"The prose, poetry and prophecy, of Hebrew thought will often express an outcome as causation, and that cause as God since he is over all. This does not necessarily imply that God orchestrates but rather that he may allow people the full reign or measure of their sinful intent by removing restraint or not intervening. Thus the Canaanites and Pharaoh were 'allowed to harden' themselves, God ceased to restrain their intent, they became increasingly callous and God did not stop them even though it would result in judgement against them. On Exodus 4:21, in his Figures of speech used in the Bible, Bullinger wrote that 'I will harden his heart' meant 'I will permit or suffer his heart to be hardened', regarding it as an idiomatic description of permitting something to run to its worst extent, not actually causing it but rather, allowing it to happen. " (>>)