Exodus 6:12 records Moses telling God that the Israelites have not listened to him, so there is no reason Pharaoh would listen either. He also describes himself as having “uncircumcised lips,” a phrase that points to a speech problem he believes makes him unfit for the task. Moses says this to the LORD in the middle of his first real commission to confront Pharaoh and free Israel from slavery in Egypt.
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 starts with the people. He reasons that if his own community has refused to hear him, a foreign king with immense power will hear him even less. His logic is simple and, on the surface, sensible. He is not arguing with God’s call so much as explaining why he feels it cannot work.
The second half of the verse carries the deeper weight. Moses describes his lips as uncircumcised, a Hebrew expression that in this setting means something is blocking his speech or making it unfit. Most readers understand him to be saying he is a poor speaker. The verse does not tell us the exact nature of the problem, and it does not promise that Moses will become eloquent on his own. What it shows is a man who sees his limits clearly and who has not yet learned that God’s call does not depend on his polish.
The Context of Exodus 6:12
Exodus is traditionally attributed to Moses and tells the story of Israel’s enslavement in Egypt, their deliverance, and their journey toward Sinai. Its first audience was the Israelite community, and the book was shaped to remind them that the God who made promises to their ancestors Abraham, Isaac and Jacob was faithful to act. Chapter 6 opens with God restating his covenant name and his intention to redeem his people.
Verses 9 through 11 show the setting. The people are too crushed by their labor to listen to Moses, and God then gives Moses a direct command to go to Pharaoh. Verse 12 is Moses’ first recorded reply to that command. Reading it right after the people’s discouragement explains why he sounds so despondent: he has just watched his own community fail to respond, and he assumes Pharaoh will fail too.
Key Phrases in Exodus 6:12
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.”
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In this earlier exchange at the burning bush, Moses raises the same objection about his speech. Reading it alongside Exodus 6:12 shows that his hesitation was persistent, and it helps you see how patiently God keeps returning to the same calling.
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.
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Paul writes about his own weakness and finds that God’s strength is made complete in it. This passage speaks directly to the gap between human limitation and divine capability that Moses experiences, and it offers a New Testament lens on how weakness can become the place where God works.
A Short Prayer From Exodus 6:12
Lord, I bring you the places where I feel unable to speak or act well. Some of my words seem to fall flat, and I expect that others will not listen when I try to say what is true. Remind me that you called Moses even while he doubted himself, and that your call does not rest on my ability to impress anyone. Give me courage to speak when you ask, and let my weakness become room for your strength to show. Amen.
