Exodus 14:8 (KJV)

Passage

And the LORD hardened the heart of Pharaoh king of Egypt, and he pursued after the children of Israel: and the children of Israel went out with an high hand.

Nearby Context

Exodus 14:6 And he made ready his chariot, and took his people with him:

Exodus 14:7 And he took six hundred chosen chariots, and all the chariots of Egypt, and captains over every one of them.

Exodus 14:8 And the LORD hardened the heart of Pharaoh king of Egypt, and he pursued after the children of Israel: and the children of Israel went out with an high hand.

Exodus 14:9 But the Egyptians pursued after them, all the horses and chariots of Pharaoh, and his horsemen, and his army, and overtook them encamping by the sea, beside Pihahiroth, before Baalzephon.

Exodus 14:10 And when Pharaoh drew nigh, the children of Israel lifted up their eyes, and, behold, the Egyptians marched after them; and they were sore afraid: and the children of Israel cried out unto the LORD.

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "lord", "hardened", "heart", "pharaoh", "king", "egypt", "pursued", and "after". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "lord" and "hardened", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 7's "And he took six hundred chosen chariots..." into verse 9's "But the Egyptians pursued after them all...", so "lord" and "hardened" belong inside that flow. In Exodus context, the local focus is covenant, worship, and faithfulness.

A plain takeaway is to answer the verse's own emphasis on "lord" and "hardened" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.