◄ Exodus 9:34 ►
When Pharaoh saw that the rain and hail and thunder had ceased, he sinned again and hardened his heart--he and his officials.
Study Bible
When Pharaoh saw
This phrase marks a pivotal moment of observation and decision-making by Pharaoh. In the Hebrew text, the word for "saw" is "רָאָה" (ra'ah), which implies not just a physical seeing but a perception or understanding. Pharaoh's ability to see the consequences of his actions is crucial, yet his heart remains hardened. Historically, Pharaohs were considered divine figures in Egyptian culture, often leading to pride and a reluctance to submit to any higher authority, including the God of Israel.

that the rain and hail and thunder had ceased
The cessation of the storm is significant. The elements—rain, hail, and thunder—are manifestations of God's power and judgment. In the ancient Near Eastern context, weather phenomena were often associated with divine activity. The Hebrew word for "ceased" is "חָדַל" (chadal), indicating a stopping or resting. This pause in the divine judgment was an opportunity for Pharaoh to repent, yet it also tested his true intentions.

he sinned again
The phrase "sinned again" highlights Pharaoh's repeated transgression. The Hebrew word for "sinned" is "חָטָא" (chata), which means to miss the mark or to err. This indicates a willful rebellion against God's commands. In the broader biblical narrative, sin is not just an action but a state of being that separates humanity from God. Pharaoh's repeated sinning underscores the hardness of his heart and his resistance to God's will.

and hardened his heart
The hardening of Pharaoh's heart is a central theme in the Exodus narrative. The Hebrew word for "hardened" is "כָּבֵד" (kaved), which can mean to make heavy or to honor. In this context, it implies a stubbornness or insensitivity to God's commands. This hardening is both a divine act and a personal choice, illustrating the complex interplay between human free will and divine sovereignty.

he and his officials
Pharaoh's actions influenced those around him, including his officials. The Hebrew term for "officials" is "עֲבָדִים" (avadim), meaning servants or ministers. This suggests that leadership carries responsibility, and the decisions of those in power can lead others astray. In a broader biblical context, this serves as a warning about the influence of leaders and the importance of righteous governance.

Persons / Places / Events
1. Pharaoh
The ruler of Egypt who repeatedly hardened his heart against God's commands delivered through Moses.

2. Moses
The prophet and leader chosen by God to deliver the Israelites from Egyptian bondage.

3. Egypt
The land where the Israelites were enslaved and where God demonstrated His power through the plagues.

4. The Plagues
A series of divine judgments sent by God to compel Pharaoh to release the Israelites, with the hail being the seventh plague.

5. Officials of Pharaoh
The advisors and leaders in Pharaoh's court who also participated in the hardening of their hearts.
Teaching Points
The Danger of a Hardened Heart
Pharaoh's repeated hardening of his heart serves as a warning against resisting God's will and the consequences of persistent sin.

God's Sovereignty and Patience
Despite Pharaoh's obstinance, God patiently demonstrated His power and gave multiple opportunities for repentance.

The Deceitfulness of Sin
Sin can deceive and harden our hearts, leading us away from God's truth and grace.

The Role of Leaders
Pharaoh's officials also hardened their hearts, showing how leadership can influence others for good or ill.

Responding to God's Warnings
We must be attentive and responsive to God's warnings in our lives, unlike Pharaoh who ignored them.
Bible Study Questions
1. How does Pharaoh's response to the cessation of the plague reflect the human tendency to forget God in times of ease?

2. In what ways can we guard our hearts against becoming hardened like Pharaoh's, especially after experiencing God's deliverance?

3. How does the account of Pharaoh's hardened heart challenge us to examine our own responses to God's commands?

4. What lessons can we learn from Pharaoh's officials about the influence of leadership on spiritual decisions?

5. How can we apply the warnings from Hebrews 3:13 and Proverbs 28:14 to our daily walk with God to prevent a hardened heart?
Connections to Other Scriptures
Exodus 7:13
This verse introduces the theme of Pharaoh's hardened heart, which is a recurring motif throughout the plagues.

Romans 9:17-18
Paul references Pharaoh's hardened heart to illustrate God's sovereignty and purpose in using Pharaoh to demonstrate His power.

Hebrews 3:13
This verse warns believers against the deceitfulness of sin, which can harden hearts, similar to Pharaoh's experience.

Proverbs 28:14
Highlights the blessing of a responsive heart to God, contrasting with the hardened heart of Pharaoh.

1 Samuel 6:6
The Philistines recall the hardening of Pharaoh's heart as a warning against resisting God's will.
Sermons
The Plague of HailJ. Orr Exodus 9:13-35
The Seventh Plague - the Hail Mingled with FireD. Young Exodus 9:17-35
The Terrors of God's MightJ. Urquhart Exodus 9:22-35
LessonsG. Hughes, B. D.Exodus 9:34-35
Pharaoh's Conduct After the StormW. Lilley.Exodus 9:34-35
Repentance Under JudgmentsExodus 9:34-35
The Cessation of Penitential SorrowJ. S. Exell, M. A.Exodus 9:34-35
People
Aaron, Egyptians, Israelites, Moses, Pharaoh
Places
Egypt, Goshen
Topics
Bondmen, Ceased, Continueth, Ended, Hail, Hardened, Hardeneth, Heart, Hearts, Ice-storm, Officials, Pharaoh, Rain, Servants, Sin, Sinned, Sinning, Stopped, Thunder, Thunders, Voices, Yet
Dictionary of Bible Themes
Exodus 9:33-34

     4844   rain

Exodus 9:34-35

     6178   hardness of heart

Library
Confession of Sin --A Sermon with Seven Texts
The Hardened Sinner. PHARAOH--"I have sinned."--Exodus 9:27. I. The first case I shall bring before you is that of the HARDENED SINNER, who, when under terror, says, "I have sinned." And you will find the text in the book of Exodus, the 9th chap. and 27th verse: "And Pharaoh sent, and called for Moses and Aaron, and said unto them, I have sinned this time: the Lord is righteous, and I and my people are wicked." But why this confession from the lips of the haughty tyrant? He was not often wont to …
Charles Haddon Spurgeon—Spurgeon's Sermons Volume 3: 1857

The God of the Old Testament is the God of the New
(Palm Sunday.) Exodus ix. 14. I will at this time send all my plagues upon thine heart, and upon thy servants, and upon thy people, that thou mayest know that there is none like me in all the earth. We are now beginning Passion Week, the week of the whole year which ought to teach us most theology; that is, most concerning God, his character and his spirit. For in this Passion Week God did that which utterly and perfectly showed forth his glory, as it never has been shown forth before or since. …
Charles Kingsley—The Gospel of the Pentateuch

The Plagues of Egypt
(Palm Sunday.) EXODUS ix. 13, 14. Thus saith the Lord God of the Hebrews, Let my people go, that they may serve me. For I will at this time send all my plagues upon thine heart, and upon thy servants, and upon thy people; that thou mayest know that there is none like me in all the earth. You will understand, I think, the meaning of the ten plagues of Egypt better, if I explain to you in a few words what kind of a country Egypt is, what kind of people the Egyptians were. Some of you, doubtless, …
Charles Kingsley—The Gospel of the Pentateuch

Sign Seekers, and the Enthusiast Reproved.
(Galilee on the Same Day as the Last Section.) ^A Matt. XII. 38-45; ^C Luke XI. 24-36. ^c 29 And when the multitudes were gathering together unto him, ^a 38 Then certain of the scribes and Pharisees answered him, saying, Teacher, we would see a sign from thee. [Having been severely rebuked by Jesus, it is likely that the scribes and Pharisees asked for a sign that they might appear to the multitude more fair-minded and open to conviction than Jesus had represented them to be. Jesus had just wrought …
J. W. McGarvey—The Four-Fold Gospel

The Hardening in the Sacred Scripture.
"He hath hardened their heart."-- John xii. 40. The Scripture teaches positively that the hardening and "darkening of their foolish heart" is a divine, intentional act. This is plainly evident from God's charge to Moses concerning the king of Egypt: "Thou shalt speak all that I command thee; and I will harden Pharaoh's heart, and multiply My signs and wonders in the land of Egypt. But Pharaoh shall not harken unto you, and I will lay My hand upon Egypt, and the Egyptians shall know that I am the …
Abraham Kuyper—The Work of the Holy Spirit

The Sovereignty of God in Reprobation
"Behold therefore the goodness and severity of God" (Rom. 11:22). In the last chapter when treating of the Sovereignty of God the Father in Salvation, we examined seven passages which represent Him as making a choice from among the children of men, and predestinating certain ones to be conformed to the image of His Son. The thoughtful reader will naturally ask, And what of those who were not "ordained to eternal life?" The answer which is usually returned to this question, even by those who profess …
Arthur W. Pink—The Sovereignty of God

Man's Misery by the Fall
Q-19: WHAT IS THE MISERY OF THAT ESTATE WHEREINTO MAN FELL? A: All mankind by their fall lost communion with God, are under his wrath and curse, and so made liable to all the miseries in this life, to death itself, and to the pains of hell for ever. 'And were by nature children of wrath.' Eph 2:2. Adam left an unhappy portion to his posterity, Sin and Misery. Having considered the first of these, original sin, we shall now advert to the misery of that state. In the first, we have seen mankind offending; …
Thomas Watson—A Body of Divinity

Opposition to Messiah Ruinous
Thou shalt break them with a rod of iron; Thou shalt dash them in pieces like a potter's vessel T here is a species of the sublime in writing, which seems peculiar to the Scripture, and of which, properly, no subjects but those of divine revelation are capable, With us, things inconsiderable in themselves are elevated by splendid images, which give them an apparent importance beyond what they can justly claim. Thus the poet, when describing a battle among bees, by a judicious selection of epithets …
John Newton—Messiah Vol. 2

Exposition of Chap. Iii. (ii. 28-32. )
Ver. 1. "And it shall come to pass, afterwards, I will pour out My Spirit upon all flesh; and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy; your old men shall dream dreams, and your young men shall see visions." The communication of the Spirit of God was the constant prerogative of the Covenant-people. Indeed, the very idea of such a people necessarily requires it. For the Spirit of God is the only inward bond betwixt Him and that which is created; a Covenant-people, therefore, without such an inward …
Ernst Wilhelm Hengstenberg—Christology of the Old Testament

Exodus
The book of Exodus--so named in the Greek version from the march of Israel out of Egypt--opens upon a scene of oppression very different from the prosperity and triumph in which Genesis had closed. Israel is being cruelly crushed by the new dynasty which has arisen in Egypt (i.) and the story of the book is the story of her redemption. Ultimately it is Israel's God that is her redeemer, but He operates largely by human means; and the first step is the preparation of a deliverer, Moses, whose parentage, …
John Edgar McFadyen—Introduction to the Old Testament

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