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
In Gibeon H1391 the LORD H3068 appeared H7200 to Solomon H8010 in a dream H2472 by night: H3915 and God H430 said, H559 Ask H7592 what I shall give H5414 thee.
And God H430 spake H559 unto Israel H3478 in the visions H4759 of the night, H3915 and said, H559 Jacob, H3290 Jacob. H3290 And he said, H559 Here am I.
And it came to pass at the time H6256 that the cattle H6629 conceived, H3179 that I lifted up H5375 mine eyes, H5869 and saw H7200 in a dream, H2472 and, behold, the rams H6260 which leaped H5927 upon the cattle H6629 were ringstraked, H6124 speckled, H5348 and grisled. H1261 And the angel H4397 of God H430 spake H559 unto me in a dream, H2472 saying, Jacob: H3290 And I said, H559 Here am I.
And G1161 it came to pass, G1096 that, when I G3427 was come again G5290 to G1519 Jerusalem, G2419 even G2532 while I G3450 prayed G4336 in G1722 the temple, G2411 I G3165 was G1096 in G1722 a trance; G1611 And G2532 saw G1492 him G846 saying G3004 unto me, G3427 Make haste, G4692 and G2532 get thee G1831 quickly G5034 G1722 out of G1537 Jerusalem: G2419 for G1360 they will G3858 not G3756 receive G3858 thy G4675 testimony G3141 concerning G4012 me. G1700
And G2532 saw G2334 heaven G3772 opened, G455 and G2532 a certain G5100 vessel G4632 descending G2597 unto G1909 him, G846 as G5613 it had been a great G3173 sheet G3607 knit G1210 at the four G5064 corners, G746 and G2532 let down G2524 to G1909 the earth: G1093
And G1161 when he came out, G1831 he could G1410 not G3756 speak G2980 unto them: G846 and G2532 they perceived G1921 that G3754 he had seen G3708 a vision G3701 in G1722 the temple: G3485 for G2532 he G846 beckoned G2258 G1269 unto them, G846 and G2532 remained G1265 speechless. G2974
And G1161 there appeared G3700 unto him G846 an angel G32 of the Lord G2962 standing G2476 on G1537 the right side G1188 of the altar G2379 of incense. G2368
But G1161 while he G846 thought on G1760 these things, G5023 behold, G2400 the angel G32 of the Lord G2962 appeared G5316 unto him G846 in G2596 a dream, G3677 saying, G3004 Joseph, G2501 thou son G5207 of David, G1138 fear G5399 not G3361 to take G3880 unto thee G4675 Mary G3137 thy wife: G1135 for G1063 that which is conceived G1080 in G1722 her G846 is G2076 of G1537 the Holy G40 Ghost. G4151
And I saw H7200 in a vision; H2377 and it came to pass, when I saw, H7200 that I was at Shushan H7800 in the palace, H1002 which is in the province H4082 of Elam; H5867 and I saw H7200 in a vision, H2377 and I was by the river H180 of Ulai. H195
In the first H2298 year H8140 of Belshazzar H1113 king H4430 of Babylon H895 Daniel H1841 had H2370 a dream H2493 and visions H2376 of his head H7217 upon H5922 his bed: H4903 then H116 he wrote H3790 the dream, H2493 and told H560 the sum H7217 of the matters. H4406
Now it came to pass in the thirtieth H7970 year, H8141 in the fourth H7243 month, in the fifth H2568 day of the month, H2320 as I was among H8432 the captives H1473 by the river H5104 of Chebar, H3529 that the heavens H8064 were opened, H6605 and I saw H7200 visions H4759 of God. H430
In a dream, H2472 in a vision H2384 of the night, H3915 when deep H8639 sleep falleth H5307 upon men, H582 in slumberings H8572 upon the bed; H4904
And G2532 they that dwell G2730 upon G1909 the earth G1093 shall rejoice G5463 over G1909 them, G846 and G2532 make merry, G2165 and G2532 shall send G3992 gifts G1435 one to another; G240 because G3754 these G3778 two G1417 prophets G4396 tormented G928 them that dwelt G2730 on G1909 the earth. G1093
Now G1161 while G5613 Peter G4074 doubted G1280 in G1722 himself G1438 what G5101 this vision G3705 which G3739 he had seen G1492 should mean, G302 G1498 behold, G2400 G2532 the men G435 which G3588 were sent G649 from G575 Cornelius G2883 had made enquiry G1331 for Simon's G4613 house, G3614 and stood G2186 before G1909 the gate, G4440
But and G1161 if G1437 we say, G2036 Of G1537 men; G444 all G3956 the people G2992 will stone G2642 us: G2248 for G1063 they be G2076 persuaded G3982 that John G2491 was G1511 a prophet. G4396
O Jerusalem, G2419 Jerusalem, G2419 thou that killest G615 the prophets, G4396 and G2532 stonest G3036 them which are sent G649 unto G4314 thee, G846 how often G4212 would I G2309 have gathered G1996 thy G4675 G3739 children G5043 together, G1996 even as G5158 a hen G3733 gathereth G1996 her G1438 chickens G3556 under G5259 her wings, G4420 and G2532 ye would G2309 not! G3756
Wherefore, G1223 G5124 behold, G2400 I G1473 send G649 unto G4314 you G5209 prophets, G4396 and G2532 wise men, G4680 and G2532 scribes: G1122 and G2532 some of G1537 them G846 ye shall kill G615 and G2532 crucify; G4717 and G2532 some of G1537 them G846 shall ye scourge G3146 in G1722 your G5216 synagogues, G4864 and G2532 persecute G1377 them from G575 city G4172 to G1519 city: G4172
And G2532 being warned of God G5537 in G2596 a dream G3677 that they should G344 not G3361 return G344 to G4314 Herod, G2264 they departed G402 into G1519 their own G846 country G5561 another G1223 G243 way. G3598 And G1161 when they G846 were departed, G402 behold, G2400 the angel G32 of the Lord G2962 appeareth G5316 to Joseph G2501 in G2596 a dream, G3677 saying, G3004 Arise, G1453 and take G3880 the young child G3813 and G2532 his G846 mother, G3384 and G2532 flee G5343 into G1519 Egypt, G125 and G2532 be thou G2468 there G1563 until G2193 I G302 bring G2036 thee G4671 word: G2036 for G1063 Herod G2264 will G3195 seek G2212 the young child G3813 to destroy G622 him. G846
And, behold, one like the similitude H1823 of the sons H1121 of men H120 touched H5060 my lips: H8193 then I opened H6605 my mouth, H6310 and spake, H1696 and said H559 unto him that stood H5975 before me, O my lord, H113 by the vision H4759 my sorrows H6735 are turned H2015 upon me, and I have retained H6113 no strength. H3581 For how H1963 can H3201 the servant H5650 of this my lord H113 talk H1696 with this my lord? H113 for as for me, straightway H6258 there remained H5975 no strength H3581 in me, neither is there breath H5397 left H7604 in me.
Saying, Touch H5060 not mine anointed, H4899 and do my prophets H5030 no harm. H7489
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).