Exodus 14:4 (YLT)

Passage

and I have strengthened the heart of Pharaoh, and he hath pursued after them, and I am honoured on Pharaoh, and on all his force, and the Egyptians have known that I <FI>am<Fi> Jehovah;' and they do so.

Nearby Context

Exodus 14:2 `Speak unto the sons of Israel, and they turn back and encamp before Pi-Hahiroth, between Migdol and the sea, before Baal-Zephon; over-against it ye do encamp by the sea,

Exodus 14:3 and Pharaoh hath said of the sons of Israel, They are entangled in the land, the wilderness hath shut upon them;

Exodus 14:4 and I have strengthened the heart of Pharaoh, and he hath pursued after them, and I am honoured on Pharaoh, and on all his force, and the Egyptians have known that I <FI>am<Fi> Jehovah;' and they do so.

Exodus 14:5 And it is declared to the king of Egypt that the people hath fled, and the heart of Pharaoh and of his servants is turned against the people, and they say, `What <FI>is<Fi> this we have done? that we have sent Israel away from our service.'

Exodus 14:6 And he harnesseth his chariot, and his people he hath taken with him,

Study Lenses

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

The nearby context moves from verse 3's "and Pharaoh hath said of the sons..." into verse 5's "And it is declared to the king...", so "strengthened" and "heart" 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 "strengthened" and "heart" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.