Ten plagues: summary and the puzzle of hardening

The story of the ten plagues is known to the whole world: Egypt and Pharaoh are beaten with signs until a freeborn people, forced into slavery, is restored to liberty. Aaron’s rod becomes a serpent and swallows the magicians’ serpents; still Pharaoh’s heart was hardened. Sometimes Scripture says the heart “was hardened,” sometimes the Lord hardened Pharaoh’s heart. The careful reader must not rush past that difference.

Latin

Historia famosissima: Aegyptus plagis castigata ut Hebraeos libertati redderet. Virga Aaron in draconem absorbuit dracones magorum; tamen induratum est cor Pharaonis. In pluribus plagis dicitur induratum; in aliis induravit Dominus cor Pharaonis. Haec intellectum tenent.

About this text

Origen’s Homilia IV on Exodus (Rufinus’s Latin). Complete on this page: §§1–8.

English follows Baehrens, Origenes Werke VI (GCS 29, 1920), Rufinus’s Latin of Homilia IV. Heine FOTC 71 was not used as wording. This page is Homilia IV §§1–8 (closeout).

Witnesses

Copy-text Baehrens, Origenes Werke VI = GCS 29 (1920) (Latin · Homilia IV §§1–8)

English is newly prepared for study from the stated edition. Open Latin on each section (or the Latin source witness link) for the source text. This is not a complete critical edition.