What then is a "vessel of wrath prepared for destruction"?
See the bold and/or underlined regarding the words used for "hard" in reference to Pharaoh's heart. It is not cut and dried as some make it out to be.
Romans 9:18 is about these passages. It says, "...and HE HARDENS whom He desires." Since the God initiated passages are all the Hebrew word 02388, Then it means that God STRENGTHENS the resolve that the person (Pharaoh) had already DEMONSTRATED on HIS OWN!
| ---STRONG'S NUMBERS | ---YOUNG'S LITERAL TRANSLATION |
| ---Summary: 02388, God initiates a strengthening; 03513/15, The person initiates his own stubbornness. | ---Summary: 02388=Strengthen; 03513/15=Harden |
| --- Exd 7:13 And he hardened 02388 Pharaoh's 06547 heart 03820, that he hearkened 08085 not unto them; as the LORD 03068 had said 01696 . | --- Exodus 7 13 and the heart of Pharaoh is strong, and he hath not hearkened unto them, as Jehovah hath spoken. |
| --- Exd 7:14 And the LORD 03068 said 0559 unto Moses 04872, Pharaoh's 06547 heart 03820 [is] hardened 03515, he refuseth 03985 to let the people 05971 go 07971 . | --- Exodus 7 14 And Jehovah saith unto Moses, `The heart of Pharaoh hath been hard, he hath refused to send the people away; |
| --- Exd 7:22 And the magicians 02748 of Egypt 04714 did 06213 so with their enchantments 03909: and Pharaoh's 06547 heart 03820 was hardened 02388 , neither did he hearken 08085 unto them; as the LORD 03068 had said 01696 . | --- Exodus 7 22 And the scribes of Egypt do so with their flashings, and the heart of Pharaoh is strong, and he hath not hearkened unto them, as Jehovah hath spoken, |
| --- Exd 8:15 But when Pharaoh 06547 saw 07200 that there was respite 07309, he hardened 03515 his heart 03820, and hearkened 08085 not unto them; as the LORD 03068 had said 01696 . | --- Exodus 8 15 And Pharaoh seeth that there hath been a respite, and he hath hardened his heart, and hath not hearkened unto them, as Jehovah hath spoken. |
| --- Exd 8:19 Then the magicians 02748 said 0559 unto Pharaoh 06547, This [is] the finger 0676 of God 0430: and Pharaoh's 06547 heart 03820 was hardened 02388 , and he hearkened 08085 not unto them; as the LORD 03068 had said 01696 . | --- Exodus 8 19 and the scribes say unto Pharaoh, `It [is] the finger of God;' and the heart of Pharaoh is strong, and he hath not hearkened unto them, as Jehovah hath spoken. |
| --- Exd 8:32 And Pharaoh 06547 hardened 03513 his heart 03820 at this time 06471 also, neither would he let the people 05971 go 07971 . | --- Exodus 8 32 and Pharaoh hardeneth his heart also at this time, and hath not sent the people away. |
| --- Exd 9:7 And Pharaoh 06547 sent 07971 , and, behold, there was not one 0259 of the cattle 04735 of the Israelites 03478 dead 04191 . And the heart 03820 of Pharaoh 06547 was hardened 03513 , and he did not let the people 05971 go 07971 . | --- Exodus 9 7 and Pharaoh sendeth, and lo, not even one of the cattle of Israel hath died, and the heart of Pharaoh is hard, and he hath not sent the people away. |
| --- Exd 9:12 And the LORD 03068 hardened 02388 the heart 03820 of Pharaoh 06547, and he hearkened 08085 not unto them; as the LORD 03068 had spoken 01696 unto Moses 04872. | --- Exodus 9 12 And Jehovah strengtheneth the heart of Pharaoh, and he hath not hearkened unto them, as Jehovah hath spoken unto Moses. |
| --- Exd 9:34 And when Pharaoh 06547 saw 07200 that the rain 04306 and the hail 01259 and the thunders 06963 were ceased 02308 , he sinned 02398 yet more 03254 , and hardened 03513 his heart 03820, he and his servants 05650. | --- Exodus 9 34 and Pharaoh seeth that the rain hath ceased, and the hail and the voices, and he continueth to sin, and hardeneth his heart, he and his servants; |
| --- Exd 9:35 And the heart 03820 of Pharaoh 06547 was hardened 02388 , neither would he let the children 01121 of Israel 03478 go 07971 ; as the LORD 03068 had spoken 01696 by 03027 Moses 04872. | --- Exodus 9 35 and the heart of Pharaoh is strong, and he hath not sent the sons of Israel away, as Jehovah hath spoken by the hand of Moses. |
| --- Exd 10:1 And the LORD 03068 said 0559 unto Moses 04872, Go 0935 in unto Pharaoh 06547: for I have hardened 03513 his heart 03820, and the heart 03820 of his servants 05650, that I might shew 07896 these my signs 0226 before 07130 him: | --- Exodus 10 1 And Jehovah saith unto Moses, `Go in unto Pharaoh, for I have declared hard his heart, and the heart of his servants, so that I set these My signs in their midst, |
| --- Exd 10:20 But the LORD 03068 hardened 02388 Pharaoh's 06547 heart 03820, so that he would not let the children 01121 of Israel 03478 go 07971 . | --- Exodus 10 20 and Jehovah strengtheneth the heart of Pharaoh, and he hath not sent the sons of Israel away. |
| --- Exd 10:27 But the LORD 03068 hardened 02388 Pharaoh's 06547 heart 03820, and he would 014 not let them go 07971 . | --- Exodus 10 27 And Jehovah strengtheneth the heart of Pharaoh, and he hath not been willing to send them away; |
| --- Exd 11:10 And Moses 04872 and Aaron 0175 did 06213 all these wonders 04159 before 06440 Pharaoh 06547: and the LORD 03068 hardened 02388 Pharaoh's 06547 heart 03820, so that he would not let the children 01121 of Israel 03478 go out 07971 of his land 0776. | --- Exodus 11 10 and Moses and Aaron have done all these wonders before Pharaoh, and Jehovah strengtheneth Pharaoh's heart, and he hath not sent the sons of Israel out of his land. |
| --- Exd 14:8 And the LORD 03068 hardened 02388 the heart 03820 of Pharaoh 06547 king 04428 of Egypt 04714, and he pursued 07291 after 0310 the children 01121 of Israel 03478: and the children 01121 of Israel 03478 went out 03318 with an high 07311 hand 03027. | --- Exodus 14 8 and Jehovah strengtheneth the heart of Pharaoh king of Egypt, and he pursueth after the sons of Israel, and the sons of Israel are going out with a high hand, |
| ---1Sa 6:6 Wherefore then do ye harden 03513 your hearts 03824, as the Egyptians 04714 and Pharaoh 06547 hardened 03513 their hearts 03820? when he had wrought wonderfully 05953 among them, did they not let the people go 07971 , and they departed 03212 ? | ---1 Samuel 6 6 and why do ye harden your heart as the Egyptians and Pharaoh hardened their heart? do they not -- when He hath rolled Himself upon them -- send them away, and they go? |