MosesמֹשֶׁהsaidוַיֹּאמֶרtoאֶלYHWH,יְהוָה“Please,בִּיAdonai,אֲדֹנָיIאָנֹכִיhave never beenלֹאa manאִישׁof words,דְּבָרִיםeitherגַּםin the pastמִתְּמוֹלorגַּםbefore thatמִשִּׁלְשֹׁםorגַּםsinceמֵאָזyou have spokenדַּבֶּרְךָtoאֶלyour servant;עַבְדֶּךָforכִּיIאָנֹכִיam slowכְבַדof mouthפֶּהand slowוּכְבַדof tongue.”לָשׁוֹן
Exodus 4:10
Study it in the app“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.””
With the Hebrew beneath
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?