New Living Translation
Exodus 4:11
11Then the Lord asked Moses, “Who makes a person’s mouth? Who decides whether people speak or do not speak, hear or do not hear, see or do not see? Is it not I, the Lord?
Exodus 4:11 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)And the Lord said unto him, Who hath made man’s mouth? or who maketh the dumb, or deaf, or the seeing, or the blind? have not I the Lord?
- New International Version (NIV)The Lord said to him, “Who gave human beings their mouths? Who makes them deaf or mute? Who gives them sight or makes them blind? Is it not I, the Lord?
- English Standard Version (ESV)Then the Lord said to him, "Who has made man's mouth? Who makes him mute, or deaf, or seeing, or blind? Is it not I, the Lord?
- New King James Version (NKJV)So the Lord said to him, “Who has made man’s mouth? Or who makes the mute, the deaf, the seeing, or the blind? Have not I, the Lord?
Context of Exodus 4:11
9And if they don’t believe you or listen to you even after these two signs, then take some water from the Nile River and pour it out on the dry ground. When you do, the water from the Nile will turn to blood on the ground.” 10But Moses pleaded with the Lord, “O Lord, I’m not very good with words. I never have been, and I’m not now, even though you have spoken to me. I get tongue-tied, and my words get tangled.” Then the Lord asked Moses, “Who makes a person’s mouth? Who decides whether people speak or do not speak, hear or do not hear, see or do not see? Is it not I, the Lord? 12Now go! I will be with you as you speak, and I will instruct you in what to say.” 13But Moses again pleaded, “Lord, please! Send anyone else.”
Read all of Exodus 4Exodus 4:11 word by word
וַיֹּ֨אמֶר יְהוָ֜ה אֵלָ֗יו מִ֣י שָׂ֣ם פֶּה֮ לָֽאָדָם֒ א֚וֹ מִֽי־יָשׂ֣וּם אִלֵּ֔ם א֣וֹ חֵרֵ֔שׁ א֥וֹ פִקֵּ֖חַ א֣וֹ עִוֵּ֑ר הֲלֹ֥א אָנֹכִ֖י יְהוָֽה׃Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- And the Lordיְהֹוָהyehôvâh · LORDH3068
- saidאָמַר'âmar · to sayH559
- unto him, Who hath madeשׂוּםώûm ώîym · to set: makeH7760
- man’sאָדָם'âdâm · manH120
- mouthפֶּהpeh · lipH6310
- the dumbאִלֵּם'illêm · muteH483
- or deafחֵרֵשׁchêrêsh · deafH2795
- or the seeingפִּקֵּחַpiqqêach · seeingH6493
- or the blindעִוֵּר‛ivvêr · blindH5787
Cross-references for Exodus 4:11
- Genesis 18:14Is anything too hard for the Lord? I will return about this time next year, and Sarah will have a son.”
- Psalms 51:15Unseal my lips, O Lord, that my mouth may praise you.
- Psalms 94:9Is he deaf—the one who made your ears? Is he blind—the one who formed your eyes?
- Psalms 146:8The Lord opens the eyes of the blind. The Lord lifts up those who are weighed down. The Lord loves the godly.
- Isaiah 6:7He touched my lips with it and said, “See, this coal has touched your lips. Now your guilt is removed, and your sins are forgiven.”
- Isaiah 35:5And when he comes, he will open the eyes of the blind and unplug the ears of the deaf.
- Isaiah 42:7You will open the eyes of the blind. You will free the captives from prison, releasing those who sit in dark dungeons.
- Jeremiah 1:6“O Sovereign Lord,” I said, “I can’t speak for you! I’m too young!”
- Ezekiel 3:26And I will make your tongue stick to the roof of your mouth so that you will be speechless and unable to rebuke them, for they are rebels.
- Ezekiel 33:22The previous evening the Lord had taken hold of me and given me back my voice. So I was able to speak when this man arrived the next morning.
- Amos 3:6When the ram’s horn blows a warning, shouldn’t the people be alarmed? Does disaster come to a city unless the Lord has planned it?
Commentaries on Exodus 4:11
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 11Who hath made man's mouth? etc. - Cannot he who formed the mouth, the whole organs of speech, and hath given the gift of speech also, cannot he give utterance? God can take away those gifts and restore them again. Do not provoke him: he who created the eye, the ear, and the mouth, hath also made the blind, the deaf, and the dumb.Read the comment
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 10-17Verses 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 deal of wisdom and true worth may be with a slow tongue. God sometimes makes choice of those as his messengers, who have the least of the advantages of art or nature, that his grace in them may appear the more glorious. Christ's disciples were no…Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 11God created the organs of speech. These include the mouth, tongue, and lips. He has also decided each person’s abilities in speaking. God can use the abilities he has given. He is able to work through what he has created and chosen.Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 10-1310-13. I am not eloquent--It is supposed that Moses labored under a natural defect of utterance or had a difficulty in the free and fluent expression of his ideas in the Egyptian language, which he had long disused. This new objection was also overruled, but still Moses, who foresaw the manifold difficulties of the undertaking, was anxious to be freed from the responsibility.Read the comment
Topics related to Exodus 4:11
In the dictionaries
Commentaries on Exodus 4
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
- Tyndale Open Study Notes
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
- Rashi on Tanakh
- Calvin’s Commentaries
- Keil & Delitzsch Commentary
- John Wesley’s Notes
- Darby Translation Notes
- Geneva Bible Translation Notes
- Kingcomments
- Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
- Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
- Scofield Reference Notes, 1917 Edition
- Original Douay–Rheims Annotations
- Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
- EGW Writings
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