Exodus 4:10

“Moses said to YHWH, “Please, Adonai, I have never been a man of words, either in the past or before that or since you have spoken to your servant; for I am slow of mouth and slow of tongue.””

Exodus 4:10 · direct translation from the Hebrew
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Exodus 4:10, word by word

Mosesמֹשֶׁהmoshe

Moses

Moses, the man God called to bring Israel out of Egypt and through whom he gave the Law. His name sounds like "draw out" (Exodus 2:10).

Where else “moshe” appears
saidיֹּאמֶרyomer

say

To say with the mouth to someone what one thinks or wants, or to answer him.

Where else “yomer” appears
YHWHיְהוָהyehva

YHWH

The personal name of the God of Israel, written in Hebrew with four letters, Y-H-W-H, without vowels. Out of reverence Jews stopped pronouncing it and read "Adonai" (Lord), so many Bibles put "the LORD" or "Jehovah". This translation keeps the four letters. The name is related to the verb "to be" (Exodus 3:14-15). He is not a god other than Elohim: "YHWH Elohim" is the same Creator God, called by his name.

Where else “yehva” appears
“Pleaseבִּיbi

please, my lord

Please, pardon me: a formula for addressing a superior respectfully.

Where else “bi” appears
Adonaiאֲדֹנָadona

Adonai, Lord

"Adonai": "my Lord", said only to God. It is a title of respect that acknowledges his authority. It is not another god besides YHWH: often it goes with his name, "Adonai YHWH", Lord YHWH.

Where else “adona” appears
a manאִישׁish

man

An adult male person; also each man of a people, a trade or a place.

Where else “ish” appears
of wordsדְּבָרִיםdevarim

word

What someone says or announces, above all what YHWH says.

Where else “devarim” appears
in the pastתְּמוֹלtemol

formerly

What was already so in times past, up to now.

Where else “temol” appears
before thatשִּׁלְשֹׁםshilshom

day before yesterday

The day before yesterday; formerly. With "yesterday" it forms the idiom "as before".

Where else “shilshom” appears
you have spokenדַּבֶּרְdaber

speak

To speak, say something; above all God to his people.

Where else “daber” appears
your servantעַבְדֶּavde

your servant

"Your servant": a humble way to say "I".

Where else “avde” appears
am slowכְבַדchevad

slow

Clumsy and slow of speech, as if the tongue were heavy.

Where else “chevad” appears
of mouthפֶּהpe

mouth

The part of the face with which one speaks, eats and kisses.

Where else “pe” appears
of tongueלָשׁוֹןlashon

tongue

The organ in the mouth used to taste and speak; hence, what one says.

Where else “lashon” appears

Translation note

“Slow” is, literally, “heavy” (kaved), the word that is later said of Pharaoh’s heart.

The context

9And it will be that if they do not believe even these two signs or listen to your voice, you shall take some of the water of the Nile and pour it on the dry ground, and the water that you take from the Nile will become blood on the dry ground.”

10 · This verse (above)

11YHWH said to him, “Who gave a mouth to a human being? Or who makes one mute, or deaf, or seeing, or blind? Is it not I, YHWH?

Read all of Exodus 4

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