In brief
The Pharaoh of the Exodus is the king of Egypt before whom Moses and Aaron appear to deliver God’s command: let my people go. The Bible does not give his name. He answers that he does not know the Lord, makes Israel’s servitude heavier, then hardens his heart despite the plagues. After the death of the firstborn he lets the people go, then pursues them with his chariots as far as the Red Sea, where his army is swallowed up. Paul cites his example in Romans 9.
What does the name Pharaoh of the Exodus mean?
Pharaoh is not a personal name but the title of the kings of Egypt, generally linked to an Egyptian expression meaning the great house, that is, the royal palace. Exodus never gives this king’s personal name, and his historical identification remains debated. He comes after the king of Egypt whose death Exodus 2:23 reports.
The story of Pharaoh of the Exodus
Who is the Lord?
Exodus 5:1-2Moses and Aaron bring Pharaoh God’s command: let his people go so that they may hold a feast in the wilderness. The answer is a challenge: Pharaoh asks who the Lord is that he should obey him and let Israel go, and says he does not know the Lord and will not let Israel go. Everything that follows will answer that question.
Bricks without straw
Exodus 5:4-9Pharaoh accuses Moses and Aaron of taking the people away from their work. The same day, he orders that no more straw be given to the Hebrews while demanding the same number of bricks. He calls them lazy and calls Moses’ words lies. His first response to the word of God is to make Israel’s servitude heavier still.
The signs and the hardened heart
Exodus 7:1-13God tells Moses that he will harden Pharaoh’s heart and multiply his signs and wonders in the land of Egypt. Aaron throws down his staff, and it becomes a serpent; the magicians do the same with their secret arts, but Aaron’s staff swallows theirs. Still, Pharaoh’s heart grows hard, and he does not listen to Moses and Aaron.
Confessions without repentance
Exodus 9:27-35As the plagues unfold, Pharaoh promises several times to let the people go. During the hail he admits that this time he has sinned, that the Lord is righteous and that he and his people are wicked. But as soon as the hail and the thunder stop, he sins again and hardens his heart, he and his servants.
The night of the firstborn
Exodus 12:29-32The tenth plague strikes every firstborn in Egypt, from the firstborn of Pharaoh who sits on his throne. That very night Pharaoh summons Moses and Aaron and tells them to get out from among his people, they and the children of Israel. He even adds a request that they bless him. The king who said he did not know the Lord has to bow before him.
The pursuit and the Red Sea
Exodus 14:5-28No sooner has the people gone than Pharaoh and his servants regret losing their slaves. He harnesses his chariot and takes six hundred select chariots to pursue Israel. But the Lord opens the sea before his people, then the waters return and cover the chariots, the horsemen and all of Pharaoh’s army. Psalm 136 celebrates this God who overthrew Pharaoh and his army in the Red Sea.
An example cited by Paul
Romans 9:14-18Paul cites God’s word to Pharaoh: he raised him up for this very purpose, to show his power in him and to have his name proclaimed in all the earth. Paul concludes that God has mercy on whom he wants to have mercy and hardens whom he wants to harden. Pharaoh thus becomes the example of God’s sovereignty, which makes even human resistance serve his glory.
Test your knowledge
What Pharaoh of the Exodus teaches us
- Refusing to know the Lord leads to resisting his word, like Pharaoh, who said he did not know him.
- A confession wrung out by hardship is not true repentance: Pharaoh admitted his sin, then hardened himself as soon as the pressure eased.
- Do not get used to saying no to God: a heart that keeps resisting ends up hardened.
- No human power can stop God from delivering his people: the Lord fights for those who belong to him.
- God remains sovereign and makes even the opposition of the powerful serve the glory of his name.
Key verses
Pharaoh’s first answer sums up his attitude: he does not know the Lord and refuses to obey him. The plagues will then show who the God of Israel is.
God tells Pharaoh why he let him stand: so that he would see God’s power and so that God’s name would be proclaimed in all the earth. Even the king’s resistance serves God’s testimony.
Facing Pharaoh’s army, Moses tells the people not to be afraid: the Lord will fight for them. Deliverance comes from God, not from Israel’s strength.
Paul takes up the word spoken to Pharaoh to teach that God has mercy on whom he wants and hardens whom he wants. He underlines God’s sovereignty in the history of salvation.
Bible verses to meditate on
Sermons about Pharaoh of the Exodus
- Become Someone Who Loves God (Deuteronomy 11)Moses reminds Israel that they saw what God did to Pharaoh and to the Egyptian army swallowed up in the Red Sea: for the sermon, this memory is the foundation of the call to love God.
- 25 Bible Verses About Courage and StrengthCaught between the sea and Pharaoh’s army, the Hebrews hear Moses tell them that the Lord will fight for them: sometimes courage means standing still and trusting.
- Praise, the Engine of God's People on the MoveAfter the crossing of the Red Sea, when Pharaoh has been defeated, the people do not begin with a request: Moses, then Miriam with the women, sing. God’s deliverance gives birth to praise.
Frequently asked questions
Who was the Pharaoh of the Exodus?
He is the king of Egypt before whom Moses and Aaron asked for Israel’s release. The Bible does not give his name, and his historical identification remains debated; the account is interested in his attitude. He refused to know the Lord, hardened his heart during the plagues, let the people go after the death of the firstborn, then pursued them to the Red Sea.
Who hardened Pharaoh’s heart?
The Bible says both. Several verses state that Pharaoh hardened his own heart (Exodus 8:15, 9:34), others that the Lord hardened Pharaoh’s heart (Exodus 9:12, 10:20). Pharaoh remains responsible for his refusals, and God remains sovereign: Paul concludes that God has mercy on whom he wants and hardens whom he wants (Romans 9:18).
Where can I find the story of the Pharaoh of the Exodus in the Bible?
His story fills Exodus 5 to 14: the refusal to let Israel go (Exodus 5), the signs and the plagues (Exodus 7 to 11), the Passover and the departure from Egypt (Exodus 12), then the pursuit to the Red Sea (Exodus 14). Exodus 15, Psalm 136 and Romans 9:17 come back to his defeat and his role.