Parashah Bo Exodus 10:1-13:16
Discussion Summary
We conclude our discussion of "Who really hardened Pharaoh's heart?" Sometimes it
seems Pharaoh hardened his own heart (Exodus 8:15), sometimes HaShem says He
Himself hardened Pharaoh's heart (Exodus 4:21)? Which is it? How would you explain
this? [Hint: Two different Hebrew words are used in the passages describing Pharaoh's
"hard heart." One is "chazak" is which more correctly translated "strengthened." The
other is "kaved" which is more correctly translated "to be heavy. i.e. harden,
figuratively, stubborn."] Did HaShem interfere with Pharaoh's free will? If not, what
did He do? HaShem did not interfere with Pharaoh’s free will. In order to understand what
is going on with the plagues and Pharaoh’s heart we need to consider HaShem’s agenda in
the whole Exodus story. Let us follow the Scriptural trail, starting with this conversation
among Moses, Aaron and Pharaoh: “After that, Moshe and Aharon came and said to
Pharaoh, “Here is what HaShem, the God of Isra’el, says: ‘Let my people go, so that they can
celebrate a festival in the desert to honor me.’” But Pharaoh replied, “Who is HaShem, that
I should obey when he says to let Isra’el go? I don’t know [a god called by that name]
HaShem, and I also won’t let Isra’el go.” Exodus 5:1-2 (CJB). HaShem makes it clear that both
Israel and Egypt will “know” Who He is by the time of the Exodus. Consider the following
Scriptures.
Exodus 6:6-7 (CJB)
“Therefore, say to the people of Isra’el: ‘I am HaShem. I will free you from the forced labor of
the Egyptians, rescue you from their oppression, and redeem you with an outstretched arm and
with great judgments. I will take you as my people, and I will be your God. Then you will know
that I am HaShem your God, who freed you from the forced labor of the Egyptians.
Exodus 7:5 (CJB)
5
Then, when I stretch out my hand over Egypt and bring the people of Isra’el out from among
them, the Egyptians will know that I am HaShem.”
Exodus 7:17 (NIV)
17
This is what the HaShem says: By this you will know that I am the HaShem: With the staff that
is in my hand I will strike the water of the Nile, and it will be changed into blood.
Exodus 8:10 (NIV)
10
"Tomorrow," Pharaoh said. Moses replied, "It will be as you say, so that you may know there
is no one like HaShem our God.
Exodus 8:22 (NIV)
22
"'But on that day I will deal differently with the land of Goshen, where my people live; no
swarms of flies will be there, so that you will know that I, the HaShem, am in this land.
Exodus 9:14 (NIV)
14
or this time I will send the full force of my plagues against you and against your officials and
your people, so you may know that there is no one like me in all the earth.
Exodus 9:29 (NIV)
29
Moses replied, "When I have gone out of the city, I will spread out my hands in prayer to the
HaShem. The thunder will stop and there will be no more hail, so you may know that the earth is
the HaShem's.
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Exodus 14:4 (NIV)
4
And I will harden (chazak, strengthen) Pharaoh's heart, and he will pursue them. But I will gain
glory for myself through Pharaoh and all his army, and the Egyptians will know that I am the
HaShem." So the Israelites did this.
Exodus 14:18 (NIV)
18
The Egyptians will know that I am the HaShem when I gain glory through Pharaoh, his
chariots and his horsemen."
Exodus 16:6 (NIV)
6
So Moses and Aaron said to all the Israelites, "In the evening you will know that it was the
HaShem who brought you out of Egypt,
HaShem needed to “strengthen” Pharaoh’s heart so he had the courage to resist HaShem until
HaShem’s revelation of Himself was complete. By the seventh and eighth plague Pharaoh
admits to understanding a revelation of Who HaShem is and that He is related to His people.
Exodus 9:27-28 (CJB)
27
Pharaoh summoned Moshe and Aharon and said to them, “This time I have sinned: HaShem is
in the right; I and my people are in the wrong. 28 Intercede with HaShem — we can’t take any
more of this terrible thunder and hail; and I will let you go, you will stay no longer.”
Here Pharaoh finally admits he has sinned and that HaShem is righteous.
Exodus 9:34 (CJB)
34
When Pharaoh saw that the rain, hail and thunder had ended, he sinned still more by making
himself hardhearted (kaved, stubborn), he and his servants.
After the eighth plague of locust Pharaoh once again admits his sin.
Exodus 10:16-20 (CJB)
16
Pharaoh hurried to summon Moshe and Aharon and said, “I have sinned against HaShem your
God and against you. 17 Now, therefore, please forgive my sin just this once; and intercede with
HaShem your God, so that he will at least take away from me this deadly plague!”
18
He went out from Pharaoh and interceded with HaShem. 19 HaShem reversed the wind and
made it blow very strongly from the west. It took up the locusts and drove them into the Sea of
Suf; not one locust remained on Egyptian soil. 20 But HaShem strengthened (chazak) Pharaoh’s
heart, and he didn’t let the people of Isra’el go.
Note that when Pharaoh’s heart is “strengthened” by HaShem he could have used that “strength”
to do right or wrong. He consistently chose to do wrong! And the next plague was darkness.......
The passage in Exodus 13 regarding the consecration of the Firstborn ends with the
mitzvah of tefillin. How is the mitzvah of tefillin fulfilled by a messianic believer today? For
thoughts on this question see “B’shalach Discussion Summary.”
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