Introduction: The Translation and Theological Challenge of Exodus 4:21

Exodus 4:21 (UASV)
Jehovah said to Moses, “When you go and return to Egypt see that you perform before Pharaoh all the wonders which I have put in your hand; but I will harden his heart so that he will not let the people go.”

This verse introduces one of the most theologically and exegetically debated elements in the Exodus narrative: the hardening of Pharaoh’s heart. The phrase “I will harden his heart” is often interpreted—wrongly—as a direct, unilateral act of divine coercion overriding Pharaoh’s volition. However, a close examination of the Hebrew verbs, their grammatical forms, and the sequence of the narrative reveals a much more nuanced picture. The UASV rightly preserves the grammatical voice while maintaining a literal rendering, allowing for a translation that honors the original text’s force without importing theological constructs foreign to the historical-grammatical context.

Three Hebrew Verbs for “Hardening”

The hardening of Pharaoh’s heart in Exodus is communicated using three distinct Hebrew verbs, each with slightly different semantic ranges and grammatical voices. These distinctions are crucial for understanding agency, causality, and judicial consequence:

1. חָזַק (ḥāzaq) – “to be strong,” “to strengthen,” “to harden”
   Often used in the piel stem (intensive active), as in “I will harden” (וַאֲחַזֵּק), indicating a deliberate action.

2. כָּבֵד (kāvēd) – “to be heavy,” “to make weighty,” “to make dull/unresponsive”
   Frequently used in the qal or piel stem to suggest a moral or cognitive dullness.

3. קָשָׁה (qāšāh) – “to be hard,” “to make stubborn,” “to stiffen”
   Often used in the hiphil stem (causative), meaning “to cause to be stiff/stubborn.”

These verbs are not synonymous. Their varied usage across the Exodus narrative signals both Pharaoh’s internal moral condition and Jehovah’s judicial response to his persistent rebellion. The verb used in Exodus 4:21 is ḥāzaq, in the piel imperfect first-person singular (וַאֲחַזֵּק), which indicates intensive action, but this form must be interpreted in its narrative and theological context.

A Survey of Hardening Statements in Exodus

The motif of Pharaoh’s heart hardening occurs 19 times throughout the Exodus narrative. The subject and grammatical voice shift between Jehovah hardening Pharaoh’s heart, Pharaoh himself hardening it, and his heart being hardened in a passive or stative sense. Consider the following breakdown:

God hardens Pharaoh’s heart:

• Exodus 4:21 – וַאֲחַזֵּק אֶת־לִבּוֹ – “I will harden his heart”

• 7:3 – וַאֲקֶשֶׁה – “I will harden”

• 9:12, 10:1, 10:20, 10:27, 11:10, 14:4, 14:8, 14:17

Pharaoh hardens his own heart:

• Exodus 8:15 (Heb. 8:11)

• 8:32 (Heb. 8:28)

• 9:34

Pharaoh’s heart is hardened (no subject stated):

• Exodus 7:13, 7:14, 7:22

• 8:19 (Heb. 8:15)

• 9:7, 9:35

Importantly, Pharaoh hardens his heart or it is hardened prior to Jehovah being described as hardening it. This sequence cannot be ignored or reversed by theological presupposition. It supports a model of judicial hardening—Jehovah strengthening a resolve that Pharaoh had already demonstrated, consistent with divine justice rather than coercive predestination.

Theological Significance: Judicial Hardening, Not Determinism

To render Exodus 4:21 as implying a deterministic override of Pharaoh’s will is not only foreign to the grammar and syntax of the Hebrew, but it also misrepresents God’s character as revealed consistently throughout Scripture. Jehovah is shown repeatedly to give Pharaoh signs, opportunities, and warnings (e.g., Exodus 7:1–5), and Pharaoh’s repeated refusals precede the statements where Jehovah is the explicit subject of the hardening.

Judicial hardening is the act of strengthening a sinner in his already chosen rebellion—it is not the initiation of rebellion. The grammar of Exodus supports this:

• The verb ḥāzaq (“to harden”) when used in the piel, can denote a strengthening of resolve, not the implantation of new dispositions.

• In Hebrew idiom, especially in causal or permissive constructions, the result of God’s action is often described as if it were His direct doing, even when the moral agency remains with the human actor.

This is particularly true in the Semitic understanding of causality, where permitting, causing, and declaring future outcomes are often described in similar grammatical structures. Therefore, “I will harden his heart” is prophetic and permissive—not coercive. It speaks to what God will allow Pharaoh to become, not what God irresistibly forces him to be.

The Importance of Preserving Literal Grammar in Translation

Many modern translations obscure these vital distinctions by smoothing out the Hebrew and inserting interpretive theology into the text. For example:

NIV (2011): “I will harden his heart so that he will not let the people go.”
NLT: “I will make him stubborn so he will not let the people go.”

These versions remove the ambiguity and complexity of the original and suggest direct causality, bypassing the intermediate stages of Pharaoh’s free rebellion. They collapse the theological nuance of the narrative into a simplistic determinism that the Hebrew text does not demand.

Only a literal rendering, such as the UASV, which preserves the grammatical voice and structure—“I will harden his heart”—allows the reader to see that Jehovah is speaking prophetically, not manipulatively. This faithful rendering upholds both divine sovereignty and human responsibility without forcing the text into a systematic theological framework foreign to the Hebrew Scriptures.

The Function of Exodus 4:21 in Narrative Sequence

In Exodus 4, Jehovah commissions Moses, giving Him miraculous signs and forewarning him of Pharaoh’s resistance. Verse 21 is not a standalone doctrinal statement but part of this commissioning context. Jehovah prepares Moses by telling him the outcome of his mission—Pharaoh will not let Israel go easily. This serves both as realistic expectation and divine assurance.

Pharaoh’s heart hardening becomes the stage for Jehovah’s display of power and judgment, not because God delights in Pharaoh’s destruction (cf. Ezekiel 18:23), but because Pharaoh insists on resisting Jehovah’s will. This sets the scene for the escalating plagues, which expose Pharaoh’s impotence and Jehovah’s supremacy.

Ancient Near Eastern and Hebrew Idiom of Permission-as-Causation

In biblical Hebrew, it is common for permission or foresight to be expressed in causative language. This idiom allows the speaker to attribute outcomes to God’s sovereignty, while still recognizing the moral agency of humans.

This is consistent with other biblical usages:

• Genesis 6:6 – Jehovah “regretted” making man—not because He made a mistake, but because of what man became.

• Isaiah 6:9–10 – The prophet is told to speak in such a way that the people will not hear; yet this is a response to their own hard-heartedness (cf. Matthew 13:14–15).

Thus, Exodus 4:21, though grammatically active and causative, should be interpreted in accordance with the full biblical witness. Jehovah is not pre-programming Pharaoh to resist Him, but is foretelling a pattern of rebellion which He will allow and eventually harden further as a form of judgment.

Doctrinal Implications: Sovereignty Does Not Nullify Responsibility

The pattern established in Exodus undermines any notion of fatalism or theological determinism. Jehovah’s hardening of Pharaoh is always reactive and judicial, not arbitrary or despotic. This protects vital doctrines:

• Human Freedom – Pharaoh had opportunities to repent. The hardening came after repeated refusal.

• Divine Justice – God does not punish the innocent or override moral will.

• Prophetic Fulfillment – God declares the outcome but does not coerce it. His actions are just, and His foreknowledge perfect.

Conclusion: Why the Literal Rendering Is Essential

Exodus 4:21 stands as a litmus test for how translators handle theological complexity, grammatical precision, and textual fidelity. The UASV rightly preserves the form “I will harden his heart”, without collapsing the grammatical voice into interpretive paraphrase. Literal translations that retain the voice, aspect, and verb choice of the Hebrew—without theological smoothing—are essential for understanding the moral tension and divine sovereignty within the Exodus narrative.

As the rest of Exodus unfolds, the initial statement of 4:21 is clarified through unfolding action, repetition, and narrative rhythm. A faithful translation will let Scripture speak for itself—preserving its grammar, its nuance, and its implications—so the reader may be confronted with the real, historical God of Israel, not a theological construct filtered through tradition or creed.

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