Exodus 11:10 - Printer Friendly

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.

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.

NASB: So Moses and Aaron performed all these wonders before Pharaoh; yet the Lord hardened Pharaoh’s heart, and he did not let the sons of Israel go out of his land.

CSB: Moses and Aaron did all these wonders before Pharaoh, but the Lord hardened Pharaoh’s heart, and he would not let the Israelites go out of his land.

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.

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.

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.

This summarizes the story of the plagues brought against Egypt. God provided Moses and Aaron with miraculous signs (Exodus 4:1–9) and sent nine supernatural disasters to prove their message (Exodus 7:21; 8:6, 17, 24; 9:6, 10, 24; 10:14, 23). They commanded Egypt's Pharaoh, the king, to free the Israelites (Exodus 5:1; 7:16; 8:1, 21; 9:1, 13; 10:3). He repeatedly refused (Exodus 5:2; 7:14, 22; 8:15, 19, 32; 9:7, 34) and lied (Exodus 8:15, 31–32; 9:34–35; 10:19–20) in defiance of the Lord.

Eventually, that obstinance (Exodus 8:15, 19, 32; 9:7) took Pharaoh past a point of no return. God is open to everyone who calls out to Him in sincere faith (Psalm 14:2; John 6:37; Galatians 3:28). That includes even those Egyptians who believed the signs and went with Israel when they were freed (Exodus 12:38, 43, 48). But eventually, the time to repent ran out, and God began to use Pharaoh as an illustration of divine judgment (Exodus 10:1, 20, 27; 14:8).

In the end, these terrible events would inspire Egypt to demand the Israelites leave (Exodus 12:30–33). They will even give their former slaves treasures, showing their willingness to see the carnage end (Exodus 3:21–22; 12:35–36). What comes next in the book of Exodus is a description of the final plague, the establishment of a new calendar, and the liberation of the Israelites.

Exodus 11:4–10 records Moses' declaration of the final plague. He is still in the presence of Pharaoh, who has just threated Moses with death after the ninth plague (Exodus 10:28–29). In the night, God will kill every firstborn in Egypt—including those of cattle, slaves, and even the royal family itself. The Israelites will be spared, and Egypt will beg for the Israelites to leave. Moses then leaves, furious at Pharaoh. God reminds Moses that Pharaoh was never going to submit; these events happened to proclaim God's power to the world.

Immediately after being threatened by Pharaoh (Exodus 10:28–29), Moses is given more instructions from the Lord. He is to instruct the Israelites to ask Egyptians for jewelry. Recent events will have intimidated them enough to be generous. God also tells Moses to predict the last and worst plague: the death off all Egyptian firstborn. This will be the most terrible disaster of Egypt's entire history. It will also lead directly to Israelite freedom. Moses expresses this grim promise in furious anger but is reassured by God that this is all part of an expected plan.

Since the Lord sent Moses back into Egypt (Exodus 3—4), Pharoah has refused multiple commands to release the Hebrew slaves. This has brought nine epic disasters to his nation (Exodus 5—10). Most recently, Pharaoh has threatened to kill Moses if these discussions continue (Exodus 10:28–29). Moses hears instructions from the Lord which include a prediction about the last, and worst, of the plagues of Egypt. In the following chapter, God will establish the Passover and free the Israelites as Egypt mourns catastrophic losses (Exodus 12).

The book of Exodus establishes God's covenant relationship with the full-fledged nation of Israel. The descendants of Abraham prosper after settling in Egypt, only to be enslaved by a fearful, hateful Egyptian Pharaoh. God appoints Moses to lead the people out of this bondage. Moses serves as God's spokesman, as the Lord brings plagues and judgments on Egypt, leading to the release of Israel.