Exodus 4:21 kjv
And the LORD said unto Moses, When thou goest to return into Egypt, see that thou do all those wonders before Pharaoh, which I have put in thine hand: but I will harden his heart, that he shall not let the people go.
Exodus 4:21 nkjv
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 his heart, so that he will not let the people go.
Exodus 4:21 niv
The LORD said to Moses, "When you return to Egypt, see that you perform before Pharaoh all the wonders I have given you the power to do. But I will harden his heart so that he will not let the people go.
Exodus 4:21 esv
And the LORD said to Moses, "When you go back to Egypt, see that you do before Pharaoh all the miracles that I have put in your power. But I will harden his heart, so that he will not let the people go.
Exodus 4:21 nlt
And the LORD told Moses, "When you arrive back in Egypt, go to Pharaoh and perform all the miracles I have empowered you to do. But I will harden his heart so he will refuse to let the people go.
Exodus 4 21 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Ex 7:3 | And I will harden Pharaoh’s heart... | Direct parallel of God's declared hardening. |
| Ex 9:12 | And the Lord hardened the heart of Pharaoh, and he hearkened not... | Confirmation of God's active hardening. |
| Ex 10:1 | ...I have hardened his heart and the heart of his servants, that I might show these My signs among them... | Purpose of hardening: display of God's signs. |
| Ex 10:20 | But the Lord hardened Pharaoh’s heart, so that he would not let the children of Israel go. | Pharaoh's continued refusal as a result of divine hardening. |
| Ex 11:10 | And Moses and Aaron did all these wonders before Pharaoh: but the Lord hardened Pharaoh's heart, so that he would not let the children of Israel go out of his land. | Repeated divine action ensuring refusal. |
| Deut 4:34 | Or has God attempted to go and take for Himself a nation from the midst of another nation, by trials, by signs, and by wonders...? | God's use of signs/wonders to demonstrate power for His people. |
| Josh 11:20 | For it was of the Lord to harden their hearts, that they should come against Israel in battle, that He might destroy them utterly... | God hardens hearts for His purposes in judgment. |
| 1 Sam 6:6 | Why then do you harden your hearts, as the Egyptians and Pharaoh hardened their hearts? | Warning against resisting God, linking to Pharaoh. |
| Isa 6:9-10 | ...“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 hearts, and return and be healed.” | God's judicial hardening leading to spiritual insensitivity. |
| John 12:39-40 | Therefore they could not believe, because Isaiah said again: “He has blinded their eyes and hardened their heart, lest they should see with their eyes, lest they understand with their heart and turn, so that I should heal them.” | New Testament echo of Isa 6 hardening related to unbelief. |
| Rom 9:17 | For the Scripture says to Pharaoh, “For this very purpose I have raised you up, that I may show My power in you, and that My name may be proclaimed in all the earth.” | God's sovereign purpose in Pharaoh's hardening. |
| Rom 9:18 | Therefore He has mercy on whom He will have mercy, and whom He will, He hardens. | Theological explanation of God's sovereign hardening. |
| Rom 9:22 | What if God, desiring to show His wrath and to make His power known, endured with much longsuffering the vessels of wrath prepared for destruction? | God's patience even with those He purposes to judge. |
| Heb 2:4 | God also bearing witness both with signs and wonders, with various miracles, and gifts of the Holy Spirit, according to His own will? | Divine authentication through signs and wonders. |
| Ps 78:43 | How He had worked His signs in Egypt, and His wonders in the field of Zoan. | Recalling God's powerful acts in Egypt. |
| Jer 32:20 | You have set signs and wonders in the land of Egypt, even to this day... | Recognition of God's enduring demonstration of power in Egypt. |
| 1 Kgs 11:9-11 | The Lord became angry with Solomon, because his heart was turned from the Lord God of Israel, who had appeared to him twice. For He had commanded him concerning this thing, that he should not go after other gods; but he did not keep what the Lord had commanded. So the Lord said to Solomon... "I will surely tear the kingdom from you." | God hardening or allowing hearts to harden when disobeyed. |
| Prov 28:14 | Happy is the man who is always reverent, but he who hardens his heart will fall into trouble. | Proverbial warning against self-hardening leading to downfall. |
| Job 9:4 | God is wise in heart and mighty in strength. Who has hardened himself against Him and prospered? | Rhetorical question: challenging anyone to resist God's power. |
| Gen 50:20 | But as for you, you meant evil against me; but God meant it for good, in order to bring it about as it is this day, to save many people alive. | God's sovereignty over evil intentions to bring about His good. |
| Ex 3:20 | And I will stretch out My hand and strike Egypt with all My wonders which I will do in its midst; and after that he will let you go. | God's pre-declaration of the means (wonders) for Israel's release. |
| Gen 12:2 | I will make you a great nation; I will bless you and make your name great... | God's covenant with Abraham foundational to the deliverance. |
Exodus 4 verses
Exodus 4 21 Meaning
Exodus 4:21 communicates God's explicit declaration to Moses that He will be the active agent in hardening Pharaoh's heart. This divine hardening will prevent Pharaoh from releasing the Israelites, thus setting the stage for the demonstration of God's power through wonders and judgments. It foreshadows the great conflict, ensuring that the deliverance of Israel will clearly be attributed to the Lord's mighty hand.
Exodus 4 21 Context
Exodus chapter 4 continues the narrative of Moses' call at the burning bush. Despite God revealing His name, His purpose, and providing miraculous signs (the staff turning into a serpent, his hand becoming leprous and then healed, and water turning to blood), Moses remains reluctant and expresses feelings of inadequacy. This verse (4:21) immediately follows Moses' receipt of these miraculous "wonders" that he is to perform before Pharaoh. It serves as a crucial pre-warning from God, revealing His comprehensive plan for the unfolding confrontation with Pharaoh. The historical context is ancient Egypt, a highly advanced and polytheistic society where the Pharaoh was considered a divine ruler, a son of Ra. This confrontation is not just a demand for freedom, but a cosmic clash of deities, a direct polemic against the supposed power and divinity of Pharaoh and the Egyptian pantheon. God's hardening of Pharaoh's heart ensures that the ten plagues, each targeting specific Egyptian gods, are drawn out, magnifying the glory of the one true God over all creation and all false gods.
Exodus 4 21 Word analysis
- And the Lord said (וַיֹּאמֶר יְהוָה - vayyōʾmer YHWH): "YHWH" (often vocalized as Yahweh) emphasizes the personal, covenant God of Israel speaking directly and authoritatively. This is not a suggestion but a divine decree.
- unto Moses (אֶל־מֹשֶׁה - ʾel-mōše): Highlights the specific, direct communication of this divine plan to the one commissioned.
- When thou goest to return (בְּלֶכְתְּךָ לָשׁוּב - bəlḵətḵā lāšûḇ): Literally, "in your going to return." Indicates an action in process, emphasizing that the future events are directly tied to Moses' obedience in embarking on the mission.
- into Egypt (מִצְרַיְמָה - miṣraymāh): The destination where the divine plan will unfold, the very stronghold of oppression.
- see that thou do (רְאֵה כָּל־הַמֹּפְתִים תַּעֲשֶׂה - rəʾēh kāl-hamōp̄tîm taʿăśeh): "See" (רְאֵה - reʾēh) is an imperative, not just "be aware," but "be careful to," "make sure that." It implies a command to faithfully execute what follows.
- all those wonders (כָּל־הַמֹּפְתִים - kāl-hamōp̄tîm): "Wonders" (mophet / mophetîm) signifies astonishing, supernatural events that serve as signs of divine power and authentication. It confirms the authenticity of Moses' commission.
- before Pharaoh (לִפְנֵי פַרְעֹה - lip̄nê parʿōh): The immediate audience is Pharaoh, the central figure of resistance and representative of Egyptian power and idolatry.
- which I have put in thine hand (אֲשֶׁר נָתַתִּי בְיָדֶךָ - ʾăšer nātatī bəyādeḵā): Emphasizes that these abilities (signs/wonders) are not Moses' own, but divinely granted, confirming God's authorization and active involvement.
- but I will harden (וַאֲנִי אֲחַזֵּק - vaʾanî ʾăḥazzēq): The strong conjunction "but" indicates a counteraction. "I will harden" (ʾăḥazzēq from ḥāzaq) means "to strengthen," "make firm," "be strong." In this context, it implies God actively empowering Pharaoh's resolve against releasing Israel, rather than passively allowing it. This highlights God's sovereignty.
- his heart (אֶת־לִבּוֹ - ʾet-libbô): The "heart" in Hebrew thought refers to the whole inner being, including intellect, will, emotions, and moral character. God is working on the very core of Pharaoh's decision-making and resistance.
- that he shall not let the people go (וְלֹא יְשַׁלַּח אֶת־הָעָם - wəloʾ yəšallaḥ ʾet-hāʿām): States the direct outcome and purpose of the hardening: Pharaoh's refusal, which directly sets the stage for the unfolding of God's greater plan.
Exodus 4 21 Bonus section
The Hebrew word ḥāzaq (חָזַק), translated "harden," more broadly means "to strengthen," "to make firm," or "to take courage." While other words for hardening exist (e.g., kābad for "heavy" or "stubborn"), the use of ḥāzaq here emphasizes God enabling or strengthening Pharaoh's existing resolve and inclination to resist. It’s not about turning a soft heart hard from scratch, but rather firming up or empowering Pharaoh in his chosen path of rebellion, thus allowing the full demonstration of God's might. This perspective acknowledges Pharaoh's culpability and prior hardness while simultaneously affirming God's overarching control and utilization of even wicked wills for His holy ends. The phrase "that he shall not let the people go" specifies the purpose and result of this divine hardening, setting up the entire subsequent narrative of the plagues as a divine judgment upon Egypt and its gods.
Exodus 4 21 Commentary
Exodus 4:21 is a pivotal verse, moving beyond Moses' personal struggles to reveal a foundational theological truth about God's sovereignty and His methods. It disarms any potential human pride in Moses by affirming that the "wonders" are God's gift, performed through him. More profoundly, it unveils a pre-meditated divine strategy: God explicitly declares His intention to "harden" Pharaoh's heart. This isn't merely permitting Pharaoh's wickedness to fester, but an active, judicial hardening that orchestrates Pharaoh's refusal.
The purpose of this divine intervention is multifaceted: It serves to demonstrate God's unparalleled power over all creation and rulers, thus glorifying His name among the Egyptians and, critically, solidifying the faith of the Israelites. Pharaoh's continued resistance, supernaturally sustained by God, necessitates the escalation of plagues, each a powerful indictment against a specific Egyptian deity. The eventual, undeniable liberation of Israel will then unequivocally point to YHWH as the sole, supreme deity, utterly vanquishing the gods of Egypt and their divine Pharaoh. This foretelling sets up a profound drama where God is not reacting to Pharaoh's will, but rather shaping the circumstances to perfectly execute His predetermined redemptive plan and bring Himself maximum glory. This concept underscores a consistent biblical theme of God using resistant human instruments to showcase His power and fulfill His purposes.