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The ESV Global Study Bible's Study Notes

Exodus 4:10-12

EXODUS—NOTE ON Exodus 4:10 slow of speech and of tongue. The magicians and advisers in Pharaoh’s court were proud of their speaking abilities. Moses was fully justified in being concerned about his ability to present his case before Pharaoh.

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See also Exodus 4:10-12 in other biblical comments:

  • Adam Clarke Bible Commentary

    Verse Exodus 4:10. _I AM NOT ELOQUENT_] לא איש דברים _lo ish debarim, I am_ _not a man of words_; a periphrasis common in the Scriptures. So Job 11:2, איש שפתים ish sephathayim, a man of lips, signif...

  • Albert Barnes' Bible Commentary

    ELOQUENT - See the margin. The double expression “slow of speech (Ezekiel 3:5 margin) and of a slow tongue” seems to imply a difficulty both in finding words and in giving them utterance, a very natur...

  • Annotated Bible by A.C. Gaebelein

    CHAPTER 4:1-28 MOSES' OBJECTIONS, JEHOVAH'S ANSWER AND THE RETURN TO EGYPT _ 1. The first objection (Exodus 4:1)_ 2. The two signs and Jehovah's assurance (Exodus 4:2) 3. The second objection (Exod...

  • Arthur Peake's Commentary on the Bible

    EXODUS 4:10 J. MOSES'S FOURTH DIFFICULTY slowness of speech. This is met by a promise of prophetic inspiration, the fulfilment of which not only Deuteronomy 34:10, but the whole representation of J, e...

  • Bullinger's Companion Bible Notes

    MY LORD. Should be "Jehovah". One of the 134 places where "Jehovah" in the Primitive Text was altered to "Adonai". App-32. NOT ELOQUENT. Hebrew "not. man of words "(Hebrew. _'ish._ App-14.) Supposed t...

  • Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges

    Exodus 3:1 TO EXODUS 4:17. Moses commissioned by Jehovah at Horeb to deliver His people. The dialogue between Jehovah and Moses, as in other cases (cf. Delitzsch on Genesis 12:1), must be pictured, no...

  • Charles Simeon's Horae Homileticae

    DISCOURSE: 66 MOSES DECLINING THE COMMISSION GIVEN HIM Exodus 4:10. And Moses said unto the Lord, Q my Lord, I am not eloquent, neither heretofore, nor since thou hast spoken unto thy servant: but I a...

  • Coke's Commentary on the Holy Bible

    AND MOSES SAID—I AM NOT ELOQUENT— St. Stephen, Acts 7:22 says, that Moses was _mighty in words,_ as well as in _deeds:_ an expression, which is also used, Luke 24:19 of Christ, who is called _a prophe...

  • College Press Bible Study Textbook Series

    THE TEXT OF EXODUS TRANSLATION 4 And Mo-ses answered and said, But, behold, they will not believe me, nor hearken unto my voice; for they will say, Je-ho-vah hath not appeared unto thee. (2) And Je-ho...

  • Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible

    _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._ I am not eloquent. It is...

  • Darby's translation notes (1890)

    4:10 eloquent, (b-11) Lit. 'a man of words.' speech (c-27) Lit. 'heavy of mouth.'...

  • Dummelow's Commentary on the Bible

    SIGNS ATTESTING THE COMMISSION OF MOSES. HIS RETURN TO EGYPT Moses still hesitates, and now objects that the péople will not believe him when he tells them that Jehovah has sent him. He is granted th...

  • Dummelow's Commentary on the Bible

    Moses now pleads his want of eloquence. Jewish tradition says that he had an actual impediment in his speech, being unable to pronounce the labials. His words here, however, do not necessarily imply a...

  • EasyEnglish Bible Commentaries

    EXODUS: ISRAEL BECOMES A NATION THE *ISRAELITES LEAVE EGYPT EXODUS CHAPTER S 1 TO 18 _HILDA BRIGHT AND KITTY PRIDE_ CHAPTER 4 THE *LORD GIVES GREAT POWER TO MOSES – VERSES 1-9 God shows his po...

  • Ellicott's Commentary On The Whole Bible

    I AM NOT ELOQUENT. — Heb., _No man of words am I._ Moses, still reluctant, raises a new objection. He is not gifted with facility of speech. Words do not. come readily to him; _perhaps,_ when they com...

  • ETCBC data on Hebrew bible

    וַ יֹּ֨אמֶר מֹשֶׁ֣ה אֶל ־יְהוָה֮ בִּ֣י אֲדֹנָ

  • Expositor's Bible Commentary (Nicoll)

    CHAPTER IV. _ MOSES HESITATES._ Exodus 4:1. Holy Scripture is impartial, even towards its heroes. The sin of David is recorded, and the failure of Peter. And so is the reluctance of Moses to accept...

  • Frederick Brotherton Meyer's Commentary

    GOD'S PROMISES OVERCOME MOSES' RELUCTANCE Exodus 4:10 To Moses' _second misgiving_ God made a promise of exceeding beauty, which all who speak for God should consider. Compare Exodus 4:12 with Jeremi...

  • G. Campbell Morgan's Exposition on the Whole Bible

    A further difficulty was now declared. The man who first doubted himself and then doubted because of his ignorance of God now doubted because of the people to whom he was to be sent. God had told him...

  • George Haydock's Catholic Bible Commentary

    Of tongue, being impressed with awe, at the divine presence. He feared, therefore, that he should not be able to deliver himself intelligently at the court of Pharao, and might rather excite the disgu...

  • Hawker's Poor man's commentary

    Jeremiah 1:6....

  • Introductory Lectures - Commentary by William Kelly

    There is hardly a book of the Old Testament that stands out in more decided contrast with the book of Genesis than the one which follows it most closely. And this is the more striking, because God emp...

  • John Calvin's Bible Commentary

    10._O my Lord. _Moses catches at every word of escape, so as to force himself from the task imposed on him, not that he desires to refuse the command, but because he trembles at its importance. It is...

  • John Darby's Synopsis

    Moses still raises difficulties, and God gives him again signs, remarkable signs. The two first seem to me in their character-types, the first, of sin and of its healing; the second, of power, which,...

  • John Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible

    AND MOSES SAID UNTO THE LORD,.... Notwithstanding the above miracles, he seems unwilling to go on the Lord's errand to Pharaoh and to the Israelites, and therefore invents a new objection after all hi...

  • John Trapp Complete Commentary

    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. Ver. 10. _I am not eloq...

  • Joseph Benson’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments

    _O my Lord, I am not eloquent_ He was a great philosopher, statesman, and divine, and yet no orator; a man of a clear head, great thought, and solid judgment, but had not a _voluble tongue_, nor ready...

  • KJV Original Language Details

    1 Moses rod is turned into a Serpent. 6 His hand is leprous. 10 He is loath to bee sent. 14 Aaron is appointed to assist him. 18 Moses departeth from Iethro. 21 Gods message to Pharaoh. 24 Zippo...

  • Kretzmann's Popular Commentary of the Bible

    THE FEARS OF MOSES REPROVED...

  • Kretzmann's Popular Commentary of the Bible

    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. The great fear of Moses now ma...

  • Lange's Commentary on the Holy Scriptures

    Exodus 4:1 And Moses answered and said, But, behold, they will not believe me, nor hearken unto my voice; for they will say, Jehovah hath not appeared unto 2thee. And Jehovah said unto him, What _is_...

  • Leslie M. Grant's Commentary on the Bible

    God's message to Moses has been so clear that it cannot be mistaken. He has made no secret of the opposition of Pharaoh, but has declared positively that He would enable Israel to triumph over this an...

  • Marginal Notes in the King James Version (1611)

    ELOQUENT: _ Heb._ a man of words NOR SINCE THOU HAST: _ Heb._ since yesterday nor since the third day...

  • Matthew Henry Commentary on the Whole Bible

    10-17 Moses continued backward to the work God designed him for; there was much of cowardice, slothfulness, and unbelief in him. We must not judge of men by the readiness of their discourse. A great...

  • Matthew Poole's Concise Commentary On The Bible

    I AM NOT ELOQUENT; not able to deliver thy message acceptably and decently, either to Pharaoh or to the Israelites. Since thy appearance to me, thou hast made some change in my hand, but none in my to...

  • Notes on the Pentateuch by Charles Henry Mackintosh

    We are still called to linger at the foot of Mount Horeb, at "the backside of the desert;" and, truly, the air of this place is most healthful for the spiritual constitution. Man's unbelief and God's...

  • Patchworkid's Personal Study Bible Notes

    Exodus 4:10 Moses H4872 said H559 (H8799) LORD H3068 O H994 Lord H136 I H376 eloquent H1697 before...

  • Peter Pett's Commentary on the Bible

    MOSES CONTINUES HIS RESISTANCE AND YAHWEH BECOMES ANGRY (EXODUS 4:10). Moses is naturally appalled at the hugeness of the responsibility that Yahweh is seeking to place on him and desperately tries t...

  • Sermon Bible Commentary

    Exodus 4:10 (with Judges 6:15; Jeremiah 1:6; 1 Samuel 9:21; Luke 14:18)

  • Summarized Bible Commentary

    CONTENTS: Moses' objections. Unbelief of the people and Moses' lack of eloquence. Return to Egypt. Message delivered to elders. CHARACTERS: God, Moses, Aaron, Jethro, Zipporah, elders. CONCLUSION: U...

  • Sutcliffe's Commentary on the Old and New Testaments

    Exodus 4:1. _They will not believe me._ Then the Lord directed him to work a miracle, the most convincing evidence of divine authority, for the removal of unbelief. Exodus 4:2. _A rod._ Milton has dis...

  • The Biblical Illustrator

    _O my Lord, I am not eloquent._ THE OBJECTIONS MADE TO RELIGIOUS SERVICE I. These objections were made after God had given him a full insight into the nature of the service required. 1. The insight...

  • The Preacher's Complete Homiletical Commentary

    _MAIN HOMILETICS OF THE PARAGRAPH.— Exodus 4:10_ THE OBJECTIONS MADE TO RELIGIOUS SERVICE I. THESE OBJECTIONS WERE MADE AFTER GOD HAD GIVEN HIM A FULL INSIGHT INTO THE NATURE OF THE SERVICE REQUIRED...

  • The Pulpit Commentaries

    EXPOSITION EXODUS 4:1 The reluctance of Moses to undertake the part of leader, indicated by his first reply at his first calling, "Who am I that I should go?" etc. (Exodus 3:11), was not yet overcome...

  • Through The Bible C2000 Serie by Chuck Smith

    And Moses answered and said, But, behold, they will not believe me (Exodus 4:1), Now he's not convinced. They're gonna say, "Who sent you?" "All right", God said, "Tell them Jehovah God, the God of y...

  • Treasury of Scripture Knowledge

    eloquent. Heb. a man of words. Exodus 4:1 Job 12:2 1 Corinthians 2:1 2 Corinthians 10:10...

  • Wells of Living Water Commentary

    SLOW TO OBEY Exodus 4:1 INTRODUCTORY WORDS Not for one moment would we take from Moses the honor which is his. He was a great man and a man faithful unto God. However, the Word of God in painting a...

  • Wesley's Explanatory Notes

    O my Lord, I am not eloquent — He was a great philosopher, statesman, and divine, and yet no orator; a man of a clear head, great thought and solid judgment, but had not a voluble tongue, nor ready ut...

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