Exodus 14:4

4 "Thus ¹I will harden Pharaoh's heart, and ²he will chase after them; and I will be honored through Pharaoh and all his army, and ³the Egyptians will know that I am the LORD." And they did so.

Exodus 14:4 Meaning and Commentary

Exodus 14:4

And I will harden Pharaoh's heart
Once more, as he had often done: that he shall follow after them:
to Pihahiroth, and even into the sea after them: and I will be honoured upon Pharaoh, and upon all his host;
in his wisdom, faithfulness, power, and justice, by the destruction of them: that the Egyptians may know that I am the Lord;
the only Jehovah, the Lord God omnipotent; even those that feel the weight of his hand while troubling their host, and bringing the waters upon them; especially those that shall remain in the land, and will not be involved in the catastrophe: and they did so:
the Israelites turned to the right to Pihahiroth, instead of going by Bishbesh and Tinah (Bubastis and Pelusium), and so along the sea coast towards Gaza and Ascalon, and encamped there between Migdol and the sea over against Baalzephon, as they were ordered and directed.

Exodus 14:4 In-Context

2 "Tell the sons of Israel to turn back and camp before Pi-hahiroth, between Migdol and the sea; you shall camp in front of Baal-zephon, opposite it, by the sea.

3 "For Pharaoh will say of the sons of Israel, 'They are wandering aimlessly in the land; the wilderness has shut them in.'

4 "Thus I will harden Pharaoh's heart, and he will chase after them; and I will be honored through Pharaoh and all his army, and the Egyptians will know that I am the LORD ." And they did so.

5 When the king of Egypt was told that the people had fled, Pharaoh and his servants had a change of heart toward the people, and they said, "What is this we have done, that we have let Israel go from serving us?"

6 So he made his chariot ready and took his people with him;

Cross References

• 1. Exodus 4:21; Exodus 7:3; Exodus 14:17
• 2. Exodus 14:23
• 3. Exodus 7:5; Exodus 14:25

Footnotes

• [a]. Lit "make strong"