Exodus 6:12 records Moses telling God that his own people have not listened to him, so there is no reason to expect Pharaoh to listen. Moses is discouraged and points to a speech problem he believes disqualifies him. The words are spoken by Moses in direct prayer to the LORD, with the people of Israel and Pharaoh as the immediate audience of his concern.
Moses spoke before the LORD, saying, “Behold, the children of Israel haven’t listened to me. How then shall Pharaoh listen to me, who am of uncircumcised lips?”
Exodus 6:12 (WEB)
What Exodus 6:12 Means
Moses begins with an observation about the people: “the children of Israel haven’t listened to me.” He has just brought God’s promise of deliverance, and the people, worn down by harsh labor, have not responded. His reasoning is simple. If his own community is unmoved, a powerful king certainly will not be moved by him.
The second part of the verse is more personal. Moses describes himself as having “uncircumcised lips,” a Hebrew expression that most likely means he feels unfit to speak or lacks eloquence. It is the language of a man who doubts his own voice, not a statement about his religious standing. The verse does not explain how or when Moses will speak well, and it does not promise that his fears will vanish. It records an honest moment of doubt in the middle of a call.
The Context of Exodus 6:12
Exodus is traditionally attributed to Moses, and it tells the story of Israel’s enslavement in Egypt, their rescue, and their formation as God’s covenant people. The book was written for Israel as a people who needed to remember where they came from and who had acted for them. Chapter 6 sits at a turning point: God has just repeated his promise to Moses, and the earlier attempt to win freedom had made Pharaoh harsher, not kinder.
Read in its surroundings, the verse shows a pattern. Verse 9 tells us the people did not listen “for anguish of spirit, and for cruel bondage,” so their silence is not rebellion but exhaustion. Verse 11 gives the command to go to Pharaoh, and verse 13 repeats the charge to both Moses and Aaron. Moses’s objection comes right after God’s instruction, which makes his hesitation feel like a human response to a very large task rather than a refusal.
Key Phrases in Exodus 6:12
2 Corinthians 12:9
He has said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Most gladly therefore I will rather glory in my weaknesses, that the power of Christ may rest on me.
(WEB)
Paul records God’s words that his grace is sufficient and that power is made perfect in weakness. This speaks directly to the sense of inadequacy Moses expresses, showing that God’s strength is not dependent on a person’s eloquence or confidence.
Exodus 4:10
Moses said to the LORD, “O Lord, I am not eloquent, neither before now, nor since you have spoken to your servant; for I am slow of speech, and of a slow tongue.”
(WEB)
Earlier in the same story, Moses raises the same objection about his speech when God first calls him at the burning bush. Reading it alongside Exodus 6:12 shows how persistent this fear was and how patiently God responds to it.
A Short Prayer From Exodus 6:12
Lord, you know how tired and discouraged I can feel when my words seem to fall on deaf ears. I bring you the conversations I dread and the tasks where I doubt my own ability to speak clearly. Thank you that you do not require me to be polished or fearless before you act through me. Give me the courage to be honest about my weakness, and help me trust that you can work through what I offer you. Amen.
