Exodus 9:34 kjv

And when Pharaoh saw that the rain and the hail and the thunders were ceased, he sinned yet more, and hardened his heart, he and his servants.

Exodus 9:34 nkjv

And when Pharaoh saw that the rain, the hail, and the thunder had ceased, he sinned yet more; and he hardened his heart, he and his servants.

Exodus 9:34 niv

When Pharaoh saw that the rain and hail and thunder had stopped, he sinned again: He and his officials hardened their hearts.

Exodus 9:34 esv

But when Pharaoh saw that the rain and the hail and the thunder had ceased, he sinned yet again and hardened his heart, he and his servants.

Exodus 9:34 nlt

But when Pharaoh saw that the rain, hail, and thunder had stopped, he and his officials sinned again, and Pharaoh again became stubborn.

Exodus 9 verses

Exodus 9 34 Meaning

Exodus 9:34 reveals Pharaoh's unyielding nature. Despite witnessing God's powerful judgment through the cessation of the devastating hail plague, he responded with continued defiance. Rather than a sincere turning to God, his relief from suffering led him to resume his sinful rebellion and further harden his heart against the divine will, an act of obstinacy mirrored by his officials. This verse underscores the deep-seated spiritual insensitivity and unwillingness to repent even in the face of undeniable divine revelation.

Exodus 9 34 Context

Exodus chapter 9 details the sixth and seventh plagues: boils (verses 8-12) and hail (verses 13-35). Pharaoh's pattern of hardened resistance intensifies with each successive demonstration of Yahweh's power. Prior to the hail, Pharaoh's magicians could no longer stand before Moses due to the boils, acknowledging "this is the finger of God" (Exo 8:19). The hail plague itself was unprecedented in Egypt, causing immense devastation to crops, livestock, and people throughout the land, except in Goshen where the Israelites lived (Exo 9:26).

During the plague, Pharaoh temporarily softened, admitting, "I have sinned this time; the LORD is in the right, and I and my people are in the wrong" (Exo 9:27). He pleaded with Moses for intercession. Moses indeed interceded, and the hail and thunder ceased immediately, proving God's control. However, Pharaoh's 'repentance' was superficial, driven solely by external pressure. The cessation of the plague, meant to reveal God's mercy and omnipotence, paradoxically emboldened Pharaoh to return to his obstinacy. This demonstrates the cycle of defiance that characterises Pharaoh and sets the stage for the final, climactic plagues. The immediate cessation of the plague also highlighted Yahweh's absolute control over natural forces, a direct polemic against Egyptian deities such as Nut (goddess of the sky), Shu (god of air), and Set (god of storms), proving their utter powerlessness compared to the God of Israel.

Exodus 9 34 Word analysis

• But when Pharaoh saw: His acknowledgment was based purely on empirical observation of relief, not on genuine conviction of God's authority or his own sin. It indicates a temporary, conditional response.
• that the rain and the hail and the thunder had ceased: The relief from God's judgment was immediate and undeniable, further attesting to divine power. The Hebrew word for "ceased," חָדַל (chadal), means to stop, refrain, or desist, indicating the complete end of the immediate threat.
• he sinned yet again: The Hebrew phrase יָסַף לַחֲטֹא (yasaph lachato) literally means "he added to sin" or "he continued to sin." This signifies a repeated and persistent act, highlighting a deep-seated rebellion and lack of true repentance rather than a new or isolated transgression. It points to a habitual inclination of the heart.
• and hardened his heart: The Hebrew is וַיַּכְבֵּד אֶת־לִבּוֹ (vayyakhbêd et-libbo), "he made heavy his heart" or "he made his heart dull/insensate." This is an active verb, clearly attributing the action of hardening to Pharaoh himself. A "heavy" heart implies being unresponsive, stubbornly closed to instruction, insensitive to God's presence, and incapable of a tender response.
• he and his servants: This emphasizes that the resistance was not confined to Pharaoh alone but permeated his entire administration and extended to his people, suggesting a collective stubbornness and national defiance against the God of Israel.

Words-group analysis:

• "Pharaoh saw that the rain and the hail and the thunder had ceased, he sinned yet again": This sequence illustrates a conditional "repentance." His 'softening' was not rooted in humility or a change of mind (metanoia) but in the temporary discomfort caused by the plague. Once the discomfort was removed, his true, rebellious nature reasserted itself, demonstrating that his initial confession was superficial and self-serving.
• "sinned yet again and hardened his heart": This shows the interplay between ongoing sinful actions and the state of the heart. The continuous sinfulness is the manifestation of a hardened heart, and a hardened heart leads to persistent sin. It's a reinforcing cycle of rebellion against divine truth and will. Pharaoh's agency in hardening his own heart is central to understanding his ultimate judgment.

Exodus 9 34 Bonus section

• Human Agency vs. Divine Sovereignty: Exodus 9:34, where Pharaoh hardens his own heart, stands alongside other verses where God hardens Pharaoh's heart. This seemingly paradoxical relationship highlights the complex interplay between human will and divine purpose in biblical theology. Pharaoh was truly responsible for his choices, yet God also purposed to use Pharaoh's hardened heart to demonstrate His power and glory, and to glorify Himself in the deliverance of His people (Rom 9:17-18).
• Symbolism of the Plagues: The plague of hail, in particular, was a direct assault on the Egyptian pantheon. Gods like Nut (sky), Shu (air), Seth (storms), and Isis/Osiris (fertility/agriculture) were rendered powerless by Yahweh's direct control over the elements, clearly establishing His unrivaled supremacy as the one true God over all of creation and every false deity.
• Pattern of Rebellion: Pharaoh's actions establish a pattern of human rebellion against God, where opportunities for repentance are rejected, leading to increasingly severe judgment. This pattern echoes throughout biblical narratives, such as Israel's unfaithfulness in the wilderness and the obstinacy of nations in the prophetic books.

Exodus 9 34 Commentary

Exodus 9:34 profoundly illustrates the spiritual reality of a stubborn heart. Pharaoh's response to the cessation of the plague reveals a nature that fears the consequence of sin more than sin itself, or even more than the One true God. His "repentance" was merely a calculated strategy to escape immediate suffering. Once the divine pressure was removed, he quickly reverted to his inherent rebellion, not because God caused him to do so in this instance, but because his heart was predisposed to disobedience. The Hebrew verb used, "made his heart heavy," explicitly highlights Pharaoh's active role in intensifying his spiritual insensitivity. This serves as a solemn warning that mere temporary relief from distress, even if divinely granted, does not equate to genuine transformation or submission to God's authority. His persistent sin and self-imposed hardening culminated in judgment, demonstrating that God's patience, while immense, is not limitless.