A frequent misinterpretation portrays God as arbitrarily hardening Pharaoh's heart to coerce sin and evil, questioning divine justice and free will by making God the author of Pharaoh's stubbornness. In context, Pharaoh first hardened his own heart multiple times through willful rejection of God's commands, and the Lord's action is a sovereign, retributive strengthening of that choice, akin to how persistent rebellion leads to self-induced spiritual blindness, without God initiating the sin but using it to multiply signs that expose Egypt's false gods and advance redemption.
Exodus 10:1
King James Version (1769)
1 And the Lord said unto Moses, Go in unto Pharaoh: for I have hardened his heart, and the heart of his servants, that I might shew these my signs before him:
This passage underscores God's sovereignty in directing history to reveal His power and glory. After Pharaoh's repeated defiance, the Lord hardens his heart and that of his servants as a judicial confirmation of their rebellion, ensuring the plagues serve as undeniable signs before them, which will testify to God's supremacy over Egypt and affirm His faithfulness in delivering Israel, preparing the nation to remember these mighty acts for generations.