有更好的理解和考察的地方也欢迎补充和赐教。
出埃及记多次提到了这个”harden”,比如出埃及记4：21；7：3；9：12；10：1，20，27；11：10；14：4，8，17大多数的圣经版本翻译都和King James的版本一样。如果有兴趣对比更多版本的话，可以访问这个网站http://www.biblegateway.com ，下面仅以New King James Version为例。
New King James Version
Exodus4:21And the LORD said to Moses, “When you go back to Egypt, see that you do all those wonders before Pharaoh which I have put in your hand. But I will harden his heart, so that he will not let the people go.
Exodus7:3 “And I will harden Pharaoh’s heart, and multiply My signs and My wonders in the land of Egypt.”
Exodus10:1Now the LORD said to Moses, “Go in to Pharaoh; for I have hardened his heart and the hearts of his servants, that I may show these signs of Mine before him
Exodus10:20 But the LORD hardened Pharaoh’s heart, and he did not let the children of Israel go.
在 Jay P. Green, Sr.的一册The Interlinear Bible—Hebrew/Greek/English这本书中，有希伯来语和英语的对比，并且在每个希伯来词上给了Strong’s Concordance Number.比如在出埃及记4：21 中的harden号码是2388，7：3中harden号码是7185，9：12 是2388，10：1是3513，10：20是2380，10：27，11：10，14：4，8，17 都是2388。统计的结果就是主要有四个号码：2388，7185，2380和3513。
含有2388的圣经章节有Ex4:21,9:12,10:27,11:10,14:4,14:8,14:17，含有7185的圣经章节有 Ex7:3，含有2380的章节有 Ex10:20，含有3513的章节有 Ex10:1。
The New STRONG’S Exhaustive concordance of The Bible这本书中给了每个号码的意思，特摘抄如下（省去发音部分）：
2388 חָזַק a prim. Root; to fasten upon; hence to seize, be strong (fig. Courageous, caus. Strengthen, cure, help, repair, fortify ),obstinate; to bind, restrain, conquer:--aid, amend, x calker, catch, cleave, confirm, be constant, constrain, continue, be of good (take) courage(-ous, -ly), encourage (self), be established, fasten, force, fortify, make hard, harden, help, (lay) hold (fast), lean, maintain, play the man, mend, become (wax) mighty, prevail, be recovered, repair, retain, seize, be (wax) sore, strengthen (self), be stout, be (make, shew, wax) strong (-er), be sure, take (hold), be urgent, behave self valiantly, withstand.
7185 קָשָׁה a prim. Root ; prop. To be dense, i.e. tough or severe (in various applications) :--be cruel, be fiercer, make grievous, be ([ask a], be in, have, seem, would) hard(-en,[labour], -ly,thing), be sore,(be, make) stiff (-en,[-necked]).
2380 חָזוּת from 2372; a look; hence,(fig.) striking appearance, revelation, or (by impl.) compact:--agreement, notable (one), vision.
3513 כּבַד or כּבֵד a prim. Root; to be heavy, i.e. in a bad sense (burdensome, severe, dull) or in a good sense (numerous, rich, honorable); caus. To make weighty ( in the same two senses) :--abounding with ,more grievously afflict, boast, be chargeable, x be dim, glorify, be (make) heavy, be heavier, lay heavily, (bring to, come to, do, get, be had in) honour (self), (be) honourable (man), lade, x more be laid, make self many, nobles, prevail, promote (to honour), be rich, be (go) sore, stop.
2388用得最多，但其词的含义也最广，通读圣经，并且对比各种圣经版本，我还是觉得以下的版本翻译得最恰当。

New World Translation of the Holy ures
Exodus4:21And Jehovah went on to say to Moses: “After you have gone and returned to Egypt see that YOU men actually perform all the miracles that I have put in your hand before Phar´aoh. As for me, I shall let his heart become obstinate; and he will not send the people away.
Exodus7:3 As for me, I shall let Phar´aoh’s heart become obstinate, and I shall certainly multiply my signs and my miracles in the land of Egypt.
Exodus10:1 Then Jehovah said to Moses: “Go in to Phar´aoh, because I—I have let his heart and the hearts of his servants become unresponsive, in order that I may set these signs of mine right before him
Exodus10:20 However, Jehovah let Phar´aoh’s heart become obstinate, and he did not send the sons of Israel away.
再对比一下约瑟在埃及当时的法老的态度。创世纪41：38-40“法老对臣仆说：“我们还能找到另一个人像他一样有上帝的灵吗？”法老对约瑟说：“上帝既把这一切指示了你，就再没有人比你英明而有智慧。”你可以管理我的家。”对于这样的法老，上帝赐福给埃及。如果摩西时代的法老们有这样的悟性和谦虚谨慎的态度，耶和华根本没必要降下十场灾难，更用不着“harden”法老的心去再去降灾。

此外犹太1世纪的历史学家约瑟夫斯在其作品犹太人的古代史中对法老是如下记载的。(The Antiquities of the Jews Book2 chapter 14 Concerning the ten plagues which came upon the Egyptians)
1 But when the king despised the words of Moses, and had no regard at all to them, grievous plagues seized the Egyptians;……………but when the plague ceased, he (Pharaoh)changed his mind again, and would not suffer them to go.
2. But when God saw that he was ungrateful, and upon the ceasing of this calamity would not grow wiser, he sent another plague upon the Egyptians:…………….But as soon as Pharaoh saw the land freed from this plague, he forgot the cause of it, and retained the Hebrews; and, as though he has a mind to try the nature of more such judgments, he would not yet suffer Moses and his people to depart, having granted that liberty rather out of fear than out of any good consideration.
4. But when Pharaoh did not even then yield to the will of God,……
5.One would think the forementioned calamities might have been sufficient for one that was only foolish, without wickedness, to make him wise, and to make him sensible what was for his advantage. But Pharaoh, led not so much by his folly as by his wickedness, even when he saw the cause of his miseries, he still contested with God, and willfully deserted the cause of virtue; ………and when Pharaoh did not still repent and let the Hebrews go, Moses came to him and said “How long wilt thou be disobedient to the command of God? For he enjoins thee to let the Hebrews go; nor is there any other way of being freed from the calamities you are under, unless you do so.”
一个多世纪以前在埃及的Saqqara金字塔附近发现的”The Egyptian Ipuwer Papyrus Manu”也描述了埃及遭受的血灾，雹灾，牲畜灾，头生子灾和埃及人对其所作出的反应。当然还有其他的希腊历史学家对出埃及记的记载我就在此不戎述了。