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NASB | Exodus 7:3 "But I will harden Pharaoh's heart that I may multiply My signs and My wonders in the land of Egypt. |
AMPLIFIED 2015 | Exodus 7:3 "And I will make Pharaoh's heart hard, and multiply My signs and My wonders (miracles) in the land of Egypt. |
Bible Question: Why did God harden Pharaoh's heart? It seems out of character for God to cause a behavior and then punish it. If Pharaoh was going to repeat his past behavior the hardening was not necessary, if he was really going to free the Israelites this action on God’s part kept them in captivity longer. Please don’t think I’m accusing God of meanness, I just can’t understand the motivation. |
Bible Answer: Good question Hiram! Upon God ultimately rests the responsibility for the well-being of some and the discomfuture of others, and He is well able to bear it. In Exo 33:19 God tells us that He "will be gracious to whom I will be gracious and show mercy to whom I will show mercy. This tells us specifically that He will not show mercy to all. The Pharaoh is cautioned at the outset as to the consequences of non-compliance with the divine command. In addition, Exo 8:15,32; 9:34 states that Pharaoh hardened his own heart. Hardening of the heart is the choice of man. Pharaoh freely chose a life of resisting God. Pharaoh was a greedy man. The Hebrews were free labor for the Pharaoh. He was not about to let such a great resource go. Even after he did say they were to go he changed his mind and went after them to bring them back (Exo 14:5). |