The Meaning of Exodus 6:12 Explained

Exodus 6:12

KJV: And Moses spake before the LORD, saying, Behold, the children of Israel have not hearkened unto me; how then shall Pharaoh hear me, who am of uncircumcised lips?

YLT: and Moses speaketh before Jehovah, saying, 'Lo, the sons of Israel have not hearkened unto me, and how doth Pharaoh hear me, and I of uncircumcised lips?'

Darby: And Moses spoke before Jehovah, saying, Lo, the children of Israel do not hearken to me: how then should Pharaoh hearken to me, to me of uncircumcised lips?

ASV: And Moses spake before Jehovah, saying, Behold, the children of Israel have not hearkened unto me; how then shall Pharaoh hear me, who am of uncircumcised lips?

KJV Reverse Interlinear

And Moses  spake  before  the LORD,  saying,  Behold, the children  of Israel  have not hearkened  unto me; how then shall Pharaoh  hear  me,  who [am] of uncircumcised  lips? 

What does Exodus 6:12 Mean?

Context Summary

Exodus 6:10-27 - The Line Of Descent Of God's Spokesmen
Here is an inventory of God's jewels, in the day when He counted them up. We are reminded of Malachi 3:17. Before He led forth the flock, the Good Shepherd counted them, that not one might be missing. There is a peculiar emphasis on the mention of Moses and Aaron in Exodus 6:26 : "These are that Moses and Aaron." It was as though we were led to the hole of the pit whence they were digged, and a very poor hole it was, for their parentage and estate were quite humble and ordinary. But by means of them the Almighty wrought the deliverance of His people. It was through such feeble instruments as these that He spake to the greatest monarch of the time, the mighty Pharaoh, whose remains are with us to this day. It is His method to choose the weak and foolish things to bring to naught and confound the strong and wise, that no flesh should glory in His presence. [source]

Chapter Summary: Exodus 6

1  God renews his promise by his name JEHOVAH
9  Moses vainly attempts to encourage the Israelites
10  He and Aaron are again sent to Pharaoh
14  Genealogies of Reuben, Simeon and Levi, of whom came Moses and Aaron
26  The history resumed

What do the individual words in Exodus 6:12 mean?

And spoke Moses before Yahweh saying behold the sons of Israel not have heeded me then how shall heed me Pharaoh for I [am] of uncircumcised lips -
וַיְדַבֵּ֣ר מֹשֶׁ֔ה לִפְנֵ֥י יְהוָ֖ה לֵאמֹ֑ר הֵ֤ן בְּנֵֽי־ יִשְׂרָאֵל֙ לֹֽא־ שָׁמְע֣וּ אֵלַ֔י וְאֵיךְ֙ יִשְׁמָעֵ֣נִי פַרְעֹ֔ה וַאֲנִ֖י עֲרַ֥ל ؟ שְׂפָתָֽיִם פ

וַיְדַבֵּ֣ר  And  spoke 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Piel, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: דָּבַר 
Sense: to speak, declare, converse, command, promise, warn, threaten, sing.
מֹשֶׁ֔ה  Moses 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: מֹשֶׁה  
Sense: the prophet and lawgiver, leader of the exodus.
לִפְנֵ֥י  before 
Parse: Preposition-l, Noun, common plural construct
Root: לִפְנֵי 
Sense: face.
יְהוָ֖ה  Yahweh 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יהוה 
Sense: the proper name of the one true God.
לֵאמֹ֑ר  saying 
Parse: Preposition-l, Verb, Qal, Infinitive construct
Root: אָמַר 
Sense: to say, speak, utter.
הֵ֤ן  behold 
Parse: Interjection
Root: הֵן  
Sense: behold, lo, though hypothetical part.
בְּנֵֽי־  the  sons 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural construct
Root: בֵּן 
Sense: son, grandson, child, member of a group.
יִשְׂרָאֵל֙  of  Israel 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יִשְׂרָאֵל  
Sense: the second name for Jacob given to him by God after his wrestling with the angel at Peniel.
שָׁמְע֣וּ  have  heeded 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, third person common plural
Root: שָׁמַע 
Sense: to hear, listen to, obey.
אֵלַ֔י  me 
Parse: Preposition, first person common singular
Root: אֶל  
Sense: to, toward, unto (of motion).
וְאֵיךְ֙  then  how 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Interjection
Root: אֵיךְ 
Sense: how? interj.
יִשְׁמָעֵ֣נִי  shall  heed  me 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperfect, third person masculine singular, first person common singular
Root: שָׁמַע 
Sense: to hear, listen to, obey.
פַרְעֹ֔ה  Pharaoh 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: פַּרְעֹה  
Sense: the common title of the king of Egypt.
וַאֲנִ֖י  for  I  [am] 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Pronoun, first person common singular
Root: אֲנִי  
Sense: I (first pers.
עֲרַ֥ל  of  uncircumcised 
Parse: Adjective, masculine singular construct
Root: עָרֵל  
Sense: uncircumcised, having foreskin.
؟ שְׂפָתָֽיִם  lips 
Parse: Noun, fd
Root: שָׂפָה  
Sense: lip, language, speech, shore, bank, brink, brim, side, edge, border, binding.
פ  - 
Parse: Punctuation