8135. 'And I will harden Pharaoh's heart' means that the obstinacy of those steeped in falsities arising from evil would still remain. This is clear from the meaning of 'being hardened' as their obstinate determination, dealt with in 7272, 7300, 7305; and from the representation of 'Pharaoh' as those who are steeped in falsities arising from evil, or what amounts to the same thing, those who are lost in damnation, as above in 8132. The words 'Pharaoh's heart' are used because in the genuine sense 'heart' means the good of heavenly love, 3313, 3635, 3883-3896, 7542, and therefore in the contrary sense means evil, at this point the evil of those who have known [the truths of] faith and led a life of evil.

8132. 'And Pharaoh will say of the children of Israel' means the thought of those lost in damnation regarding the state of those belonging to the spiritual Church. This is clear from the meaning of 'saying' as thought, dealt with in 7094, 7107, 7244, 7937; from the representation of 'Pharaoh' as those who molest by means of falsities, dealt with in 7107, 7110, 7126, 7142, 7220, 7228, 7317, at this point those who are lost in damnation, that is, who are steeped in utter falsities arising from evil since those thoroughly steeped in such falsities are lost in damnation (this state is meant by 'Pharaoh' and 'the Egyptians', after the firstborn there have been killed, for by the killing of the firstborn is meant damnation, 7766, 7778); and from the representation of 'the children of Israel' as those who belong to the spiritual Church, dealt with just above in 8128.