Exodus 3:11

Bible in Basic English

And Moses said to God, Who am I to go to Pharaoh and take the children of Israel out of Egypt?

Parallel Translations

Hebrew Names Version
Moshe said to God, "Who am I, that I should go to Par`oh, and that I should bring forth the children of Yisra'el out of Mitzrayim?"

King James Version
And Moses said unto God, Who am I, that I should go unto Pharaoh, and that I should bring forth the children of Israel out of Egypt?

Lexham English Bible
But Moses said to God, "Who am I that I should go to Pharaoh and that I should bring the Israelites out from Egypt?"

New Century Version
But Moses said to God, "I am not a great man! How can I go to the king and lead the Israelites out of Egypt?"

New English Translation
Moses said to God, "Who am I, that I should go to Pharaoh, or that I should bring the Israelites out of Egypt?"

Amplified Bible
But Moses said to God, "Who am I, that I should go to Pharaoh, and that I should bring the children of Israel out of Egypt?"

New American Standard Bible
But Moses said to God, "Who am I, that I should go to Pharaoh, and that I should bring the sons of Israel out of Egypt?"

Geneva Bible (1587)
But Moses said vnto God, Who am I, that I should go vnto Pharaoh, and that I should bring the children of Israel out of Egypt?

Legacy Standard Bible
But Moses said to God, "Who am I, that I should go to Pharaoh, and that I should bring the sons of Israel out of Egypt?"

Contemporary English Version
But Moses said, "Who am I to go to the king and lead your people out of Egypt?"

Complete Jewish Bible
Moshe said to God, "Who am I, that I should go to Pharaoh and lead the people of Isra'el out of Egypt?"

Darby Translation
And Moses said to God, Who am I, that I should go unto Pharaoh, and that I should bring forth the children of Israel out of Egypt?

Easy-to-Read Version
But Moses said to God, "I am not a great man! How can I be the one to go to Pharaoh and lead the Israelites out of Egypt?"

English Standard Version
But Moses said to God, "Who am I that I should go to Pharaoh and bring the children of Israel out of Egypt?"

George Lamsa Translation
And Moses said to God, Who am I that I should go to Pharaoh, and that I should bring the children of Israel out of Egypt?

Good News Translation
But Moses said to God, "I am nobody. How can I go to the king and bring the Israelites out of Egypt?"

Christian Standard Bible®
But Moses asked God, “Who am I that I should go to Pharaoh and that I should bring the Israelites out of Egypt?”

Literal Translation
And Moses said to God, Who am I that I should go to Pharaoh, and that I should bring out the sons of Israel from Egypt?

Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
Moses sayde vnto God: Who am I, yt I shulde go vnto Pharao, and brynge the children of Israel out of Egipte?

American Standard Version
And Moses said unto God, Who am I, that I should go unto Pharaoh, and that I should bring forth the children of Israel out of Egypt?

Bishop's Bible (1568)
And Moyses saide vnto God: what am I to go vnto Pharao, and to bryng the chyldren of Israel out of Egypt?

JPS Old Testament (1917)
And Moses said unto God: 'Who am I, that I should go unto Pharaoh, and that I should bring forth the children of Israel out of Egypt?'

King James Version (1611)
And Moses saide vnto God, Who am I, that I should goe vnto Pharaoh, and that I should bring forth the children of Israel out of Egypt?

Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
And Moses said to God, Who am I, that I should go to Pharao king of Egypt, and that I should bring out the children of Israel from the land of Egypt?

English Revised Version
And Moses said unto God, Who am I, that I should go unto Pharaoh, and that I should bring forth the children of Israel out of Egypt?

Berean Standard Bible
But Moses asked God, "Who am I, that I should go to Pharaoh and bring the Israelites out of Egypt?"

Wycliffe Bible (1395)
And Moises seide to hym, Who am Y, that Y go to Farao, and lede out the sones of Israel fro Egipt?

Young's Literal Translation
And Moses saith unto God, `Who [am] I, that I go unto Pharaoh, and that I bring out the sons of Israel from Egypt?'

Update Bible Version
And Moses said to God, Who am I, that I should go to Pharaoh, and that I should bring forth the sons of Israel out of Egypt?

Webster's Bible Translation
And Moses said to God, Who [am] I, that I should go to Pharaoh, and that I should bring forth the children of Israel out of Egypt?

World English Bible
Moses said to God, "Who am I, that I should go to Pharaoh, and that I should bring forth the children of Israel out of Egypt?"

New King James Version
But Moses said to God, "Who am I that I should go to Pharaoh, and that I should bring the children of Israel out of Egypt?"

New Living Translation
But Moses protested to God, "Who am I to appear before Pharaoh? Who am I to lead the people of Israel out of Egypt?"

New Life Bible
But Moses said to God, "Who am I to go to Pharaoh and bring the people of Israel out of Egypt?"

New Revised Standard
But Moses said to God, "Who am I that I should go to Pharaoh, and bring the Israelites out of Egypt?"

J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
And Moses said unto God, Who am, I, that I should go unto Pharaoh, - and that I should bring forth the sons of Israel out of Egypt?

Douay-Rheims Bible
And Moses said to God: Who am I that I should go to Pharao, and should bring forth the children of Israel out of Egypt?

Revised Standard Version
But Moses said to God, "Who am I that I should go to Pharaoh, and bring the sons of Israel out of Egypt?"

THE MESSAGE
Moses answered God, "But why me? What makes you think that I could ever go to Pharaoh and lead the children of Israel out of Egypt?"

New American Standard Bible (1995)
But Moses said to God, "Who am I, that I should go to Pharaoh, and that I should bring the sons of Israel out of Egypt?"

Contextual Overview

¹¹ And Moses said to God, Who am I to go to Pharaoh and take the children of Israel out of Egypt? ¹² And he said, Truly I will be with you; and this will be the sign to you that I have sent you: when you have taken the children of Israel out of Egypt, you will give worship to God on this mountain. ¹³ And Moses said to God, When I come to the children of Israel and say to them, The God of your fathers has sent me to you: and they say to me, What is his name? what am I to say to them? ¹⁴ And God said to him, I AM WHAT I AM: and he said, Say to the children of Israel, I AM has sent me to you. ¹⁵ And God went on to say to Moses, Say to the children of Israel, The Lord, the God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, of Isaac, and of Jacob, has sent me to you: this is my name for ever, and this is my sign to all generations.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

Exodus 4:10-13, Exodus 6:12, 1 Samuel 18:18, 2 Samuel 7:18, 1 Kings 3:7, 1 Kings 3:9, Isaiah 6:5-8, Jeremiah 1:6, Acts 7:23-25, 2 Corinthians 2:16, 2 Corinthians 3:5

Reciprocal: Exodus 6:26 - Bring Numbers 11:26 - went not out Judges 6:15 - wherewith 1 Samuel 16:2 - How can I go 2 Chronicles 2:6 - who am I then Proverbs 25:6 - in the presence 2 Corinthians 12:9 - My grace

Cross-References

Genesis 4:10
And he said, What have you done? the voice of your brother's blood is crying to me from the earth.

Psalms 50:21
These things have you done, and I said nothing; it seemed to you that I was such a one as yourself; but I will make a protest against you, and put them in order before your eyes.

Romans 3:20
Because by the works of the law no man is able to have righteousness in his eyes, for through the law comes the knowledge of sin.

Gill's Notes on the Bible

And Moses said unto God, who am I, that I should go unto Pharaoh,.... A private person, an exile in a foreign country, a poor shepherd, unknown to Pharaoh, and had no interest in him; and he a great king, and possessed of numerous forces to defend his country, and prevent the Israelites' departure out of it: time was when he was known to a Pharaoh, dwelt in his court, and made a figure there, and had great interest and authority there, being the adopted son of the king's daughter; but now it was otherwise with him:

and that I should bring forth the children of Israel out of Egypt: who though a people numerous, yet unarmed, and held in great bondage; and he might remember how he had been repulsed and rejected by some of them forty years ago, which might be discouraging to him.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

Who am I - These words indicate humility (compare Numbers 12:3), not fear. He feared failure, owing to incompetency, especially in the power of expression.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse Exodus 3:11. Who am I - that I should bring — He was so satisfied that this was beyond his power, and all the means that he possessed, that he is astonished that even God himself should appoint him to this work! Such indeed was the bondage of the children of Israel, and the power of the people by whom they were enslaved, that had not their deliverance come through supernatural means, their escape had been utterly impossible.