharaoh was hardened" (a); though he saw the rods of his magicians devoured by rod; or "therefore" (b) his heart was hardened, because he saw that the rods of his magicians became serpents as well as Aaron's; in which there was a deception of sight, and which was suffered for the hardening of his heart, there being other wo…
clarkeExodus 7:13: "And he hardened Pharaoh's heart, that he hearkened not unto them; as the LORD had said."
And he hardened Pharaoh's heart - ויחזק לב פרעה vaiyechezak leb Paroh, "And the heart of Pharaoh was hardened," the identical words which in Exodus 7:22 are thus translated, and which should have been rendered in the same way here, lest the hardening, which was evidently the effect of his own obstinate shutting of his eyes against the truth, should be attributed to God. See Clarke's note on E…
The Hebrew word used here for "hardened" means "to be strong" or "to become firm," highlighting that Pharaoh chose to become unyielding rather than God directly forcing his will. This reveals that God's action, described as hardening Pharaoh's heart, aligns with Pharaoh's own persistent resistance to truth.
After Moses and Aaron performed the miracle of Aaron's rod turning into a serpent, Pharaoh's magicians were able to do the same with their enchantments. Though Aaron's rod ultimately swallowed theirs, this display of seemingly equal power was enough for Pharaoh to harden his heart, refusing to listen to Moses and Aaron's demand to let the Israelites go, just as God had predicted.
After Moses and Aaron performed the miracle of Aaron's rod turning into a serpent, Pharaoh's magicians were able to do the same with their enchantments. Though Aaron's rod ultimately swallowed theirs, this display of seemingly equal power was enough for Pharaoh to harden his heart, refusing to listen to Moses and Aaron's demand to let the Israelites go, just as God had predicted.
"Still Pharaoh’s heart was hardened, and he would not listen to them, as the LORD had said." — The Hebrew word used here for "hardened" means "to be strong" or "to become firm," highlighting that Pharaoh chose to become unyielding rather than God directly forcing his will. This reveals that…
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Last reviewed October 2026