A Different Take on Moses' "Faltering Lips"

[KohenMatt]

This was brought up at our Bible Study last night. In Exodus 6:12 and 30, Moses doubts God's calling that Moses go and speak to Pharaoh.
Exo 6:12 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?


The common interpretation of that is that Moses had a speech impediment of some kind (stuttering, lisp, etc.) This is understandable because of a prior verse...
Exo 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.


A different perspective on this verse is that it might not have been a physical speech impediment, but a character issue. The last time Moses had been in Egypt, Pharaoh tried to kill him because he had killed someone else.
Exo 2:12 And he looked this way and that way, and when he saw that there was no man, he slew the Egyptian, and hid him in the sand.
Exo 2:13 And when he went out the second day, behold, two men of the Hebrews strove together: and he said to him that did the wrong, Wherefore smitest thou thy fellow?
Exo 2:14 And he said, Who made thee a prince and a judge over us? intendest thou to kill me, as thou killedst the Egyptian? And Moses feared, and said, Surely this thing is known.
Exo 2:15 Now when Pharaoh heard this thing, he sought to slay Moses. But Moses fled from the face of Pharaoh, and dwelt in the land of Midian: and he sat down by a well.

Why should a man who was a political fugitive come and ask that government to free Israel? How dare Moses kill an Egyptian, flee the country, and then come back and claim that His God will do all of the terrible things to all of Egypt unless Pharaoh lets Israel go? Maybe it wasn't that Moses had a physical speech impairment, but maybe that He was a hypocrite and no right asking for Israel's release.

The word "uncircumcied" is,
H6189
ערל
‛ârêl
aw-rale'
From H6188; properly exposed, that is, projecting loose (as to the prepuce); used only technically uncircumcised (that is, still having the prepuce uncurtailed): - uncircumcised (person).

Could it be that Moses didn't want to talk to Pharaoh because his words would be "exposed" as those coming from a murderer, previously no associate with Israel, but now asking for their freedom?

 

[crossnote]

Problem is, I don't see the Hebrew word arel (6189) ever used in that passage but rather kabed peh and kabed lason.

 

[JaumeJ]

I always take Moses as doubting himself and his speaking prowess more than doubt our Father. It may be he doubted the Father, but I am not convinced because later God tells Moses Aaron, his brother, was coming to meet him, and he should rehearse all that God told him to Aaron. Then Aaron would be as Moses to Pharoah while Moses would be as God to Aaron.

The part of this story that always has me perplexed is when the Lord was about to kill Moses and Zipporah quickly circumcised Moses saving his life I suppose. I will not say anything a conclusive about that incident, as I do not uncerstand it. I remember the words, the bridegroom of blood etc, but I have not received understanding as yet. God bless you always.

PS. It had been reported to Moses that all the men who wanted him for the murder had died-

 

[KohenMatt]

Problem is, I don't see the Hebrew word arel (6189) ever used in that passage but rather kabed peh and kabed lason.

Strong's has it for "circumcised"

 

[reject-tech]

I also believe the speech impediment was not just a reference to something like a lisp or stutter, though I can't dismiss the idea that God would choose a person with a lisp or stutter or similar to be His advocate, as an example of the disregard of respect of persons.
I generally chalk it up as both. Physical, and something else, namely the ability to react quickly and cleverly in live conversational rebuttal.

Either way, here's something very important not to overlook, about any fear that Moses might have had for his life in returning...

"Now when Pharaoh heard this thing, he sought to slay Moses."

"And the LORD said unto Moses in Midian, Go, return into Egypt: for all the men are dead which sought thy life."

Pharoah is a title, and it's the next Pharoah down the line that Moses went back to. Since Moses was adopted by the daughter of the first Pharoah, it could have been his technical uncle, dad, brother, secular teacher, etc. But whoever it was, he had the same stance on slavery as the original, or worse.

Another thing that is overlooked is that God used Moses to lead EVERYONE out of Egypt, a great multitude followed after them, and that's why Pharoah got angry and chased them down. Not because he had lost slaves, but because his own people realized by way of the plagues that they didn't want anything to do with this pharoah that wouldn't let the slaves go and end the plagues. Even his council were getting tired of his hardened heart. Pharoah had nobody left to be pharoah over. He had nothing left but some of his army. And they were led out of Egypt too, though it was to their death.
Whatever it takes to end man's lordship over one another and the few who remain to embrace the idea.

I think the bricks they were making were to put a shiny smooth surface on those pyramids as they neared completion after 400 or so years of construction. The big stones survived but the hand made bricks have eroded. I think the reason it is flat on the tip is because they never meant to put big stones there and were to finish the tip of it with a brick room for pharoah to sit in and gloat over his "world" through the window.

 

[crossnote]

Strong's has it for "circumcised"

So are you reading 'circumcised' INTO the passage?

 

[KohenMatt]

So are you reading 'circumcised' INTO the passage?

Circumcised is the word that is used in the passage. I'm not bringing it up out of nowhere.
Physical circumcision? Of course not. I'm talking about his past life as a murderer being exposed, or "circumcised". That could be one reason why he felt he couldn't speak to Pharaoh; because he could be seen as a hypocrite in their eyes.

 

[JaumeJ]

Reading in other prophets, it was necessary for their lips to be made clean in order to receive and pass on the Word given by God. Ezekiel comes to mind, who decried his own "unclean" lips. A cherub took a coal from before the Most High God, and touched Ezekiel's lips rendering them suitable to speak the words given him, I believe.

In the Eyes of our Father, sin is sin, and Moses' lips would have been considered unclean (uncirumcised) whether he had killed the Egyptian or not.

 

[loveme1]

I enjoy these types of posts, so interesting, but not of great concern.. but this came to mind.

Acts 7

But when the time of the promise drew nigh, which God had sworn to Abraham, the people grew and multiplied in Egypt, 18Till another king arose, which knew not Joseph. 19The same dealt subtilly with our kindred, and evil entreated our fathers, so that they cast out their young children, to the end they might not live. 20In which time Moses was born, and was exceeding fair, and nourished up in his father's house three months: 21And when he was cast out, Pharaoh's daughter took him up, and nourished him for her own son.22And Moses was learned in all the wisdom of the Egyptians, and was mighty in words and in deeds. 23And when he was full forty years old, it came into his heart to visit his brethren the children of Israel. 24And seeing one of them suffer wrong, he defended him, and avenged him that was oppressed, and smote the Egyptian:25For he supposed his brethren would have understood how that God by his hand would deliver them: but they understood not. 26And the next day he shewed himself unto them as they strove, and would have set them at one again, saying, Sirs, ye are brethren; why do ye wrong one to another? 27But he that did his neighbour wrong thrust him away, saying, Who made thee a ruler and a judge over us? 28Wilt thou kill me, as thou diddest the Egyptian yesterday? 29Then fled Moses at this saying, and was a stranger in the land of Madian, where he begat two sons.