Exodus 4:10
8 And the LORD said, “If they refuse to believe you or heed the witness of the first sign, they may believe that of the second.
9 But if they do not believe even these two signs or listen to your voice, take some water from the Nile and pour it on the dry ground. Then the water you take from the Nile will become blood on the ground.”
“Please, Lord,” Moses replied, “I have never been eloquent, neither in the past nor since You have spoken to Your servant, for I am slow of speech and tongue.”
11 And the LORD said to him, “Who gave man his mouth? Or who makes the mute or the deaf, the sighted or the blind? Is it not I, the LORD?
12 Now go! I will help you as you speak, and I will teach you what to say.”
Do read the surrounding verses too, because the context often says more than a single verse.
Compare
- BSB
- “Please, Lord,” Moses replied, “I have never been eloquent, neither in the past nor since You have spoken to Your servant, for I am slow of speech and tongue.”
- KJV
- And Moses said unto the LORD, O my Lord, I am not eloquent, neither heretofore, nor since thou hast spoken unto thy servant: but I am slow of speech, and of a slow tongue.
- WEB
- Moses said to the LORD, “O Lord, I am not eloquent, neither before now, nor since you have spoken to your servant; for I am slow of speech, and of a slow tongue.”
- ASV
- And Moses said unto Jehovah, Oh, Lord, I am not eloquent, neither heretofore, nor since thou hast spoken unto thy servant; for I am slow of speech, and of a slow tongue.
- DARBY
- And Moses said to Jehovah, Ah Lord! I am not eloquent, neither heretofore nor since thou hast spoken to thy servant, for I am slow of speech and of a slow tongue.
- BLB
- And Moses said to YHWH, “Please, my Lord, I [am] not a man of words, neither from yesterday nor from the day before yesterday nor from the time You have spoken to Your servant. For I [am] slow of mouth and slow of tongue.”
- ÅB
- Men Moses sa til Herren: Hør meg, Herre! Jeg har aldri vært noen ordets mann, hverken før, eller siden du begynte å tale til din tjener; jeg er tung i mæle og tung i tale.
- OTB
- Moses sa til Herren: «Vær så snill, min Herre, jeg har aldri vært veltalende, verken før eller siden du har talt til din tjener. Jeg er treg til å tale og har en tung tunge.»
- B1930
- Men Moses sa til Herren: Hør mig, Herre! Jeg har aldri vært nogen ordets mann, hverken før, eller siden du begynte å tale til din tjener; jeg er tung i mæle og tung i tale.
Study notes (Tyndale)
Original text and word study
Cross references
Jeremiah 1:6
“Ah, Lord GOD,” I said, “I surely do not know how to speak, for I am only a child!”
Read in contextExodus 6:12
But in the LORD’s presence Moses replied, “If the Israelites will not listen to me, then why would Pharaoh listen to me, since I am unskilled in speech?”
Read in contextActs 7:22
So Moses was educated in all the wisdom of the Egyptians and was powerful in speech and action.
Read in contextExodus 4:1
Then Moses answered, “What if they do not believe me or listen to my voice? For they may say, ‘The LORD has not appeared to you.’”
Read in context2 Corinthians 11:6
Although I am not a polished speaker, I am certainly not lacking in knowledge. We have made this clear to you in every way possible.
Read in context2 Corinthians 10:10
For some say, “His letters are weighty and forceful, but his physical presence is unimpressive, and his speaking is of no account.”
Read in contextJob 12:2
“Truly then you are the people with whom wisdom itself will die!
Read in context1 Corinthians 2:1–4
When I came to you, brothers, I did not come with eloquence or wisdom as I proclaimed to you the testimony about God.
Read in context