Tanach · Rishonim on Tanach · Ramban · Torah
Ramban on Exodus 10:1/רמב"ן על שמות י׳:א׳
אכִּי אֲנִי הִכְבַּדְתִּי אֶת לִבּוֹ הוֹדִיעַ הקב"ה לְמֹשֶׁה שֶׁהוּא הִכְבִּיד אֶת לִבָּם עַתָּה אַחֲרֵי שֶׁפָּחֲדוּ מִמֶּנּוּ בַּבָּרָד וְהִתְוַדּוּ עַל עֲוֹנָם. וְאָמַר לוֹ הַטַּעַם כִּי עָשִׂיתִי כֵן, לְמַעַן שֶׁאָשִׁית בְּקִרְבָּם אֵלֶּה הָאֹתוֹת אֲשֶׁר אֲנִי חָפֵץ לַעֲשׂוֹת בָּהֶם שֶׁיֵּדְעוּ מִצְרַיִם אֶת גְּבוּרָתִי, לֹא שֶׁאַעֲנִישׁ אוֹתָם יוֹתֵר מִפְּנֵי הַכֹּבֶד הַזֶּה. וְעוֹד כְּדֵי שֶׁתְּסַפֵּר אַתָּה וְכָל יִשְׂרָאֵל לַדּוֹרוֹת הַבָּאִים כֹּחַ מַעֲשַׂי, וְתֵדְעוּ כִּי אֲנִי ה', וְכֹל אֲשֶׁר אֶחְפֹּץ אֶעֱשֶׂה בַּשָּׁמַיִם וּבָאָרֶץ:
1AND THE ETERNAL SAID UNTO MOSES: GO IN UNTO PHARAOH; FOR I HAVE HARDENED HIS HEART AND THE HEART OF HIS SERVANTS. The Holy One, blessed be He, informed Moses that it is He Who has hardened their hearts in spite of their fear of Him during the hail and their confession of sin.1. This is a clear indication that the servants too had joined the king in admitting their guilt. Ramban is thus correct in writing here in the plural: “their confession of sin.” And He explained to him: “The reason I hardened their hearts is that I might set in their midst these signs that I wish to do among them so that the Egyptians will know My power, but not in order that I can punish them more on account of this hardening of heart, and also that you and all Israel should recount during the coming generations the power of My deeds, and you shall know that I am the Eternal,2 and whatsoever I please, I do in heaven and in earth.”3