Exodus 7:3

ESV But I will harden Pharaoh 's heart, and though I multiply my signs and wonders in the land of Egypt,

NIV But I will harden Pharaoh’s heart, and though I multiply my signs and wonders in Egypt,

NASB But I will harden Pharaoh’s heart, so that I may multiply My signs and My wonders in the land of Egypt.

CSB But I will harden Pharaoh’s heart and multiply my signs and wonders in the land of Egypt.

NLT But I will make Pharaoh’s heart stubborn so I can multiply my miraculous signs and wonders in the land of Egypt.

KJV And I will harden Pharaoh's heart, and multiply my signs and my wonders in the land of Egypt.

NKJV And I will harden Pharaoh’s heart, and multiply My signs and My wonders in the land of Egypt.

What does Exodus 7:3 mean?

When giving this mission to Moses (Exodus 3:19–20), the Lord indicated that He would make Pharoah resistant. The purpose was to make a greater example out of Egypt and its ruler (Exodus 4:21). Taken all by itself, this seems unfair: that God is punishing someone for a choice they didn't make.

However, the book of Exodus indicates that Pharaoh's stubbornness is his own. With no pressure from the Lord, He rejects divine miracles and divine messages (Exodus 5:6–9). It is only after many such incidents (Exodus 7:14, 22; 8:15, 19, 32; 9:7) that we read of God working to use Pharaoh as an illustration of God's own power (Exodus 9:12; 10:1, 20, 27; 14:8). This demonstrates the warning of Proverbs 29:1, that those who constantly resist the Lord will reach a point of no return.

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