Exodus 4:12

Hebrew (Westminster Leningrad Codex)

English Translation

Now therefore go, and I will be with your mouth, and teach you what you shall speak."

World English Bible · Public Domain

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Word by word

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וְהוֹרֵיתִ֖יךָ

yârâh

H3384

“and · to throw · you”

Conjunction + Verb, Hiphil, Perfect, 1st Person, Common, Singular + Suffix, Personal, 2nd Person, Masculine, Singular

Appears 86× in the Hebrew Bible
First appears at Genesis 31:51

Full BDB Definition

Origin: a primitive root

TWOT: 910

to throw, shoot, cast, pour - (Qal) - to throw, cast - to cast, lay, set - to shoot arrows - to throw water, rain - (Niphal) to be shot - (Hiphil) - to throw, cast - to shoot - to point out, show - to direct, teach, instruct - to throw water, rain

About this verse

These counts appear in no published source. They are computed here, from the morphology-tagged text and Lemma’s own curated glosses. What Lemma adds →

9: words
9: distinct lemmas
Pentateuch: section

Grammatical profile

4 verbs
1 noun
1 pronoun
1 preposition
1 adverb
1 particle

Verb forms

לֵ֑ךְ Qal · Imperative
אֶֽהְיֶ֣ה Qal · Imperfect
וְהוֹרֵיתִ֖יךָ Hiphil · Perfect
תְּדַבֵּֽר Piel · Imperfect

Hebrew & Septuagint length

In English translation the verse runs 17 words from the Hebrew and 18 from the Septuagint (LXX English) — closely comparable.

A rough comparison of the two English renderings, which tokenize alike — not a word-level alignment.

Word counts can differ between the Hebrew and the Greek without any difference in meaning — e.g. the Hebrew direct-object marker אֵת has no separate Greek word, and Greek often adds the article ὁ.

In the original languages it is 9 Hebrew tokens and 15 Greek tokens — but the two are counted differently (Hebrew bundles its prefixes and suffixes into one token; the Greek is in lemma form), so that isn’t a like-for-like length.

Cross-references

Topical passages linked to Exodus 4:12 in the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge — connected by theme and wording, ordered by reader-vote popularity; previews shown in the World English Bible.

Jeremiah 1:9 Then Yahweh put forth his hand, and touched my mouth; and Yahweh said to me, Behold, I have put my words in your mouth:
Luke 12:11–12 When they bring you before the synagogues, the rulers, and the authorities, don't be anxious how or what you will answer, or what you will say;
Matthew 10:19–20 But when they deliver you up, don't be anxious how or what you will say, for it will be given you in that hour what you will say.
Luke 21:14–15 Settle it therefore in your hearts not to meditate beforehand how to answer,
Mark 13:11 When they lead you away and deliver you up, don't be anxious beforehand, or premeditate what you will say, but say whatever will be given you in that hour. For it is not you who speak, but the Holy Spirit.
Isaiah 50:4 The Lord Yahweh has given me the tongue of those who are taught, that I may know how to sustain with words him who is weary: he wakens morning by morning, he wakens my ear to hear as those who are taught.
John 14:26 But the Counselor, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, he will teach you all things, and will remind you of all that I said to you.
Ephesians 6:19 on my behalf, that utterance may be given to me in opening my mouth, to make known with boldness the mystery of the Gospel,

Luke 11:1 It happened, that when he finished praying in a certain place, one of his disciples said to him, "Lord, teach us to pray, just as John also taught his disciples."
Psalms 25:4–5 Show me your ways, Yahweh. Teach me your paths.
Psalms 32:9 Don't be like the horse, or like the mule, which have no understanding, Who are controlled by bit and bridle, or else they will not come near to you.
Psalms 143:10 Teach me to do your will, For you are my God. Your Spirit is good. Lead me in the land of uprightness.
Isaiah 49:2 and he has made my mouth like a sharp sword; in the shadow of his hand has he hid me: and he has made me a polished shaft; in his quiver has he kept me close:

Cross-references courtesy of OpenBible.info (CC BY 4.0).

Hebrew and Greek witnesses Masoretic Hebrew ↔ Greek Septuagint

The same verse in the two great witnesses to the Old Testament, shown verse-for-verse.

These are two independent witnesses, not word-aligned to each other, and the Septuagint is shown in lemma (dictionary) form.

Hebrew Exodus 4:12 Masoretic · Westminster Leningrad Codex

וְעַתָּ֖ה לֵ֑ךְ וְאָנֹכִי֙ אֶֽהְיֶ֣ה עִם פִּ֔יךָ וְהוֹרֵיתִ֖יךָ אֲשֶׁ֥ר תְּדַבֵּֽר

Now therefore go, and I will be with your mouth, and teach you what you shall speak."

World English Bible · Public Domain

Greek LXX Exodus 4:12 Septuagint · lemma form

καί νῦν πορεύομαι καί ἐγώ ἀναοἴγω ὁ στόμα σύ καί συνβιβάζω σύ ὅς μέλλω λαλέω

And now go and I will open your mouth, and will instruct you in what you shall say.

LXX2012 (modern English Septuagint) · Public Domain

Hebrew: Westminster Leningrad Codex (CC BY 4.0). Greek: Septuagint (public domain); English from LXX2012 (modern English Septuagint) (Public Domain). How the Septuagint differs from the Hebrew →

Targum (Aramaic paraphrase)

The Targum is the ancient Jewish Aramaic paraphrase of the Hebrew Scriptures — an interpretive translation, not the Hebrew text itself. Onkelos (literal) and Pseudo-Jonathan (expansive) render the Torah, and Jonathan the Prophets. Coverage is partial: where no permissively-licensed English translation exists for a verse, only the Aramaic is shown. This is verse-level text, not a word-by-word alignment to the Hebrew.

Targum Onkelos Torah (Genesis–Deuteronomy)

וּכְעַן אֱזֵיל וּמֵימְרִי יְהֵא עִם פּוּמָךְ וְאַלֵפִנָךְ דִי תְמַלֵל:

(no public-domain English translation for this verse)

Targum Onkelos — Aramaic: “Onkelos Genesis” (public domain); “Onkelos Exodus” (public domain); “Onkelos Leviticus” (public domain); “Onkelos Numbers” (public domain); “Onkelos Deuteronomy” (public domain). English: “Sefaria Community Translation” (CC0 1.0 (public-domain dedication)); “J.W. Etheridge. The Targums of Onkelos and Jonathan Ben Uzziel on the Pentateuch. London: Longmans, Green, 1862” (public domain). Text via Sefaria.
Targum Pseudo-Jonathan Torah (Genesis–Deuteronomy)

וּכְדוֹן אִיזֵל וַאֲנָא בְּמֵימְרִי אֱהֵא עִם מַמְלֵל פּוּמָךְ וַאֲלִיף יָתָךְ מַה דִתְמַלֵיל

And now go, and I by My Word will be with the speaking of thy mouth, and will teach thee what thou shalt say.

Targum Pseudo-Jonathan — Aramaic: “Targum Jonathan on Genesis” (public domain); “Targum Jonathan on Exodus” (public domain); “Targum Jonathan on Leviticus” (public domain); “Targum Jonathan on Numbers” (public domain); “Targum Jonathan on Deuteronomy” (public domain). English: “The Targum of Jonathan ben Uzziel, trans. J. W. Etheridge, London, 1862” (public domain). Text via Sefaria.

Commentary

Notes on Exodus 4:12 from classic Christian and Jewish commentators (each source and its license shown beneath its notes). The classic Christian expositions comment on the surrounding passage and are grouped to its opening verse, so a note may address several verses; the Jewish commentaries on the Tanakh (Rashi and others) are per-verse, so they appear only where the commentator wrote on this verse.

Lemma curates 59 commentaries, every one of them public domain or Creative Commons licensed, each selected and text-cleaned for this edition rather than reprinted as found. About our sources →

Trapp's Complete Commentary

John Trapp

Exo 4:12 Now therefore go, and I will be with thy mouth, and teach thee what thou shalt say.

Ver. 12. I will be with thy mouth.] {See Trapp on "Mat 10:19"}

John Trapp, A Commentary or Exposition upon All the Books of the Old and New Testament (1647–1656) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Adam Clarke's Commentary

Verse 12. I will be with thy mouth] The Chaldee translates, My WORD, meimeri, shall be with thy mouth. And Jonathan ben Uzziel paraphrases, I and my WORD will be with the speech of thy mouth. See Clarke on Ge 15:1, and "Le 25:10".

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible (1810–1826) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers

(12) I will be with thy mouth.—To suggest words (see Mat_10:19-20), and assist utterance. Comp. the reluctance of Jeremiah (Jer_1:6), and God’s dealings with him (Jer_1:7-9).

A Bible Commentary for English Readers, edited by Charles John Ellicott (1878–1897) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges

gen. ed. J. J. S. Perowne

12. God further promises that He will be with his mouth (cf. Exo_3:12), and teach him always what to say. Cf., of prophets, Deu_18:18, Jer_1:9.

The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges (gen. ed. J. J. S. Perowne; Cambridge University Press, 1878–1918) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

John Gill's Exposition

Now therefore go, and I will be with thy mouth,.... And put words into it, and cause it to speak readily and powerfully; and so it appears that he was mighty in words, as well as in deeds, Act 7:22,

and teach thee what thou shalt say; to Pharaoh, to the Israelites, and to Aaron, that was to speak for him, as is hereafter observed.

John Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible (1746–1763) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

Albert Barnes' Notes on the Bible

Compare with this our Lord’s promise to His Apostles; Mat 10:19; Mar 13:11.

Albert Barnes' Notes on the Bible (1834–1885) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

Matthew Poole's English Annotations

By my Spirit to direct and assist thee what and how to speak. Whence Moses, though he still seems to have remained slow in speech, yet was in truth mighty in words as well as deeds, Act 7:22. Compare Mat 10:19,20.

Matthew Poole's English Annotations on the Holy Bible (1683–1685) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

Lesson kit

Teaching starters — assembled from the data on this page, not authored interpretation. Every prompt links to the verse data it draws on. Edit before teaching.

Exodus, in the Pentateuch, opens this verse with 9 words (9 distinct Hebrew lemmas). Its most distinctive word is yârâh (“to throw”). A historical commentator’s framing appears above. Read the whole chapter for the surrounding context.

Discussion questions

What does “to throw” (yârâh) contribute to the verse as a whole?
How does Jeremiah 1:9, which shares this passage’s theme, read alongside this verse?
These translations render this verse differently. What is at stake in choosing one wording over another?
«לֵ֑ךְ» is a Qal Imperative verb. How does that grammatical form shape the action described?
Compare how Trapp's Complete Commentary and Adam Clarke's Commentary read this verse. Where do they agree or differ?

Things to notice

This verse counts 9 Hebrew ↔ 15 Greek words.
These translations choose different wording for 5 words in this verse.
9 distinct Hebrew lemmas span 9 words in this verse.