If you watch the new Exodus movie, you’ll probably cringe when Moses tells Pharaoh, “This has nothing to do with you and I.” What about me?

Ignorant scriptwriters. Don’t they know the difference between “with I” and “with me”?

But when you read through and think about the story of Moses, you can see that he’s concerned about his speaking ability.

God reassures him that Aaron will do the talking.

Some think that Moses’ Egyptian becomes rusty while he’s herding sheep for Jethro in Midian. Some think that Moses is concerned about his Hebrew; since he grew up in the palace, how will he talk to the Hebrews? In that case, maybe Aaron steps in to speak Hebrew for him. Then there’s the story about Moses as a baby and the coals that damaged his lips, leaving him with a speech impediment.

Whichever of these possibilities you favor, I at least learned a lesson. For someone like me, a slip of grammar turns a mighty warrior into a contemptible bumpkin, for I am a man of words, not swords. I may not able to hoist a shield or race a chariot, but I know when to say I and me.

Perhaps, though, I should examine my own prejudice and acknowledge that truth can appear in rusty Egyptian, halting Hebrew, and even in broken English.