What Does It Mean That ‘God Hardens the Heart?'

By - Pastor Daniel Inghram, National Capital Bible Church.

Adapted from: Deut 2:26-37, Lessons 6 and 7, May 12 and 19, 2021

As we read through Exodus and, periodically, in other books of the Bible, we encounter the phrase “God hardened the heart” of someone. How should we understand this phrase, and does it have an important meaning to us theologically?

The Hebrew word “harden” (chazak) (11x), means to be or grow firm or strong. Two other words related to our subject are “heavy” (kabed) (6x), meaning to be heavy or in our contexts, stubborn, and “harden” (qashah) (1x), meaning to be hard or severe. The Book of Exodus is the location in Scripture where these words are used extensively, specifically involving Pharaoh’s resistance to the children of Israel departing Egypt.

Moses is commanded to perform God’s wonders in front of Pharaoh (Ex 4:21). The purpose of God’s command for the wonders or miracles was to demonstrate that He is God.

In Exodus 4:21, God also forewarns Moses that Pharaoh will refuse Moses’ request for Israel to depart Egypt. Pharaoh is completely negative towards God.  

Furthermore, in the same verse, God says, He─God─would “harden” or “strengthen” Pharaoh’s heart. 

In the first five plagues, the hardening is attributed to Pharaoh (7:13, 22; 8:15, 19, 32; 9:7). This is Pharaoh exercising his will, indicating that he is already hardened against allowing Israel to depart.

Then, in the sixth plague, God strengthens the heart in Pharaoh that he had already hardened (9:12). In other words, Pharaoh had already exercised his will to block Israel’s departure. 

There will be times when Pharaoh appears to change his mind to let Israel depart, but he almost immediately reverses his decisions (8:32; 9:27, 34-35; 10:17).

Pharaoh never fully agrees to Moses’ requests, but always places restrictions on them (8:25, 28; 10:11 (men can only depart), 24).

God could easily cause Pharaoh to act against his will and let Israel go, but that would have been coercion. Instead, God strengthens the will of Pharaoh to continue doing what he was already determined to do─not let Israel go. 

God knows Pharaoh’s will is always to block Israel’s departure. God could have forced the release of Israel by killing all the Egyptians (9:15). However, that was not God’s plan.

God will use Pharaoh’s negative, intractable, obstinate attitude to demonstrate the power of God to Pharaoh and Egypt (9:13-16).

The demonstration of God’s power in Egypt will spread to the entire known world (9:16b; Rom 9:17).

It is important to understand that Pharaoh’s will was not coerced or violated. Pharaoh’s will remained adamantly opposed to Israel’s departure, but with the tenth plague and the death of the firstborn, he finally acquiesces to Moses’ request. 

In God’s infinite wisdom, He allows a recalcitrant unbeliever to act as an instrument for His own glory. We see other examples of this in Sihon of Heshbon (Deut 2:30) and the Canaanites (Josh 11:20).

Conclusion: When we read that God “hardens” someone’s heart or spirit, God has not forced a change in that person’s will; the person remains determined to oppose God. God strengthens that person’s negative attitude and resistance as pressure from God increases. In this way, God uses a recalcitrant attitude for His own glory.