Exodus 7 · Verse 14

Exodus 7:14

And the Lord said unto Moses, Pharaoh’s heart is hardened, he refuseth to let the people go.
Exodus 7:14, King James Version

Exodus 7:14 in other translations

BSBThen the LORD said to Moses, “Pharaoh’s heart is unyielding; he refuses to let the people go.
WEBThe LORD said to Moses, “Pharaoh’s heart is stubborn. He refuses to let the people go.
ASVAnd Jehovah said unto Moses, Pharaoh’s heart is stubborn, he refuseth to let the people go.
YLTAnd Jehovah saith unto Moses, ‘The heart of Pharaoh hath been hard, he hath refused to send the people away;
DARBYAnd Jehovah said to Moses, Pharaoh's heart is hardened: he refuseth to let the people go.
BBEAnd the Lord said to Moses and Aaron, Pharaoh's heart is unchanged; he will not let the people go.
WebsterAnd the LORD said to Moses, Pharaoh's heart is hardened; he refuseth to let the people go.

What does Exodus 7:14 mean?

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown
14. Pharaoh's heart is hardened--Whatever might have been his first impressions, they were soon dispelled; and when he found his magicians making similar attempts, he concluded that Aaron's affair was a magical deception, the secret of which was not known to his wise men.

Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset & David Brown, 1871 · public domain

Adam Clarke's Commentary
Verse 14 Pharaoh's heart is hardened - כבד cabed, is become heavy or stupid; he receives no conviction, notwithstanding the clearness of the light which shines upon him. We well know the power of prejudice: where persons are determined to think and act after a predetermined plan, arguments, demonstrations, and even miracles themselves, are lost on them, as in the case of Pharaoh here, and that of the obstinate Jews in the days of our Lord and his apostles.

Adam Clarke, 1831 · public domain

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on Exodus 7:14-25
Here is the first of the ten plagues, the turning of the water into blood. It was a dreadful plague. The sight of such vast rolling streams of blood could not but strike horror. Nothing is more common than water: so wisely has Providence ordered it, and so kindly, that what is so needful and serviceable to the comfort of human life, should be cheap and almost every where to be had; but now the Egyptians must either drink blood, or die for thirst. Egypt was a pleasant land, but the dead fish and blood now rendered it very unpleasant. It was a righteous plague, and justly sent upon the Egyptians; for Nile, the river of Egypt, was their idol. That creature which we idolize, God justly takes from us, or makes bitter to us. They had stained the river with the blood of the Hebrews' children, and now God made that river all blood. Never any thirsted after blood, but sooner or later they had enough of it. It was a significant plague; Egypt had great dependence upon their river, Zec 14:18; so that in smiting the river, they were warned of the destruction of all the produce of their country. The love of Christ to his disciples changes all their common mercies into spiritual blessings; the anger of God towards his enemies, renders their most valued advantages a curse and a misery to them. Aaron is to summon the plague by smiting the river with his rod. It was done in the sight of Pharaoh and his attendants, for God's true miracles were not performed as Satan's lying wonders; truth seeks no corners. See the almighty power of God. Every creature is that to us which he makes it to be water or blood. See what changes we may meet with in the things of this world; what is always vain, may soon become vexatious. See what mischievous work sin makes. If the things that have been our comforts prove our crosses, we must thank ourselves. It is sin that turns our waters into blood. The plague continued seven days; and in all that time Pharaoh's proud heart would not let him desire Moses to pray for the removal of it. Thus the hypocrites in heart heap up wrath. No wonder that God's anger is not turned away, but that his hand is stretched out still.

Matthew Henry, 1706 · public domain

Exodus 7:14 in the original Hebrew

Word-by-word with transliteration, English gloss and Strong's number. Tap a number for the full definition and every place the word is used.

וַיֹּ֤אמֶרvai.Yo.merand he saidH559
יְהוָה֙Yah.wehYahwehH3068
אֶל\־'el-toH413
מֹשֶׁ֔הmo.ShehMosesH4872
כָּבֵ֖דka.Ved[is] heavyH3515
לֵ֣בlev[the] heart ofH3820
פַּרְעֹ֑הpar.'OhPharaohH6547
מֵאֵ֖ןme.'Enhe has refusedH3985
לְשַׁלַּ֥חle.sha.Lachto let goH7971
הָעָֽם\׃ha.'Amthe peopleH5971

Source: STEPBible TAHOT/TAGNT (Tyndale House, CC BY 4.0).

Cross references for Exodus 7:14

  • Exodus 10:20

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

  • Exodus 10:1

    And the Lord said unto Moses, Go in unto Pharaoh: for I have hardened his heart, and the heart of his servants, that I might shew these my signs before him:

  • Exodus 10:27

    But the Lord hardened Pharaoh’s heart, and he would not let them go.

  • Exodus 8:15

    But when Pharaoh saw that there was respite, he hardened his heart, and hearkened not unto them; as the Lord had said.

  • Exodus 9:2

    For if thou refuse to let them go, and wilt hold them still,

  • Exodus 4:23

    And I say unto thee, Let my son go, that he may serve me: and if thou refuse to let him go, behold, I will slay thy son, even thy firstborn.

  • Jeremiah 8:5

    Why then is this people of Jerusalem slidden back by a perpetual backsliding? they hold fast deceit, they refuse to return.

  • Exodus 8:2

    And if thou refuse to let them go, behold, I will smite all thy borders with frogs:

  • Jeremiah 9:6

    Thine habitation is in the midst of deceit; through deceit they refuse to know me, saith the Lord.

  • Exodus 10:4

    Else, if thou refuse to let my people go, behold, to morrow will I bring the locusts into thy coast:

  • Isaiah 1:20

    But if ye refuse and rebel, ye shall be devoured with the sword: for the mouth of the Lord hath spoken it.

  • Zechariah 7:12

    Yea, they made their hearts as an adamant stone, lest they should hear the law, and the words which the Lord of hosts hath sent in his spirit by the former prophets: therefore came a great wrath from the Lord of hosts.

Ranked by reader votes · OpenBible.info cross references (CC BY).

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
Pharaoh's.
8:15; 10:1,20,27; Zec 7:12
he refuseth.
4:23; 8:2; 9:2; 10:4; Isa 1:20; Jer 8:5; 9:6; Heb 12:25

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (Samuel Bagster, c. 1836) · public domain

Context

  • Exodus 7:13

    And he hardened Pharaoh’s heart, that he hearkened not unto them; as the Lord had said.

  • Exodus 7:14

    And the Lord said unto Moses, Pharaoh’s heart is hardened, he refuseth to let the people go.

  • Exodus 7:15

    Get thee unto Pharaoh in the morning; lo, he goeth out unto the water; and thou shalt stand by the river’s brink against he come; and the rod which was turned to a serpent shalt thou take in thine hand.

Read all of Exodus 7

Exodus 7:14 in other languages

Spanish
Reina-Valera 1909		Entonces Jehová dijo á Moisés: El corazón de Faraón está agravado, que no quiere dejar ir al pueblo.
French
Bible J.N. Darby 1885		Et l’ Éternel dit à Moïse: Le cœur du Pharaon est endurci; il refuse de laisser aller le peuple.
German
Elberfelder 1871		Und Jehova sprach zu Mose: Das Herz des Pharao ist verstockt; er weigert sich, das Volk ziehen zu lassen.
Latin
Clementine Vulgate		Dixit autem Dominus ad Moysen: Ingravatum est cor Pharaonis: non vult dimittere populum.