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J. Vernon McGee · Citado em PreceptAustin
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Vernon McGee applies this truth bring you out - The corollary and parallel to our redemption in Christ is found in this statement. We carry a burden of sin today. The things of the world are an oppression to the heart. We are told not to love the world. God can deliver us from the burden of sin through faith in Jesus Christ. (See context Thru the Bible) I WILL DELIVER YOU And I will deliver you from their bondage - NLT = "will rescue you from your slavery in Egypt." The Hebrew natsal is translated in Septuagint with rhuomai which means to draw or snatch to oneself and invariably from danger, evil or an enemy (Used of Moses delivering Jethro's daughters in Ex 2:19+). Rhuomai is the same verb used of the NT "rescue" of believers in Col 1:13-14+ "He rescued us from the domain (right and might - just like Pharaoh exercised over Israel) of darkness (Satan, foreshadowed by Pharaoh), and transferred us to the kingdom of His beloved Son, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins." John MacKay on I will deliver - (The Hebrew) conveys the idea of snatching away from the grasp of another person or a situation of peril by exercising superior power. In this case the Israelites will be given relief from the bondage of the slavery that had been imposed on them by the Egyptians. (Exodus: A Mentor Commentary) Bondage is the Hebrew word abodah used repeatedly in the previous chapters referring to the labor or work of the Hebrews in servitude to the Egyptians (Ex 1:14, Ex 2:23, Ex 5:9, Ex 5:11, also Ex 6:9 = cruel bondage) and is translated in this passage with douleia which describes the condition of slavery. Given that Pharaoh was a pawn of Satan, it is fascinating that douleia is used to describe the libertaing work of the ultimate Deliverer, Jesus Christ in Hebrews 2:14-15+ = "Therefore, since the children share in flesh and blood, He (JESUS) Himself likewise also partook of the same, that through death (THE CROSS) He might render powerless (MAKE INEFFECTIVE) him who had the power of death, that is, the devil, and might free those who through fear of death were subject to slavery (douleia) all their lives." J Vernon McGee applies this truth deliver you from...bondage - God will deliver you from the slavery of sin. I received a remarkable letter from a man that bears out the fact that God is able to deliver from the bondage of sin. This man is brilliant but he lived in sin. He has had at least six illegitimate children as the result of affairs with that many women. And the work by which he made a living was not altogether honest. This fellow had as checkered a career as anyone I have ever heard about. Then he began listening to our Thru The Bible radio broadcast day after day, and the Word of God reached into his life. As he drank in the truths of the Bible, the darkness began to roll away, and the light broke through into his heart and life. He realized he was not trusting the Lord Jesus Christ as his Savior. God redeemed this man. Redemption is His business. The Israelites were in the land of Egypt living a life of bondage. God said, “I am going to take you out of this place. I am going to rid you of your bondage.” (See context Thru the Bible) In Galatians 1:4+ Paul declared that Jesus "gave Himself for (substitution) our sins so that (term of purpose) He might rescue (ESV = deliver = exaireo - Used in Lxx of Ex 3:8 = "I have come down to deliver [exaireo] them from the power of the Egyptians") us from this present evil age, according to the will of our God and Father." Deliver (05337)(natsal) means primarily to deliver, often by the power of one entity overcoming another. Deliverance from the hand or power (Ge 32:11, Hos 2:10). Idols and human might cannot deliver (1 Sa 12:21, Ps 33:16). Of Moses acting as a deliverer (Ex 2:19), of Moses returning to Egypt to deliver Israel (Ex 3:8), of Yahweh's promise of deliverance (Ex 6:6), of the Lord sparing the Israelites at the Passover (Ex 12:27), of Moses relating his deliverance by Yahweh from the Egyptians (Ex 18:4, 8, 9, 10). All uses in Exodus - Ex 2:19; Ex 3:8; Ex 3:22; Ex 5:23; Ex 6:6; Ex 12:27; Ex 12:36; Ex 18:4; Ex 18:8; Ex 18:9; Ex 18:10; Ex 33:6; I WILL REDEEM YOU I will also redeem you with an outstretched arm and with great judgments - I will redeem is more literally ‘I will act the redeemer-kinsman’ (the goel). (See chart of Kinsman-Redeemer or Goel)
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Vernon McGee applies this truth redeem you with an outstretched arm - This is the mighty bared arm spoken of by Isaiah the prophet: “Who hath believed our report? and to whom is the arm of the LORD revealed?” (Isa. 53:1+) Well, I don’t know to whom it is being revealed. God is doing a work of redemption in the hearts and lives of men and women today. Each of us needs a Savior from sin because we are corrupt in His sight. He loved us enough to die for us in order that we might be saved. If He was willing to do that, we must be willing to come as sinners to the Lord. If we place our faith in the work of Jesus Christ for us, we will be saved. God has a great plan of salvation but man must come to Him for it. He will redeem you with an outstretched arm. (See context in Thru the Bible) David Thompson - This is a new concept that God would redeem Israel by “great judgments.” This has a definite application to the judgment plagues that God would bring upon the Egyptians (Ex. 7:4). So to the people of God, the “great judgments” would be a wonderful thing, but to the Egyptians they would be horrific. This did happen. In the mind of the Hebrew, a redeemer needed to be a close family member called “Kinsman Redeemer.” A good illustration here is the book of Ruth. Ruth was a Moabitess who linked herself to Naomi, who was her mother-in-law. Now the closest relative on earth was not willing to make the purchase price to redeem Ruth, so Boaz ended up doing it (Ruth 4:1-11). This is a beautiful picture of what God will do for Israel. Israel has no earthly redeemer. There is no such thing as an earthly Messiah who will be able to give her the land. But there is a heavenly Messiah who has paid the full redemptive price for this nation and He will redeem her (cf Zech 12:10-14+ Lk 24:21+ Titus 2:14+, 1 Pe 1:18+). It is Jesus Christ. He will return and He will give her all of her land. In order to redeem the individual sinner, there is a great judgment that is wrought by God (2 Cor 5:21+, 1 Pe 2:24+). That judgment was wrought against Jesus Christ and when you believe on Him you are redeemed. C. I. Scofield said when you track the concept of “redemption” through the book of Exodus there are four critical things that are taught: (Scofield Reference Bible) Redemption is wholly from God. Redemption is through a person. Redemption is by blood. Redemption is by power. Exodus 6:7 'Then I will take you for My people, and I will be your God; and you shall know that I am the LORD your God, who brought you out from under the burdens of the Egyptians. BGT Exodus 6:7 καὶ λήμψομαι ἐμαυτῷ ὑμᾶς λαὸν ἐμοὶ καὶ ἔσομαι ὑμῶν θεός καὶ γνώσεσθε ὅτι ἐγὼ κύριος ὁ θεὸς ὑμῶν ὁ ἐξαγαγὼν ὑμᾶς ἐκ τῆς καταδυναστείας τῶν Αἰγυπτίων NET Exodus 6:7 I will take you to myself for a people, and I will be your God. Then you will know that I am the LORD your God, who brought you out from your enslavement to the Egyptians. LXE Exodus 6:7 And I will take you to me a people for myself, and will be your God; and ye shall know that I am the Lord your God, who brought you out from the tyranny of the Egyptians. NLT Exodus 6:7 I will claim you as my own people, and I will be your God. Then you will know that I am the LORD your God who has freed you from your oppression in Egypt. KJV Exodus 6:7 And I will take you to me for a people, and I will be to you a God: and ye shall know that I am the LORD your God, which bringeth you out from under the burdens of the Egyptians. ESV Exodus 6:7 I will take you to be my people, and I will be your God, and you shall know that I am the LORD your God, who has brought you out from under the burdens of the Egyptians. NIV Exodus 6:7 I will take you as my own people, and I will be your God. Then you will know that I am the LORD your God, who brought you out from under the yoke of the Egyptians. ASV Exodus 6:7 and I will take you to me for a people, and I will be to you a God; and ye shall know that I am Jehovah your God, who bringeth you out from under the burdens of the Egyptians. CSB Exodus 6:7 I will take you as My people, and I will be your God. You will know that I am Yahweh your God, who delivered you from the forced labor of the Egyptians. NKJ Exodus 6:7 `I will take you as My people, and I will be your God. Then you shall know that I am the LORD your God who brings you out from under the burdens of the Egyptians. NRS Exodus 6:7 I will take you as my people, and I will be your God. You shall know that I am the LORD your God, who has freed you from the burdens of the Egyptians. YLT Exodus 6:7 and have taken you to Me for a people, and I have been to you for God, and ye have known that I am Jehovah your God, who is bringing you out from under the burdens of the Egyptians; I will take - Ex 19:5,6 Ge 17:7,8 De 4:20 7:6 14:2 26:18 2Sa 7:23,24 Jer 31:33 Ho 1:10 1Pe 2:10 I will be - Ex 29:45,46 De 29:13 Zec 13:9 Mt 22:32 Ro 8:31 Heb 11:16 Rev 21:3,7 from under the burdens of the Egyptians - Ex 5:4,5 Ps 81:6 I WILL TAKE YOU FOR MY PEOPLE Kaiser - Two more first-person verbs detailed God’s promise to adopt Israel as His own people - will take you as my own people and I will be your God.
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Vernon McGee applies this truth I will take you for My people - Just think—God has lifted us out of the muck and mire of sin and made us His sons by faith in Christ Jesus! Now He tells us, “I will be to you a God.” God does not save us and then run off and leave us. He wants to be our God. If you are really saved, you will not go on living as if God does not exist. If you have trusted Jesus Christ as Savior, it will transform your life. He will become your God and you will bow down to Him and acknowledge who He is. God wants to redeem you. He wants you to know Christ as Savior and Lord. He wants you to know you are saved. He wants to be your God. He wants us for His people. (See context Thru the Bible) Mattoon - In Christ, we belong to God as His peculiar people (1 Pe 2:8KJV+). We are accepted in the Beloved (Eph 1:6KJV+), even though we are unworthy. The Lord says and wants you to know that you belong to Him when you have put your faith in Christ. If you are saved, you are part of the bride of Christ. As Paul says "For if we live, we live for the Lord, or if we die, we die for the Lord; therefore whether we live or die, we are the Lord’s." (Ro 14:8+) The phrase be My people - Lev. 26:12; Jer. 7:23; Jer. 11:4; Jer. 24:7; Jer. 30:22; Jer. 31:1; Jer. 31:33; Jer. 32:38; Ezek. 11:20; Ezek. 14:11; Ezek. 36:28; Ezek. 37:23; Ezek. 37:27; Zech. 8:8; 2 Co. 6:16; Heb. 8:10 The phrase be Your God - Exod. 6:7; Lev. 11:45; Lev. 22:33; Lev. 25:38; Lev. 26:12; Num. 15:41; Deut. 26:17; Deut. 29:13; Jer. 7:23; Jer. 11:4; Jer. 30:22; Ezek. 36:28 I WILL BE YOUR GOD And I will be your God - See God's promise fulfilled aboe in Jer 31:33+. Who is "your"? This is Israel, the literal nation of Israel. God says He will be the nation of Israel's God. There are those today who say God is finished with Israel and has replaced Israel with the Church. Perhaps they need to read promises such as this promise to the literal nation of Israel in Egypt. The church was not in Egypt at this time and does thus it is poor hermeneutics to say this promise is not taken from the nation of Israel and given to the Church. Related Resources: What is replacement theology / supersessionism? What is spiritual Israel? | GotQuestions.org What is New Israel? NET says "These covenant promises are being reiterated here because they are about to be fulfilled (ED: YES, IN ONE SENSE THEY WILL BE FULFILLED BUT THERE IS ANOTHER SENSE IN WHICH THEY WILL BE FULLY FULFILLED IN THE LAST DAYS - THE TIME OF JACOB'S DISTRESS - Jer 30:7+). They are addressed to the nation, not individuals, as the plural suffixes show. Yahweh was their God already, because they had been praying to him and he is acting on their behalf. When they enter into covenant with God at Sinai, then he will be the God of Israel in a new way (Ex 19:4–6; cf. Gen 17:7–8; 28:20–22; Lev 26:11–12; Jer 24:7; Ezek 11:17–20 = ED: EZEKIEL'S PROPHECY IS A DESCRIPTION OF THE NEW COVENANT TO BE FULFILLED WITH ISRAEL IN THE LAST DAYS)." And you shall know that I am the LORD your God, Who brought you out from under the burdens (abodah - also in Ex 6:6) of the Egyptians - When the deliverance happens, then the sons of Israel will know it was Jehovah Who brought it about. And they will know that He is their God.
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Vernon McGee applies this truth you shall know that I am the LORD - God chose believers in Christ before the foundation of the world which places it before all time—in eternity past. The reason for the choice was not found in the believers, but in the all-wise purpose of God. He does not struggle to love His own in spite of their failures. God loves His own because it is His nature to love. He wants to be our God. (See context Thru the Bible) Exodus 6:8 'I will bring you to the land which I swore to give to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, and I will give it to you for a possession; I am the LORD.'" BGT Exodus 6:8 καὶ εἰσάξω ὑμᾶς εἰς τὴν γῆν εἰς ἣν ἐξέτεινα τὴν χεῖρά μου δοῦναι αὐτὴν τῷ Αβρααμ καὶ Ισαακ καὶ Ιακωβ καὶ δώσω ὑμῖν αὐτὴν ἐν κλήρῳ ἐγὼ κύριος NET Exodus 6:8 I will bring you to the land I swore to give to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob– and I will give it to you as a possession. I am the LORD!'" LXE Exodus 6:8 And I will bring you into the land concerning which I stretched out my hand to give it to Abraam and Isaac and Jacob, and I will give it you for an inheritance: I am the Lord. NLT Exodus 6:8 I will bring you into the land I swore to give to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. I will give it to you as your very own possession. I am the LORD!'" KJV Exodus 6:8 And I will bring you in unto the land, concerning the which I did swear to give it to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob; and I will give it you for an heritage: I am the LORD. ESV Exodus 6:8 I will bring you into the land that I swore to give to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob. I will give it to you for a possession. I am the LORD.'" NIV Exodus 6:8 And I will bring you to the land I swore with uplifted hand to give to Abraham, to Isaac and to Jacob. I will give it to you as a possession. I am the LORD.' " ASV Exodus 6:8 And I will bring you in unto the land which I sware to give to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob; and I will give it you for a heritage: I am Jehovah. CSB Exodus 6:8 I will bring you to the land that I swore to give to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, and I will give it to you as a possession. I am Yahweh." NKJ Exodus 6:8 `And I will bring you into the land which I swore to give to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob; and I will give it to you as a heritage: I am the LORD.'" NRS Exodus 6:8 I will bring you into the land that I swore to give to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob; I will give it to you for a possession. I am the LORD.'" YLT Exodus 6:8 and I have brought you in unto the land which I have lifted up My hand to give it to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, and have given it to you -- a possession; I am Jehovah.' swore - Ge 14:22 De 32:40 Eze 20:5,6,15,23,28,42 36:7 47:14 give - Ex 32:13 Ge 15:18 22:16,17 26:3 28:13 35:12 I am - Ex 6:2 Nu 23:19 1Sa 15:29 I WILL BRING YOU INTO THE LAND I will bring you to the land which I swore to give to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob - God promised to bring Israel into a LAND and He promises to bring us into a LIFE (cf Col 3:4+)! The Holy Spirit gives us grace and power to live a godly life. Which I swore is literally "I raised My hand," which depicts an oath taking ceremony and is a vivid reminder that God swore to give the land to the three patriarchs, representative of the nation of Israel. This depiction of taking an oath should have made the promise of God sure in the mind of the Hebrews. Hebrews 6:13-14+ For when God made the promise to Abraham, since He could swear by no one greater, He swore by Himself, saying, “I WILL SURELY BLESS YOU AND I WILL SURELY MULTIPLY YOU.” (The Abrahamic Covenant) J Vernon McGee applies this truth to the land - The land is Canaan. It was promised by God to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. Canaan is not a picture of heaven. It is a picture of the Christian life as believers should be living it. Canaan typifies the heavenlies where we are blessed with all spiritual blessing—the believer has to walk worthy of his high calling (Eph 4:1+) for perfect enjoyment of spiritual blessing. This is done through the filling of the Spirit (Eph. 4:1–5:17, Eph 5:18+). There is also warfare and battles to win. Believers sometimes live as if they are bankrupt in the wilderness of the world and never enter into the riches of His grace and mercy. Are you living today in the life, light, and love of a living Savior? (See context Thru the Bible) I WILL GIVE YOU THE LAND and I will give it to you for a possession; I am the LORD.'"- God began in Exodus 6:6 and ended the promises by reminding then of His covenant making and covenant-keeping name. In short, you can count on these promises as "money in the bank!" Cassuto on the ending I am the LORD - Finally, like one who signs an authorization or accepts responsibility for something, the Lord repeats the formula with which He opened His address: I am YHWH, and My name shall be your assurance that My promises will be fulfilled. NET adds that "God swore the promise to the patriarchs, but he is about to give what he promised to this generation. This generation will know more about him as a result." David Thompson - Now God says I am going to do these things by My outstretched arm that will include “great judgments” against the Egyptians. This is exactly how God will once again deliver Israel during the Great Tribulation. He is going to use a series of judgments to force the world to realize that Israel belongs to God and she has a specific land that will be hers.What He promises here is that He will give Israel all of the land as her possession. This has not happened yet. Matthew
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McGee - Moses was not accepted by the children of Israel; he was not accepted by Pharaoh. God told him to speak to Pharaoh again and Moses is reluctant to go. His eyes are on the circumstances rather than on God. (See context Thru the Bible) Mattoon - It is no longer a three-day journey that the Lord is commanding. It is a permanent exit from the land. This message would be even more difficult to give to Pharaoh because the demands are greater. Who said that delivering God's Word was easy? The principle here is "If God lays a light burden upon us and we refuse, we may expect Him to exchange our light burden for a heavier one." The Lord has a way of increasing pressure until we obey. We better accept the first cross that He offers to us. When we do this, that is success in God's eyes. When we resist His commands, the pressure is increased to submit. When we look in the book of Judges, we find that God gradually increased His punishment upon a disobedient Israel. Israel failed because they would not listen or obey the Lord. When we examine the ten plagues of Egypt, we find that the pressure on Pharaoh was gradually increased in the severity of the plagues. Even though the pressure increased, God was still giving the king the opportunity to change his mind. God could have brought down judgment upon Pharaoh for his scornful rebellion and rejection of the first request given to him by Moses, but the Lord did not do that at all. God gave Pharaoh ample opportunity to yield to His demands. Pharaoh would not be punished until he had repeatedly rejected the requests to let Israel go. Before Pharaoh will be punished with the signs and wonders, God will graciously give him precepts by which he could escape the punishment. Matthew Henry describes this act of God's grace well when he says, "God repeats his precepts before he begins his punishments." Exodus 6:12 But Moses spoke before the LORD, saying, "Behold, the sons of Israel have not listened to me; how then will Pharaoh listen to me, for I am unskilled in speech?" BGT Exodus 6:12 ἐλάλησεν δὲ Μωυσῆς ἔναντι κυρίου λέγων ἰδοὺ οἱ υἱοὶ Ισραηλ οὐκ εἰσήκουσάν μου καὶ πῶς εἰσακούσεταί μου Φαραω ἐγὼ δὲ ἄλογός εἰμι NET Exodus 6:12 But Moses replied to the LORD, "If the Israelites did not listen to me, then how will Pharaoh listen to me, since I speak with difficulty?" LXE Exodus 6:12 And Moses spoke before the Lord, saying, Behold, the children of Israel hearkened not to me, and how shall Pharao hearken to me? and I am not eloquent. NLT Exodus 6:12 "But LORD!" Moses objected. "My own people won't listen to me anymore. How can I expect Pharaoh to listen? I'm such a clumsy speaker! " KJV Exodus 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? ESV Exodus 6:12 But Moses said to the LORD, "Behold, the people of Israel have not listened to me. How then shall Pharaoh listen to me, for I am of uncircumcised lips?" NIV Exodus 6:12 But Moses said to the LORD, "If the Israelites will not listen to me, why would Pharaoh listen to me, since I speak with faltering lips?" ASV Exodus 6:12 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? CSB Exodus 6:12 But Moses said in the LORD's presence: "If the Israelites will not listen to me, then how will Pharaoh listen to me, since I am such a poor speaker?" NKJ Exodus 6:12 And Moses spoke before the LORD, saying, "The children of Israel have not heeded me. How then shall Pharaoh heed me, for I am of uncircumcised lips?" NRS Exodus 6:12 But Moses spoke to the LORD, "The Israelites have not listened to me; how then shall Pharaoh listen to me, poor speaker that I am?" YLT Exodus 6:12 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?' sons - Ex 6:9 3:13 4:29-31 5:19-21 am - Ex 6:30 4:10 Lev 26:41 De 30:6 Isa 6:5 Jer 1:6 6:10 9:26 Ac 7:51 MOSES DOUBTS HIS WORDS WILL MOVE PHARAOH But Moses spoke before the LORD - Before the LORD is literally before the face of the LORD. We know that after the construction of the Tabernacle "the LORD used to speak to Moses face to face, just as a man speaks to his friend." (Ex 33:11) This is when a true pastor ought to shine. To give hurting people hope is our highest calling, but Moses didn't shine, he whined. NET Note points out that Moses now use a Qal wahomer - This analogy is an example of a Qal wahomer comparison. It is an argument by inference from the light (qal) to the heavy (homer), from the simple to the more difficult. If the Israelites, who are Yahwists, would not listen to him, it is highly unlikely Pharaoh would. Once again Moses is basically saying "I'm not cut out for this job as deliverer because I can't even speak!" Or stated another way, he does not want this job and he gives God two reasons. Behold, the sons of Israel have not listened to me; how then will Pharaoh listen to me, for I am unskilled in speech?" - Moses' logic is not completely wrong. But his response still reflects a degree of faith failure. God has made it very clear what would happen, but once again Moses makes an excuse. And again it is about his speech. “D. L. Moody wittily said that Moses spent forty years in Pharaoh’s court thinking he was somebody; forty years in the desert learning he was nobody; and forty years showing what God can do with somebody who found out he was nobody." -- Bernard Ramm Courson points out that "This is the seventh time Moses protests. Like Moses, we have a tendency to argue. But, again, God didn’t give up on Moses. And He won’t give up on you." David Thompson has an interesting comment - There is some validity to (Moses' first) argument. If you can’t get God’s own people to listen to His Word, why would you think the lost world would listen to it? It would be like us saying if you cannot convince God’s people in God’s churches that our treatment of Israel is critical to our survival as a nation, why would you think you could convince lost political leaders in Washington? For I am unskilled in speech - KJV = "of uncircumcised lips" NIV = "since I speak with faltering lips?" Literally this is “I am of uncircumcised lips.” or "My lips are uncircumcised." This is quite a metaphorical picture Moses presents to God of uncircumcised lips (here and Ex. 6:30) which means his lips are, as it were, covered with a foreskin, lips that speak incoherently because they are sealed wholly or in part so that one could not easily bring out his words. Earlier he claimed to be “slow (heavy) of tongue” (Ex 4:10). Uncircumcised is used metaphorically several times in Scripture - uncircumcised ears (Acts 7:51+, Jer 6:10KJV) their ears being in effect closed with a foreskin the net effect being that they are closed to God's saving Word of Truth (the Gospel) by their impure hearts which are uncircumcised. God's call to all with such Gospel resistant hearts to to circumcise their heart (only possible by the Spirit Who alone can pierce the heart Acts 2:37+ and the Word which is sharper than a double edged sword! - Heb 4:12+) All unbelievers have impure, "uncircumcised" hearts and are in grave need of spiritual circumcision. Read Lev 26:41+, Dt 10:16; Dt 30:6+; Jer 4:4; Jer 9:26; Ezekiel 44:7,9 The NT commentary is given by Paul in Ro 2:28,29+ and in Col 2:11,12+ describing Christ's spiritual circumcision. Have you been spiritually circumcised? See Excursus on Circumcision. Unskilled (Uncircumcised) (06189)(arel from orlah = foreskin) is an adjective which means one with foreskin intact or "having foreskin." The majority of passages which use this term refer to the literal state of being uncircumcised (e.g., Gen. 17:14; Josh. 5:7; Jdg. 14:3; 15:18; 1 Sa 14:6; 17:26, 36; 31:4; 1 Chr. 10:4). Note the use of arel in this literal sense in Ex. 12:48 "no uncircumcised person may eat of" the Passover. Arel was a word of contempt, particularly of Philistines who did not practice circumcision (Jdg 14:3; 15:18; 1Sa 14:6; 17:26, 36; 31:4 thru 1Chr 10:4; 2Sa 1:20). The Israelites looked upon the Philistines with contempt, due to their lack of conformity to the practice of circumcision, thus illustrating the Philistines' opposition to Israel's God (2 Sam. 1:20). Foreign nations who remained uncircumcised were considered pagan and unclean. It was a serious covenant violation to bring uncircumcised individuals into the Temple, because it desecrated the holiness and purity of the Lord's sanctuary (Ezek. 44:7, 9). Moses described himself as having "uncircumcised lips," an indication of his speech impediment and difficulty in making people listen to him (Ex 6:12, 30). This term was associated with moral and spiritual uncleanness (Isa 52:1) as well as with organs that did not function properly (Ex 6:12, "uncircumcised lips" do not speak well; Jer 6:10, "uncircumcised ears" cannot listen). And so in Ex 6:12, 30 arel is used in a figurative sense to describe one unskilled in speech. Walter Kaiser on unskilled in speech - This (DESPONDENCY OF ISRAEL) made such an impact on Moses that he had another attack of self-distrust and despondency. How could he persuade Pharaoh when he failed so miserably to impress his own countrymen who presumably would have had a naturally deep interest in what he had to say, given their circumstances (Ex 6:11–12a) "The “lips” represent his speech (metonymy of cause). The term “uncircumcised” makes a comparison between his speech and that which Israel perceived as unacceptable, unprepared, foreign, and of no use to God. The heart is described this way when it is impervious to good impressions (Lev 26:41; Jer 9:26) and the ear when it hears imperfectly (Jer 6:10). Moses has here returned to his earlier claim—he does not speak well enough to be doing this." (NET) John Gill "of uncircumcised lips" - had an impediment in his speech, could not speak freely and readily, but with difficulty; perhaps stammered, and so uttered superfluous syllables, repeated them before he could fully pronounce what he aimed at; or in other words, he was not eloquent, which was his old objection, and had been fully answered before: and by this it appears that there was no alteration in the speech of Moses since God spoke with him at Mount Horeb. George Wood - The term "uncircumcised lips" means he had a deficiency which interferes with this efficiency. In Jeremiah, Jeremiah describes the uncircumcised ear—an ear which cannot harken. And in Leviticus, Moses describes an uncircumcised heart—a heart that cannot understand. Moses described himself as having uncircumcised lips; he is again recalling to God that he has a speech deficiency. The Lord nevertheless insists that Moses go in with Aaron and charge Pharaoh, the king of Egypt, to bring the people of Israel out of the land. Joseph Exell - It is unnecessary that men should inform God of their natural impediments to religious service. He knows them. He is acquainted with those whom He sends on His errands, with their weakness and strength. If He calls, it is yours to obey. THOUGHT - Maybe we have been wrong all these years to see Moses as a towering, Charlton Heston type of dynamic leader. Maybe he was a soft spoken, timid old man who felt and acted like God had given him a job too big to handle. Just maybe pulpit committees ought to take note of this. Just maybe churches are in the trouble they are in because committees use worldly standards, seeking positive, handsome, CEO types, instead of looking at the heart. (Bob Marcaurelle) Ryken - Are you ever tempted to give up? Sometimes serving the Lord is so discouraging that it is tempting to stop doing something we know God has called us to do. A few problems emerge, and then all of the old fears and doubts return. We start to come up with some of the same old excuses: “I can’t do it.” “I’m not good at this.” “I don’t have time.” God is not interested in our excuses, as we shall see in his answer to Moses at the beginning of chapter 7. But the truth is that we already know the answer: “I am the LORD.” This is always the answer. It was the answer when the Israelites were in slavery and had to make bricks without straw. It was the answer when Moses seemed to be failing and wasn’t sure he could keep on serving God. And it is the answer for us whenever we face problems and are tempted to stop doing what God has called us to do. God says to us, “I am the LORD.” If he is our Lord, then we must trust him and obey him....What is God calling you to do or to keep on doing? You may be having some problems. You may be discouraged. You may have your doubts about whether you can do it. But remember that you serve the Lord, who has promised to do everything to save you, from beginning to end. (Ibid) David