Moses Prays Again for the Pharaoh (Exod 9.28-29, 33)

A bible study and exploration of Moses’ prayer for the Pharaoh from the book of Exodus, an intercession that we can use for the enrichment of our own spirituality.

Pray to the LORD! Enough of God’s thunder and hail! I will let you go; you need stay no longer.” Moses said to him, “As soon as I have gone out of the city, I will stretch out my hands to the LORD; the thunder will cease, and there will be no more hail, so that you may know that the earth is the LORD’S.

So Moses left Pharaoh, went out of the city, and stretched out his hands to the LORD…

(Exodus 9.28–29, 33)

Background

Moses offers another intercession for the Pharaoh. This time, it is after the seventh plague, a powerful hailstorm. The previous intercession was offered, at the request of the Pharaoh, after the second plague of frogs. Since then, there have been gnats, flies, a deadly livestock pestilence, and painful boils on humans and animals. After the sixth, a subtle word change takes place in the story. Subtle, but powerful in meaning.

After each of the first five plagues, Pharaoh “hardened” or “strengthened” his heart (two different Hebrew words are used, though not all translations make that clear). It means that Pharaoh chose to be stubborn or was at the mercy of his pride. 

Starting with the next plague, however, there is a shift in the subject of the verb. No longer does the text say that Pharaoh made his heart stubborn; rather, it is God making the Pharaoh’s heart stubborn. Does this mean that God was forcing the Pharaoh go against Him so He can then punish him?