Exodus 10:20

ESV But the Lord hardened Pharaoh 's heart, and he did not let the people of Israel go.

NIV But the Lord hardened Pharaoh’s heart, and he would not let the Israelites go.

NASB But the Lord hardened Pharaoh’s heart, and he did not let the sons of Israel go.

CSB But the Lord hardened Pharaoh’s heart, and he did not let the Israelites go.

NLT But the Lord hardened Pharaoh’s heart again, so he refused to let the people go.

KJV But the Lord hardened Pharaoh's heart, so that he would not let the children of Israel go.

NKJV But the Lord hardened Pharaoh’s heart, and he did not let the children of Israel go.

What does Exodus 10:20 mean?

The final words regarding the eighth plague (Exodus 7:21; 8:6, 17, 24; 9:6, 10, 24; 10:14) follow a familiar pattern. Several times, Egypt's Pharaoh broke his promise to release Hebrew slaves (Exodus 8:15, 31–32; 9:34–35). Eventually, this led to a terrible form of judgment (Proverbs 29:1): becoming a warning to all of history. God has now begun to ensure that Pharaoh rejects Israelite freedom (Exodus 10:1–2). From now on, Egypt's king will suffer the consequences of his constant stubbornness, without any meaningful hope to avoid judgment (Exodus 10:27; 11:10; 14:4).

It's important to note all that happened before this moment. God predicted that He would make Pharaoh resistant (Exodus 4:21), so that the world would see proof of divine power (Exodus 3:20; 7:3–5). Up until now, obstinance and disobedience have been Pharaoh's own choice—with only one exception (Exodus 9:12). He has been described as being "hardened" or "having" a stubborn will numerous times (Exodus 7:13, 14, 22; 8:19). The Lord's choice to use Pharaoh as an illustration of divine wrath was brought on by Pharaoh's own free will.

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