Exodus 6:12
New International Version
But Moses said to the LORD, “If the Israelites will not listen to me, why would Pharaoh listen to me, since I speak with faltering lips?”

New Living Translation
“But LORD!” Moses objected. “My own people won’t listen to me anymore. How can I expect Pharaoh to listen? I’m such a clumsy speaker!”

English Standard Version
But Moses said to the LORD, “Behold, the people of Israel have not listened to me. How then shall Pharaoh listen to me, for I am of uncircumcised lips?”

Berean Standard Bible
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?”

King James Bible
And Moses spake before the LORD, saying, Behold, the children of Israel have not hearkened unto me; how then shall Pharaoh hear me, who am of uncircumcised lips?

New King James Version
And Moses spoke before the LORD, saying, “The children of Israel have not heeded me. How then shall Pharaoh heed me, for I am of uncircumcised lips?”

New American Standard Bible
But Moses spoke before the LORD, saying, “Behold, the sons of Israel have not listened to me; how then will Pharaoh listen to me, as I am unskilled in speech?”

NASB 1995
But Moses spoke before the LORD, saying, “Behold, the sons of Israel have not listened to me; how then will Pharaoh listen to me, for I am unskilled in speech?”

NASB 1977
But Moses spoke before the LORD, saying, “Behold, the sons of Israel have not listened to me; how then will Pharaoh listen to me, for I am unskilled in speech?”

Legacy Standard Bible
But Moses spoke before Yahweh, saying, “Behold, the sons of Israel have not listened to me; how then will Pharaoh listen to me, for I am of uncircumcised lips?”

Amplified Bible
But Moses said to the LORD, “Look, [my own people] the Israelites have not listened to me; so how then will Pharaoh listen to me, for I am unskilled and inept in speech?”

Christian Standard Bible
But Moses said in the LORD’s presence, “If the Israelites will not listen to me, then how will Pharaoh listen to me, since I am such a poor speaker? ”

Holman Christian Standard Bible
But Moses said in the LORD’s presence: “If the Israelites will not listen to me, then how will Pharaoh listen to me, since I am such a poor speaker?”

American Standard Version
And Moses spake before Jehovah, saying, Behold, the children of Israel have not hearkened unto me; how then shall Pharaoh hear me, who am of uncircumcised lips?

Aramaic Bible in Plain English
And Moshe said, “LORD JEHOVAH, behold, the children of Israel do not listen to me. How will Pharaoh listen to me, for my tongue stutters?”

Brenton Septuagint Translation
And Moses spoke before the Lord, saying, Behold, the children of Israel hearkened not to me, and how shall Pharao hearken to me? and I am not eloquent.

Contemporary English Version
But Moses replied, "I'm not a powerful speaker. If the Israelites won't listen to me, why should the king of Egypt?"

Douay-Rheims Bible
Moses answered before the Lord Behold the children of Israel do no hearken to me; and how will Pharao hear me, especially as I am of uncircumcised lips?

English Revised Version
And Moses spake before the LORD, saying, Behold, the children of Israel have not hearkened unto me; how then shall Pharaoh hear me, who am of uncircumcised lips?

GOD'S WORD® Translation
But Moses protested to the LORD, "The Israelites wouldn't listen to me. Why would Pharaoh listen to me? I'm such a poor speaker."

Good News Translation
But Moses replied, "Even the Israelites will not listen to me, so why should the king? I am such a poor speaker."

International Standard Version
Then Moses said right in front of the LORD, "Look, the Israelis didn't listen to me, so how will Pharaoh? I'm not a persuasive speaker"

JPS Tanakh 1917
And Moses spoke before the LORD, saying: 'Behold, the children of Israel have not hearkened unto me; how then shall Pharaoh hear me, who am of uncircumcised lips?'

Literal Standard Version
and Moses speaks before YHWH, saying, “Behold, the sons of Israel have not listened to me, and how does Pharaoh hear me, and I of uncircumcised lips?”

Majority Standard Bible
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?”

New American Bible
However, Moses protested to the LORD, “If the Israelites did not listen to me, how is it possible that Pharaoh will listen to me, poor speaker that I am!”

NET Bible
But Moses replied to the LORD, "If the Israelites did not listen to me, then how will Pharaoh listen to me, since I speak with difficulty?"

New Revised Standard Version
But Moses spoke to the LORD, “The Israelites have not listened to me; how then shall Pharaoh listen to me, poor speaker that I am?”

New Heart English Bible
Moses spoke before the LORD, saying, "Look, the children of Israel haven't listened to me. How then shall Pharaoh listen to me, who am of uncircumcised lips?"

Webster's Bible Translation
And Moses spoke before the LORD, saying, Behold, the children of Israel have not hearkened to me; how then shall Pharaoh hear me, who am of uncircumcised lips?

World English Bible
Moses spoke before Yahweh, saying, “Behold, the children of Israel haven’t listened to me. How then shall Pharaoh listen to me, when I have uncircumcised lips?”

Young's Literal Translation
and Moses speaketh before Jehovah, saying, 'Lo, the sons of Israel have not hearkened unto me, and how doth Pharaoh hear me, and I of uncircumcised lips?'

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
God Promises Deliverance
11“Go and tell Pharaoh king of Egypt to let the Israelites go out of his land.” 12But 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?” 13Then the LORD spoke to Moses and Aaron and gave them a charge concerning both the Israelites and Pharaoh king of Egypt, to bring the Israelites out of the land of Egypt.…

Cross References
Exodus 3:11
But Moses asked God, "Who am I, that I should go to Pharaoh and bring the Israelites out of Egypt?"

Exodus 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.'"

Exodus 4:10
"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."

Exodus 6:13
Then the LORD spoke to Moses and Aaron and gave them a charge concerning both the Israelites and Pharaoh king of Egypt, to bring the Israelites out of the land of Egypt.

Exodus 6:30
But in the LORD's presence Moses replied, "Since I am unskilled in speech, why would Pharaoh listen to me?"

Isaiah 6:5
Then I said: "Woe is me, for I am ruined, because I am a man of unclean lips dwelling among a people of unclean lips; for my eyes have seen the King, the LORD of Hosts."

Jeremiah 1:6
"Ah, Lord GOD," I said, "I surely do not know how to speak, for I am only a child!"


Treasury of Scripture

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?

children

Exodus 6:9
And Moses spake so unto the children of Israel: but they hearkened not unto Moses for anguish of spirit, and for cruel bondage.

Exodus 3:13
And Moses said unto God, Behold, when I come unto the children of Israel, and shall say unto them, The God of your fathers hath sent me unto you; and they shall say to me, What is his name? what shall I say unto them?

Exodus 4:29-31
And Moses and Aaron went and gathered together all the elders of the children of Israel: …

am.

Exodus 4:10
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.

Exodus 6:30
And Moses said before the LORD, Behold, I am of uncircumcised lips, and how shall Pharaoh hearken unto me?

Exodus 4:10
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.

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Children Ear Hear Hearken Hearkened Israel Israelites Lips Moses Pharaoh Speak Speech Uncircumcised Unclean Unskilled
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Children Ear Hear Hearken Hearkened Israel Israelites Lips Moses Pharaoh Speak Speech Uncircumcised Unclean Unskilled
Exodus 6
1. God renews his promise by his name JEHOVAH
9. Moses vainly attempts to encourage the Israelites
10. He and Aaron are again sent to Pharaoh
14. Genealogies of Reuben, Simeon and Levi, of whom came Moses and Aaron
26. The history resumed














(12) How then shall Pharaoh hear me?--This time the objection comes from Moses. His double rejection, by Pharaoh (Exodus 5:1-4) and by Israel (Exodus 6:9), had thrown him back into utter despondency. All that diffidence and distrust of himself which he had shown in his earlier communications with Jehovah (Exodus 3:11; Exodus 4:1; Exodus 4:10; Exodus 4:13) revived, and he despaired of success in his mission. Was it of any use his making a second appeal to the foreign monarch when he had failed with his own countrymen? . . . Verse 12. - Uncircumcised lips, i.e. "lips inefficient for the purpose for which lips are given;" as "uncircumcised ears" are ears that cannot hearken (Jeremiah 6:10), and an "uncircumcised heart" a heart that cannot understand (Jeremiah 9:26). The meaning is the same as in Exodus 4:10, where Moses says that he is "slow of speech and of a slow tongue." Nothing can be determined from the expression as to the exact cause of the imperfection of which complaint is made.

CHAPTER 6:13-27

Parallel Commentaries ...


Hebrew
But in the LORD’s
יְהוָ֖ה (Yah·weh)
Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 3068: LORD -- the proper name of the God of Israel

presence
לִפְנֵ֥י (lip̄·nê)
Preposition-l | Noun - common plural construct
Strong's 6440: The face

Moses
מֹשֶׁ֔ה (mō·šeh)
Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 4872: Moses -- a great Israelite leader, prophet and lawgiver

replied,
וַיְדַבֵּ֣ר (way·ḏab·bêr)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Piel - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 1696: To arrange, to speak, to subdue

“If
הֵ֤ן (hên)
Interjection
Strong's 2005: Lo! behold!

the Israelites
בְּנֵֽי־ (bə·nê-)
Noun - masculine plural construct
Strong's 1121: A son

will not
לֹֽא־ (lō-)
Adverb - Negative particle
Strong's 3808: Not, no

listen
שָׁמְע֣וּ (šā·mə·‘ū)
Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person common plural
Strong's 8085: To hear intelligently

to me,
אֵלַ֔י (’ê·lay)
Preposition | first person common singular
Strong's 413: Near, with, among, to

then how
וְאֵיךְ֙ (wə·’êḵ)
Conjunctive waw | Interjection
Strong's 349: How?, how!, where

will Pharaoh
פַרְעֹ֔ה (p̄ar·‘ōh)
Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 6547: Pharaoh -- a title of Egypt kings

listen to me,
יִשְׁמָעֵ֣נִי (yiš·mā·‘ê·nî)
Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine singular | first person common singular
Strong's 8085: To hear intelligently

since I
וַאֲנִ֖י (wa·’ă·nî)
Conjunctive waw | Pronoun - first person common singular
Strong's 589: I

am unskilled
עֲרַ֥ל (‘ă·ral)
Adjective - masculine singular construct
Strong's 6189: Having foreskin (uncircumcised)

in speech?”
שְׂפָתָֽיִם׃ (śə·p̄ā·ṯā·yim)
Noun - fd
Strong's 8193: The lip, language, a margin


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OT Law: Exodus 6:12 Moses spoke before Yahweh saying Behold (Exo. Ex)
Exodus 6:11
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