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Reading God's statement in Exodus 7:3 that "I will harden Pharaoh's heart," the report of Exodus 9:12 that "the Lord hardened the heart of Pharaoh," and similar statements in Exodus 4:21; 10:1, 20, 27; 11:10; and 14:4, 8, and 17, Maimonides concluded that it is possible for a person to commit such a great sin, or so many sins, that God decrees ...
The midrash taught that the expression "I hardened" (הִכְבַּדְתִּי , hichbad'ti) implied that God made Pharaoh's heart like a liver (כָּבֵד , kaveid), which stiffens (and becomes unabsorbent) if boiled a second time. So Pharaoh's heart was made like a liver, and he did not receive the words of God. [79]
God intended to harden Pharaoh's heart, so that God might show signs and marvels. God told how Aaron could cast down his rod and it would turn into a snake, and Aaron did so before Pharaoh. Pharaoh caused his magicians to do the same, but Aaron’s rod swallowed their rods. Pharaoh's heart stiffened. God began visiting ten plagues on Egypt.
Exodus states that the plagues only came against the Egyptians and did not affect the Hebrews. Pharaoh asked Moses to remove this plague and promised to grant the Israelites their freedom. However, after the plague was gone, Pharaoh refused to keep his promise, as his heart was hardened by God. Various sources use either "wild animals" or "flies".
Pharaoh finally casts the Israelites out of Egypt after his firstborn son is killed. Yahweh leads the Israelites in the form of a pillar of cloud in the day and a pillar of fire at night. However, once the Israelites have left, Yahweh "hardens" Pharaoh's heart to change his mind and pursue the Israelites to the shore of the Red Sea.
For Pharaoh will say of the children of Israel, They are entangled in the land, the wilderness hath shut them in. And I will harden Pharaoh's heart, that he shall follow after them; and I will be honoured upon Pharaoh, and upon all his host; that the Egyptians may know that I am the Lord. And they did so. [17]
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The magicians tried to produce gnats by their secret arts, but they could not. There were gnats on both humans and animals. And the magicians said to Pharaoh, "This is the finger of God!" But Pharaoh’s heart was hardened, and he would not listen to them, just as the Lord had said. —