Exodus 7:22

7:22 But the magicians of Egypt did the same ¹  by their secret arts, and so ²  Pharaoh’s heart remained hard, ³  and he refused to listen to Moses and Aaron ⁴  – just as the Lord had predicted.

Exodus 8:18-19

8:18 When ⁵  the magicians attempted ⁶  to bring forth gnats by their secret arts, they could not. So there were gnats on people and on animals. 8:19 The magicians said ⁷  to Pharaoh, “It is the finger ⁸  of God!” But Pharaoh’s heart remained hard, ⁹  and he did not listen to them, just as the Lord had predicted.

¹ tn Heb “thus, so.”

² tn The vav consecutive on the preterite introduces the outcome or result of the matter – Pharaoh was hardened.

³ tn Heb “and the heart of Pharaoh became hard.” This phrase translates the Hebrew word חָזַק (khazaq; see S. R. Driver, Exodus, 53). In context this represents the continuation of a prior condition.

⁴ tn Heb “to them”; the referents (Moses and Aaron) have been specified in the translation for clarity.

⁵ tn The preterite with vav (ו) consecutive is here subordinated to the main clause as a temporal clause.

⁶ tn Heb “and the magicians did so.”

⁹ tn Heb “and the magicians said.”

¹⁰ tn The word “finger” is a bold anthropomorphism (a figure of speech in which God is described using human characteristics).

¹¹ tn Heb “and the heart of Pharaoh became hard.” This phrase translates the Hebrew word חָזַק (khazaq; see S. R. Driver, Exodus, 53). In context this represents the continuation of a prior condition.