But Moses said to the LORD, “Oh, my Lord, I am not eloquent, either in the past or since you have spoken to your servant, but I am slow of speech and of tongue.”
English Standard Version (ESV)
Moses isn't just saying he's shy; he's emphasizing that God's recent miraculous encounter with him hasn't changed his fundamental speech impediment. He feels utterly unqualified, not just lacking flair, but experiencing a persistent, slow difficulty in forming words.
But Moses said to the LORD, “Oh, my Lord, I am not eloquent, either in the past or since you have spoken to your servant, but I am slow of speech and of tongue.”
English Standard Version (ESV)
God has just revealed Himself to Moses and commissioned him to go to Pharaoh and lead the Israelites out of Egypt, even demonstrating His power with a miraculous sign. Moses, overwhelmed and clearly feeling inadequate for such a monumental task, objects to God, stating he's not a skilled speaker and never has been, even after God's direct call. God's response, coming in the very next verses, highlights Moses's lack of faith in God's power to equip him for the mission.
God calls us to tasks that often stretch us beyond our perceived limits. Moses, facing the might of Egypt, felt utterly unqualified.
Moses' objection, "I am not eloquent... but I am slow of speech and of a slow tongue," reveals a deep-seated insecurity. It wasn't just a minor inconvenience; it was a fundamental feeling of inadequacy for the monumental task of confronting Pharaoh and leading a nation.
A Natural Defect
Scholars suggest this could have been a genuine speech impediment, a difficulty in finding the right words, or even a lack of fluency in the Hebrew language after years away in Midian. Regardless of the exact nature, Moses perceived it as a disqualifier.
God's Plan in Our Weakness
This is a crucial point: God often uses those who feel least equipped. The focus isn't on our eloquence or natural abilities, but on His power working through us. Moses’ perceived weakness would ultimately highlight God's strength.
When we feel unprepared, like Moses, it’s a reminder that the mission isn't about us but about God's power.
When God calls, hesitation can be frustrating to Him. Moses’ repeated objections met with divine, yet patient, correction.
God’s response to Moses’ excuse is revealing. While Moses felt his speech impediment made him unfit, God’s perspective was entirely different. He, the Creator of mouths and speech, questioned who made Moses unable to speak.
Ask a follow-up
The Creator's Authority
God reminds Moses that He is the ultimate source of all abilities, including eloquence. If God willed it, He could easily grant Moses the words he lacked. This wasn't an argument against Moses' feelings, but a declaration of divine sovereignty.
The Solution: Divine Partnership
Instead of simply fixing Moses’ speech, God provided a solution that kept Moses central to the mission: Aaron. God declared Aaron, Moses’ brother, would be his spokesman. This partnership allowed Moses to focus on God’s message, while Aaron handled the verbal delivery.
This shows that when we express our limitations, God might not remove the limitation itself, but He provides the means to fulfill His purpose through us, often in partnership with others.
Understand the original words
Adonay · Hebrew Noun/Title
A title of respect, sovereignty, and authority used for God. It acknowledges His absolute right to rule over His creation and the speaker's status as His servant.
dabar · Hebrew Adjective/Noun
The state of being an effective or fluent speaker. Moses expresses a lack of this natural ability, emphasizing his dependence on God for the power and authority to convey a divine message.
ebed · Hebrew Noun
One who is commissioned to perform duties for a master. It implies complete surrender, obedience, and alignment of one's will with the purposes of the one served.
Moses’ stammering and lack of eloquence, while a genuine personal struggle, was a strategic choice by God. It highlighted that the power to free Israel came from God alone, not from human oratory skills, and set the stage for Aaron to act as Moses' spokesperson.
~1526 BC
Moses Born
Moses is born into Hebrew slavery in Egypt, but is miraculously saved from Pharaoh's decree to kill all newborn Hebrew males and is raised in Pharaoh's own household.
~1486 BC
Moses Flees Egypt
After killing an Egyptian taskmaster who was beating a Hebrew slave, Moses flees Egypt to the land of Midian, fearing Pharaoh's wrath.
~1446 BC— this verse
The Burning Bush
While tending sheep in Midian, Moses encounters God at the burning bush, where he is commissioned to return to Egypt and lead the Israelites out of slavery.
~1446 BC
God Appoints Aaron
Following Moses' objections about his lack of eloquence, God appoints Moses' brother, Aaron, to speak for him, acknowledging Aaron's ability to communicate effectively.
This passage highlights that obedience to God is more valuable than any offering, directly contrasting with Moses' hesitation and excuses due to his perceived lack of eloquence.
Jeremiah 1:6-8Like Moses, the prophet Jeremiah felt inadequate and unqualified to speak God's word, expressing similar anxieties about his youth and inability to speak, yet God assures him of His presence and power to speak through him.
2 Corinthians 12:9-10Paul's experience echoes Moses' situation; he recounts God's message that His power is made perfect in weakness, suggesting that God often uses those who feel inadequate to showcase His strength, rather than relying on human eloquence.
Acts 7:22This verse from Stephen's speech directly refers to Moses being 'mighty in his words and deeds,' providing a powerful counterpoint to Moses' self-assessment and suggesting that his perceived lack of eloquence did not hinder God's work through him.
Romans 4:19-21This passage about Abraham's unwavering faith, 'considering not his own body,' parallels Moses' need to move beyond his perceived physical limitations and trust in God's power to equip him for the task.
bensonExodus 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 4:10 . 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 utterance; and therefore he thought himself unfit to speak before great men and about great affairs…
gillExodus 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."
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 his other objections had been sufficiently answered: I am not eloquent; or "a man of words" (s), that has words at…
Moses isn't just saying he's shy; he's emphasizing that God's recent miraculous encounter with him hasn't changed his fundamental speech impediment. He feels utterly unqualified, not just lacking flair, but experiencing a persistent, slow difficulty in forming words.
God has just revealed Himself to Moses and commissioned him to go to Pharaoh and lead the Israelites out of Egypt, even demonstrating His power with a miraculous sign. Moses, overwhelmed and clearly feeling inadequate for such a monumental task, objects to God, stating he's not a skilled speaker and never has been, even after God's direct call. God's response, coming in the very next verses, highlights Moses's lack of faith in God's power to equip him for the mission.
God has just revealed Himself to Moses and commissioned him to go to Pharaoh and lead the Israelites out of Egypt, even demonstrating His power with a miraculous sign. Moses, overwhelmed and clearly feeling inadequate for such a monumental task, objects to God, stating he's not a skilled speaker and never has been, even after God's direct call. God's response, coming in the very next verses, highlights Moses's lack of faith in God's power to equip him for the mission.
"But Moses said to the LORD, “Oh, my Lord, I am not eloquent, either in the past or since you have spoken to your servant, but I am slow of speech and of tongue.”" — Moses isn't just saying he's shy; he's emphasizing that God's recent miraculous encounter with him hasn't changed his fundamental speech impediment. He feels utterly unqualified, not just lacking fla…
Get the original Greek and Hebrew, verse-by-verse context, and related passages inside the app.
Last reviewed October 2026