Exodus 4:11

THE MESSAGE

God said, "And who do you think made the human mouth? And who makes some mute, some deaf, some sighted, some blind? Isn't it I, God ? So, get going. I'll be right there with you—with your mouth! I'll be right there to teach you what to say."

Parallel Translations

Hebrew Names Version
The LORD said to him, "Who made man's mouth? Or who makes one mute, or deaf, or seeing, or blind? Isn't it I, the LORD?

King James Version
And the Lord said unto him, Who hath made man's mouth? or who maketh the dumb, or deaf, or the seeing, or the blind? have not I the Lord ?

Lexham English Bible
And Yahweh said to him, "Who gave a mouth to humankind, or who makes mute or deaf or sighted or blind? Is it not I, Yahweh?

New Century Version
Then the Lord said to him, "Who made a person's mouth? And who makes someone deaf or not able to speak? Or who gives a person sight or blindness? It is I, the Lord .

New English Translation
The Lord said to him, "Who gave a mouth to man, or who makes a person mute or deaf or seeing or blind? Is it not I, the Lord ?

Amplified Bible
The LORD said to him, "Who has made man's mouth? Or who makes the mute or the deaf, or the seeing or the blind? Is it not I, the LORD?

New American Standard Bible
But the LORD said to him, "Who has made the human mouth? Or who makes anyone unable to speak or deaf, or able to see or blind? Is it not I, the LORD?

Geneva Bible (1587)
Then the Lorde said vnto him, Who hath giuen the mouth to man? or who hath made the domme, or the deafe, or him that seeth, or the blinde? haue not I the Lorde?

Legacy Standard Bible
And Yahweh said to him, "Who has made man's mouth? Or who makes him mute or deaf, or seeing or blind? Is it not I, Yahweh?

Contemporary English Version
But the Lord answered, "Who makes people able to speak or makes them deaf or unable to speak? Who gives them sight or makes them blind? Don't you know that I am the one who does these things?

Complete Jewish Bible
Adonai answered him, "Who gives a person a mouth? Who makes a person dumb or deaf, keen-sighted or blind? Isn't it I, Adonai ?

Darby Translation
And Jehovah said to him, Who gave man a mouth? or who maketh dumb, or deaf, or seeing, or blind? [have] not I, Jehovah?

Easy-to-Read Version
Then the Lord said to him, "Who made a person's mouth? And who can make someone deaf or not able to speak? Who can make a person blind? Who can make a person able to see? I am the one. I am the Lord .

English Standard Version
Then the Lord said to him, "Who has made man's mouth? Who makes him mute, or deaf, or seeing, or blind? Is it not I, the Lord ?

George Lamsa Translation
The LORD said to him, Who has made mans mouth? or who makes the dumb, or the deaf, or the seeing, or the blind? Is it not I the LORD?

Good News Translation
The Lord said to him, "Who gives man his mouth? Who makes him deaf or dumb? Who gives him sight or makes him blind? It is I, the Lord .

Christian Standard Bible®
The Lord said to him, “Who placed a mouth on humans? Who makes a person mute or deaf, seeing or blind? Is it not I, the Lord?

Literal Translation
And Jehovah said to him, Who has made man's mouth? Or who makes the dumb, or the deaf, or the seeing, or the blind? Is it not I, Jehovah?

Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
The LORDE sayde vnto him: Who hath made the mouth of man? Or who hath made the domme, or the deaf, or the seynge or ye blynde? Haue not I the LORDE done it?

American Standard Version
And Jehovah said unto him, Who hath made man's mouth? Or who maketh a man dumb, or deaf, or seeing, or blind? is it not I, Jehovah?

Bible in Basic English
And the Lord said to him, Who has made man's mouth? who takes away a man's voice or hearing, or makes him seeing or blind? Is it not I, the Lord?

Bishop's Bible (1568)
And the Lorde sayd vnto hym: who hath made mans mouth? or who maketh the dumbe, or deafe, the seyng, or the blynde? Haue not I the Lorde?

JPS Old Testament (1917)
And the LORD said unto him: 'Who hath made man's mouth? or who maketh a man dumb, or deaf, or seeing, or blind? is it not I the LORD?

King James Version (1611)
And the Lord said vnto him, Who hath made mans mouth? or who maketh the dumbe or deafe, or the seeing, or ye blind? haue not I the Lord ?

Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
And the Lord said to Moses, Who has given a mouth to man, and who has made the very hard of hearing, and the deaf, the seeing and the blind? have not I, God?

English Revised Version
And the LORD said unto him, Who hath made man's mouth? or who maketh a man dumb, or deaf, or seeing, or blind? is it not I the LORD?

Berean Standard Bible
And the LORD said to him, "Who gave man his mouth? Or who makes him mute or deaf, sighted or blind? Is it not I, the LORD?

Wycliffe Bible (1395)
The Lord seide to hym, Who made the mouth of man, ether who made a doumb man and `deef, seynge and blynd? whether not Y?

Young's Literal Translation
And Jehovah saith unto him, `Who appointed a mouth for man? or who appointeth the dumb, or deaf, or open, or blind? is it not I, Jehovah?

Update Bible Version
And Yahweh said to him, Who has made man's mouth? Or who makes [man] mute, or deaf, or seeing, or blind? Is it not I, Yahweh?

Webster's Bible Translation
And the LORD said to him, Who hath made man's mouth? or who maketh the dumb, or deaf, or the seeing, or the blind? have not I the LORD.

World English Bible
Yahweh said to him, "Who made man's mouth? Or who makes one mute, or deaf, or seeing, or blind? Isn't it I, Yahweh?

New King James Version
So the LORD said to him, "Who has made man's mouth? Or who makes the mute, the deaf, the seeing, or the blind? Have not I, the LORD?

New Living Translation
Then the Lord asked Moses, "Who makes a person's mouth? Who decides whether people speak or do not speak, hear or do not hear, see or do not see? Is it not I, the Lord ?

New Life Bible
Then the Lord said to him, "Who has made man's mouth? Who makes a man not able to speak or hear? Who makes one blind or able to see? Is it not I, the Lord?

New Revised Standard
Then the Lord said to him, "Who gives speech to mortals? Who makes them mute or deaf, seeing or blind? Is it not I, the Lord ?

J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
Then Yahweh said unto him - Who appointed a mouth for man, or who appointeth him to be dumb, or deaf, or seeing or blind? Is it not I, Yahweh,?

Douay-Rheims Bible
The Lord said to him: Who made man’s mouth? or who made the dumb and the deaf, the seeing and the blind? did not I?

Revised Standard Version
Then the LORD said to him, "Who has made man's mouth? Who makes him dumb, or deaf, or seeing, or blind? Is it not I, the LORD?

New American Standard Bible (1995)
The LORD said to him, "Who has made man's mouth? Or who makes him mute or deaf, or seeing or blind? Is it not I, the LORD?

Contextual Overview

¹⁰ Moses raised another objection to God : "Master, please, I don't talk well. I've never been good with words, neither before nor after you spoke to me. I stutter and stammer." ¹¹ God said, "And who do you think made the human mouth? And who makes some mute, some deaf, some sighted, some blind? Isn't it I, God ? So, get going. I'll be right there with you—with your mouth! I'll be right there to teach you what to say." ¹³ He said, "Oh, Master, please! Send somebody else!" ¹⁴ God got angry with Moses: "Don't you have a brother, Aaron the Levite? He's good with words, I know he is. He speaks very well. In fact, at this very moment he's on his way to meet you. When he sees you he's going to be glad. You'll speak to him and tell him what to say. I'll be right there with you as you speak and with him as he speaks, teaching you step by step. He will speak to the people for you. He'll act as your mouth, but you'll decide what comes out of it. Now take this staff in your hand; you'll use it to do the signs."

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

Genesis 18:14, Psalms 51:15, Psalms 94:9, Psalms 146:8, Isaiah 6:7, Isaiah 35:5, Isaiah 35:6, Isaiah 42:7, Jeremiah 1:6, Jeremiah 1:9, Ezekiel 3:26, Ezekiel 3:27, Ezekiel 33:22, Amos 3:6

Reciprocal: Exodus 4:28 - and all Numbers 22:28 - the Lord opened Proverbs 16:1 - and Proverbs 20:12 - General Song of Solomon 2:14 - that art Isaiah 32:4 - the tongue Isaiah 42:18 - ye deaf Isaiah 50:4 - God Isaiah 57:19 - the fruit Matthew 9:33 - the dumb Mark 7:37 - he maketh Luke 1:20 - thou shalt Luke 12:12 - General Luke 21:15 - I will Luke 24:45 - General John 5:19 - and John 9:7 - and came John 10:21 - Can Acts 2:4 - as Acts 9:8 - he saw 2 Corinthians 3:5 - but James 1:17 - good

Cross-References

Genesis 3:14
God told the serpent: "Because you've done this, you're cursed, cursed beyond all cattle and wild animals, Cursed to slink on your belly and eat dirt all your life. I'm declaring war between you and the Woman, between your offspring and hers. He'll wound your head, you'll wound his heel."

Genesis 4:15
God told him, "No. Anyone who kills Cain will pay for it seven times over." God put a mark on Cain to protect him so that no one who met him would kill him.

Genesis 4:16
Cain left the presence of God and lived in No-Man's-Land, east of Eden.

Genesis 4:19
Lamech married two wives, Adah and Zillah. Adah gave birth to Jabal, the ancestor of all who live in tents and herd cattle. His brother's name was Jubal, the ancestor of all who play the lyre and flute. Zillah gave birth to Tubal-Cain, who worked at the forge making bronze and iron tools. Tubal-Cain's sister was Naamah.

Job 16:18
"O Earth, don't cover up the wrong done to me! Don't muffle my cry! There must be Someone in heaven who knows the truth about me, in highest heaven, some Attorney who can clear my name— My Champion, my Friend, while I'm weeping my eyes out before God. I appeal to the One who represents mortals before God as a neighbor stands up for a neighbor. "Only a few years are left before I set out on the road of no return."

Gill's Notes on the Bible

And the Lord said unto him, who hath made man's mouth?.... Made that itself, and put in it the power and faculty of speech, even into the mouth of the first man, Adam, as the Targum of Jonathan; and so of every other man, did not the Lord do it? none else could, and therefore he that made it, and made it capable of speaking, could remove any impediments in it, and cause it to speak freely and fluently:

or who maketh the dumb, or deaf, or the seeing, or the blind? have not I, the Lord? as all the senses, and the perfection of them, are from him, so all the imperfections in them are according to his good pleasure; what he suffers to be, and can remedy when he thinks fit: it is he that gives the seeing eye and hearing ear, can and does make blind and deaf, that gives also the speaking mouth, and makes that dumb, and can open it again as he pleases! and what is it that he cannot do?

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse Exodus 4:11. Who hath made man's mouth? &c. — Cannot he who formed the mouth, the whole organs of speech, and hath given the gift of speech also, cannot he give utterance? God can take away those gifts and restore them again. Do not provoke him: he who created the eye, the ear, and the mouth, hath also made the blind, the deaf, and the dumb.