1 And Miriam H4813 and Aaron H175 spake H1696 against Moses H4872 because of H182 the Ethiopian H3571 woman H802 whom he had married: H3947 for he had married H3947 an Ethiopian H3571 woman. H802
2 And they said, H559 Hath the LORD H3068 indeed spoken H1696 only by Moses? H4872 hath he not spoken H1696 also by us? And the LORD H3068 heard H8085 it.
3 (Now the man H376 Moses H4872 was very H3966 meek, H6035 H6035 above all the men H120 which were upon the face H6440 of the earth.) H127
4 And the LORD H3068 spake H559 suddenly H6597 unto Moses, H4872 and unto Aaron, H175 and unto Miriam, H4813 Come out H3318 ye three H7969 unto the tabernacle H168 of the congregation. H4150 And they three H7969 came out. H3318
5 And the LORD H3068 came down H3381 in the pillar H5982 of the cloud, H6051 and stood H5975 in the door H6607 of the tabernacle, H168 and called H7121 Aaron H175 and Miriam: H4813 and they both H8147 came forth. H3318
6 And he said, H559 Hear H8085 now my words: H1697 If there be a prophet H5030 among you, I the LORD H3068 will make myself known H3045 unto him in a vision, H4759 and will speak H1696 unto him in a dream. H2472
7 My servant H5650 Moses H4872 is not so, who is faithful H539 in all mine house. H1004
8 With him will I speak H1696 mouth H6310 to mouth, H6310 even apparently, H4758 and not in dark speeches; H2420 and the similitude H8544 of the LORD H3068 shall he behold: H5027 wherefore then were ye not afraid H3372 to speak H1696 against my servant H5650 Moses? H4872
9 And the anger H639 of the LORD H3068 was kindled H2734 against them; and he departed. H3212
10 And the cloud H6051 departed H5493 from off the tabernacle; H168 and, behold, Miriam H4813 became leprous, H6879 white as snow: H7950 and Aaron H175 looked H6437 upon Miriam, H4813 and, behold, she was leprous. H6879
11 And Aaron H175 said H559 unto Moses, H4872 Alas, H994 my lord, H113 I beseech thee, lay H7896 not the sin H2403 upon us, wherein we have done foolishly, H2973 and wherein we have sinned. H2398
12 Let her not be as one dead, H4994 H4191 of whom the flesh H1320 is half H2677 consumed H398 when he cometh out H3318 of his mother's H517 womb. H7358
13 And Moses H4872 cried H6817 unto the LORD, H3068 saying, H559 Heal H7495 her now, O God, H410 I beseech thee.
14 And the LORD H3068 said H559 unto Moses, H4872 If her father H1 had but H3417 spit H3417 in her face, H6440 should she not be ashamed H3637 seven H7651 days? H3117 let her be shut H5462 out H2351 from the camp H4264 seven H7651 days, H3117 and after H310 that let her be received H622 in again.
15 And Miriam H4813 was shut H5462 out H2351 from the camp H4264 seven H7651 days: H3117 and the people H5971 journeyed H5265 not till Miriam H4813 was brought H622 in again.
16 And afterward H310 the people H5971 removed H5265 from Hazeroth, H2698 and pitched H2583 in the wilderness H4057 of Paran. H6290
Worthy.Bible » Commentaries » Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible » Commentary on Numbers 12
Commentary on Numbers 12 Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
CHAPTER 12
Nu 12:1-9. Miriam's and Aaron's Sedition.
1. an Ethiopian woman—Hebrew, "a Cushite woman"—Arabia was usually called in Scripture the land of Cush, its inhabitants being descendants of that son of Ham (see on Ex 2:15) and being accounted generally a vile and contemptible race (see on Am 9:7). The occasion of this seditious outbreak on the part of Miriam and Aaron against Moses was the great change made in the government by the adoption of the seventy rulers [Nu 11:16]. Their irritating disparagement of his wife (who, in all probability, was Zipporah [Ex 2:21], and not a second wife he had recently married) arose from jealousy of the relatives, through whose influence the innovation had been first made (Ex 18:13-26), while they were overlooked or neglected. Miriam is mentioned before Aaron as being the chief instigator and leader of the sedition.
2. Hath the Lord indeed spoken only by Moses? hath he not also spoken by us?—The prophetical name and character was bestowed upon Aaron (Ex 4:15, 16) and Miriam (Ex 15:20); and, therefore, they considered the conduct of Moses, in exercising an exclusive authority in this matter, as an encroachment on their rights (Mic 6:4).
3. the man Moses was very meek—(Ex 14:13; 32:12, 13; Nu 14:13; 21:7; De 9:18). This observation might have been made to account for Moses taking no notice of their angry reproaches and for God's interposing so speedily for the vindication of His servant's cause. The circumstance of Moses recording an eulogium on a distinguishing excellence of his own character is not without a parallel among the sacred writers, when forced to it by the insolence and contempt of opponents (2Co 11:5; 12:11, 12). But it is not improbable that, as this verse appears to be a parenthesis, it may have been inserted as a gloss by Ezra or some later prophet. Others, instead of "very meek," suggest "very afflicted," as the proper rendering.
4. the Lord spake suddenly unto Moses, and unto Aaron, and unto Miriam—The divine interposition was made thus openly and immediately, in order to suppress the sedition and prevent its spreading among the people.
5. the Lord came down in the pillar of the cloud, and stood the door of the tabernacle—without gaining admission, as was the usual privilege of Aaron, though it was denied to all other men and women. This public exclusion was designed to be a token of the divine displeasure.
6, 7. Hear now my words—A difference of degree is here distinctly expressed in the gifts and authority even of divinely commissioned prophets. Moses, having been set over all God's house, (that is, His church and people), was consequently invested with supremacy over Miriam and Aaron also and privileged beyond all others by direct and clear manifestations of the presence and will of God.
8. with him will I speak mouth to mouth—immediately, not by an interpreter, nor by visionary symbols presented to his fancy.
apparently—plainly and surely.
not in dark speeches—parables or similitudes.
the similitude of the Lord shall he behold—not the face or essence of God, who is invisible (Ex 33:20; Col 1:15; Joh 1:18); but some unmistakable evidence of His glorious presence (Ex 33:2; 34:5). The latter clause should have been conjoined with the preceding one, thus: "not in dark speeches, and in a figure shall he behold the Lord." The slight change in the punctuation removes all appearance of contradiction to De 4:15.
Nu 12:10-16. Miriam's Leprosy.
10. the cloud departed from the tabernacle—that is, from the door to resume its permanent position over the mercy seat.
Miriam became leprous—This malady in its most malignant form (Ex 4:6; 2Ki 5:27) as its color, combined with its sudden appearance, proved, was inflicted as a divine judgment; and she was made the victim, either because of her extreme violence or because the leprosy on Aaron would have interrupted or dishonored the holy service.
11-13. On the humble and penitential submission of Aaron, Moses interceded for both the offenders, especially for Miriam, who was restored; not, however, till she had been made, by her exclusion, a public example [Nu 12:14, 15].
14. her father had but spit in her face, should she not be ashamed seven days?—The Jews, in common with all people in the East, seem to have had an intense abhorrence of spitting, and for a parent to express his displeasure by doing so on the person of one of his children, or even on the ground in his presence, separated that child as unclean from society for seven days.
15. the people journeyed not till Miriam was brought in again—Either not to crush her by a sentence of overwhelming severity or not to expose her, being a prophetess, to popular contempt.
16. pitched in the wilderness of Paran—The station of encampments seems to have been Rithma (Nu 33:19).