GEN847 Pharaoh and his followers disobeyed by choice, with force or compulsion.  They oppressed the foreigners who were in their midst and treated them with sheer injustice.  As it is clear said: And he said to his people; Behold, the people of Israel…Come, let us deal shrewdly with them Exodus 1:9-10. This action was due to their choice and to the evil character of their thought; there was nothing compelling them to do it.  God punished them for it by preventing them from repenting so that the punishment which His justice required would befall them.  What prevented them from repentance was that they would not set [Israel] free. God explained this to [Pharaoh] and informed him that if He had only wanted to take [Israel] out [of Egypt], he would have exterminated [Pharaoh] and his followers, and they would have gone out.  But in addition to taking them out, He wanted to punish [Pharaoh] for oppressing them previously. As He had said at the very outset: [this verse].  It was not possible to punish them if they repented, so they were prevented from repenting and they continued holding [Israel]. This is what He says: Surely now I have put forth my hand…but because of this I have left you standing, etc. Exodus 9:15-16.  No disgrace need be attached to us because of our saying that God may punish an individual for not repenting, even though He leaves him no choice about repentance. For He, may He be exalted, knows the sins, and His wisdom and justice impose the extent of the punishment. He may punish in this world alone, He may punish in the other [world] alone, or He may punish in both realms. … He may prevent the choice of repentance so that a man does not at all incline toward it and is destroyed for his sin.  EWM 90-1