The Lord instructed Moses, ‘When you go back to Egypt, make sure you do before Pharaoh all the wonders that I have put within your power. But I will harden his heart , so that he won’t let the people go.
Then the Lord said to Moses, ‘Go to Pharaoh, for I have hardened his heart and the hearts of his officials so that I may do these miraculous signs of mine among them, ,
But King Sihon of Heshbon would not let us travel through his land, for the Lord your God had made his spirit stubborn and his heart obstinate in order to hand him over to you, as has now taken place.
As for me, I am going to harden the hearts of the Egyptians so that they will go in after them, and I will receive glory by means of Pharaoh, all his army, and his chariots and horsemen.
But the magicians of Egypt did the same thing by their occult practices. So Pharaoh’s heart was hard, and he would not listen to them, as the Lord had said.
Pharaoh sent messengers who saw that not a single one of the Israelite livestock was dead. But Pharaoh’s heart was hard, and he did not let the people go.
He also rebelled against King Nebuchadnezzar who had made him swear allegiance by God. He became obstinate , and hardened his heart against returning to the Lord, the God of Israel.