7Pharaoh inquired and found that not even one of the Israelites’ livestock had died. But the heart of Pharaoh was hardened, and he would not let the people go.
The Hebrew that is translated into English as forms of “(to not) harden heart” is translated into other languages with their own vivid idioms; for example, Thai uses “black-hearted” (source: Bratcher / Hattoon, p. 272), Pökoot uses makany kwoghïghitu mötöwekwo: “do not let become hard your heads” (source: Gerrit van Steenbergen), Anuak has “make liver strong” (source: Loren Bliese), and The Hebrew that is translated as “divination” or similar in English is translated in Elhomwe has “dried heart” (source: project-specific translation notes in Paratext).
In the German New Testament translation by Berger / Nord (publ. 1999) it is translated colloquially as wie vernagelt or “obtuse” (in Mark 6:52 and 8:17).
While Moba has a rich metaphorical library using the concept of “heart” (pal) it follows very different paradigms compared to Greek, Hebrew and English concepts. The parallel expression of “hardened heart” means “courageous” or “encouraged” (see hearts burning) so in the 2008 Moba Yendu Kadapaaonn translation various constructs are used to translate “hardness of heart,” including “not willing to change one’s mind” (in Mark 3:5) or “make temptation into the heart” (John 12:40). (Source: Bedouma Joseph Kobaike in Le Sycomore 17/1, 2024, p. 3ff. )
The term that is used for monarchs in ancient Egypt and is transliterated as “Pharaoh” in English is translated in Finnish Sign Language with the sign signifying the “fake metal beard (postiche)” that was word by Pharaohs during official functions. (Source: Tarja Sandholm)
Following are a number of back-translations as well as a sample translation for translators of Exodus 9:7:
Kupsabiny: “From there/Then, the ruler/king sent his people to do investigation. When they checked, there was not even one animal of the Israelites that had died. Though it was like that, the ruler continued to hardened his head not to release those people.” (Source: Kupsabiny Back Translation)
Newari: “Pharaoh sent some men to investigate what happened there and they saw that not a single animal of the Israelites had died. Yet Pharaoh’s heart remained hard (emph.). He would not let the people go.” (Source: Newari Back Translation)
Hiligaynon: “The king sent people/men to find-out if (it was) true that none of the livestock/animals of the Israelinhon died. But even-though he knew that this was true, his heart still was hard and he did- not -let- the Israelinhon -go.” (Source: Hiligaynon Back Translation)
Bariai: “And the great chief of the Isip people sent some of his people to the Israel people, because he wanted to know: did any animals of the Israel people die, or how was it. But they returned back to him and said, ‘No. None of the animals of the Israel people died.’ Okay, the great chief of the Isip people saw like that, but he was unwavering and refused to listen again, and so again he didn’t allow the Israel people to go.” (Source: Bariai Back Translation)
Opo: “And king sent a man [that] he might go look [and return] livestock of people of Israel, whether it died. But, there was not one which died. And heart of king was with hardness. He not people of Israel let go [that] they might go.” (Source: Opo Back Translation)
English: “The king sent men to investigate, and they were surprised to see that none of the Israeli people’s animals had died. But after they reported that to the king, he continued to be stubborn , and he did not let the Israeli people go.” (Source: Translation for Translators)
And Pharaoh sent is natural in Hebrew but too literal in English, for it does not indicate whom he sent (so also 9.19 and 27). He obviously “sent men to investigate” (New International Version), so New English Bible has “Pharaoh inquired.” The causative form may be more suitable, as in New Jerusalem Bible “Pharaoh had enquiries made.” Good News Translation‘s “The king asked what had happened” may be misunderstood to suggest that he had never been warned, which would mean that Moses had not carried out Yahweh’s instructions in verse 1. Another model is “the king sent people to find out what happened, and when they told him that….”
And behold calls attention to what follows, which in this case was the surprising news that proved that what Moses had said was true. Good News Translation omits behold as archaic in English, but many languages can handle it quite naturally. In some languages an ideophone or vocal expression will be natural here. (Jerusalem Bible has “Pharaoh had inquiries made, but it was true.”) Not one … was dead is said with emphasis, so New Jerusalem Bible has “not a single beast had died.” The cattle of the Israelites refers to all the livestock or “animals of the Israelites.” This probably included donkeys, cows, oxen, sheep, and goats, but not horses or camels. (See the discussion on cattle at verse 3.)
But the heart of Pharaoh was hardened is literally “and the heart of Pharaoh was heavy.” This means, of course, that “he was stubborn.” (But see the comment at 4.21 and 7.13.) And he did not let the people go is literally “and he did not send the people.” The same verb, “send,” is used in the first part of the verse. Here it reflects the demand of Moses in verse 1 to “let my people go.” The people, of course, are the Israelites. One may therefore translate “he did not release the Israelites.” Good News Translation has “would not” in order to show the king’s continuing stubbornness. Contemporary English Version has “he was still too stubborn to let the people go.”
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 .
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