John Calvin Commentary Exodus 7:3

"And I will harden Pharaoh`s heart, and multiply my signs and my wonders in the land of Egypt." — Exodus 7:3 (ASV)

And I will harden. Since this expression is somewhat harsh, many commentators, as I have said before, take pains to soften it. For this reason, some understand the words in connection, “I will harden Pharaoh’s heart by multiplying my signs,” as if God were pointing out the external cause of his obstinacy. However, Moses has already declared, and will repeat it later, that the king’s mind was hardened by God in other ways besides His working miracles.

As for the meaning of the words, I have no doubt that, by the first clause, God strengthened His servant’s heart with firmness to boldly resist the tyrant’s perversity, and then reminded him that he has the remedy in his hand. Thus, then, I think this passage must be translated: “I indeed will harden Pharaoh’s heart, but I will multiply my signs;” as if He had said, his hardness will be no obstacle to you, for the miracles will be sufficient to overcome it. In the same sense, He adds immediately afterwards, “Although Pharaoh should not hear you, still I will lay on my hand;” because, in my opinion, the conjunctions should be interpreted adversatively.

I do not completely reject the interpretation of others: “I will harden Pharaoh’s heart, that I may multiply my signs;” and, “He⁷⁸ will not listen to you, that I may lay on my hand.” Indeed, God willed that Pharaoh should stubbornly resist Moses, so that the deliverance of the people might be more conspicuous.

However, there is no need to discuss at length the manner in which God hardens reprobates whenever this expression occurs. Let us hold firmly to what I have already observed: that they are merely poor speculators who refer it to a mere permission. For if God, by blinding their minds or hardening their hearts, inflicts deserved punishment on the reprobate, He not only permits them to do as they please, but actually executes a judgment He knows to be just.

From this it also follows that He not only withdraws the grace of His Spirit but also delivers to Satan those whom He knows deserve blindness of mind and obstinacy of heart. Meanwhile, I admit that the blame for such evil rests with the people themselves, who willfully blind themselves and, with a willfulness that is like madness, are driven, or rather rush, into sin.

I have also briefly shown what foul slanderers they are who, to stir up ill-will against us, pretend that God is thereby made the author of sin. This is because it would be utterly absurd to measure His secret and incomprehensible judgments by the small standard of our own understanding.

The opponents of this doctrine foolishly and thoughtlessly confuse two different things, since hardness of heart is human sin, while the hardening of the heart is God’s judgment. He again sets forth His great judgments here, so that the Israelites may expect with eager and attentive minds His magnificent and wonderful way of working.

⁷⁸ It is thus translated in A..V..