Exodus 4:21

KJV1611 – Modern English

And the LORD said to Moses, When you go to return to Egypt, see that you do all those wonders before Pharaoh which I have put in your hand, but I will harden his heart, that he shall not let the people go.

📖 Grammatical Analysis

Original Text

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

Transliteration

And yōʾmer YHWH to-Mōšeh in-lektĕkā to-šûb Miṣrayĕmâh rĕʾēh all-the-môpĕtîm which-śamtî in-yādekā and-ʿăśîtām to-pĕnê Parʿōh and-ʾănî ʾăḥazzēq ʾet-libbô and-not yĕšallaḥ ʾet-the-ʿām.

Grammar Details

• *yōʾmer*: qal imperfect, 3rd masculine singular with waw conversive - said
• *YHWH*: proper noun - the divine name
• *Mōšeh*: proper noun, masculine singular - Moses
• *lektĕkā*: qal infinitive construct with 2nd masculine singular suffix - your going
• *šûb*: qal infinitive construct - to return
• *Miṣrayĕmâh*: proper noun with directional hey - to Egypt
• *rĕʾēh*: qal imperative, masculine singular - see
• *môpĕtîm*: noun, masculine plural - wonders/signs
• *śamtî*: qal perfect, 1st person singular - I have placed
• *yādekā*: noun, feminine singular construct with 2nd masculine singular suffix - your hand
• *ʿăśîtām*: qal perfect, 2nd masculine singular with 3rd masculine plural suffix with waw conversive - you shall do them
• *pĕnê*: noun, masculine plural construct - face of
• *Parʿōh*: proper noun, masculine singular - Pharaoh
• *ʾănî*: pronoun, 1st person singular - I
• *ʾăḥazzēq*: piel imperfect, 1st person singular - I will strengthen
• *ʾet*: direct object marker
• *libbô*: noun, masculine singular construct with 3rd masculine singular suffix - his heart
• *yĕšallaḥ*: piel imperfect, 3rd masculine singular - he will send away
• *ʿām*: noun, masculine singular - people

Word Meanings

• *môpĕtîm*: wonders/signs/miracles
• *ʾăḥazzēq ʾet-libbô*: strengthen his heart/harden his heart/make him stubborn
• *yĕšallaḥ*: send away/let go/release

Other Translations

• Linguistic Bible Translation from Source Texts

  The LORD said to Moses, 'When you return to Egypt, see that you perform before Pharaoh all the wonders that I have given you the power to do. But I will harden his heart so that he will not let the people go.'

• King James Version 1769 (Standard Version)

  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.

• American Standard Version with Strong's Numbers

  And Jehovah said unto Moses, When thou goest back into Egypt, see that thou do before Pharaoh all the wonders which I have put in thy hand: but I will harden his heart, and he will not let the people go.

• King James Version with Strong's Numbers

  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.

• Tyndale Bible (1526/1534)

  And the Lorde sayde vnto Moses: when thou art come in to Egipte agayne, se that thou doo all the wondres before Pharao which I haue put in thy hande: but I will harden his herte, so that he shall not let the people goo.

• Coverdale Bible (1535)

  And the LORDE saide vnto Moses: When thou comest agayne in to Egipte, se yt thou do all the wonders (before Pharao) which I haue put in yi hade. But I wil harde his hert, yt he shall not let the people go.

• Geneva Bible (1560)

  And the Lorde saide vnto Moses, When thou art entred and come into Egypt againe, see that thou doe all the wonders before Pharaoh, which I haue put in thine hand: but I will harden his heart, and he shall not let the people goe.

• Bishops' Bible (1568)

  And the Lorde sayde vnto Moyses: When thou art entred and come into Egypt agayne, see that thou do all the wonders before Pharao whiche I haue put in thy hand: but I wyll hold his heart, & he shal not let the people go.

• Authorized King James Version (1611)

  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.

• Webster's Bible (1833)

  Yahweh said to Moses, "When you go back into Egypt, see that you do before Pharaoh all the wonders which I have put in your hand, but I will harden his heart and he will not let the people go.

• Young's Literal Translation (1862/1898)

  And Jehovah saith unto Moses, `In thy going to turn back to Egypt, see -- all the wonders which I have put in thy hand -- that thou hast done them before Pharaoh, and I -- I strengthen his heart, and he doth not send the people away;

• American Standard Version (1901)

  And Jehovah said unto Moses, When thou goest back into Egypt, see that thou do before Pharaoh all the wonders which I have put in thy hand: but I will harden his heart and he will not let the people go.

• American Standard Version (1901)

  And Jehovah said unto Moses, When thou goest back into Egypt, see that thou do before Pharaoh all the wonders which I have put in thy hand: but I will harden his heart, and he will not let the people go.

• Bible in Basic English (1941)

  And the Lord said to Moses, When you go back to Egypt, see that you do before Pharaoh all the wonders which I have given you power to do: but I will make his heart hard and he will not let the people go.

• World English Bible (2000)

  Yahweh said to Moses, "When you go back into Egypt, see that you do before Pharaoh all the wonders which I have put in your hand, but I will harden his heart and he will not let the people go.

• NET Bible® (New English Translation)

  The LORD said to Moses,“When you go back to Egypt, see that you do before Pharaoh all the wonders I have put under your control. But I will harden his heart and he will not let the people go.

Referenced Verses

• Rom 9:18 : 18 Therefore He has mercy on whom He wills, and whom He wills He hardens.
• Exod 7:13 : 13 And he hardened Pharaoh's heart, that he did not listen to them, as the LORD had said.
• Exod 9:12 : 12 And the LORD hardened the heart of Pharaoh, and he did not listen to them; as the LORD had spoken to Moses.
• Exod 3:20 : 20 And I will stretch out my hand and strike Egypt with all my wonders which I will do in the midst thereof, and after that he will let you go.
• Exod 14:8 : 8 And the LORD hardened the heart of Pharaoh king of Egypt, and he pursued after the children of Israel: and the children of Israel went out with boldness.
• Isa 63:17 : 17 O LORD, why have you made us to stray from your ways, and hardened our heart from your fear? Return for your servants' sake, the tribes of your inheritance.
• John 12:40 : 40 He has blinded their eyes and hardened their hearts, lest they should see with their eyes, and understand with their hearts and turn, and I should heal them.
• Exod 7:3 : 3 And I will harden Pharaoh's heart and multiply my signs and my wonders in the land of Egypt.
• Exod 9:35-10:1 : 35 And the heart of Pharaoh was hardened, neither would he let the children of Israel go; as the LORD had spoken through Moses. 1 And the LORD said to Moses, Go in to Pharaoh; for I have hardened his heart, and the heart of his servants, so that I may show these my signs before him:
• Josh 11:20 : 20 For it was of the LORD to harden their hearts, that they should come against Israel in battle, that he might destroy them utterly, and that they might find no favor, but that he might destroy them, as the LORD commanded Moses.
• Exod 10:20 : 20 But the LORD hardened Pharaoh's heart, so that he would not let the children of Israel go.
• Exod 14:4 : 4 And I will harden Pharaoh's heart, that he shall pursue them; and I will be honored upon Pharaoh, and upon all his host; that the Egyptians may know that I am the LORD. And they did so.
• Deut 2:30-33 : 30 But Sihon king of Heshbon would not let us pass by him; for the LORD your God hardened his spirit and made his heart obstinate, that He might deliver him into your hand, as appears this day. 31 And the LORD said unto me, Behold, I have begun to give Sihon and his land before you; begin to possess, that you may inherit his land. 32 Then Sihon came out against us, he and all his people, to fight at Jahaz. 33 And the LORD our God delivered him before us, and we struck him and his sons and all his people.
• Deut 2:36 : 36 From Aroer by the edge of the river Arnon, and from the city by the river, even unto Gilead, there was not a city too strong for us; the LORD our God delivered all unto us.
• 1 Kgs 22:22 : 22 And the Lord said to him, How? And he said, I will go forth, and I will be a lying spirit in the mouth of all his prophets. And he said, You shall persuade him, and prevail also: go forth, and do so.
• Ps 105:25 : 25 He turned their heart to hate his people, to deal deceitfully with his servants.
• Isa 6:10 : 10 Make the heart of this people dull, and make their ears heavy, and shut their eyes; lest they see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and understand with their heart, and be converted and healed.
• Rom 11:8-9 : 8 According as it is written, God has given them a spirit of stupor, eyes that they should not see and ears that they should not hear, to this day. 9 And David says, Let their table become a snare and a trap, a stumbling block and a recompense to them. 10 Let their eyes be darkened so that they do not see, and bend their backs always.
• 2 Cor 2:16 : 16 To the one we are the aroma of death leading to death, and to the other the aroma of life leading to life. And who is adequate for these things?
• 2 Thess 2:10-12 : 10 And with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish; because they did not receive the love of the truth, that they might be saved. 11 And for this cause God shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie: 12 That they all might be condemned who did not believe the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness.
• 1 Pet 2:8 : 8 And a stone of stumbling and a rock of offense. They stumble, being disobedient to the word, to which they also were appointed.
• Rom 1:28 : 28 And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a debased mind, to do those things which are not fitting;
• Gen 6:3 : 3 And the LORD said, My Spirit shall not strive with man forever, for he is indeed flesh; yet his days shall be one hundred and twenty years.