Some Thoughts on an Exodus Theme
Part 4c: CHAZAQ
In the previous article, we offered three verses from Exodus about the Hard Heart.
The Lord said to Moses, ‘When you return to Egypt, see that you perform before Pharaoh all the wonders I have given you the power to do. But I will HARDEN HIS HEART so that he will not let the people go.
Exodus 4:21
But I will HARDEN PHARAOH’S HEART, and though I multiply my signs and wonders in Egypt,
Exodus 7:3
Now the Lord said to Moses, “Go in to Pharaoh; for I HAVE HARDENED HIS HEART and the hearts of his servants, that I may show these signs of Mine before him…
Exodus 10:1
In each of these verses, a different Hebrew word lies behind the English word “hard”: CHAZAQ, KABED, and QASHAH. This time, we’re exploring the first of those words: CHAZAQ
CHAZAQ
The verb used most often in the Exodus story to describe Pharaoh’s hard heart is the Hebrew word CHAZAQ (חָזַק). Here’s a little pronunciation guide. The Hebrew consonant ח (written as “CH”) is pronounced with the classic gutteral sound you hear in Semitic languages. Think of clearing your throat. The emphasis for CHAZAQ is on the final syllable. Say it out loud: ha-ZACK! Don’t you love the sound of it? Sounds like “SHAZAM”. You might say it whilst lifting weights or swinging a hammer. Or maybe it can replace other unfortunately used epithets or interjections.
CHAZAQ occurs 290 times as a verb in the Hebrew Bible, and an additional 56 times as an adjective. It is also the root of some Hebrew nouns, for an additional 10 occurrences.
Most frequently, English translators render the verb as some form of “to be strong” or “to encourage”. It literally means “to grip” or “to seize”, both of which actions require strength, hence, its meaning as “strong”. Here are some examples from the nearly 350 occurrences in the Text (all from the NKJV).
2 For if you refuse to let them go, and still HOLD them, 3 behold, the hand of the Lord will be on your cattle in the field, on the horses, on the donkeys, on the camels, on the oxen, and on the sheep—a very severe pestilence.
Exodus 9:2-3
If one of your brethren becomes poor, and falls into poverty among you, then you SHALL HELP him, like a stranger or a sojourner, that he may live with you.
Leviticus 25:35
20 whether the land is rich or poor; and whether there are forests there or not. BE OF GOOD COURAGE. And bring some of the fruit of the land.” Now the time was the season of the first ripe grapes.
Numbers 13:20
Joshua the son of Nun, who stands before you, he shall go in there. ENCOURAGE him, for he shall cause Israel to inherit it.
Deuteronomy 1:38
Then you shall say to your son: ‘We were slaves of Pharaoh in Egypt, and the Lord brought us out of Egypt with a MIGHTY hand…
Deuteronomy 6:21
BE STRONG and of good courage, for to this people you shall divide as an inheritance the land which I swore to their fathers to give them... Whoever rebels against your word and does not obey it, whatever you may command them, will be put to death. Only BE STRONG and courageous!’
Joshua 1:6,18
8 So the people took provisions and their trumpets in their hands. And he sent away all the rest of Israel, every man to his tent, and RETAINED those three hundred men. Now the camp of Midian was below him in the valley… 11 and you shall hear what they say; and afterward your hands SHALL BE STRENGTHENED to go down against the camp.” Then he went down with Purah his servant to the outpost of the armed men who were in the camp… 20 Then the three companies blew the trumpets and broke the pitchers—THEY HELD the torches in their left hands and the trumpets in their right hands for blowing—and they cried, “The sword of the Lord and of Gideon!”
Judges 7:8,11,20
Then the children of Dan went their way. And when Micah saw that they WERE TOO STRONG for him, he turned and went back to his house.
Judges 18:26
33 “As I live,” says the Lord God, “surely with a MIGHTY hand, with an outstretched arm, and with fury poured out, I will rule over you. 34 I will bring you out from the peoples and gather you out of the countries where you are scattered, with a MIGHTY hand, with an outstretched arm, and with fury poured out.
Ezekiel 20:33-34
As is clear from the verses cited, CHAZAQ can have a very positive connotation. For instance, if your child were terrified of a thunderstorm or the monster under their bed, would you want their heart to be CHAZAQ? If you were heading into a particularly challenging season, your friends would pray for you to be CHAZAQ. Warriors entering battle or boxers entering the arena need CHAZAQ to “fight the good fight. In days of old, when we were ruled by kings, would we want our ruler to be CHAZAQ?
So, what does it mean in Exodus 4 and in the other 15 occurrences that Pharaoh’s heart was CHAZAQ/strong? How would his people have viewed his heart being CHAZAQ? Far from being a negative connotation, a heart that is CHAZAQ is admirable.
It’s a Red Pill to swallow and consider the implications.
Here are the CHAZAQ LEBAB verses in Exodus.
And the Lord said to Moses, “When you go back to Egypt, see that you do all those wonders before Pharaoh which I have put in your hand. But I WILL HARDEN his heart, so that he will not let the people go.
Exodus 4:21
And Pharaoh’s heart GREW HARD, and he did not heed them, as the Lord had said.
Exodus 7:13
Then the magicians of Egypt did so with their enchantments; and Pharaoh’s heart GREW HARD, and he did not heed them, as the Lord had said.
Exodus 7:22
Then the magicians said to Pharaoh, “This is the finger of God.” But Pharaoh’s heart GREW HARD, and he did not heed them, just as the Lord had said.
Exodus 8:19
But the Lord HARDENED the heart of Pharaoh; and he did not heed them, just as the Lord had spoken to Moses.
Exodus 9:12
So the heart of Pharaoh WAS HARD; neither would he let the children of Israel go, as the Lord had spoken by Moses.
Exodus 9:35
But the Lord HARDENED Pharaoh’s heart, and he did not let the children of Israel go…But the Lord HARDENED Pharaoh’s heart, and he would not let them go.
Exodus 10:20,27
So Moses and Aaron did all these wonders before Pharaoh; and the Lord HARDENED Pharaoh’s heart, and he did not let the children of Israel go out of his land.
Exodus 11:10
THEN I WILL HARDEN Pharaoh’s heart, so that he will pursue them; and I will gain honor over Pharaoh and over all his army, that the Egyptians may know that I am the Lord.” And they did so… And the Lord HARDENED the heart of Pharaoh king of Egypt, and he pursued the children of Israel; and the children of Israel went out with boldness… And I indeed WILL HARDEN the heart(s) of the Egypt(ians), and they shall follow them. So I will gain honor over Pharaoh and over all his army, his chariots, and his horsemen.
Exodus 14:4,8,17
If you look at the context of each of these examples of Pharaoh’s CHAZAQ heart you will note the following insights. What follows is, from a certain point of view, a courageous act by Pharaoh. He stands up to YHWH and Moses. But it does not take a lot of mental gymnastics to realize that it’s a very short arc to go from “courageous” to “foolish”. Pharaoh may be Exhibit A in that explanation.
From the perspective of the people of Eqypt, wouldn’t you admire a kind with that sort of chutzpah? Someone bold enough to stand up to a god? If you are an Egyptian, you kind of need to admire Pharaoh for his courage…his STRONG heart.
It seems to me that the Text is telling us that God encourages Pharaoh to be the sort of king Egypt wants: courageous; one who does not wilt under pressure; one who see bad circumstances occurring, but nevertheless persists. Historians describe Winston Churchill in this way. How about Henry V with his “Once more into the breach”?
CHAZAQ might be described as a positive word which could have negative ramifications. (All swords are double egded.)
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