Êxodo 11

Êxodo 11

Morgan - Ex. 11:10 This is the last declaration of this kind in connection with the plagues, prefacing the story of the slaying of the firstborn. The same idea is found again in Ex 14:4, 8, 17. In a previous note (on Exodus 5:1), we said that the acts of God in judgment were the ratification of the acts and attitudes of this man. We may at this point consider that fact. In the course of the story the words harden and hardened often occur. By marginal readings the Revised Version has sought to show a difference in meaning. As a matter of fact, three Hebrew words are all translated in the same way. To understand the story they must be distinguished. The first of these (chazaq) means to make strong. This the Revisers have always indicated in the margin. The second- (kadad) means to make heavy, with the idea of stupidity. The third (qadshdh) means to make hard, in the sense of cruelty. Throughout the story, the first is used to described the action of God (Ex 4:21; 7:13, 22; 8:19; 9:12, 35; 10:20, 27; 11:10; 14:4, 8, 17). It is never employed to describe the act of Pharaoh. It is once used to describe the anxiety of the Egyptians that the Israelites should go (Ex 12:33), and there is rendered urgent. The second occurs first as God's description of Pharaoh's condition (Ex 7:14) ; then twice of Pharaoh's act (Ex 8:5, 32); then as the historian's description of Pharaoh's condition (Ex 9:7); then again of Pharaoh's act (Ex 9:34); and finally to describe the act of God (to. 1). The third is only found twice; once it describes the act of God (Ex 7:3) ; and once to describe the method of Pharaoh's refusal (Ex 13:15). A careful examination will show that God's activity was that of strengthening this man, and so leaving him to act. He never hardened him in the sense of rendering him stupid, until he had persisted in that action himself beyond remedy. These distinctions are of the utmost importance.