Exodus 11:10 kjv
And 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.
Exodus 11:10 nkjv
So Moses and Aaron did all these wonders before Pharaoh; and the LORD hardened Pharaoh's heart, and he did not let the children of Israel go out of his land.
Exodus 11:10 niv
Moses and Aaron performed all these wonders before Pharaoh, but the LORD hardened Pharaoh's heart, and he would not let the Israelites go out of his country.
Exodus 11:10 esv
Moses and Aaron did all these wonders before Pharaoh, and the LORD hardened Pharaoh's heart, and he did not let the people of Israel go out of his land.
Exodus 11:10 nlt
Moses and Aaron performed these miracles in Pharaoh's presence, but the LORD hardened Pharaoh's heart, and he wouldn't let the Israelites leave the country.
Exodus 11 10 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Ex 4:21 | "I will harden his heart, so that he will not let the people go." | Divine hardening initiated |
| Ex 7:3 | "I will harden Pharaoh’s heart, and multiply my signs and my wonders..." | God's purpose for hardening |
| Ex 7:5 | "And the Egyptians shall know that I am the Lord, when I stretch out..." | God revealing Himself |
| Ex 7:13 | "But Pharaoh’s heart was hardened; he did not listen to them, just as..." | Pharaoh's initial stubbornness confirmed |
| Ex 9:12 | "But the Lord hardened the heart of Pharaoh; and he did not listen..." | Reinforces divine hardening |
| Ex 9:16 | "But for this purpose I have raised you up, to show my power in you..." | God's sovereign purpose |
| Ex 10:1 | "Go in to Pharaoh, for I have hardened his heart and the heart of..." | God's ongoing hardening of Pharaoh |
| Ex 10:20 | "But the Lord hardened Pharaoh’s heart, and he did not let the sons..." | Repeated hardening |
| Ex 10:27 | "But the Lord hardened Pharaoh’s heart, and he would not let them go." | Pharaoh's final resistance before the tenth plague |
| Deut 6:22 | "and showed great and terrifying signs and wonders before our eyes..." | Remembrance of God's signs |
| Neh 9:10 | "You showed signs and wonders against Pharaoh and all his servants..." | God's acts against Egypt remembered |
| Psa 78:43-51 | "how He had wrought His signs in Egypt and His wonders in the field..." | Poetic retelling of plagues |
| Psa 105:27-36 | "They performed His signs among them, and wonders in the land of Ham." | Remembering God's works in Egypt |
| Isa 6:9-10 | "Go, and say to this people: ‘Hear indeed, but do not understand..." | Principle of judicial hardening |
| Jer 32:21 | "You brought Your people Israel out of the land of Egypt with signs..." | God's mighty arm and wonders |
| Acts 7:36 | "This man led them out, performing wonders and signs in Egypt and..." | Stephen's sermon, recalling Moses' actions |
| Rom 9:17 | "For the Scripture says to Pharaoh, 'For this very purpose I have..." | Paul cites Ex 9:16, God's sovereignty |
| Rom 9:18 | "So then, He has mercy on whom He desires, and He hardens whom He desires." | God's freedom in choosing to harden or show mercy |
| Heb 3:7-8 | "Therefore, as the Holy Spirit says: 'Today, if you will hear His voice, do not harden your hearts as in the rebellion...'" | Warning against hardening one's own heart |
| 1 Pet 2:8 | "A stone of stumbling and a rock of offense.” They stumble because they are disobedient..." | Stubborn disobedience leading to judgment |
Exodus 11 verses
Exodus 11 10 Meaning
This verse serves as a summary and transition, highlighting that Moses and Aaron diligently performed all the miraculous signs and wonders that the Lord commanded, confronting Pharaoh directly. However, despite the overwhelming evidence, the Lord's divine plan involved hardening Pharaoh's heart, which resulted in Pharaoh's continued refusal to allow the Israelites to depart from his land. This reiterates the sovereignty of God over human will, setting the stage for the climactic final plague.
Exodus 11 10 Context
Exodus 11:10 marks the conclusion of the narratives of the first nine plagues. It functions as a summarial statement, reinforcing that all divine commands given to Moses and Aaron regarding the plagues had been carried out. It immediately precedes the dramatic announcement of the tenth and final plague, the death of the firstborn (Ex 11:4-8). The verse directly connects Pharaoh’s unwavering obstinacy—divinely orchestrated—to the necessity of this ultimate judgment. Historically, the confrontation depicted throughout the plague narrative, culminating here, was a profound demonstration of the Lord’s supreme power over all of Egypt's gods and Pharaoh, who was considered a living deity by his people. The resistance of Pharaoh serves to magnify the power and justice of YHWH.
Exodus 11 10 Word analysis
- Moses and Aaron (מֹשֶׁה וְאַהֲרֹן - Mošeh wəʾAharon): The designated agents of God's will. Their consistent actions underscore their faithfulness to divine instruction. They are not merely performing; they are executing divine judgments.
- performed (עָשׂוּ - ʿāśû): The Hebrew verb means "to do," "to make," or "to perform." It indicates a complete and active carrying out of the divine instructions regarding the signs. They did precisely as the Lord commanded.
- all these wonders (כָּל־הַמֹּפְתִים הָאֵלֶּה - kāl-hammōp̄tîm hāʾēlleh):
- all (כָּל - kāl): Emphasizes the comprehensive nature of the plagues; none were withheld. Pharaoh had seen the full range of God's power.
- wonders (הַמֹּפְתִים - hammōp̄tîm): This word (singular, môp̄ēt) denotes signs, portents, or miracles, often specifically indicating an extraordinary event designed to demonstrate divine power or confirm a divine message. These were not random occurrences but purposeful acts of God designed to compel Pharaoh and reveal His glory. These wonders also functioned as polemics against the corresponding Egyptian deities, exposing their impotence.
- before Pharaoh (לִפְנֵי פַרְעֹה - lip̄nê parʿōh): Literally "to the face of Pharaoh." This highlights the direct confrontation and the personal nature of God's challenge to Pharaoh's authority and assumed divinity. The miracles were witnessed by Pharaoh and his court.
- but (וְ - wə): A strong adversative conjunction indicating a sharp contrast or opposition. Despite all the demonstrated wonders, the subsequent action stands in opposition.
- the Lord hardened (וַֽיְחַזֵּק יְהוָה - wayḥazzēq YHVH):
- the Lord (יְהוָה - YHVH): The covenant name of God, emphasizing His personal, sovereign action and His faithfulness to Israel. It highlights that this is a direct, deliberate act of the true God.
- hardened (חָזַק - ḥāzaq): While meaning "to strengthen," "to be strong," or "to grasp firmly," in this context, when applied to the heart in a negative sense, it denotes making obstinate or firm in resistance. It implies that God made Pharaoh's heart resolute in its defiance, but not by overriding his free will entirely, but by confirming or enabling his pre-existing stubbornness for a divine purpose. It is a judicial hardening, part of God’s plan to reveal His power more fully.
- Pharaoh’s heart (אֶת־לֵב פַּרְעֹה - et-lēḇ parʿōh): The "heart" in Hebrew thought refers to the whole inner being, including intellect, will, and emotion—the core of one's being and decision-making. Pharaoh's internal disposition was set against God, and God further strengthened that disposition for His redemptive plan.
- and he would not let... go (וְלֹא שִׁלַּח... - wəloʾ šillaḥ...): A direct statement of Pharaoh's continued refusal. Shalaḥ means "to send forth" or "to release." This emphasizes that Pharaoh's defiance remained resolute.
- the Israelites (אֶת־בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל - et-bəney Yiśrāʾēl): "Sons of Israel," the people of God, central to the narrative of liberation. Their freedom is the ultimate aim of the divine interventions.
- out of his country (מֵאַרְצוֹ - mêʾarṣō): Literally "from his land." This specifies the extent of Pharaoh's refusal—he wouldn't even let them depart from Egyptian territory. This was God's fundamental demand from the beginning.
Exodus 11 10 Bonus section
The concept of "hardening" is crucial here. It’s not simply God making Pharaoh act against his will, but strengthening Pharaoh's existing inclination toward defiance and evil. This is part of God's wider purpose to reveal Himself as the sole sovereign and powerful deity, contrasting starkly with the Egyptian pantheon. The plagues served not only to oppress Egypt but to declare YHWH's authority over specific elements of nature and domains of the gods the Egyptians worshipped (e.g., the Nile god Hapi, sun god Re, etc.). Each plague, therefore, also functions as a specific theological polemic, demonstrating that the gods of Egypt were powerless against the Lord. This verse acts as the divine justification for the climactic judgment that is about to follow, assuring that all preceding actions have met their preordained outcome in preparation for the ultimate liberation.
Exodus 11 10 Commentary
Exodus 11:10 summarizes the dramatic contest between the Lord and Pharaoh, culminating the previous nine plagues. It reiterates two critical truths: the complete faithfulness of Moses and Aaron in executing all of God's commanded wonders, and the ongoing, divine act of hardening Pharaoh's heart. This hardening, which built upon Pharaoh's own stubbornness, served to ensure the maximum display of God’s power and justice. Despite overwhelming evidence and immense suffering, Pharaoh's will remained set against God, facilitated by the Lord's judicial action. This verse powerfully underscores the theme of divine sovereignty: God's ultimate plan of deliverance for Israel, and the demonstration of His incomparable power, would unfold through Pharaoh’s resistance, making His Name known throughout all the earth. The repeated failure to release the Israelites confirms that only the final, decisive blow of the tenth plague could secure their freedom.