Exodus 4:10

KJV1611 – Modern English

And Moses said to the LORD, O my Lord, I am not eloquent, neither before, nor since you have spoken to your servant, but I am slow of speech and of a slow tongue.

📖 Grammatical Analysis

Original Text

וַיֹּ֨אמֶר מֹשֶׁ֣ה אֶל־יְהוָה֮ בִּ֣י אֲדֹנָי֒ לֹא֩ אִ֨ישׁ דְּבָרִ֜ים אָנֹ֗כִי גַּ֤ם מִתְּמוֹל֙ גַּ֣ם מִשִּׁלְשֹׁ֔ם גַּ֛ם מֵאָ֥ז דַּבֶּרְךָ אֶל־עַבְדֶּ֑ךָ כִּ֧י כְבַד־פֶּ֛ה וּכְבַ֥ד לָשׁ֖וֹן אָנֹֽכִי׃

Transliteration

And yōʾmer Mōšeh to-YHWH by-me ʾădōnāy not ʾîš dĕbārîm ʾānōkî also from-tĕmôl also from-šilšôm also from-ʾāz dabberekā to-ʿabdekā because kĕbad-peh and-kĕbad lāšôn ʾānōkî.

Grammar Details

• *yōʾmer*: qal imperfect, 3rd masculine singular with waw conversive - said
• *Mōšeh*: proper noun, masculine singular - Moses
• *YHWH*: proper noun - the divine name
• *ʾădōnāy*: noun, masculine plural construct with 1st person singular suffix - my Lord
• *ʾîš*: noun, masculine singular construct - man of
• *dĕbārîm*: noun, masculine plural - words
• *ʾānōkî*: pronoun, 1st person singular - I
• *tĕmôl*: adverb - yesterday/before
• *šilšôm*: adverb - three days ago/before
• *ʾāz*: adverb - then/since
• *dabberekā*: piel infinitive construct with 2nd masculine singular suffix - your speaking
• *ʿabdekā*: noun, masculine singular construct with 2nd masculine singular suffix - your servant
• *kĕbad*: adjective, masculine singular construct - heavy of
• *peh*: noun, masculine singular - mouth
• *lāšôn*: noun, feminine singular - tongue

Word Meanings

• *ʾădōnāy*: my Lord/my master
• *ʾîš dĕbārîm*: man of words/eloquent person
• *tĕmôl*: yesterday/previously/in the past
• *šilšôm*: three days ago/in the past/previously
• *kĕbad-peh*: slow of speech/heavy of mouth
• *kĕbad lāšôn*: slow of tongue/having speech impediment

Other Translations

• Linguistic Bible Translation from Source Texts

  Moses said to the LORD, 'Pardon me, Lord, but I am not eloquent—neither in the past nor since you have spoken to your servant. I am slow of speech and tongue.'

• King James Version 1769 (Standard Version)

  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.

• American Standard Version with Strong's Numbers

  And Moses{H4872} said{H559} unto Jehovah,{H136} Oh,{H994} Lord,{H136} I{H376} am not eloquent,{H1697} neither heretofore,{H8032} nor since{H227} thou hast spoken{H1696} unto thy servant;{H5650} for I am slow{H3515} of speech,{H6310} and of a slow{H3515} tongue.{H3956}

• King James Version with Strong's Numbers

  And Moses{H4872} said{H559}{(H8799)} unto the LORD{H3068}, O{H994} my Lord{H136}, I{H376} am not eloquent{H1697}, neither heretofore{H8032}{H8543}, nor since{H227} thou hast spoken{H1696}{(H8763)} unto thy servant{H5650}: but I am slow{H3515} of speech{H6310}, and of a slow{H3515} tongue{H3956}.

• Tyndale Bible (1526/1534)

  And Moses sayde vnto the Lorde: oh my Lorde. I am not eloquet, no not in tymes past and namely sence thou hast spoken vnto thy seruaunte: but I am slowe mouthed and slowe tongued.

• Coverdale Bible (1535)

  But Moses sayde vnto the LORDE: Oh my LORDE, I am a man yt is not eloquet, from yesterdaye & yeryesterdaye, & sence the tyme yt thou hast spoken vnto thy seruaunt: for I haue a slowe speach, & a slowe tunge.

• Geneva Bible (1560)

  But Moses said vnto the Lorde, Oh my Lorde, I am not eloquent, neither at any time haue bene, nor yet since thou hast spoken vnto thy seruant: but I am slowe of speach & slowe of tongue.

• Bishops' Bible (1568)

  Moyses sayd vnto the Lorde: Oh my Lord, I am neither yesterday nor yer yesterday a man eloquet, neither sence thou hast spoken vnto thy seruaunt: but I am slowe mouthed, & slowe tounged.

• Authorized King James Version (1611)

  ¶ 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.

• Webster's Bible (1833)

  Moses said to Yahweh, "Oh, 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."

• Young's Literal Translation (1862/1898)

  And Moses saith unto Jehovah, `O, my Lord, I `am' not a man of words, either yesterday, or before, or since Thy speaking unto Thy servant, for I `am' slow of mouth, and slow of tongue.'

• American Standard Version (1901)

  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.

• American Standard Version (1901)

  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.

• Bible in Basic English (1941)

  And Moses said to the Lord, O Lord, I am not a man of words; I have never been so, and am not now, even after what you have said to your servant: for talking is hard for me, and I am slow of tongue.

• World English Bible (2000)

  Moses said to Yahweh, "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."

• NET Bible® (New English Translation)

  Then Moses said to the LORD,“O my Lord, I am not an eloquent man, neither in the past nor since you have spoken to your servant, for I am slow of speech and slow of tongue.”

Referenced Verses

• Jer 1:6 : 6 Then I said, Ah, Lord GOD! Behold, I cannot speak: for I am a child.
• Exod 6:12 : 12 And Moses spoke before the LORD, saying, Behold, the children of Israel have not listened to me; how then shall Pharaoh hear me, who am of uncircumcised lips?
• Acts 7:22 : 22 And Moses was educated in all the wisdom of the Egyptians, and was mighty in words and deeds.
• Exod 4:1 : 1 And Moses answered and said, But, behold, they will not believe me, nor listen to my voice, for they will say, The LORD has not appeared to you.
• 2 Cor 11:6 : 6 Even though I am unskilled in speech, yet not in knowledge; but we have been thoroughly revealed among you in all things.
• Job 12:2 : 2 No doubt you are the people, and wisdom will die with you.
• 1 Cor 2:1-4 : 1 And I, brothers, when I came to you, did not come with excellence of speech or of wisdom, declaring to you the testimony of God. 2 For I determined not to know anything among you except Jesus Christ and Him crucified. 3 And I was with you in weakness, in fear, and in much trembling. 4 And my speech and my preaching were not with persuasive words of human wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power,
• 2 Cor 10:10 : 10 For his letters, they say, are weighty and powerful; but his bodily presence is weak, and his speech contemptible.