Exodus 4:21

Exodus 4:21 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)And the Lord said unto Moses, When thou goest to return into Egypt, see that thou do all those wonders before Pharaoh, which I have put in thine hand: but I will harden his heart, that he shall not let the people go.
• New International Version (NIV)The Lord said to Moses, “When you return to Egypt, see that you perform before Pharaoh all the wonders I have given you the power to do. But I will harden his heart so that he will not let the people go.
• English Standard Version (ESV)And the Lord said to Moses, "When you go back to Egypt, see that you do before Pharaoh all the miracles that I have put in your power. But I will harden his heart, so that he will not let the people go.
• New King James Version (NKJV)And the Lord said to Moses, “When you go back to Egypt, see that you do all those wonders before Pharaoh which I have put in your hand. But I will harden his heart, so that he will not let the people go.

Context of Exodus 4:21

19Now, the Lord had said to Moses in Midian, “Go back to Egypt, because all the men who wanted to kill you are dead.” 20So Moses took his wife and sons, put them on a donkey, and started out for Egypt. He also brought with him the staff God had told him to take. The Lord said to Moses, “When you get back to Egypt, see that you show Pharaoh all the amazing things that I have given you the power to do. But I will make him stubborn so that he will not let the people go. 22Then tell Pharaoh, ‘This is what the Lord says: Israel is my firstborn son. 23I told you to let my son go so that he may worship me. But you refused to let him go. So now I’m going to kill your firstborn son.’ ”

Exodus 4:21 word by word

וַיֹּ֣אמֶר יְהוָה֮ אֶל־מֹשֶׁה֒ בְּלֶכְתְּךָ֙ לָשׁ֣וּב מִצְרַ֔יְמָה רְאֵ֗ה כָּל־הַמֹּֽפְתִים֙ אֲשֶׁר־שַׂ֣מְתִּי בְיָדֶ֔ךָ וַעֲשִׂיתָ֖ם לִפְנֵ֣י פַרְעֹ֑ה וַאֲנִי֙ אֲחַזֵּ֣ק אֶת־לִבּ֔וֹ וְלֹ֥א יְשַׁלַּ֖ח אֶת־הָעָֽם׃Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• And the Lordיְהֹוָהyehôvâh · LORDH3068
• saidאָמַר'âmar · to sayH559
• unto Mosesמֹשֶׁהmôsheh · MosesH4872
• When thou goestיָלַךְyâlak · to walkH3212
• to returnשׁוּבshûb · to return: returnH7725
• into Egyptמִצְרַ֫יִםmitsrayim · EgyptH4714
• seeרָאָהrâ'âh · to see: seeH7200
• that thou doעָשָׂה‛âώâh · to make: doH6213
• all those wondersמוֹפֵתmôphêth môphêth · wonderH4159
• beforeפָּנֶהpânîym · face: beforeH6440
• Pharaohפַּרְעֹהpar‛ôh · PharaohH6547
• which I have putשׂוּםώûm ώîym · to set: putH7760
• in thine handיָדyâd · hand: powerH3027
• but I will hardenחָזַקchâzaq · to strengthen: strengthenH2388
• his heartלֵבlêb · heartH3820
• that he shall not let the peopleעַם‛am · peopleH5971
• goשָׁלַחshâlach · to send: let goH7971

Cross-references for Exodus 4:21

• Exodus 3:20So I will use my power to strike Egypt. After all the miracles that I will do there, he will let you go.
• Exodus 7:3But I will make Pharaoh stubborn. Even though I will do many miraculous signs and amazing things in Egypt,
• Exodus 9:12But the Lord made Pharaoh stubborn, so he wouldn’t listen to Moses and Aaron, as the Lord had predicted to Moses.
• Exodus 10:1Then the Lord said to Moses, “Go to Pharaoh. I have made him and his officials stubborn so that I can do these miraculous signs among them.
• Exodus 14:8The Lord made Pharaoh (the king of Egypt) so stubborn that he pursued the Israelites, who were boldly leaving Egypt.
• Genesis 6:3Then the Lord said, “My Spirit will not struggle with humans forever, because they are flesh and blood. They will live 120 years.”
• Deuteronomy 2:30But King Sihon of Heshbon wouldn’t allow us to pass through. The Lord your God made him stubborn and overconfident in order to hand him over to you, as he has now done.
• Joshua 11:20The Lord made their enemies stubborn enough to continue fighting against Israel so that he could claim them all for destruction without mercy, as he had commanded Moses.
• 1 Kings 22:22“The Spirit answered, ‘I will go out and be a spirit that tells lies through the mouths of all of Ahab’s prophets.’ “The Lord said, ‘You will succeed in deceiving him. Go and do it.’
• Psalms 105:25He changed their minds so that they hated his people, and they dealt treacherously with his servants.
• Isaiah 6:10Make these people close-minded. Plug their ears. Shut their eyes. Otherwise, they may see with their eyes, hear with their ears, understand with their minds, and return and be healed.”
• Isaiah 63:17O Lord, why do you let us wander from your ways and become so stubborn that we are unable to fear you? Return for the sake of your servants. They are the tribes that belong to you.
• John 12:40“God blinded them and made them close-minded so that their eyes don’t see and their minds don’t understand. And they never turn to me for healing!”
• Romans 1:28And because they thought it was worthless to acknowledge God, God allowed their own immoral minds to control them. So they do these indecent things.
• Romans 9:18Therefore, if God wants to be kind to anyone, he will be. If he wants to make someone stubborn, he will.
• Romans 11:8as Scripture says, “To this day God has given them a spirit of deep sleep. Their eyes don’t see, and their ears don’t hear!”

Commentaries on Exodus 4:21

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 21But I will harden his heart - The case of Pharaoh has given rise to many fierce controversies, and to several strange and conflicting opinions. Would men but look at the whole account without the medium of their respective creeds, they would find little difficulty to apprehend the truth. If we take up the subject in a theological point of view, all sober Christians will allow the truth of this proposition of St. Augustine, when the subject in question is…Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 21I will harden - Calamities which do not subdue the heart harden it. In the case of Pharaoh, the hardening was at once a righteous judgment, and a natural result of a long series of oppressions and cruelties.Read the comment
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 18-23Verses 18-23 After God had appeared in the bush, he often spake to Moses. Pharaoh had hardened his own heart against the groans and cries of the oppressed Israelites; and now God, in the way of righteous judgment, hardens his heart against the teaching of the miracles, and the terror of the plagues. But whether Pharaoh will hear, or whether he will forbear, Moses must tell him, Thus saith the Lord. He must demand a discharge for Israel, Let my son go; not…Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 21-23These verses summarize the upcoming chapters. They start with the request to let the people go to worship God and end with the final plague, the death of the firstborn (5:3; 11:4–6). God was preparing the rescuer for the challenging task ahead (see 11:9).Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 1-311. But, behold--Hebrew, "If," "perhaps," "they will not believe me."--What evidence can I produce of my divine mission? There was still a want of full confidence, not in the character and divine power of his employer, but in His presence and power always accompanying him. He insinuated that his communication might be rejected and he himself treated as an impostor.Read the comment

Topics related to Exodus 4:21

• Heart
• Moses

In the dictionaries

• Egypt
• Moses
• Pharaoh
• Egypt, Egyptian
• Pharaoh, king of Egypt
• Bosom
• Dead
• Leprous
• Slow
• Spokesman

Commentaries on Exodus 4

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
• Tyndale Open Study Notes
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
• Rashi on Tanakh
• Calvin’s Commentaries
• Keil & Delitzsch Commentary
• John Wesley’s Notes
• Darby Translation Notes
• Geneva Bible Translation Notes
• Kingcomments
• Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
• Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
• Scofield Reference Notes, 1917 Edition
• Original Douay–Rheims Annotations
• Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
• EGW Writings