Verse

Exodus 7:3

ESV But I will harden Pharaoh 's heart, and though I multiply my signs and wonders in the land of Egypt,
NIV But I will harden Pharaoh’s heart, and though I multiply my signs and wonders in Egypt,
NASB But I will harden Pharaoh’s heart, so that I may multiply My signs and My wonders in the land of Egypt.
CSB But I will harden Pharaoh’s heart and multiply my signs and wonders in the land of Egypt.
NLT But I will make Pharaoh’s heart stubborn so I can multiply my miraculous signs and wonders in the land of Egypt.
KJV And I will harden Pharaoh's heart, and multiply my signs and my wonders in the land of Egypt.
NKJV And I will harden Pharaoh’s heart, and multiply My signs and My wonders in the land of Egypt.

What does Exodus 7:3 mean?

When giving this mission to Moses (Exodus 3:19–20), the Lord indicated that He would make Pharoah resistant. The purpose was to make a greater example out of Egypt and its ruler (Exodus 4:21). Taken all by itself, this seems unfair: that God is punishing someone for a choice they didn't make.

However, the book of Exodus indicates that Pharaoh's stubbornness is his own. With no pressure from the Lord, He rejects divine miracles and divine messages (Exodus 5:6–9). It is only after many such incidents (Exodus 7:14, 22; 8:15, 19, 32; 9:7) that we read of God working to use Pharaoh as an illustration of God's own power (Exodus 9:12; 10:1, 20, 27; 14:8). This demonstrates the warning of Proverbs 29:1, that those who constantly resist the Lord will reach a point of no return.
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Context Summary
Exodus 7:1–7 completes the encouragement and summary which began in chapter 6. God intends to free Israel (Exodus 1:11–14) through spectacular miracles. These will demonstrate His power. Moses and Aaron (Exodus 4:14–16) will obey, despite both men being more than eighty years old.
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Chapter Summary
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.
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