Exodus 9:27

KJV

And Pharaoh sent, and called for Moses and Aaron, and said unto them, I have sinned this time: the LORD [is] righteous, and I and my people [are] wicked.

KJV (with Strong's)

And Pharaoh {H6547} sent {H7971}, and called {H7121} for Moses {H4872} and Aaron {H175}, and said {H559} unto them, I have sinned {H2398} this time {H6471}: the LORD {H3068} is righteous {H6662}, and I and my people {H5971} are wicked {H7563}.

Complete Jewish Bible

Pharaoh summoned Moshe and Aharon and said to them, "This time I have sinned: ADONAI is in the right; I and my people are in the wrong.

Berean Standard Bible

Then Pharaoh summoned Moses and Aaron. “This time I have sinned,” he said. “The LORD is righteous, and I and my people are wicked.

American Standard Version

And Pharaoh sent, and called for Moses and Aaron, and said unto them, I have sinned this time: Jehovah is righteous, and I and my people are wicked.

Commentary

### SUMMARY
Humbled by the devastating plague of hail, Pharaoh makes a rare and explicit confession of sin, acknowledging Yahweh's righteousness and his own and his people's wickedness; however, this admission, born of duress rather than true repentance, proves to be a fleeting moment in his ongoing rebellion against God.

### CONTEXT
* **Literary Context:** Exodus 9:27 immediately follows the catastrophic seventh plague of hail, described in vivid detail in [Exodus 9:18-26](/exodus/9-18 "The Seventh Plague: Hail and Fire"). This plague was unprecedented in Egypt, destroying crops, livestock, and even people, sparing only the land of Goshen where the Israelites resided. Pharaoh's confession here is a direct response to this overwhelming display of divine power. The verses that follow, [Exodus 9:28-35](/exodus/9-28 "Pharaoh's Broken Promise"), show Pharaoh's immediate request for the plague to cease, followed by his predictable hardening of heart once the threat is removed, setting the stage for the final, more severe judgments.
* **Historical & Cultural Context:** In ancient Egypt, Pharaoh was considered a divine king, a living god, the embodiment of cosmic order (Ma'at). For Pharaoh to confess sin, especially to the God of a subjugated people, was an extraordinary and humiliating act. This confession directly challenges the foundational ideology of Egyptian kingship and religion. Each plague was not merely a natural disaster but a targeted assault on specific Egyptian deities and the cosmic order Pharaoh supposedly maintained. The hail plague, for instance, challenged the sky gods (e.g., Nut), the storm gods (e.g., Seth), and agricultural deities (e.g., Osiris). Pharaoh's admission of Yahweh's righteousness and his own wickedness is a forced theological concession, demonstrating Yahweh's supremacy over all Egyptian gods and Pharaoh himself. This confession, though temporary, highlights the immense pressure Pharaoh was under, a pressure designed by God to display His glory and power to both Egypt and Israel.

### EXPOSITION AND ANALYSIS
* **Key Word Analysis:**
* ***chata*** (חָטָא): Translated "sinned," this Hebrew verb literally means "to miss the mark" or "to go astray." In a theological context, it signifies a moral failure, an offense against God's revealed will or character. Pharaoh's use of "this time" (הַפַּעַם, *happaʿam*) suggests a limited, situational acknowledgment of wrongdoing rather than a comprehensive recognition of his rebellion. It implies a recognition of a specific transgression (refusing to let Israel go) rather than a deep, heart-level repentance for his entire posture of defiance.
* ***tzaddiq*** (צַדִּיק): Translated "righteous," this adjective describes God's perfect justice, uprightness, and moral integrity. It signifies that God's actions, including His judgments, are entirely just, fair, and in accord with His holy character. Pharaoh's declaration "the LORD is righteous" is a profound, albeit forced, theological admission that God's actions are vindicated and His cause is just, while Pharaoh's opposition is without merit.
* ***rasha*** (רָשָׁע): Translated "wicked," this term denotes guilt, unrighteousness, and moral depravity. It stands in stark contrast to *tzaddiq*. Pharaoh's self-designation as *rasha* is an acknowledgment of his culpability and moral bankruptcy before the just God. It is an admission that his resistance to God's command has been evil and deserving of the judgment he has experienced.
* **Verse Breakdown:**
* "And Pharaoh sent, and called for Moses and Aaron, and said unto them": This opening clause highlights Pharaoh's initiative, a rare occurrence in the narrative where he is usually reacting to divine pressure. The devastation of the hail plague has finally broken through his stubbornness, forcing him to seek out God's representatives.
* "I have sinned this time": This is Pharaoh's first explicit confession of sin in the Exodus narrative. The phrase "this time" is crucial, indicating a limited, immediate acknowledgment of guilt under duress, rather than a genuine, lasting change of heart. It suggests a focus on the immediate consequence of the plague rather than the underlying rebellion against God's authority.
* "the LORD [is] righteous": This is a momentous theological declaration from the mouth of Egypt's divine ruler. It is an admission of Yahweh's absolute justice and moral rectitude in bringing the plagues. It vindicates God's actions and character, even as it condemns Pharaoh's.
* "and I and my people [are] wicked": This statement completes the theological contrast. Pharaoh acknowledges his own and his people's moral culpability and unrighteousness in resisting God's command. This is a profound admission of guilt from one who previously saw himself as a god.
* **Literary Devices:**
* The passage employs **dramatic irony**, as the reader knows Pharaoh's confession is temporary and his heart will harden again, making his seemingly profound theological statement ultimately hollow. There is also a clear **contrast** established between God's perfect righteousness (*tzaddiq*) and Pharaoh's and his people's wickedness (*rasha*), highlighting the moral chasm between the divine and the human rebellion.

### THEOLOGICAL AND THEMATIC CONNECTIONS
This verse powerfully articulates several core theological truths. First, it underscores God's **absolute righteousness and justice**. Even Pharaoh, God's chief antagonist, is compelled to confess that Yahweh's actions are just and His judgments are deserved. This affirms God's character as one who always acts in accordance with His holy nature, even when bringing severe judgment ([Psalm 145:17](/psalm/145-17 "The LORD is righteous in all his ways")). Second, it reveals the **depth of human sin and rebellion**. Pharaoh's "wickedness" is not merely a mistake but a deliberate, persistent defiance of divine authority, demonstrating the human capacity for stubborn resistance even in the face of overwhelming evidence. Third, the verse highlights the **nature of false repentance**. Pharaoh's confession, born of duress, lacks the transformative power of true repentance, which involves a genuine turning from sin and a commitment to obey God. This foreshadows the ongoing struggle and the ultimate hardening of Pharaoh's heart, a theme explicitly stated by God Himself ([Exodus 10:1](/exodus/10-1 "God hardens Pharaoh's heart")). This dynamic illustrates that outward confession without inward change is insufficient for reconciliation with God.

### REFLECTION AND APPLICATION
Exodus 9:27 offers profound lessons for contemporary believers. Pharaoh's fleeting confession serves as a stark warning about the **nature of true repentance**. It reminds us that acknowledging our sin under pressure or for self-preservation is not the same as genuine repentance, which involves a deep change of heart, a turning away from sin, and a commitment to follow God's will. We must examine our own confessions: are they born of convenience or conviction? Furthermore, this passage reinforces God's **unwavering sovereignty and justice**. Even when we resist or rebel, God remains righteous, and His purposes will prevail. Our ultimate well-being lies in aligning ourselves with His righteous will, not in resisting it. Finally, Pharaoh's experience illustrates the **futility and danger of prolonged resistance to God**. The longer we harden our hearts, the more severe the consequences become, and the more difficult it is to genuinely respond to God's call.

* When have you confessed a wrong, but found your heart unchanged once the immediate pressure was gone? What does this reveal about true repentance?
* How does acknowledging God's righteousness, even in difficult circumstances, strengthen your faith and trust in Him?
* In what areas of your life might you be unknowingly resisting God's will, and what steps can you take to yield to His authority?

### FAQ
**Does Pharaoh's confession mean he was truly repentant?**

Answer: No, the narrative strongly suggests his confession was temporary and born of duress rather than genuine repentance. While he explicitly admits sin and God's righteousness, his subsequent actions (re-hardening his heart once the plague ceased, as seen in [Exodus 9:34-35](/exodus/9-34 "Pharaoh Sins Again")) demonstrate that this was not a transformative change of heart but a strategic admission to alleviate immediate suffering. True repentance involves a turning away from sin and a commitment to obey God, which Pharaoh consistently failed to do.

**If God hardened Pharaoh's heart, was Pharaoh still responsible for his sin?**

Answer: This is a complex theological question. The biblical text indicates both that Pharaoh hardened his own heart and that God hardened Pharaoh's heart. God's hardening of Pharaoh's heart was not an imposition of evil on an unwilling participant, but rather a divine confirmation and intensification of Pharaoh's pre-existing rebellious will. God allowed Pharaoh to fully express his own wickedness, demonstrating His sovereignty over human defiance. Pharaoh remained fully responsible for his choices because his resistance originated from his own stubborn will, which God then used to display His power and glory ([Romans 9:17-18](/romans/9-17 "God's Sovereignty and Pharaoh")).

**Why is it important that Pharaoh, a "god-king," confessed Yahweh's righteousness?**

Answer: This confession is profoundly significant because it represents a forced theological surrender from the highest human authority in Egypt. Pharaoh, who was considered a living god and the embodiment of cosmic order, is compelled to acknowledge the supremacy and justice of Yahweh, the God of a subjugated people. This public admission undermines the entire religious and political ideology of Egypt, demonstrating Yahweh's absolute sovereignty over all false gods and human rulers. It serves as a powerful vindication of God's character and His mission to liberate Israel.

### CHRIST-CENTERED FULFILLMENT
Exodus 9:27, though an Old Testament verse, powerfully anticipates key aspects of Christ's work. Pharaoh's forced confession of sin and God's righteousness points to the universal reality that **all humanity stands guilty before a righteous God**. Just as Pharaoh's resistance brought judgment, so too does humanity's rebellion against God's will necessitate a divine response. However, unlike Pharaoh's temporary confession, Jesus Christ offers a path to **true and lasting repentance and reconciliation**. His death on the cross addresses the "wickedness" that Pharaoh confessed, providing the means for humanity's sin to be forgiven and for us to be declared righteous before God ([2 Corinthians 5:21](/2_corinthians/5-21 "Christ became sin for us")).

Furthermore, the theme of God's **sovereignty over hardened hearts** finds its ultimate expression in the gospel. While Pharaoh's heart was hardened unto destruction, Christ's work offers a new heart of flesh in place of a heart of stone ([Ezekiel 36:26](/ezekiel/36-26 "A New Heart and a New Spirit")). The judgment experienced by Pharaoh, though severe, foreshadows the ultimate judgment against sin that Jesus bore on the cross, allowing those who believe to escape eternal condemnation. Thus, Pharaoh's forced acknowledgment of God's righteousness serves as a backdrop to the even greater display of God's righteousness and love in providing salvation through Christ for those who genuinely repent and believe.

Note: Commentary is generated by AI with a directive for Biblical fidelity. Always rely on the Holy Spirit for discernment. The Scripture text and cross-references are from verified, non-AI sources.