Exodus 11:9-10 · Bible study
Exodus 11:9-10 Commentary: The Purpose Behind Pharaoh’s Hard Heart
Hebrew · 8 what the commentators say
Meaning in one sentence
This summary of the plagues shows that God’s hardening of Pharaoh’s heart was intentional, it multiplied His wonders. A study in sovereignty and mercy.
Research Summary
- Meaning: God declares that Pharaoh’s refusal to listen is part of His plan to multiply wonders.
- Key words: Wonders (mophtim): signs of divine power; Hardened (chazaq): made strong, confirmed.
- Main debate: Whether God directly hardens Pharaoh or permits his own stubbornness to take its course.
- Theological theme: God’s sovereignty and glory, especially through judgment and deliverance.
- Best use: Transition from the plague narrative to the exodus; grounding for understanding divine purpose in human opposition.
Translation Comparison
BSB Berean Standard Bible 2020
9The LORD said to Moses, “Pharaoh will not listen to you, so that My wonders may be multiplied in the land of Egypt.”
10Moses and Aaron did all these wonders before Pharaoh, but the LORD hardened Pharaoh’s heart so that he would not let the Israelites go out of his land.
WEB World English Bible 2000
9Yahweh said to Moses, “Pharaoh won’t listen to you, that my wonders may be multiplied in the land of Egypt.”
10Moses and Aaron did all these wonders before Pharaoh, but Yahweh hardened Pharaoh’s heart, and he didn’t let the children of Israel go out of his land.
KJV King James Version 1769
9And the Lord said unto Moses, Pharaoh shall not hearken unto you; that my wonders may be multiplied in the land of Egypt.
10And Moses and Aaron did all these wonders before Pharaoh: and the Lord hardened Pharaoh’s heart, so that he would not let the children of Israel go out of his land.
ASV American Standard Version 1901
9And Jehovah said unto Moses, Pharaoh will not hearken unto you; that my wonders may be multiplied in the land of Egypt.
10And Moses and Aaron did all these wonders before Pharaoh: and Jehovah hardened Pharaoh’s heart, and he did not let the children of Israel go out of his land.
YLT Young's Literal Translation 1898
9And Jehovah saith unto Moses, `Pharaoh doth not hearken unto you, so as to multiply My wonders in the land of Egypt;'
10and Moses and Aaron have done all these wonders before Pharaoh, and Jehovah strengtheneth Pharaoh's heart, and he hath not sent the sons of Israel out of his land.
Darby Darby Bible 1890
9And Jehovah had said to Moses, Pharaoh shall not hearken to you; that my wonders may be multiplied in the land of Egypt.
10And Moses and Aaron did all these wonders before Pharaoh; but Jehovah made Pharaoh's heart stubborn, and he did not let the children of Israel go out of his land.
Douay-Rheims Douay-Rheims Bible 1899
9And he went out from Pharao exceeding angry. But the Lord said to Moses: Pharao will not hear you, that many signs may be done in the land of Egypt.
10And Moses and Aaron did all the wonders that are written, before Pharao. And the Lord hardened Pharao's heart, neither did he let the children of Israel go out of his land.
Verse in Context
Original Language (Biblical Hebrew)
Old Testament · Biblical Hebrew · Exodus 11:9
Source: STEPBible TAGNT/TEHB (CC-BY 4.0). Click or tap a morphology code to see the full parsing.
Scholars' Consensus
Commentators across traditions agree that Exodus 11:9-10 functions as a concluding summary of the plague narrative. Keil and Delitzsch call these verses “terminal,” closing off the negotiations that began in Exodus 7. God’s words repeat what He had already said in Exodus 7:3-4 and 4:21: that Pharaoh would not listen and that this refusal would serve the multiplication of wonders. Adam Clarke draws attention to the Hebrew verb yishma. He argues for the translation “Pharaoh will not hearken” rather than “shall not,” because “shall” could imply that God made it impossible for Pharaoh to obey. Clarke wants to preserve Pharaoh’s own responsibility. John Calvin reads the same text differently. For him, the tyrant’s stubbornness displays God’s power and glory. On verse 10, the Cambridge Bible notes the Hebrew verb chazaq, meaning “made strong.” This is the same word used throughout Exodus for God’s hardening of Pharaoh’s heart. The passage does not resolve the tension between divine sovereignty and human choice, but it clearly affirms that God had a purpose in Pharaoh’s resistance: to multiply His wonders in Egypt.
How settled is the interpretation?
Interpretive difficulty: Medium
Main views:
- Divine causation: God directly hardens Pharaoh’s heart, as stated in Ex 4:21, 7:3, and Rom 9:17-18.
- Divine permission: Pharaoh hardens his own heart first (Ex 8:15, 32); God confirms him in his choice, as argued by Clarke.
- Mystery of sovereignty: Both statements appear in Scripture; the relationship is not fully explained, requiring humility.
What is clear: God is sovereign over Pharaoh’s response, and His purpose is to display His glory through judgment and deliverance.
What Scholars Agree and Debate
| Topic | Agreed | Debated |
|---|---|---|
| God’s hardening of Pharaoh | God is sovereign and actively involved in the process; Pharaoh does not relent. | Reformed tradition (Calvin) sees direct divine causation. Arminian/Wesleyan tradition (Clarke) sees divine permission building on Pharaoh’s own choices. |
| Translation of lo’ yishma | The verb is an imperfect, indicating future action. | "Shall not" can imply divine decree; "will not" stresses human obstinacy (Clarke). |
| Timing of the verses | They refer back to God’s earlier words. | Some read v. 9 as a pluperfect (Gill: “the Lord had said”); others see it as a logical summary in the narrative (Keil). |
| Nature of the wonders | The wonders include the plagues already displayed and the ones still to come. | Jarchi limits them to the Red Sea and the destruction of Pharaoh; others include all ten plagues. |
| Role of Moses and Aaron | They performed the wonders faithfully as God commanded. | Whether their continued obedience is meant as an example for ministry or simply as historical record. |
Historical & Cultural Context
These verses stand at a pivotal point in Exodus. The announcement of the tenth plague (the death of the firstborn) has just been delivered; the exodus is hours away. Verses 9-10 are a brief interlude that sums up everything that has happened since chapter 7. God’s statement “Pharaoh will not listen” looks back to the nine previous refusals and forward to the yet unspoken confrontation.
The cultural context of Pharaoh’s stubbornness is important. Egypt’s king was viewed as a living god, son of Ra, responsible for maintaining cosmic order. To yield to a foreign god’s demand would mean admitting his own powerlessness. The plagues were designed to break that pride. Each plague targeted a specific Egyptian deity, the Nile, the sun, the livestock, the darkness. Pharaoh’s refusal to listen was not just political stubbornness; it was a religious conflict between the God of Israel and the gods of Egypt.
The literary context also matters. Exodus 11:9-10 echoes the initial prediction of Exodus 7:3. That earlier verse uses the same pair of ideas: “I will harden Pharaoh’s heart, and multiply my signs and wonders.” The repetition here bookends the plague narrative. Everything happened exactly as God said it would. Moses and Aaron are shown as obedient servants who “did all these wonders before Pharaoh,” even though they knew he would not respond. Their faithfulness models how God’s people are called to act, obey Him, leave the results to Him.
Textual Notes
The Hebrew Masoretic text of these two verses is well preserved and shows no significant variants in the standard critical editions. Adam Clarke notes that the Samaritan Pentateuch has textual differences in Exodus 11 that affect the flow of dialogue, but for verses 9, 10 the differences are minor and do not change the meaning.
Reception History
Throughout church history, Exodus 11:9-10 has been drawn into debates about divine sovereignty and human responsibility. Early church theologians read Pharaoh’s hardening as a just punishment for his already guilty heart. The Reformed tradition, following Calvin, saw it as an example of God’s absolute control over both the willing and the unwilling. Arminian and Wesleyan interpreters, such as Adam Clarke, emphasized Pharaoh’s own prior stubbornness and argued that God’s hardening consisted of removing restraint and allowing Pharaoh to follow his own will. Eastern Orthodox reading has typically seen hardening as God’s permission of Pharaoh’s continued sin. The passage is also part of the liturgical reading for the Paschal Vigil in many traditions, where the plagues are recalled as the prelude to deliverance.
Preaching This Verse
Three-Point Outline
- God’s Word Stands Certain. God predicted Pharaoh’s refusal and the multiplication of wonders. His word is reliable even when human resistance seems to contradict it.
- God’s Purpose Shapes the Struggle. The words “that my wonders may be multiplied” show that obstacles serve God’s plan. He uses opposition to reveal more of His power.
- God’s Heart Is Not Easily Read. The hardening of Pharaoh raises hard questions about divine sovereignty. The text invites trust: God’s ways are higher than ours.
Five-Point Outline
- A Declaration: God tells Moses again that Pharaoh will not listen (v. 9).
- A Purpose: This refusal allows God to multiply His wonders.
- An Obedience: Moses and Aaron faithfully perform all the wonders before Pharaoh (v. 10).
- A Judgment: God strengthens Pharaoh’s heart in his resistance. The Hebrew verb chazaq means “made strong.”
- A Result: Pharaoh does not let Israel go, setting the stage for the final plague and the deliverance.
Illustration Hooks
- A child who refuses to apologize, and the parent waits patiently, others see the parent’s patience and justice.
- A homeowner who rejects a contractor’s price, forcing the contractor to provide a more detailed bid that eventually benefits the whole neighborhood.
Questions Your Congregation Is Asking
- Did God make Pharaoh sin? The text does not say that. The same verb for “hardened” was used earlier for Pharaoh hardening his own heart (Ex 8:15).
- Why would God want to multiply suffering? The suffering was judgment on Egypt, but it also served to reveal God’s power and to deliver His people.
Leading a Discussion
These two verses are the bridge between nine plagues and the tenth. They remind us that God is never caught off guard. Even human obstinacy fits into His plan. The passage invites us to trust that God can work through circumstances that seem like failures.
Discussion Questions
- Read Exodus 11:9-10 carefully. What do you learn about God? About Pharaoh? About Moses and Aaron?
- How does this passage connect to God’s earlier words in Exodus 7:3-4 and 4:21?
- The phrase “that my wonders may be multiplied” suggests a purpose for Pharaoh’s refusal. What does this reveal about God’s priorities?
- Compare “Pharaoh will not listen” with the places where Pharaoh hardens his own heart (Ex 8:15, 32; 9:34). How do you understand the relationship between human will and divine action here?
- Why might God have included this summary right before the final plague? What does it add to the story?
- In your own life, have you seen a situation where someone’s refusal to cooperate led to a greater display of God’s power or patience?
- How does this passage challenge or comfort you? What questions does it leave you with?
Word Study
The key original-language words in this verse. Select any word for its full lexicon entry — meaning, every occurrence in Scripture, and related words.
Cross-References
Source: Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (TSK, public domain)
| Exodus 3:19 | I know that the king of Egypt won’t give you permission to go, no, not by a mighty hand. |
| Exodus 7:3 | I will harden Pharaoh’s heart, and multiply my signs and my wonders in the land of Egypt. |
| Exodus 7:4 | But Pharaoh will not listen to you, so I will lay my hand on Egypt, and bring out my armies, my people the children of Israel, out of the land of Egypt by great judgments. |
| Exodus 10:1 | Yahweh said to Moses, “Go in to Pharaoh, for I have hardened his heart and the heart of his servants, that I may show these my signs among them; |
| Romans 9:16 | So then it is not of him who wills, nor of him who runs, but of God who has mercy. |
| Romans 9:18 | So then, he has mercy on whom he desires, and he hardens whom he desires. |
| Exodus 4:21 | Yahweh said to Moses, “When you go back into Egypt, see that you do before Pharaoh all the wonders which I have put in your hand, but I will harden his heart and he will not let the people go. |
| Exodus 7:13 | Pharaoh’s heart was hardened, and he didn’t listen to them, as Yahweh had spoken. |
Interlinear and lexical data from STEPBible (CC BY 4.0). Cross-reference data from OpenBible.info (CC BY 4.0). Commentaries are public domain.
For personal reflection
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What the Commentators Say
8 public-domain commentaries, condensed into plain language.
Adam Clarke's Commentary Methodist/Wesleyan 1826
Clarke notes a crucial translation difference in the Hebrew word "yishma." Rendering it "Pharaoh shall not hearken" implies God made it impossible for him to obey. Clarke argues the correct translation is "Pharaoh will not hearken," which matches earlier accounts of Pharaoh hardening his own heart through stubborn refusal.
Calvin's Commentaries Reformed 1564
Calvin explains that Moses' anger toward Pharaoh came from seeing God's authority defied so persistently. Yet God had forewarned Moses of this stubbornness to prevent him from losing heart. God hardened Pharaoh's heart deliberately, not out of weakness, but to display His glory more wonderfully through the eventual deliverance.
Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges Anglican 1880
The commentator distinguishes between two sets of portents in this passage. Those in verse 9 can only be wonders that occurred after the ninth plague, if the verse stands in its correct place. Verse 10, however, refers back to the earlier signs Moses and Aaron performed before Pharaoh, which failed to move him.
Geneva Bible Notes Reformed 1599
The Geneva Notes emphasize that God's stated purpose in hardening Pharaoh's heart was not mere judgment but the multiplication of His wonders in Egypt. The commentator observes that every refusal and every plague served to display God's power more fully before the deliverance of Israel.
Gill's Exposition of the Bible Baptist 1748
Gill notes that God spoke these words to Moses earlier, not at this moment. The writer records them here to show Moses knew Pharaoh's heart would keep hardening. When Moses prayed for plague removal, it was not expecting Pharaoh to keep his word, but to fulfill God's will and his own calling.
Keil & Delitzsch OT Commentary Protestant 1876
Keil and Delitzsch read these verses as a closing summary, not a chronological event. The logical connection confirms that everything happened exactly as God had predicted: Pharaoh would not listen, his heart was hardened, and this very fulfillment guarantees that God's further warnings against him will also come to pass.
Lange's Commentary Reformed 1857
Lange argues that the announcement of the final plague comes immediately after Pharaoh's refusal, not beforehand. God Himself will step forth in judgment, with Moses reverently retiring. The judgment is so severe that Israel's own relative guilt requires atonement through the paschal lamb, and the proverb about a dog's tongue means Israel will face no disturbance.
Matthew Henry's Commentary Reformed/Presbyterian 1710
Matthew Henry draws attention to the progressive nature of God's judgments: less severe plagues were sent first, giving Egypt repeated chances to turn. If the earlier losses had humbled them, the death of the firstborn would never have come. This reveals God's slowness to wrath and the preciousness of human life in his sight.