Ex 7:1-5
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The Old Testament > Exodus > Chapter 7
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Questions
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Lexical notes
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Exegesis
Verse 3: God hardening Pharaoh's heart
This verse tells us that God hardened Pharaoh's heart. The JST renders the verse differently. Before looking at the JST, consider the meaning of this verse as it stands in context. In chapter 5 Moses and Aaron ask Pharoah to let Israel go out of the land to worship God. Pharoah doesn't just say no--he punishes the people for the fact that Moses and Aaron asked by placing an unfair burden on them. Moses complains to the Lord. At the beginning of chapter 6, the Lord responds by saying "Now shalt thou see what I will do to Pharaoh: for with a strong hand shall he let them go, and with a strong hand shall he drive them out of his land" (Ex 6:1). Now it seems the Lord is telling Moses how we will do this. By hardening Pharaoh's heart he multiplies his signs and wonders because if Pharaoh had let Israel go early, all of the signs and wonders wouldn't have been done. Verse 4 says something similar and makes the causal relation clear: Pharaoh won't listen to Moses's requests so that the Lord can "lay my hand upon Egypt" (i.e. hurt them) and so that he can bring them out "by great judgments" (i.e. ?). The reason for all this is then made clear in verse 5--so that the Egyptians know that the Lord is God.
This interpretation might seem troubling because it seems to take away Pharaoh's agency. One way around this problem is to assume that this is simply idiomatic--that it was common in ancient Israel to ascribe to God all events that took place. Therefore, the intended meaning may be less about God literally causing Pharaoh's heart to harden, and more about acknowledging that God is in control and, with foreknowledge that Pharaoh will hearden his heart, God will use Pharaoh's decision as an opportunity to display his power by causing the plagues to come upon Pharaoh (cf. Josh 24:5 where the plagues are referred to in an effort to help Israel to remember their God). See also a related issue in Judg 14:19.
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