Exodus 9:27
And Pharaoh sent, and called for Moses and Aaron, and said unto them, I have sinned this time: the LORD is righteous, and I and my people are wicked. And Pharaoh sent, and called for Moses and Aaron, and said unto them, I have sinned this time: the LORD is righteous, and I and my people are wicked.
The words were spoken under the terror of the grievous plague of hail mingled with fire, with lightning and thunder, which destroyed herbs, trees, cattle, and man and beast everywhere except the land of Goshen. The time of each plague had been announced beforehand so it could not be called chance, and the hail was sent to demonstrate that the whole earth is under the command of the God of the Hebrews and that thunder, hail and storm obey His voice, that Pharaoh might know the earth is the Lord's. Before the hail a test exposed hearts: those who feared the word of God gathered servants and cattle into houses, while those hardened like Pharaoh left them in the field, exposing pride and showing whose hearts were really affected.
Pharaoh, the proud king who had asked who the Lord was that he should obey His voice, sent and called for Moses and Aaron, admitted I have sinned this time and that the Lord is righteous while he and his people are wicked, and asked them to entreat the Lord to stop the mighty thunderings, hail, thunder and lightning, promising to let Israel go without further delay. Moses answered that as soon as he was gone out of the city he would spread his hands to the Lord so the thunder, hail and rain would cease, while declaring he knew Pharaoh and his servants would not yet fear God. He granted the request as though the confession was genuine and the repentance sincere to give no occasion for future stubbornness, and fearlessly went forth giving evidence of divine protection while doing God's work.
The confession was false in the Bible sense of repentance, compelled for the time being by terror, anguish, fear of punishment and suffering under God's judgments while the heart remained set in proud defiance, not made from any change of mind or heart. It had no virtue because there was no genuine repentance, contrition, conversion of purpose, or hatred and abhorrence of evil. It lamented only the suffering and result of transgression in order to escape further punishment, not the guilt of sin itself.
As soon as the display of divine power had passed and the plagues were stayed, Pharaoh's heart returned to stubbornness, perversity and rebellion and he refused to let Israel go. His continual opposition had hardened his whole being so that rebellion produces rebellion, and had the judgments been removed he would have returned to defiance of Heaven. The same character of false confession in words of burning anguish will be made in despair in the last fearful conflict in the time of trouble by professed Christians who come up unprepared with unconfessed, unforgiven sins, while the wicked exult over their distress, and their high profession makes their course more grievous and their case hopeless.