Exodus 7:13 - Printer Friendly

ESV: Still Pharaoh 's heart was hardened, and he would not listen to them, as the Lord had said.

NIV: Yet Pharaoh’s heart became hard and he would not listen to them, just as the Lord had said.

NASB: Yet Pharaoh’s heart was hardened, and he did not listen to them, just as the Lord had said.

CSB: However, Pharaoh’s heart was hard, and he did not listen to them, as the Lord had said.

NLT: Pharaoh’s heart, however, remained hard. He still refused to listen, just as the Lord had predicted.

KJV: And he hardened Pharaoh's heart, that he hearkened not unto them; as the Lord had said.

NKJV: And Pharaoh’s heart grew hard, and he did not heed them, as the Lord had said.

Even if Pharaoh thought that his magicians really duplicated God's miracle (Exodus 7:10–11), he should have taken note that God's serpent swallowed the serpents of Egypt (Exodus 7:12). Pharaohs wore cobras as symbols of their authority—the Lord had symbolically declared His rule superior to that of Egypt's king. But Pharaoh is spiritually stubborn. He has already responded to Moses and Aaron with spite (Exodus 5:6–9). This is as God expected (Exodus 3:19–20; 7:4).

God said that He would make Pharaoh obstinate (Exodus 4:21) in order to amplify the message of the plagues on Egypt. However, this does not mean that Pharaoh only refused because the Lord forcibly changed his mind. Pharaoh's heart is said to be hard, or self-hardened, many times (Exodus 7:14, 22; 8:15, 19, 32; 9:7) before the first time God explicitly acts to make the king stubborn (Exodus 9:12; 10:1, 20, 27; 14:4, 8). Even after those moments, Pharaoh still makes his own choice to be headstrong (Exodus 9:34–35). After resisting and resisting (Proverbs 29:1), the Egyptian king crosses a point of no return, after which the Lord turns him into an illustration of judgment.

What comes next is the first of the ten catastrophic plagues on Egypt: turning water into blood (Exodus 7:14–25).

Exodus 7:8–13 depicts a faceoff between Moses and Aaron, against Pharoah and his Egyptian magicians. As instructed (Exodus 4:2–5), Aaron drops his staff, which becomes a snake. Pharaoh's sorcerers manage to duplicate this, but Aaron's snake devours theirs. So, the Egyptian king remains stubborn and will not listen to pleas for Israel's release. This triggers the first of the ten great plagues against Egypt (Exodus 7:17–18).

God again repeats (Exodus 3:19–20; 4:19–23; 6:6) the basic outline of how Israel will be freed from Egyptian slavery (Exodus 1:11–14). He then commands Moses and Aaron to show Pharaoh one of the miraculous signs given for that purpose (Exodus 4:2–5). Egyptian magicians seem to duplicate the feat, so Pharaoh still refuses to hear Mo-ses' message. This results in the first plague: all water in Egypt, including the Nile river, becomes blood. This lasts seven days. The Lord then tells Moses to repeat the demand for Israel's release.

God commissioned Moses (Exodus 3:10) and commanded him to confront Egypt's ruler, the pharaoh (Exodus 4:19–23). When Moses obeyed (Exodus 5:1–3), the immediate result was even worse oppression for Israel (Exodus 5:19–21). This inspired Moses to doubt (Exodus 5:22–23). The Lord responded with reassurances (Exodus 6:1–8). Chapter 7 completes this declaration and begins the cycle of plagues (Exodus 3:19–20), starting with turning the Nile river into blood. These catastrophes will continue (Exodus 8—11) until Pharaoh finally releases the Israelites (Exodus 12:41).

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.