Exodus 10:18-20 Meaning: Why Pray When God Has Already Decided?
18Moses went out from Pharaoh, and prayed to Yahweh.
19Yahweh sent an exceedingly strong west wind, which took up the locusts, and drove them into the Red Sea. There remained not one locust in all the borders of Egypt.
20But Yahweh hardened Pharaoh’s heart, and he didn’t let the children of Israel go.
18And he went out from Pharaoh, and intreated the Lord.
19And the Lord turned a mighty strong west wind, which took away the locusts, and cast them into the Red sea; there remained not one locust in all the coasts of Egypt.
20But the Lord hardened Pharaoh’s heart, so that he would not let the children of Israel go.
18And he went out from Pharaoh, and entreated Jehovah.
19And Jehovah turned an exceeding strong west wind, which took up the locusts, and drove them into the Red Sea; there remained not one locust in all the border of Egypt.
20But Jehovah hardened Pharaoh’s heart, and he did not let the children of Israel go.
18And he goeth out from Pharaoh, and maketh supplication unto Jehovah,
19and Jehovah turneth a very strong sea wind, and it lifteth up the locust, and bloweth it into the Red Sea--there hath not been left one locust in all the border of Egypt;
20and Jehovah strengtheneth the heart of Pharaoh, and he hath not sent the sons of Israel away.
18And he went out from Pharaoh, and intreated Jehovah.
19And Jehovah turned a very powerful west wind, which took away the locusts, and drove them into the Red Sea: there remained not one locust in all the borders of Egypt.
20And Jehovah made Pharaoh's heart stubborn, and he did not let the children of Israel go.
Meaning in one sentence
Moses prays for Pharaoh even though God has hardened his heart. What does this tell us about prayer, mercy, and God's patience?
Context
The eighth plague had stripped Egypt bare. Every green thing was gone. Pharaoh, in a rare moment of fear, admitted his sin and begged Moses to pray. So Moses left the palace and did exactly that. The Lord answered immediately: a west wind swept up every locust and drove them into the Red Sea. Not one remained. Then, as soon as the crisis passed, Pharaoh's heart went hard again. The plague was gone, but the pattern held. God had already told Moses this would happen. Yet Moses prayed anyway. Here, prayer and judgment stand side by side, and we are left with a question: why pray when you already know how the story ends?
Key Words
The Hebrew word for prayed here is 'atar, which means to entreat or make supplication. It is the same word used when Moses prayed for the frogs to stop. Moses is not reciting a formality. He is urgently asking God to intervene, even for a man who has lied to him repeatedly.
The verb for turned is haphakh, meaning to overturn or transform. God did not just adjust the wind; He changed its direction entirely. The east wind that brought the locusts is replaced by a west wind that hurls them into the sea. The word is forceful: God takes the situation and flips it completely.
And then we read that God hardened Pharaoh's heart. The word is chazaq, which literally means to make strong or firm. It is the same root used for the strong wind that drove the locusts away. The strength that brings mercy is also the strength that confirms judgment. Pharaoh's heart is not made hard in a new way, it is solidified in the direction it was already leaning.
How Christians Read This Verse
Christians across traditions have wrestled with this moment. John Calvin, writing in the Reformed tradition, saw Moses' prayer as a way to display God's power, not because a change of heart was expected, but to make God's strength visible in both mercy and judgment. Matthew Henry emphasized God's long-suffering: even when the outcome is certain, He delays judgment and gives space for change. Many Catholic commentators read this as a picture of intercessory prayer: Moses stands in the gap for someone who does not deserve it, pointing forward to Christ's intercession for sinners. All these readings agree on one thing: the prayer was not wasted. God heard it, answered it, and in doing so revealed something about His own character.
A common misunderstanding
Some read this and conclude that prayer makes no difference when God has already determined something. But the text shows the opposite. God answered Moses' cry completely. Not one locust remained. The prayer was effective. The hardening that followed was not because God ignored the prayer, but because Pharaoh, once the pressure was off, returned to his stubbornness. Prayer does not force someone to change. It opens a door. And sometimes the door is refused.
Living This Out
This week, you may know someone who keeps making the same choice. A relative who refuses to talk. A friend who has walked away from faith. You have prayed for them before, and nothing seemed to change. The impulse is to stop praying. This passage pushes against that. Moses prayed for a man who had just lied in his confession. He prayed knowing that God had said the heart would stay hard. He prayed anyway. And God answered, not with the final rescue Moses wanted, but with real mercy in the moment. The locusts were gone. Egypt had a brief reprieve. You can pray for someone even when you cannot see a change in them. You are asking God to act, not asking God to agree with your timeline.
Main takeaway: Even when the end is set, prayer still matters because God's mercy is real in every moment.
For Families
For ages 5, 8
Moses asked God to help Pharaoh even though Pharaoh was not being nice. God listened and took away the bugs. God always listens when we pray, even when the answer is hard.
For ages 9, 12
Pharaoh kept changing his mind. When things got bad, he said sorry and asked Moses to pray. Moses did pray, and God removed every locust. But as soon as the trouble was over, Pharaoh went back to saying no. This shows that you can pray for someone even if you know they might not listen. God is patient, and He wants us to keep asking, even when we are not sure what will happen next.
Questions People Ask
Why did Moses pray for Pharaoh if God had already hardened his heart?
Moses prayed because God wanted to show His patience and power. Even though God had told Moses the outcome, the prayer still mattered. It brought immediate relief to Egypt and revealed God's mercy. Moses was not wasting his time; he was participating in God's long-suffering.
Did God cause Pharaoh to sin by hardening his heart?
Christians have understood this in different ways. Some emphasize that God's sovereignty includes using even human stubbornness for His purposes. Others emphasize that Pharaoh first hardened his own heart repeatedly, and God's action confirmed that direction. Both readings recognize that God is just and that He works all things for the good of His people.
How did a west wind remove the locusts?
God used a natural means, a strong wind from the Mediterranean Sea, to sweep the locusts away. The Hebrew describes it as a relentless thrust, hurling them into the sea. This shows that God can work through ordinary weather to accomplish extraordinary purposes.
What does 'Red Sea' mean in this context?
The Hebrew term is Yam Suph, meaning 'Sea of Reeds' or 'Sea of Weeds.' It is the same body of water later parted for Israel's escape. The name 'Red Sea' comes from the Greek translation (the Septuagint). It likely refers to the area we know as the Gulf of Suez.
Why does God harden hearts in the Bible?
In Exodus, God's hardening serves two purposes: to show His power and to make His name known throughout the earth. It also demonstrates that persistent rebellion has consequences. God does not force anyone to sin; He gives people over to the path they have chosen.
For pastors & researchers
Hebrew interlinear, 8 commentaries & word study