Pharaoh’s Hard Heart in Exodus

Exodus 4:21 Direct teaching

And the Lord said to Moses, “When you go back to Egypt, see that you do all those wonders before Pharaoh which I have put in your hand. But I will harden his heart, so that he will not let the people go.

Exodus 7:14 Direct teaching

Then the LORD said to Moses, “Pharaoh's heart is hardened; he refuses to let the people go.

Exodus 9:12 Direct teaching

But the Lord hardened the heart of Pharaoh; and he did not heed them, just as the Lord had spoken to Moses.

Exodus 7:13 Direct teaching

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

Exodus 10:20 Direct teaching

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

Exodus 9:35 Direct teaching

So the heart of Pharaoh was hardened, and he did not let the people of Israel go, just as the LORD had spoken through Moses.

Exodus 14:8 Direct teaching

And the LORD hardened the heart of Pharaoh king of Egypt, and he pursued the people of Israel while the people of Israel were going out defiantly.

Exodus 11:10 Direct teaching

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.

Exodus 7:3 Direct teaching

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

Exodus 7:22 Direct teaching

Then the magicians of Egypt did so with their enchantments; and Pharaoh’s heart grew hard, and he did not heed them, as the Lord had said.

Exodus 8:32 Direct teaching

But Pharaoh hardened his heart at this time also; neither would he let the people go.

Exodus 14:4 Direct teaching

And I will harden Pharaoh's heart, that he shall follow after them; and I will be honoured upon Pharaoh, and upon all his host; that the Egyptians may know that I am the LORD. And they did so.

Origen, De Principiis (On First Principles) Direct teaching

And now, the statements regarding Pharaoh have troubled many, respecting whom God declared several times, I will harden Pharaoh's heart.

Tertullian, Against Marcion Supporting witness

God hardens the heart of Pharaoh. He deserved, however, to be influenced to his destruction, who had already denied God, already in his pride so often rejected His ambassadors, accumulated heavy burdens on His people, and (to sum up all) as an Egyptian, had long been guilty before God of Gentile idolatry, worshipping the ibis and the crocodile in preference to the living God.

Irenaeus, Against Heresies: Book IV Supporting witness

As the Word spake to Moses from the bush: “And I am sure that the king of Egypt will not let you go, unless by a mighty hand.” And for the reason that the Lord spake in parables, and brought blindness upon Israel, that seeing they might not see, since He knew the [spirit of] unbelief in them, for the same reason did He harden Pharaoh’s heart;

Irenaeus, Against Heresies: Book IV Supporting witness

1. “But,” say they, “God hardened the heart of Pharaoh and of his servants.” Those, then, who allege such difficulties, do not read in the Gospel that passage where the Lord replied to the disciples, when they asked Him, “Why speakest Thou unto them in parables?”—“Because it is given unto you to know the mystery of the kingdom of heaven;

Irenaeus, Against Heresies: Book IV Supporting witness

2. If, therefore, in the present time also, God, knowing the number of those who will not believe, since He foreknows all things, has given them over to unbelief, and turned away His face from men of this stamp, leaving them in the darkness which they have themselves chosen for themselves, what is there wonderful if He did also at that time give over to their unbelief, Pharaoh, who never would have believed, along with those who were with him?

Clement of Rome, First Epistle to the Corinthians Supporting witness

... condemnation was evident to all. For they went down alive into Hades, and death swallowed them up. Pharaoh, with his army and all the princes of Egypt, and the chariots with their riders, were sunk in the depths of the Red Sea and perished, for no other reason than that their foolish hearts were hardened after so many signs and wonders had been performed in the land of Egypt by Moses, the servant of God.

Irenaeus, Against Heresies: Book IV Supporting witness

...h: “And I am sure that the king of Egypt will not let you go, unless by a mighty hand.” Because the Lord spoke in parables, and brought blindness upon Israel, so that seeing they might not see, since He knew their spirit of unbelief, for the same reason He hardened Pharaoh’s heart; so that, while seeing it was the finger of God that led the people, he might not believe, but be plunged into a sea of unbelief, thinking that the Israelites' departure was achieved by magical power, and not by the work of God that the Red Sea opened a path for the people, but that it happened by merely natural causes.

Irenaeus, Against Heresies: Book IV Supporting witness

"But," they say, "God hardened the heart of Pharaoh and his servants." Those who bring up such challenges do not read in the Gospel the passage where the Lord answered the disciples when they asked Him, "Why do You speak to them in parables?" He said, "Because it is given to you to know the mystery of the kingdom of heaven; but to them, I speak in parables so that seeing they do not see, and hearing they do not hear, nor do they understand; fulfilling the prophecy of Isaiah about them: Make the heart of this people dull, and make their ears heavy, and blind their eyes. But blessed are your eyes, for they see, and your ears, for they hear." The same God who blesses some also causes blindness in those who do not believe and disregard Him, just like the sun, a creation of His, affects those who, due to a weakness of the eyes, cannot look at its light. But to those who believe in Him and follow Him, He grants a fuller and greater understanding. According to this, the apostle says in the Second Epistle to the Corinthians: "The god of this world has blinded the minds of those who do not believe, so the light of the glorious Gospel of Christ should not shine on them." And again, in the le

Origen, De Principiis (On First Principles) Direct teaching

and let us ask such in what manner they consider the heart of Pharaoh to have been hardened by God— by what acts or by what prospective arrangements.

Origen, De Principiis (On First Principles) Direct teaching

8. Let us begin, then, with what is said about Pharaoh— that he was hardened by God, that he might not send away the people;

Origen, De Principiis (On First Principles) Direct teaching

Those expressions, accordingly, make an impression on very many, which are used by God in speaking of Pharaoh, as when He frequently says, I will harden Pharaoh's heart.

Origen, De Principiis (On First Principles) Direct teaching

Let us apply these very expressions to Pharaoh, and see if they also are not spoken of him with propriety, since, according to his hardness and impenitent heart, he treasured and stored up for himself wrath on the day of wrath, inasmuch as his hardness could never have been declared and manifested, unless signs and wonders of such number and magnificence had been performed.

Origen, De Principiis (On First Principles) Direct teaching

Let us begin, then, with those words which were spoken to Pharaoh, who is said to have been hardened by God, in order that he might not let the people go. Along with his case, the words of the apostle also will be considered, where he says, "Therefore He has mercy on whom He will, and whom He will He hardens." For it is on these passages chiefly that the heretics rely. They assert that salvation is not in our own power, but that souls are of such a nature as must by all means be either lost or saved. And that in no way can a soul which is of an evil nature become good, or one which is of a virtuous nature be made bad. And so they maintain that Pharaoh too, being of a ruined nature, was on that account hardened by God, who hardens those that are of an earthly nature, but has compassion on those who are of a spiritual nature. Let us see, then, what is the meaning of their assertion. Let us, in the first place, ask them whether they maintain that the soul of Pharaoh was of an earthly nature, such as they call lost. They will undoubtedly answer that it was of an earthly nature. If so, then to believe God, or to obey Him, when his nature opposed his doing so, was impossible. And if this

Origen, De Principiis (On First Principles) Direct teaching

Let us begin, then, with what is said about Pharaoh: that he was hardened by God, so that he might not send away the people. Along with this will also be examined the statement of the apostle, "Therefore has He mercy on whom He will have mercy, and whom He will He hardens." And certain of those who hold different opinions misuse these passages, themselves also almost destroying free will by introducing ruined natures incapable of salvation, and others saved which it is impossible can be lost. And Pharaoh, they say, as being of a ruined nature, is therefore hardened by God, who has mercy on the spiritual but hardens the earthly. Let us now see what they mean. For we shall ask them if Pharaoh was of an earthly nature. And when they answer, we shall say that he who is of an earthly nature is altogether disobedient to God. But if disobedient, what need is there for his heart to be hardened, and that not once, but frequently? Unless perhaps, since it was possible for him to obey—in which case he would certainly have obeyed, as not being earthly, when hard pressed by the signs and wonders—God needs him to be disobedient to a greater degree, in order that He may show His mighty deeds for

Origen, De Principiis (On First Principles) Direct teaching

...when God speaks about Pharaoh, as when He often says, “I will harden Pharaoh’s heart.” For if he is hardened by God, and because of being hardened he commits sin, then he himself is not the cause of his sin. And if that is so, it will seem that Pharaoh does not have freedom of will. It will then be argued, by the same example, that others who perish also do not owe the cause of their destruction to the freedom of their own will. There is also that statement in Ezekiel, when He says, “I will take away their stony hearts, and will give them hearts of flesh, that they may walk in My precepts, and keep My ways.” This may impress some, since it seems to be a gift of God either to walk in His ways or to keep His precepts, if He takes away that stony heart which is an obstacle to the keeping of His commandments, and gives and implants a better and more responsive heart, which is now called a heart of flesh. Consider also the nature of the answer given in the Gospel by our Lord and Savior to those who asked Him why He spoke to the multitude in parables. His words are: “That seeing they may not see; and hearing they may hear, and not understand; lest they should be converted, and their s

Origen, De Principiis (On First Principles) Supporting witness

...as we have said, recognises the ways of individual men, and determines by what way He ought to lead Pharaoh, that through him His name might be named in all the earth, having first chastised him by many blows, and finally drowning him in the sea. By this drowning, however, it is not to be supposed that God's providence as regards Pharaoh was terminated. For we must not imagine that because he was drowned, he therefore had immediately and completely perished. For in the hand of God are both we and our words; all wisdom also, and knowledge of workmanship, as Scripture says. But we have discussed these points according to our ability, while treating of that passage of Scripture in which it is said that God hardened the heart of Pharaoh, and agreeably to the statement, He has mercy on whom He will have mercy, and whom He will He hardens.