Final Hardening

hardened to his destruction

“Then I will harden Pharaoh’s heart, so that he will pursue them;
and I will gain honor over Pharaoh and over all his army,
that the Egyptians may know that I am the LORD.”
And they did so.

Exodus 14:4

The final hardening of Pharaoh’s heart differed from the earlier hardenings in the result it produced. Prior to the Israelites leaving Egypt, Pharaoh’s heart was hardened against releasing the people. After their departure, God hardened his heart to pursue the children of Israel all the way into the Red Sea. Basically, God’s final hardening of Pharaoh’s heart resulted in his destruction. Harsh as this was, we want to uncover how it was not unjust.

During the plagues, God was strengthening Pharaoh’s resolve to enable him to perform his desire, which was to not release the people. When God didn’t harden Pharaoh after the tenth plague, Pharaoh’s resolve faltered and he released the people. But that didn’t mean he had given up his desire to keep the Israelites in bondage.

Now it was told the king of Egypt that the people had fled, and the heart of Pharaoh and his servants was turned against the people; and they said, “Why have we done this, that we have let Israel go from serving us?” Exodus 14:5

This question reveals that Pharaoh and his people still wanted the Israelites to serve them. Pharaoh clearly didn’t view the act of keeping the people in bondage as evil, but saw it as producing a desired result. He still felt he had the right to keep the people enslaved if he wished, regardless of what God said. But we will see that his position was extreme wickedness.

From Pharaoh’s perspective, the nation of Israel were runaway slaves. The reality is that they were the favored people of the one true God. But Pharaoh denied their favor from God. Again, from Pharaoh’s perspective, the Hebrew God was an annoying supernatural being who was meddling in his affairs. But the reality is that YHWH was God over all. That meant Pharaoh had every responsibility to honor, reverence, and obey YHWH as the God. But he refused. 

His position against the Israelites was offensive to God. It would have been bad enough if he had been acting in ignorance, but Pharaoh had seen firsthand the unmatched power of the Hebrew God. All the plagues he had experienced pointed to the reality that the Hebrew God was the God over all. But he ignored the obvious fact that the plagues pointed to regarding God.

He added to this defiance an outrage against God. After the tenth plague, he released the people from being slaves to following God. At that point, they were no longer his slaves, but were under God’s care. However, when he experienced the inconveniences that came from letting his slaves go, he tried to steal the people from God back into his possession. He acted as though he thought God wasn’t leading them, but they were wandering in the wilderness on their own. 

For Pharaoh will say of the children of Israel, They are bewildered by the land; the wilderness has closed them in.’ Exodus 14:3

He ignored the obvious supernatural characteristic of the cloud that went in front of the people and pretended they were merely escaped slaves.

Suppose you saw a kind and generous king rescue a small herd of his animals from the care of an abusive individual. What would be your reaction if, as the king was gently leading his animals away, that abusive individual ambushed the king in an attempt to retake the animals so that he could continue the abuse? It would be the height of injustice. You might even cheer if the king pulled out his sword and exterminated the man for his wickedness. In the same way, it was right for God to put an end to the abusive Pharaoh’s wickedness. 

God could have brought Pharaoh to an end long before he reached the Red Sea. But God chose to make Pharaoh an object lesson to teach His people to revere Him. He used the method of hardening Pharaoh’s heart to accomplish His purpose.

When Pharaoh reached the shore of the Red Sea, he must have experienced two conflicting desires. The one would have been the desire of self-preservation carried out by avoiding dangerous situations. The other was his desire to recapture the Israelites. God hardened his heart by strengthening the latter desire, causing Pharaoh to disregard all caution and rush into the Red Sea towards certain destruction. Through Pharaoh’s destruction, God taught His people to revere Him. 

So the LORD saved Israel that day out of the hand of the Egyptians, and Israel saw the Egyptians dead on the seashore. Thus Israel saw the great work which the LORD had done in Egypt; so the people feared the LORD, and believed the LORD and His servant Moses. Exodus 14:30-31

God saw a need to convince Israel that He was their God whom they should revere. He knew that if Pharaoh was difficult to convince of His supremacy, then Israel would also be difficult to convince, since they came from the same lump of clay as Pharaoh (Romans 9:21).

Pharaoh showed by his actions that he had not repented and that he would not repent no matter what demonstration of power God showed him. Eventually, he would have died and faced his due judgment. But by hardening his heart, God brought him to his death earlier than expected. Although it is very sobering, it is not unjust for God to execute a man who refuses to repent before his Maker, and that is what God did to Pharaoh.

Food for Thought

“Then I will harden [H2388] Pharaoh’s heart, so that he will pursue them; and I will gain honor [H3513] over Pharaoh and over all his army, that the Egyptians may know that I am the LORD.” And they did so. Exodus 14:4
“And I indeed will harden [H2388] the hearts of the Egyptians, and they shall follow them. So I will gain honor [H3513] over Pharaoh and over all his army, his chariots, and his horsemen. “Then the Egyptians shall know that I am the LORD, when I have gained honor [H3513] for Myself over Pharaoh, his chariots, and his horsemen.” Exodus 14:17-18

Interestingly, one of the words (H3513 – heavy) used to describe Pharaoh’s hardened heart was used in this passage with a different meaning to describe the Lord’s honor. I think the thought behind this metaphoric application is that a larger object is generally a heavier object. Thus, a person who had great wealth was described as being ‘heavy’ in riches (Genesis 13:2, Abraham was ‘heavy’ in wealth). God was saying He would be ‘heavy’ in honor over Pharaoh. 

Here’s the bonus thought: when you give authority to a proud, stubborn man, he often becomes more stubborn. Did God make Pharaoh stubborn (harden him) by giving him the authority to dictate if Israel could leave? 

Consider the timing of when God took the children of Israel out of Egypt. He did it after Pharaoh said He could. He had initially elevated Pharaoh to the position of authority over the Israelites, and didn’t reverse that by overriding Pharaoh’s decrees. It seemed that Pharaoh had power over God since God didn’t take the Israelites until Pharaoh said He could.

By making Pharaoh ‘heavy’ (H3515), or great, did He thus make him ‘heavy’ (H3513), or stubborn? Is that how God hardened Pharaoh?

Pharaoh and God’s Justice

the justice of hardening his heart

Then you shall say to Pharaoh,
‘Thus says the LORD:
“Israel is My son, My firstborn.
So I say to you,
let My son go that he may serve Me.
But if you refuse to let him go,
indeed I will kill your son,
your firstborn.

Exodus 4:23

Pharaoh’s hardened heart is a multi-faceted topic with several elements, some of which we have covered in previous posts. One element is the definitions and meanings of the Hebrew words related to hardening, which was the focus of several earlier posts. Another element we discussed is the relation of strengthening to hardening. One of the later posts looked at Pharaoh’s opportunities for repentance and discussed the scope of the hardening. In this post, we want to bring these and other elements together to build a more comprehensive picture of the topic. We’ll start with a look at sovereignty on a human level.

Human Sovereignty

When we call a human, such as a king, sovereign, we mean that person has authority to decree what other people must do. The Bible teaches that God places people in positions of authority; or we could say, gives men sovereignty. Such was true for Pharaoh. In fact, God even told Pharaoh that He had given him his sovereignty. 

But indeed for this purpose I have raised you up, that I may show My power in you, and that My name may be declared in all the earth. Exodus 9:16

The sovereignty that God gave Pharaoh was real sovereignty, not a mere illusion of sovereignty. Pharaoh really was in charge of the Israelites and really had the authority to say whether they could leave their bondage. When God commanded Pharaoh to release the Israelites, Pharaoh, as ruler over Egypt, said they could not go. God certainly had the power to take the people whenever He pleased. But He didn’t take them out of Egypt until… until when? He didn’t take them out until Pharaoh said they could depart. 

When God delegates sovereignty, He honors the decrees men make even if they contradict His commands. Of course, He holds rulers responsible for their decrees, but He doesn’t override them to accomplish His will. Instead, He achieves His purpose by working within the choices they make. 

Pharaoh made two choices. He chose to defy God and chose to keep the people. God did not override Pharaoh’s two choices, but worked within the parameters of these choices to accomplish His purpose.

God’s Purpose

When God set Pharaoh on the throne, He placed a stubborn man in a position of authority over His people. He could have established a more compliant person on the throne of Egypt, but He had a purpose in raising up a stubborn man. 

“You shall speak all that I command you. And Aaron your brother shall tell Pharaoh to send the children of Israel out of his land. And I will harden [H7185] Pharaoh’s heart, and multiply My signs and My wonders in the land of Egypt. But Pharaoh will not heed you, so that I may lay My hand on Egypt and bring My armies and My people, the children of Israel, out of the land of Egypt by great judgments. And the Egyptians shall know that I am the LORD, when I stretch out My hand on Egypt and bring out the children of Israel from among them.” Exodus 7:2-5

God’s purpose was to demonstrate who He was to the Egyptians, to the Israelites (Exodus 10:2), and to the entire earth (Exodus 9:16). He told Moses that He would harden Pharaoh, using the word that describes a rebellious ox who does not listen to its master. God was saying He would demonstrate who He was by making Pharaoh like a stubborn ox who resists his master’s goading. He would use Pharaoh’s rebelliousness to show all people that He was the LORD, above all other gods. 

There were, undoubtedly, other rebellious and unrepentant Egyptians during that time, but God specifically chose Pharaoh as the agent of His demonstration. Although the others were possibly just as rebellious as Pharaoh, God didn’t use them for a public demonstration of His power. Instead, He allowed them to live out their lives as they wished until they died, as He does with most unrepentant people. 

God worked differently with Pharaoh, making an example of that one rebellious person to give a warning to other rebellious people. What Pharaoh experienced was harsh, but it was nothing compared to the final judgment at the end of time. God’s purpose with Pharaoh was to warn other people against being rebellious (1 Samuel 6:5-8).

God’s Purpose vs Pharaoh’s Choices

From the beginning, when Pharaoh first heard God’s command as delivered by Moses, he chose to dismiss the Israelite God. Pharaoh’s position was that the Hebrew God was irrelevant to him and he had no obligation to obey Him. His stance directly contradicted God’s purpose, which was to show the earth that He was not an irrelevant god, but was God over all. 

Pharaoh’s decision to dismiss God did not obstruct God’s purpose in the least. God did not find it necessary to force Pharaoh to abandon his position in order to demonstrate the truth of His sovereignty. In fact, God used each of Pharaoh’s subsequent rejections as a reason to send increasingly greater demonstrations of power. In other words, Pharaoh’s every attempt to show that God was irrelevant gave God further opportunity to show that He was all important. Thus, instead of nullifying Pharaoh’s choices, God used his choices to further His purpose. 

Surely God’s wisdom in handling people’s choices is unparalleled! 

Hardening

Not only was God not stymied by Pharaoh’s choices, but He intervened by hardening Pharaoh’s heart to ensure Pharaoh did not falter from his choice. 

In one of the earlier posts, we pointed out that God’s hardening of Pharaoh was a process of strengthening. The significance is that strengthening means to make something stronger, or to build something up. Strengthen does not mean to create, produce, or generate. Thus, there was something existing in Pharaoh that God made stronger, or built up.

In another post, we noted that Pharaoh had two features of his inner will: he did not want to fear the God of Israel, and he did not want to release the people. These two desires went hand in hand, but they were distinct. 

We also pointed out that God’s hardening had a specific result. Scripture said the hardenings produced a refusal to release the people. But it never said that it produced some kind of unbelief. 

Putting these things together leads us to conclude that when God hardened Pharaoh, He was strengthening a desire in Pharaoh’s heart. Based on the result of the hardening, we can see it was a strengthening of Pharaoh’s determination to keep the people. God didn’t create Pharaoh’s desire to keep the people, but strengthened this desire that Pharaoh already had.

Pharaoh didn’t want to release the people, but the power demonstrated in the plagues threatened to overwhelm his resolve. God intervened at least three times and strengthened Pharaoh’s heart so that he didn’t falter in his resolve. This strengthening was called hardening.

Duration

It was not a permanent hardening. The scripture plainly states that Pharaoh’s heart was hardened ten times during the plagues and one additional time at the Red Sea. Each hardening enabled him to stand firm for the duration of the respective plague. Naturally, when that difficult time period passed, the hardening (strengthening) was no longer needed to bolster his resolve. Since it was no longer needed, it evidently was no longer in effect. Thus, it became necessary to harden his heart again when the next plague came. The hardening was not a ‘once hardened, always hardened’ condition.

The events after the tenth plague, which was the only plague when Pharaoh’s heart was not hardened, also attest to the temporary nature of the hardening. With no hardening in effect, Pharaoh was unable to maintain his resolve to keep the people, and so capitulated. The previous hardenings did not sustain him. They were temporary in nature. 

God’s hardening of Pharaoh was not a process of locking him on to the path of judgment, but an enabling him at the time to endure the great troubles he faced.

God’s Justice

Even so, the following set of verses seem to show an apparent abuse of justice in God’s dealing with Pharaoh. God said He would kill Pharaoh’s firstborn if Pharaoh refused to let the Israelites go. But He also said He would harden Pharaoh so that he would not let the Israelites go. This sounds like God was going to punish Pharaoh for doing what God made him do.

And the LORD said to Moses, “When you go back to Egypt, see that you do all those wonders before Pharaoh which I have put in your hand. But I will harden [H2388] his heart, so that he will not let the people go. Then you shall say to Pharaoh, ‘Thus says the LORD: “Israel is My son, My firstborn. So I say to you, let My son go that he may serve Me. But if you refuse to let him go, indeed I will kill your son, your firstborn.” ’ ” Exodus 4:21-23

Let’s lay out what these verses are saying. First, the Lord informed Moses that He would harden Pharaoh’s heart so that Pharaoh would not release the people. Then, He instructed Moses to tell Pharaoh that he should give up his resolve to defy God’s command. If he did not, it would be at the expense of his son’s life. But how could Pharaoh give up his resolve if God was strengthening him in it?

At the root of Pharaoh’s resolve to keep the people was his resolve to dismiss the Hebrew God as irrelevant. In order for him to be willing to release the people, he would need to turn from his denial of YHWH to acknowledging that YHWH was God. His inner defiance produced his outward action of refusing to let the people go.

For the LORD does not see as man sees; for man looks at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart.” 1 Samuel 16:7

God could see Pharaoh’s inner defiance, but Moses could not. Moses could only see Pharaoh’s outward action of keeping or releasing the people. Of course, Pharaoh’s outward action betrayed his inner attitude of defiance against God.  

In an earlier post, we discussed the possibility of a person’s outer actions to contradict their inner attitude. As we pointed out, this happened to Pharaoh after the tenth plague. But it didn’t happen earlier because God intervened and hardened Pharaoh against releasing the people, enabling him to keep his actions consistent with his inner attitude through the ninth plague.

When the tenth plague arrived, God didn’t harden Pharaoh. But He arranged the plague so that it would accomplish two things. First, it provided a way of escape. Second, it revealed Pharaoh’s inner attitude.

As we mentioned in the previous post, God ensured Pharaoh knew about the way of escape from judgment. To escape, all Pharaoh (or anyone else in Egypt) had to do was apply blood on his doorposts in the manner God prescribed. 

However, to heed YHWH’s warning and follow His instructions would have been a public display acknowledging that He was God. It was psychologically impossible for Pharaoh to apply the blood without giving up his defiance. Thus, God’s approach to bringing the judgment not only provided Pharaoh with a genuine opportunity to escape, it also revealed the defiance that was still in his heart. 

God informed Pharaoh that his outward action of keeping the people would result in the death of his firstborn son. Pharaoh’s outward actions were an outflow of his inner defiance of God. When God hardened Pharaoh, He was causing Pharaoh’s outward actions to remain consistent with his inner defiance, and He was enabling Pharaoh to do what he wanted to do. The repeated hardenings of Pharaoh’s heart carried him through the ninth plague, to the doorstep of the tenth plague. But it was his defiance against God that caused his son’s death in the tenth plague.

The passage in Exodus focuses on Pharaoh’s hardened heart. But the final plague came upon everyone in Egypt, including the Hebrews, whether or not their hearts were hardened. However, death did not come to all because God provided a way of escape. As a result, the plague was executed only on those who defied God.

The final plague came because of Pharaoh’s action of keeping the people. But Pharaoh lost his son in the plague because he defied God.

Conclusion

Pharaoh did not want to acknowledge the truth about the God of Israel. In all that God did, He did not override Pharaoh’s will. Instead, He actually used Pharaoh’s defiance to accomplish His purpose of making known the truth of the God of Israel. Thus, for a time, both Pharaoh’s will (defying the Israelite God) and God’s will (making His name known) were simultaneously fulfilled, even though they were contrary to each other.

• God’s hardening did not force Pharaoh to do what he didn’t want to do, it enabled him to do what he wanted to do. 
• Being temporary in nature, God’s hardening did not lock Pharaoh into judgment, it only brought him to the brink.
• The final plague had a built in way of escape, but none who defied God would take it. 
• Pharaoh’s defiance of God carried him into judgment. 

Such is the wisdom of God in accomplishing His purpose in the presence of His enemies. Instead of them hindering Him, He uses their choices to accomplish His purposes. On top of that, the whole time they are against Him, He offers them escape from judgment. But His way of escape reveals their hearts so that when judgment falls, they have shown that they are against God and against His call for repentance unto salvation.

Pharaoh’s Repentance

the opportunity he had to repent

And Pharaoh said,
“Who is YHWH,
that I should obey His voice to let Israel go?
I do not know YHWH,
nor will I let Israel go.”

Exodus 5:2

In the last post, we noted that the hardening of Pharaoh’s heart was a strengthening process which enabled him to act in a way that was consistent with his denial of YHWH, but did not prevent him from acknowledging YHWH as God. In this post, we want to further explore whether Pharaoh could have repented of his denial that YHWH was God, even while God was hardening him.

Or those who prefer video can watch an abbreviated version of the information covered in this post and the next few posts.

Pharaoh’s Objections

To start, let’s take another look at Pharaoh’s initial response to God’s command. In it, he expressed two distinct areas of opposition against the God of Israel.

And Pharaoh said, “(1) Who is YHWH, (2) that I should obey His voice to let Israel go? (1) I do not know YHWH, (2) nor will I let Israel go.” Exodus 5:2

Pharaoh’s two-sentence initial response contained two objections that were repeated in each sentence. His first objection was that YHWH was not his God. His second was that he would not release the Israelites. 

In his first objection, Pharaoh denied that the God of Israel (YHWH) was a god to whom he should submit. In his view, YHWH was a god of the Israelites, not a god of the Egyptians. As an Egyptian, he held that he had no obligation to pay any heed to any Israelite god. 

Pharaoh also rejected God’s call to release the Israelites. As ruler over Egypt, he had authority over the people of the land. The Israelites were his slaves, and he objected to releasing them from serving him.

These two areas that Pharaoh stood against God were distinct, but not unrelated. His first point of contention (YHWH was not his God) logically led to the second (he would not obey YHWH). So the first led to the second, but his second objection also motivated him to maintain the first. His desire to keep the people gave him an ulterior motive behind denying that YHWH was God because he would be obliged to obey YHWH if He was God.

Although his objections were related, it’s important to see the distinction between them in order to make sense of what God was doing with Pharaoh. Being separate objections, it was possible for Pharaoh to hold fast regarding one while complying with the other. For example, Pharaoh obeyed God (second objection) after the tenth plague while still denying that YHWH was God over him (first objection). As another example, Moses did it the other way around. He acknowledged YHWH as God, yet objected to delivering God’s command to Pharaoh. So, although the two objections are closely related and linked, they are independent of each other. Thus, being hardened in one area wouldn’t necessarily prevent Pharaoh from operating freely in the other area. 

As we noted in an earlier post, when Scripture told of God hardening Pharaoh, it specifically said the result was that Pharaoh did not release the people. It did not say that God hardened Pharaoh’s heart and so Pharaoh refused to fear God. Thus, God did not prevent Pharaoh from acknowledging Him as God over him. Evidently, Pharaoh could operate freely in the area of the fear of YHWH.

Call to Repent

In fact, God called on Pharaoh to repent from his pride against God, which correlated to his first objection. It was during the seventh plague that Pharaoh appeared to falter in his stand against God and seemed to briefly acknowledge YHWH’s authority.

And Pharaoh sent and called for Moses and Aaron, and said to them, “I have sinned this time. The LORD is righteous, and my people and I are wicked. Exodus 9:27

As a side note, notice how Pharaoh was able to see and acknowledge his responsibility to obey YHWH, and even to somewhat repent. The hardening he previously experienced did not prevent him from recognizing and acknowledging YHWH’s authority. But, as Moses noted, he did not fully convert to the fear of YHWH.

^“But as for you and your servants, I know that you will not yet fear the LORD God.” Exodus 9:30

In fact, Pharaoh’s fear of YHWH’s power lasted only as long as the storm did.

And when Pharaoh saw that the rain, the hail, and the thunder had ceased, he sinned yet more; and he hardened his heart, he and his servants. So the heart of Pharaoh was hard [H2388]; neither would he let the children of Israel go, as the LORD had spoken by Moses. Exodus 9:34-35 

When the storm ceased, Pharaoh hardened his heart. Based on the sentence structure and the flow of context, his hardening in this verse was regarding his fear of YHWH. It says he strengthened himself, and then separately adds that ‘neither would he let the children of Israel go.’ Thus, the strengthening must have been regarding his first objection, which was resisting submission to YHWH as God.

Despite his denial of YHWH, it still made no sense for him to keep the Israelites, given the demonstration of power he had just experienced. But he went against all good sense and kept the Israelites due to God’s working in his heart. 

Now the LORD said to Moses, “Go in to Pharaoh; for I have hardened [H3513] his heart and the hearts of his servants, that I may show these signs of Mine before him,” Exodus 10:1

H3513 has to do with making a person dull regarding God’s word. Pharaoh, in his heart, did not want to release the children of Israel. God’s hardening of Pharaoh’s heart enabled him to do what he wanted to do, which resulted in Pharaoh making the inane decision to disobey God and keep the people. God’s working made Pharaoh dense regarding his situation. 

The verses that follow then make clear that God was not preventing him from converting.

So Moses and Aaron came in to Pharaoh and said to him, “Thus says the LORD God of the Hebrews: ‘How long will you refuse to humble yourself before Me? Let My people go, that they may serve Me. Or else, if you refuse to let My people go, behold, tomorrow I will bring locusts into your territory. Exodus 10:3-4

This was a call from God upon Pharaoh to humble himself. It can only mean that God desired for Pharaoh to humble himself. To say that God was preventing Pharaoh from humbling himself while making a call to repent is to call God a liar. 

In my opinion, God’s call is the clearest evidence that His work of hardening did not prevent Pharaoh from humbling himself and acknowledging that YHWH was his God.

Way of Escape

Before God brought the final plague, He provided a way of escape for everyone, including Pharaoh. God instructed Moses to announce publicly the coming judgment at least two weeks before it arrived and also publicly instruct the Israelites on how to escape the judgment. The instruction was not secret, so Pharaoh undoubtedly knew about the blood on the doorposts. Pharaoh could have applied the blood and escaped the judgment of death. Thus, God provided Pharaoh an opportunity for repentance right up until He executed the judgment.  

Surely God’s work of hardening did not contradict His provision for a way of escape from the judgment!

Summary

Pharaoh stood against God in two different areas: the fear of God, and obeying God’s commands. We have looked at three pieces of evidence that God did not harden Pharaoh against acknowledging Him as God. 

• Scripture only indicates that God hardened Pharaoh in the area of releasing the people, not in the area of fearing God. 
• God called Pharaoh to turn from exalting himself against God. 
• God provided a way of escape from the judgment. 

God hardened Pharaoh in his desire to keep the people, but did not harden Pharaoh regarding his desire to defy YHWH’s claim of authority over him. Thus, Pharaoh could have repented of his pride and defiance. Indeed, God called him to repentance.

The next post looks at how God was just in His working with Pharaoh.

Pharaoh vs. Moses

a comparison of their history

From the definition of the Hebrew words used for hardening, we can see God’s hardening of Pharaoh’s heart during the plagues was a strengthening of his resolve. Since the hardening of Pharaoh’s heart is an abstract concept, it can be difficult to comprehend fully without some kind of comparison. We can find such a comparison in Moses’ experience. 

Moses and Pharaoh’s personalities were so different from each other that it is easy to overlook the similarities in their historical narratives. But a comparison of the events in their lives as recorded in Exodus will reveal several parallels in their experiences. First, the text tells how both the men received an unexpected command from God regarding the children of Israel leaving Egypt – Moses at the burning bush, and Pharaoh in his throne room. Then, it shows how both men repeatedly objected to God’s command, and that eventually, they both complied. Finally, and we will look at this in more detail later, God strengthened them both. 

These features, the command from God, their objections, and God’s strengthening, are key features in both their narratives. They indicate we can look to Moses’ experience for help in understanding what Pharaoh experienced.

Moses

When Moses first encountered God at the burning bush, he was not looking for a word or command from God. He was, more or less, caught off guard. So, his response was spontaneous and revealed his true inner attitude toward God.

Moreover He said, “I am the God of your father—the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob.” And Moses hid his face, for he was afraid to look upon God. Exodus 3:6

It is clear from the text that Moses feared and revered the God of Israel. However, we see later in the passage that he balked at doing what God commanded. These objections contradicted the reverence he initially displayed. Yet Moses truly did fear God, for when he saw God was angry with him, he stopped making excuses (Exodus 4:14). Unlike Pharaoh, it did not take a series of plagues to bring him into compliance, only a display of God’s displeasure. His fear of God won out over his reluctance to return to Egypt.

When Moses went to Egypt, the Israelites received him gladly, but Pharaoh did not. Instead of releasing the people, he increased their bondage. Subsequently, the leaders of Israel rejected Moses (Exodus 5:20-21). This turn of events evidently discouraged him, and he told the Lord that his involvement seemed like a bad idea.

And it came to pass, on the day the LORD spoke to Moses in the land of Egypt, that the LORD spoke to Moses, saying, “I am the LORD. Speak to Pharaoh king of Egypt all that I say to you.”
But Moses said before the LORD, “Behold, I am of uncircumcised lips, and how shall Pharaoh heed me?” Exodus 6:28-30 

The Lord’s response at this juncture was not one of anger. Instead, He reiterated who He was and what He was going to do.

So the LORD said to Moses: “See, I have made you as God to Pharaoh, and Aaron your brother shall be your prophet. You shall speak all that I command you. And Aaron your brother shall tell Pharaoh to send the children of Israel out of his land. And I will harden Pharaoh’s heart, and multiply My signs and My wonders in the land of Egypt. But Pharaoh will not heed you, so that I may lay My hand on Egypt and bring My armies and My people, the children of Israel, out of the land of Egypt by great judgments. Exodus 7:1-4 ​

This word from the Lord had an impact on Moses. It strengthened him to continue on in full obedience. 

Then Moses and Aaron did so; just as the LORD commanded them, so they did. Exodus 7:6

Moses’ final action of obedience to the Lord was consistent with his inward fear of God. However, his ability to obey in those difficult circumstances did not come from his inner reserves of strength. It was the Lord who strengthened him.

Moses’ experience is common among the people of God. They often find themselves in difficult circumstances that produce actions which contradict their fear of God. That doesn’t mean they have lost their reverence for God, but that they are living an inconsistent life. It is not unusual for the people of God to find they need strength from the Lord to carry out what is in their hearts. 

Looking at Moses’ life from this perspective, we can undoubtedly identify with his experience. That will help us in understanding Pharaoh’s experience because Pharaoh’s experience was similar to Moses’ experience, but opposite.

Pharaoh 

When Moses first delivered God’s word to Pharaoh, he also had not been looking for a word from God. Like Moses, he was caught off guard and gave a spontaneous response that exposed the attitude of his heart.

Afterward Moses and Aaron went in and told Pharaoh, “Thus says the LORD God of Israel: ‘Let My people go, that they may hold a feast to Me in the wilderness.’ ” And Pharaoh said, “Who is the LORD, that I should obey His voice to let Israel go? I do not know the LORD, nor will I let Israel go.” Exodus 5:1-2

Clearly, Pharaoh did not fear the God of Israel. Interestingly, he did not question the report that the LORD (YHWH) had spoken to Moses, accepting that as fact. However, he flatly denied that he had any responsibility to obey YHWH. To him, YHWH was only a god of Israel and was not his God.

It naturally followed that Pharaoh did not obey God’s command. His refusal to comply was consistent with his denial that YHWH was his God. Eventually, after his son’s death, he did comply, and that action was inconsistent with his denial of God. Despite his compliance, it’s clear he had not converted to YHWH for he later attempted to recapture the Israelites. He had complied simply because he no longer had the strength to stand up against the LORD. Thus, his eventual compliance came out of compulsion, not out of reverence to God.

This is an important point to understand. Pharaoh’s refusal to obey was consistent with his denial that YHWH was God over him. His eventual submission to God’s command contradicted his denial of Him. But he had to submit because he had no strength left to resist God.

Now, although Pharaoh eventually complied, he only did so after standing strong through several great and terrible plagues. But his strength did not always come from his inner resources. The text plainly states that there were at least three times when God strengthened (hardened) his heart (see the previous post for the use and meaning of H2388). God’s strengthening/hardening enabled Pharaoh to act consistently with his inner attitude of defiance.

Just as God strengthened Moses, so He strengthened Pharaoh. With both men, His strengthening enabled them to act consistently with their state of belief/denial towards Himself. For Moses, who believed YHWH was God, the strengthening enabled him to obey God. For Pharaoh, who denied YHWH was God, it enabled him to continue to disobey God. 

It is worth noting again that after the tenth plague, when God did not harden Pharaoh, he complied with God’s command while still denying that YHWH was his God. Now, if God’s work of hardening was to prevent Pharaoh from repenting and believing, then Pharaoh would have converted when the hardening ceased. But Pharaoh did not convert, he only complied (temporarily) with God’s command. Therefore, God’s hardening was not affecting his ability to repent, it was affecting his ability to stand against God.

We will take a more detailed look at this question of Pharaoh’s ability to repent in the next post.

Survey of Hardenings

how the Hebrew words were applied to Pharaoh

And I will harden Pharaoh’s heart,
and multiply My signs and My wonders
in the land of Egypt

Exodus 7:3

As we have elsewhere noted, Scripture used three Hebrew words to describe the hardening of Pharaoh’s heart. Assuming the reader is somewhat familiar with their definitions, we will now briefly look at how these words were applied to Pharaoh. In this post, we will survey the verses in Exodus that used these Hebrew words, identify the word, and summarize the meaning that the word gives to the verse. In subsequent posts, we will take a more detailed look at the meaning of some of these passages.

The first verse that applies one of the Hebrew words to Pharaoh is in the context of God’s instruction to Moses, given before he returned to Egypt.

And the LORD said to Moses, “When you go back to Egypt, see that you do all those wonders before Pharaoh which I have put in your hand. But I will harden [H2388] his heart, so that he will not let the people go. Then you shall say to Pharaoh, ‘Thus says the LORD: “Israel is My son, My firstborn. So I say to you, let My son go that he may serve Me. But if you refuse to let him go, indeed I will kill your son, your firstborn.” ’ ” Exodus 4:21-23

From an earlier post, we learned H2388 speaks of strengthening. So in this passage, it must mean that God would apply some kind of strengthening to Pharaoh’s heart. Notice that passage spells out the effect of the applied strength: Pharaoh would refuse to let the people go. 

On the surface, it may appear that God was saying He would cause Pharaoh to keep the people and then kill his son for refusing to let Israel go. This raises serious questions regarding God’s justice, questions that must be addressed. But our goal in this article is only to summarize the meanings, not to deal with the difficulties we encounter. We will examine the difficulties in a later article. 

The second time we encounter the hardening of Pharaoh’s heart is in another passage where God spoke to Moses. This conversation took place in Egypt after the leaders of Israel turned away from Moses because of their increased workload. God was responding to Moses’ expression of discouragement.

“You shall speak all that I command you. And Aaron your brother shall tell Pharaoh to send the children of Israel out of his land. And I will harden [H7185] Pharaoh’s heart, and multiply My signs and My wonders in the land of Egypt. But Pharaoh will not heed you, so that I may lay My hand on Egypt and bring My armies and My people, the children of Israel, out of the land of Egypt by great judgments. And the Egyptians shall know that I am the LORD, when I stretch out My hand on Egypt and bring out the children of Israel from among them.” Exodus 7:2-5

H7185 is the word that describes a stubborn resistance to directives. It means that God’s operation on Pharaoh’s heart would cause the man to stubbornly disregard Moses’ demands. 

These two passages take place before Pharaoh’s heart was ever hardened. The first actual hardening happened after Moses and Aaron presented the sign of the rod and serpent. 

0. Rod and serpent.

And Pharaoh’s heart grew hard [H2388], and he did not heed them, as the LORD had said. So the LORD said to Moses: “Pharaoh’s heart is hard [H3515]; he refuses to let the people go. Exodus 7:13-14

Notice that the passage does not specifically say God did the hardening, but only that Pharaoh’s heart became hard. Also, notice that verse 13 used the word for strengthen and verse 14 used the word for heavy. 

H2388 tells us that Pharaoh’s heart was strengthened against complying with the command delivered by Moses and Aaron. 

In verse 14, H3515 was used figuratively. It seems reasonable that the intended meaning is similar to what we find in Zechariah 7:11, when H3515 described how Israel stopped their ears and refused to hear the word of God. Assuming the similarity is true, this passage is telling us that Pharaoh decided, in his heart, to disregard the command which he knew came from God. 

Taking the passage as a whole with the two words, the meaning must be that Pharaoh’s heart was strengthened against the message from Moses so that he refused to heed God’s command. 

As we go through the remaining passages that address Pharaoh’s hardened heart, we will underline certain phrases to draw attention to the result of each hardening. We will further comment on the results later on, when we further explore what God was doing with Pharaoh.

1. River water turned to blood (Exodus 7:19-23).

Then the magicians of Egypt did so with their enchantments; and Pharaoh’s heart grew hard [H2388], and he did not heed them, as the LORD had said. Exodus 7:22

Similar to the earlier passage about the rod and serpent, this passage does not specifically state that God did the hardening. It used the word for strengthen, indicating that once Pharaoh saw his magicians could also turn water into blood, his heart was strengthened to dismiss what Moses said.

2. Frogs (Exodus 8:1-7).

But when Pharaoh saw that there was relief, he hardened [H3513] his heart and did not heed them, as the LORD had said. Exodus 8:15

God brought an end to the plague of frogs at the exact time Pharaoh specified (Exodus 8:8-14), which was a clear sign of His authority. But Pharaoh made his heart ‘heavy.’ That is, when he saw the plague was over, he decided to treat the sign as irrelevant and their words as immaterial.

3. Plague of lice (Exodus 8:16-19).

Then the magicians said to Pharaoh, “This is the finger of God.” But Pharaoh’s heart grew hard [H2388], and he did not heed them, just as the LORD had said. Exodus 8:19

The magicians’ admission undoubtedly undermined Pharaoh’s position, but H2388 indicates he strengthened himself in his heart to continue ignoring Moses’ statements. 

4. Plague of flies (Exodus 8:20-32).

But Pharaoh hardened [H3513] his heart at this time also; neither would he let the people go. Exodus 8:32

There is a slight change here in the effect of the hardening. Until this point, the hardening resulted in Pharaoh dismissing what Moses said. Now, the result was that he would not release the people. Evidently, he could no longer be indifferent to their words and treat them as inconsequential, but had to acknowledge their words carried significance. 

It is during this plague that he first proposed a compromise to allow the Israelites to sacrifice, but only in Egypt (Exodus 8:25). After Moses rejected the compromise, Pharaoh deceitfully promised to let the people go if Moses would intercede for him (Exodus 8:28). In a way, he was trying to negotiate with Moses.

His negotiations show he knew the Lord was more than a trifling god who could be ignored. Despite this knowledge, he still refused to comply with God’s command to release the people. He made his heart ‘heavy’, which indicates he was not acting in ignorance, but that he deliberately went against all sound reasoning in his refusal to release the people. 

5. Plague of livestock death (Exodus 9:1-7).

Then Pharaoh sent, and indeed, not even one of the livestock of the Israelites was dead. But the heart of Pharaoh became hard [H3513], and he did not let the people go. Exodus 9:7

Until this plague, God’s demonstrations of power resulted in discomfort, whereas this plague had a serious economic impact. But once again, Pharaoh’s heart became heavy in that he deliberately rejected the obvious reality of God’s authority and disobeyed his command.

6. Plague of boils (Exodus 9:8-12).

And the magicians could not stand before Moses because of the boils, for the boils were on the magicians and on all the Egyptians. But the LORD hardened [H2388] the heart of Pharaoh; and he did not heed them, just as the LORD had spoken to Moses. Exodus 9:12

Finally, at the end of the sixth plague, the text records that God hardened Pharaoh’s heart. The use of H2388 indicates it was a process of strengthening. Without the support from the magicians, Pharaoh was evidently weakened and about to release the people. However, God intervened and strengthened his heart so that he did not capitulate. This may seem an odd thing for God to do, but we’ll save that discussion for later.

7. Plague of hail and fire (Exodus 9:22-35).

And when Pharaoh saw that the rain, the hail, and the thunder had ceased, he sinned yet more; and he hardened [H3513] his heart, he and his servants. So the heart of Pharaoh was hard [H2388]; neither would he let the children of Israel go, as the LORD had spoken by Moses. Exodus 9:34-35

Once again, the text links H3513 and H2388 together by using them to refer to the same event. Pharaoh was told the hail was coming, and he saw it stop abruptly. He should have given up his obstinacy and let God have His way. But he rejected good sense and his heart stood strong against releasing the people of Israel. 

While these verses attribute the act of hardening to Pharaoh, in the very next verse, the Lord takes responsibility.

Now the LORD said to Moses, “Go in to Pharaoh; for I have hardened [H3513] his heart and the hearts of his servants, that I may show these signs of Mine before him, and that you may tell in the hearing of your son and your son’s son the mighty things I have done in Egypt, and My signs which I have done among them, that you may know that I am the LORD. Exodus 10:1-2

God said that He made Pharaoh’s heart ‘heavy’, or obstinate against the obvious truth. Given the preceding verses, the hardening was not in contradiction with Pharaoh’s will, but in agreement with it. When Pharaoh saw the storm ceased, he chose to ignore the truth of God. He strengthened his resolve to defy God, and would not let the people go. And God made Pharaoh dull towards the route he obviously should take. Thus Pharaoh became more obstinate than what he could have been on his own.

8. Plague of locusts (Exodus 10:12-20).

But the LORD hardened [H2388] Pharaoh’s heart, and he did not let the children of Israel go. Exodus 10:20

When Pharaoh saw the land overrun with locusts, he begged Moses to ask for relief and promised to release the Israelites. But he never made good on the promise, for God once again intervened to strengthen his heart so that he did not release the people. 

9. Plague of darkness (Exodus 10:21-29).

But the LORD hardened [H2388] Pharaoh’s heart, and he would not let them go. Exodus 10:27

This is the last time Pharaoh’s heart was hardened before the Israelites left Egypt. H2388 indicates that this hardening was again a process of strengthening, enabling Pharaoh to keep the people. 

But the LORD said to Moses, “Pharaoh will not heed you, so that My wonders may be multiplied in the land of Egypt.” So Moses and Aaron did all these wonders before Pharaoh; and the LORD hardened [H2388] Pharaoh’s heart, and he did not let the children of Israel go out of his land. Exodus 11:9-10

These two verses summarize all of what took place up to the final plague, saying that the Lord strengthened Pharaoh’s heart so that he did not let the Israelites go. Pharaoh’s ability to stand strong in the face of all these plagues was beyond his natural powers. HIs ability came from God strengthening him.

10. Death of firstborn (Exodus 11:1-3, 12:29-32).

This is the only plague where nothing is said about hardening Pharaoh’s heart. In all the other plagues, Pharaoh’s heart was hardened. Notice what happened when the hardening did not occur.

Then he called for Moses and Aaron by night, and said, “Rise, go out from among my people, both you and the children of Israel. And go, serve the LORD as you have said. Also take your flocks and your herds, as you have said, and be gone; and bless me also.” Exodus 12:31-32

The text does not say that he repented and gave himself over to God. It specifically says that he let the people go. This is another important point that we will expand on in a later article.

After the final plague, there are a few additional occurrences of the Hebrew words for hardening. Moses used H7185 as he relayed the instructions related to the Passover feast.

‘And it came to pass, when Pharaoh was stubborn [H7185] about letting us go, that the LORD killed all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, both the firstborn of man and the firstborn of beast. Therefore I sacrifice to the LORD all males that open the womb, but all the firstborn of my sons I redeem.’ Exodus 13:15

He said that Pharaoh had been like a rebelliously stubborn ox and because of this obstinance, God had brought the final plague. 

After the tenth plague, God hardened Pharaoh’s heart one last time.

The Red Sea

“Then I will harden [H2388] Pharaoh’s heart, so that he will pursue them; and I will gain honor [H3513] over Pharaoh and over all his army, that the Egyptians may know that I am the LORD.” And they did so. Exodus 14:4
And the LORD hardened [H2388] the heart of Pharaoh king of Egypt, and he pursued the children of Israel; and the children of Israel went out with boldness. Exodus 14:8
“And I indeed will harden [H2388] the hearts of the Egyptians, and they shall follow them. So I will gain honor [H3513] over Pharaoh and over all his army, his chariots, and his horsemen. Then the Egyptians shall know that I am the LORD, when I have gained honor [H3513] for Myself over Pharaoh, his chariots, and his horsemen.” Exodus 14:17-18

Each of these verses used the word for strengthening and showed that the result differed from the previous hardenings, which were about releasing the people. This hardening caused Pharaoh and his men to pursue the Israelites into the Red Sea while it was being supernaturally held open. Normally, their fear of drowning would have undoubtedly overwhelmed their resolve to capture the escaping Israelites. But with God’s strengthening, their resolve overwhelmed their fear of drowning.

Interestingly, one of the words used to describe Pharaoh’s hardened heart (H3513 – heavy) was used in this passage with a different meaning to describe the Lord’s glory.

Summary

From the beginning, God informed Moses that He would harden Pharaoh’s heart with the result that Pharaoh would not release the people. And so it was. For every plague, the result of hardening was that Pharaoh either did not heed Moses or refused to let the people go.

Of the ten times Pharaoh was hardened during the plagues, three of the times it says the Lord hardened Pharaoh’s heart. Each of those times used the word for strengthening. Also, at the Red Sea, the hardening by God was a type of strengthening. 

It will be important to understand what this strengthening/hardening entailed if we want to better understand God’s working of hardening Pharaoh’s heart, so we will look at that in the next post.

H3513

a great and heavy object; burdensome, great

Behold, the LORD’s hand is not shortened,
That it cannot save;
Nor His ear heavy,
That it cannot hear.

Isaiah 59:1

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Literal Definition

The literal definition of this word is fairly straightforward, as seen in the following verse. 

When he mentioned the ark of God, Eli fell backward from his chair beside the gate. He broke his neck and died, for he was old and heavy. He had judged Israel for forty years. 1 Samuel 4:18

The word describes something that had great weight due to great bulk (such as Eli) or a large quantity, such as Absalom’s hair.

And when he cut the hair of his head–at the end of every year he cut it because it was heavy on him–when he cut it, he weighed the hair of his head at two hundred shekels according to the king’s standard. 2 Samuel 14:26

We get some help from Job in understanding how ancient Israelites used the word figuratively. In the following passage, Job used the word literally, but in a figurative context. 

Oh that my grief were thoroughly weighed, and my calamity laid in the balances together! For now it would be heavier than the sand of the sea: therefore my words are swallowed up. Job 6:2-3

Job compared his tragedies to being crushed under the heaviest weight you could imagine. While the sand of the sea has a literal, physical weight, his tragedies did not have a physical weight. Yet the burden of his tragedies were as crushing on an emotional level as the weight of the sand on a physical level. Thus, the ancient Israelites used the metaphor similarly to how we use it.

Figurative Applications

Burdensome

These verses below link the figurative concept of H3513 with the literal by using direct comparisons of tangible weight with intangible burdens.

A stone is heavy (H3514) and sand is weighty, But a fool’s wrath is heavier than both of them. Proverbs 27:3
For my iniquities have gone over my head; Like a heavy (H3515) burden they are too heavy for me. Psalm 38:4

Very likely, this figurative use of heavy is relatively easy for us to grasp since we often use similar figurative language. Just as we use the word, burden, in the English language in a wide variety of contexts, so Scripture used H3513 to describe a wide variety of things that might be burdensome. For example, Pharaoh used the word in the context of work.

“Let more work be laid on the men, that they may labor in it, and let them not regard false words.” Exodus 5:9

But Scripture used the concept of heavy in applications other than burdensome, such as speaking of figuratively heavy [fierce] battle (Judges 20:34, 1 Samuel 31:3), or a fountain abounding [heavy] with water (Proverbs 8:24).

Greatness

An interesting figurative application of ‘heavy’ is to speak of relative greatness, such as Abram’s great wealth.

Abram was very rich in livestock, in silver, and in gold. Genesis 13:2

In other words, Abram was very ‘heavy’ in possessions. I’m guessing this application was based on the fact that a very heavy object was generally an impressively massive object. For example, a very heavy rock would be a great (large) rock. So Abram’s wealth was called ‘heavy’ in the sense that it was an impressively great amount of wealth. In a similar fashion, Scripture applied H3513 to great people, such as the prince of Shechem.

So the young man did not delay to do the thing, because he delighted in Jacob’s daughter. He was more honorable than all the household of his father. Genesis 34:19

In other words, the prince of Shechem was morally heavier, or, greater in morality, than his peers. H3513 also described a greater social status.

‘for I will certainly honor you greatly, and I will do whatever you say to me. Therefore please come, curse this people for me.’ Numbers 22:17

In this passage, king Balak promised to make Balaam heavy, that is, greater than his peers in a social setting. So H3513 could describe a greater morality, a greater social status, but also a greater reverence or respect. 

“Then the Egyptians shall know that I am the LORD, when I have gained honor for Myself over Pharaoh, his chariots, and his horsemen.” Exodus 14:18

Furthermore, Scripture even applied the concept in the context of a false sense of greatness. 

“Indeed you say that you have defeated the Edomites, and your heart is lifted up to boast. Stay at home now; why should you meddle with trouble, that you should fall–you and Judah with you?” But Amaziah would not heed, for it came from God, that He might give them into the hand of their enemies, because they sought the gods of Edom. 2 Chronicles 25:19-20

Amaziah had a false sense of greatness that stemmed from the pride that came from his previous victory. This false sense of greatness led him to ignore the wise words of warning and make a stupid decision that cost him his nation, just as Pharaoh’s pride cost him greatly.

Dysfunctional

The final type of figurative application we will consider is when heavy was applied to a body part. It generally meant the body part did not function as it should.

Now the eyes of Israel were dim with age, so that he could not see. Then Joseph brought them near him, and he kissed them and embraced them. Genesis 48:10

Saying Jacob’s eyes were heavy with age meant he was more or less blind. Similarly, saying a person’s ear was heavy meant they couldn’t hear. 

Behold, the LORD’s hand is not shortened, That it cannot save; Nor His ear heavy, That it cannot hear. Isaiah 59:1

Or, it meant the person wouldn’t hear and refused to heed what was told to them. 

“But they refused to heed, shrugged their shoulders, and stopped their ears so that they could not hear. Zechariah 7:11

Notice how making their ears heavy produced a similar result to when Amaziah was making himself heavy (great) through his boasting: neither Amaziah nor these people heeded the advice they received; both responded in a way that did not make good sense. So Scripture used H3515 to describe people as heavy with pride, which made them stubborn and unwilling to listen, and to describe people’s ears as heavy, which meant they were not willing to listen. 

It was in this same sense of dysfunctional that God used the term in calling for His peoples’ ears to be made heavy.

“Make the heart of this people dull, And their ears heavy, And shut their eyes; Lest they see with their eyes, And hear with their ears, And understand with their heart, And return and be healed.” Isaiah 6:10

God called for this dullness because the people of Israel, repeatedly getting into trouble through their idolatries, would repent just enough for God to bring deliverance, and once delivered they returned quickly to idolatry. God desired to bring a judgment that was severe enough to turn them from idolatries for good. For the judgment to be effective, it was necessary for the people to know why the judgment was coming. But to prevent them from having a shallow repentance to avoid the impending judgment, God called for their ears to be made heavy. The end result was, because their ears were heavy, they were carried away into Babylon for 70 years where they finally turned from idols for good.

Summary

The literal definition is heavy, due to bulk (Eli) or great quantity (Absalom’s hair). 

The figurative applications are varied. Using the concept of weight, Scripture called burdensome things, heavy. In addition, Scripture called honored people, heavy; evidently using the fact that the heavier object is also the larger object. Finally, when it called a body part heavy, it meant the body part didn’t function as normal.

H7185

a overly heavy yoke, hard to bear; rebellious resistance of oxen

“Your father made our yoke heavy;
now therefore, lighten the burdensome service of your father,
and his heavy yoke which he put on us,
and we will serve you.”

1 Kings 12:4

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Literal Definition

Scripture only used H7185 in a metaphorical sense, which means we can’t derive the literal definition by examining multiple passages. So we will rely on the definition from TWOT.

The root apparently came from an agricultural context. It emphasizes, firstly, the subjective effect exerted by an overly heavy yoke, which is hard to bear; and secondarily, the rebellious resistance of oxen to the yoke.

1 Kings 12:4 gives the closest application of the literal sense, in the account of Israel’s demand that Rehoboam lighten the tax burden. 

“Your father made our yoke heavy; now therefore, lighten the burdensome service of your father, and his heavy yoke which he put on us, and we will serve you.”

Granted, it is a figurative application but it nicely shows the literal meaning. The passage tells of the people complaining about their required service under Solomon, that it was an unbearable burden. They used H7185 to compare the burdensome service to an overloaded yoke. Not only that, but the passage could have used H7185 to describe the people who were balking against the heavy burden of service, just as oxen might balk at a heavy yoke. Thus, we can see in this passage how these two literal meanings of H7185 relate to one another, which will help us understand the metaphorical implications.

Figurative Applications

As a metaphor, H7185 employed both the concept of a heavy yoke and of rebellious resistance. One example of the ‘heavy yoke’ type of application is in the command regarding bondservants, when their time of service ended.  

“It shall not seem hard to you when you send him away free from you; for he has been worth a double hired servant in serving you six years. Then the LORD your God will bless you in all that you do. Deuteronomy 15:18.

The master was not to view releasing the bondservant as a heavy burden, but freely let him depart. 1 Samuel 5:7 provides a second example, when the Philistines were trying to figure out what to do with the captured ark in the face of the plagues from God.

And when the men of Ashdod saw how it was, they said, “The ark of the God of Israel must not remain with us, for His hand is harsh toward us and Dagon our god.”

They employed H7185 to describe how the plagues which God brought upon them were a grievously heavy burden.

In the ‘resisting a master’ type of application, H7185 usually described people rebelling against God. In these instances, the English bibles usually translated the word as ‘hardened’ or ‘stiff-necked,’ using these words figuratively. This makes it tricky to derive the metaphorical definition because we would have to be certain of the English metaphorical meanings. However, the contexts that used H7185 figuratively often paralleled it with another word or phrase which clarified the figurative meaning. 

One example is 2 Kings 17:14 which described the sad history of the Northern kingdom of Israel, how they turned away from their God. 

Nevertheless they would not hear, but stiffened their necks, like the necks of their fathers, who did not believe in the LORD their God.

The surrounding context tells of how God sent prophets to declare His word, but the people refused to listen. The writer set H7185 in parallel with the phrase, ‘would not hear’. Thus, H7185 figuratively described how the people refused to heed God’s commands. Like oxen who balked, they were rebellious against God.

In this next example, the messengers from Hezekiah used H7185 as they urged the people to come down for the Passover.

“Now do not be stiff-necked, as your fathers were, but yield yourselves to the LORD; and enter His sanctuary, which He has sanctified forever, and serve the LORD your God, that the fierceness of His wrath may turn away from you. 2 Chronicles 30:8

They used H7185 as a contrast to yielding to the Lord, calling the people to not be rebellious against God. Finally, this last verse used H7185 in the same way as the earlier verse, setting it in parallel to the idea of disregarding God’s commands.

And testified against them, That You might bring them back to Your law. Yet they acted proudly, And did not heed Your commandments, But sinned against Your judgments, ‘Which if a man does, he shall live by them.’ And they shrugged their shoulders, Stiffened their necks, And would not hear. Nehemiah 9:29

These are a few of the passages which employ H7185 to describe people as those who refused to heed God’s commands, rebukes, and warnings. 

Hardening

When translated as ‘hardened’ in our English Bibles, the context clarifies that H7185 had the same meaning as when it was translated ‘stiff-necked.’ 

“But they and our fathers acted proudly, Hardened their necks, And did not heed Your commandments. They refused to obey, And they were not mindful of Your wonders That You did among them. But they hardened their necks, And in their rebellion They appointed a leader To return to their bondage. But You are God, Ready to pardon, Gracious and merciful, Slow to anger, Abundant in kindness, And did not forsake them. Nehemiah 9:16-17

The people didn’t heed God’s commands and rebelled against Him.

Summary

Scripture only used H7185 in its figurative senses. One sense spoke of a heavy burden which was hard to bear. The second sense was usually used to describe people who refused to heed God’s rebukes and commands.

H2388

a firm grip; to strengthen, prevail, harden

‘But command Joshua,
and encourage him and strengthen him;
for he shall go over before this people,
and he shall cause them to inherit the land
which you will see.’

Deuteronomy 3:28

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Literal Definition

The first occurrence of H2388 in Scripture is in the account of the angels pulling Lot and his family out of Sodom before the judgment began.

And while he lingered, the men took hold of his hand, his wife’s hand, and the hands of his two daughters, the LORD being merciful to him, and they brought him out and set him outside the city. Genesis 19:16

This verse used the word in its literal sense to explain how the angels grabbed hold of the reluctant Lot and his family to remove them from Sodom. It was not a casual clasping of hands, but a determined grip in which they applied their strength to overcome Lot’s reluctance. Thus, we can see H2388 meant a grip with applied strength.

Scripture did not limit its application of H2388 to situations of overriding a person’s will. Other passages used the word to describe strength applied to aid an individual. One example is in the account of Hagar and Ishmael’s departure from Abraham, after Ishmael had collapsed from exhaustion. The angel of the Lord said to Hagar:

“Arise, lift up the lad and hold him with your hand, for I will make him a great nation.” Genesis 21:8

Here, similar to the account of Lot, the word describes a grip with strength. However, in this case, the applied strength was to aid, not overcome, the recipient. Notice how, in both these accounts, they didn’t permanently grab hold but only applied their grip until they accomplished their purpose.

Figurative Applications

The above passages are examples of where Scripture used H2388 in a literal application to describe a grip that applied strength. There are several additional passages which use the word in such a fashion, some where the grip was used to prevent people from doing their will, and others where the grip strengthened and enabled the weaker individual to continue his course. 

Similarly, figurative applications in Scripture also described applied strength both to prevent and aid people. 2 Samuel 24:4 gives an example of the former when David compelled Joab against his will to number the people.

Nevertheless the king’s word prevailed against Joab and against the captains of the army. Therefore Joab and the captains of the army went out from the presence of the king to count the people of Israel.

David didn’t physically grab Joab, but his word had a similar effect as if he had grabbed Joab and forced him to go number the people. Furthermore, his word didn’t have a permanent effect on Joab, for he stopped before he counted all the people (1 Chronicles 21:6).

Judges 7:11 gives a clear example of the other type of application. The context tells how Gideon was nervous about facing the Midianites in battle, so God instructed him to sneak into their camp and eavesdrop on a conversation inside a tent.

“and you shall hear what they say; and afterward your hands shall be strengthened to go down against the camp.” Then he went down with Purah his servant to the outpost of the armed men who were in the camp.

As God promised, the conversation Gideon overheard strengthened him to continue the course of delivering Israel from the Midianites. Although no one physically grabbed his hand and held him up, what he heard had a similar effect. 

In addition to these and other examples, there are several passages where H2388 was used in the context of strengthening Joshua (see Deuteronomy 1:38, 3:28, 11:8, 31:6-7, 31:23; Joshua 1:6-7, 9, 18). Personally, I find these applications especially interesting, knowing that Scripture used the same word to describe the hardening of Pharaoh’s heart.Scripture also used the word in other types of figurative applications, such as describing the intensity of a famine (severe in Genesis 41:56-57), and rebuilding a wall (repairs in Nehemiah 3:4 and verses following). Although these examples give us an idea of the breadth of application, I don’t think they particularly help us in the topic of Pharaoh’s heart.

Hardening

Before focusing on Pharaoh’s hardening, I think it will be helpful to understand what hardening is and does to a person. A most helpful verse is Jeremiah 5:3 because of its poetic structure. It employs synonymous parallelism (poetry with synonymous ideas in parallel; see www.crivoice.org/parallel), which will allow us to compare hardening with a synonymous concept. This verse is in the context of Jeremiah’s vain search for people in Jerusalem who practiced justice.

O LORD, are not Your eyes on the truth?
You have stricken them, But they have not grieved;
You have consumed them, But they have refused to receive correction.
They have made their faces harder than rock;
They have refused to return. Jeremiah 5:3

Given the poetic structure, we can see the last two lines are parallel concepts. The former line utilized H2388 by describing how they hardened their faces. It is highly figurative in contrast to the line which follows it, which is more concrete. Taken together, the two lines show that hardening is metaphorical of refusing to change from the current course. The verse used H2388 figuratively to describe people refusing to change when God was trying to make them do so by sending them difficult times. Evidently, the connection between the literal meaning of the word and the figurative is the concept of strength, in that they resolutely withstood God.

Another helpful set of passages is Joshua 11:20 and Judges 3:12. Both used H2388 to tell how God brought nations to battle against Israel. In Joshua, Israel defeated the nations, but in Judges the enemy nation defeated Israel. In these passages, H2388 was translated ‘harden’ and ‘strengthened’, respectively. The first group of nations were Canaanites. 

For it was of the LORD to harden their hearts, that they should come against Israel in battle, that He might utterly destroy them, and that they might receive no mercy, but that He might destroy them, as the LORD had commanded Moses. Joshua 11:20

And the children of Israel again did evil in the sight of the LORD. So the LORD strengthened Eglon king of Moab against Israel, because they had done evil in the sight of the LORD. Judges 3:12

It would have been clear for both sets of enemies that it was a risky endeavor to attack the Israelites. The Canaanites knew what Israel’s God had done to other nations of Canaan, as did the king of Moab. 

In Judges, H2388 clearly means God applied strength to Eglon, enabling him to face the risk and attack Israel. What about the verse in Joshua? Does H2388 mean God applied His strength to enable the Canaanites to carry out their will, or to prevent them?

It appears illogical to interpret Joshua 11:20 to mean that God applied strength to prevent the Canaanites from doing what they wanted to do. That would mean the Canaanites were not wanting to be the enemies of Israel. It would mean they wanted to repent of their idolatry, give up their lands, and make peace with Israel and the God of Israel. This interpretation makes no sense regardless of your theological position. If you believe the unregenerate cannot desire to do right, then surely the unregenerate Canaanites could not have desired to repent of their wickedness. If, on the other hand, you believe an unbeliever can repent, then surely God would not prevent them from repenting. So the application of H2388 to the Canaanites must mean that God applied strength to enable them in what they wanted to do. 

This would mean the Canaanites did NOT want to repent from idolatry, give up their land, and make peace with Israel. But when faced with the reality of the other nations’ failure to defeat the God of Israel, and knowing how Joshua saved alive the Gibeonites (Joshua 9:24-26), it would have made sense to at least superficially make peace with Israel. The sheer reality of the situation would have weakened their resolve to battle Israel and led them to give up the fight. But God wanted them destroyed (because of their great wickedness, Deuteronomy 9:4-5), so in some way He strengthened their resolve so that they engaged Israel in battle.

The application of H2388 evidently indicates that when God hardened them, it was a type of strengthening them to carry out their heart’s desire (which was to fight the people of God) when all the circumstances of their situation urged them to lay down their swords. But, whereas strengthening normally leads to a person’s benefit, hardening resulted in their great dis-benefit. 

Summary

In a literal application, the word meant a grip that applied strength to either help or prevent a person’s action for a limited period of time. Figurative applications had a variety of meanings. When the word was applied to people, it generally carried the concept of applying strength to either help or hinder. When the word was translated harden, it spoke of strengthening the individual to do what they wanted but led to their harm and destruction.