Exodus 9:16
But for this purpose I have raised you up, to show you my power, so that my name may be proclaimed in all the earth.
English Standard Version (ESV)
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This verse reveals that God didn't just allow Pharaoh's reign to continue; He actively "made him stand" or "preserved him" through the earlier plagues. This wasn't an act of leniency but a deliberate choice to amplify His power and ensure His name would be known globally through the escalating judgment.
Pharaoh has just suffered through the plague of hail, a devastating event that destroyed crops and livestock. Despite this immense destruction and clear demonstration of God's power, Pharaoh's heart remains hardened, and he continues to refuse to let the Israelites go. In response, God declares through Moses that Pharaoh's very existence and continued defiance are part of a divine plan to showcase His supreme power throughout the entire world.
Did God cause Pharaoh to be evil? This verse speaks directly to that challenging idea.
The phrasing 'for this cause I have raised you up' can sound like God ordained Pharaoh's wickedness. However, looking closely at the original language and context reveals a different picture.
Pharaoh's story wasn't just for Egypt or Israel; it was a global broadcast.
The verse doesn't just say God's name would be known in Egypt, but 'in all the earth.' This points to the far-reaching impact of this divine showdown.
Understand the original words
he'emadtika · Hebrew Verb
In a biblical context, this refers to the divine sovereignty of God in orchestrating human events, including the placement of leaders, to accomplish His ultimate redemptive purposes. It signifies that God is in control of history and uses even the defiance of the wicked to manifest His glory.
kochi · Hebrew Noun
The inherent capability, authority, and divine force of God. It refers to His ability to act decisively in creation and history to exert His will, often manifested in miraculous intervention.
shemi · Hebrew Noun
This represents the entirety of God's character, reputation, authority, and presence. To make His name known is to reveal His nature and sovereignty to the nations.
This verse, spoken by God to Pharaoh during the plagues, emphasizes that Pharaoh's continued existence and defiance are not accidental but are divinely ordained for the purpose of showcasing God's power to the whole world. Pharaoh's rebellion becomes an instrument in God's hands to magnify His own glory.
c. 1446 BC— this verse
Israel's Exodus from Egypt
God miraculously liberates the Israelites from centuries of slavery in Egypt under the leadership of Moses. This event marks a pivotal moment in God's redemptive history.
c. 1446 BC
Ten Plagues of Egypt
Leading up to the Exodus, God unleashes ten devastating plagues upon Egypt to break Pharaoh's stubborn resistance and demonstrate His supreme power over Egyptian gods and natural forces.
c. 1446 BC
Parting of the Red Sea
After the Israelites depart, Pharaoh pursues them. God parts the Red Sea, allowing the Israelites to cross on dry ground, and then drowns the pursuing Egyptian army, a spectacular display of divine power.
Post-Exodus
Proclamation of God's Name
The fame of God's mighty acts in Egypt and at the Red Sea spreads throughout the surrounding lands, fulfilling the prophecy that His name would be proclaimed 'in all the earth'.
This passage directly quotes Exodus 9:16, showing how Paul uses Pharaoh's story to illustrate God's sovereign power and mercy in choosing His people, demonstrating the theological significance of Pharaoh's existence and resistance.
Psalm 76:10This psalm echoes the sentiment of Exodus 9:16, stating that human rage and fury will ultimately result in God's praise, highlighting that even opposition to God can be used to display His glory.
Isaiah 43:7This verse reveals God's overarching purpose in creation and redemption – that all He has made and formed exists to declare His glory, aligning with the idea in Exodus 9:16 that His actions, even through resistance, serve to reveal His name.
Proverbs 16:4This proverb states that God made everything for its purpose, even the wicked for the day of trouble, reinforcing the concept that even individuals who oppose God, like Pharaoh, are allowed to exist for His divine purposes and the display of His power.
clarkeExodus 9:16: "And in very deed for this cause have I raised thee up, for to shew in thee my power; and that my name may be declared throughout all the earth."
But truly, on this very account, have I caused thee to subsist - (העמדחיך heemadticha), that I might cause thee to see my power, (הראתך את כחי harotheca eth cochi), and that my name might be declared throughout all the earth, (or, בכל הארץ becol haarets, in all this land). See Ainsworth and Houbigant. Thus God gave this impious king to…
bensonExodus 9:16: "And in very deed for this cause have I raised thee up, for to shew in thee my power; and that my name may be declared throughout all the earth."
Exodus 9:16 . For this cause have I raised thee up — A most dreadful message Moses is here ordered to deliver to him, whether he will hear, or whether he will forbear. He must tell him that he is marked for ruin: that he now stands as the butt at which God would shoot all the arrows of his wrath. For this cause I raised thee up — To the t…
This verse reveals that God didn't just allow Pharaoh's reign to continue; He actively "made him stand" or "preserved him" through the earlier plagues. This wasn't an act of leniency but a deliberate choice to amplify His power and ensure His name would be known globally through the escalating judgment.
Pharaoh has just suffered through the plague of hail, a devastating event that destroyed crops and livestock. Despite this immense destruction and clear demonstration of God's power, Pharaoh's heart remains hardened, and he continues to refuse to let the Israelites go. In response, God declares through Moses that Pharaoh's very existence and continued defiance are part of a divine plan to showcase His supreme power throughout the entire world.
Pharaoh has just suffered through the plague of hail, a devastating event that destroyed crops and livestock. Despite this immense destruction and clear demonstration of God's power, Pharaoh's heart remains hardened, and he continues to refuse to let the Israelites go. In response, God declares through Moses that Pharaoh's very existence and continued defiance are part of a divine plan to showcase His supreme power throughout the entire world.
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"But for this purpose I have raised you up, to show you my power, so that my name may be proclaimed in all the earth." — This verse reveals that God didn't just allow Pharaoh's reign to continue; He actively "made him stand" or "preserved him" through the earlier plagues. This wasn't an act of leniency but a delibera…
