The heart was thought to be the center of thinking and intelligence, and a “hard heart” indicated a stubborn attitude. (See 4.21 and the comment.) Still is a translation of the conjunction waw, which here carries the meaning of “In spite of all this,” or simply “However” (Good News Translation). Still also describes the continued state of Pharaoh’s heart, which was Still … hardened. The meaning is simply “The king … remained stubborn.”

Revised Standard Version‘s hardened should really be translated “hard,” for this is the first of six references to Pharaoh’s heart that are “theologically neutral.” That is, there is no indication whether the LORD caused his heart to be hard or whether he hardened it himself. So one may translate “The king’s heart, however, still remained hard” or “The king, however, remained stubborn” (Good News Translation). (Similar are 7.14, 22; 8.19; 9.7, 35.) Unless the context demands otherwise, the translator should try to preserve the neutrality in these verses. However, ten other references say it was the LORD who hardened Pharaoh’s heart. (These are 4.21; 7.3; 9.12; 10.1, 20, 27; 11.10; 14.4, 8, 17.) And there are three references clearly stating that the king hardened his own heart. (These are 8.15, 32; 9.34.)

He would not listen means that “he refused to be persuaded” (Translator’s Old Testament). It should be made clear that to them refers to “Moses and Aaron,” not to the magicians. As the LORD had said means “as the LORD had foretold” (New English Bible, New Jerusalem Bible, Translator’s Old Testament), for it refers back to verse 4, where the LORD had said “Pharaoh will not listen to you.” In a number of languages it will be better style to place this clause at the beginning of the verse; for example, “The king, however, behaved just as the LORD had said. He remained stubborn and would not listen to Moses and Aaron” or “The king, however, … and stubbornly refused to listen.” In this latter model Contemporary English Version has neatly combined the idea of “hardened heart” and “the refusal to listen” into one sentence: “The king … stubbornly refused to listen.”

Quoted with permission from Osborn, Noel D. and Hatton, Howard A. A Handbook on Exodus. (UBS Helps for Translators). New York: UBS, 1999. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .