r a b 1-3. Murmering.
c 4-10. Punishment inflicted.
a b 11,12. Confession.
c 13-15. Punishment removed.1490 B.C.
Numbers 12)
1 And Miriam (named first to show she was first in the rebellion. See v.10. Cp. Gen.3:3) and Aaron spoke against Moses because of the Ethiopian woman (= Zipporah. Heb. Cushite. Arabia was in the land of Cush: or Zipporah [Ex. 2:21] may have been of Cushite nationality, though territorially a Midianite) whom he had married: for he had married an Ethiopian woman (= of that geographical area, not of that race. You must pay attention to the blood line. You can be of Scottish descent, be born in Ohio, move and live in Florida and be called a Floridian, but you still are Scottish).
2 And they said, "Has the Lord indeed spoken only by Moses? has He not spoken also by us?" And the Lord) heard it.
3 {Now the man Moses was patient (Heb. 'anah = to endure with submission what might be evaded. First occ: in contrast with Heb. 'ani = to bear what cannot be avoided), above all the humans which were upon the face of the earth.}
c d e 4,5. Cloud. Descent.
f 6-8. Rebuke.
d e 9,10-. Cloud. Departure.
f -10. Judgment.
4 And the Lord spoke suddenly to Moses, and to Aaron, and to Miriam, "Come out you three to the tent of the congregation." And they three came out.
5 And the Lord came down in the pillar of the cloud, and stood in the entrance of the tent of the congregation, and called Aaron and Miriam: and they both came forth.
6 And He (Yahaveh) said, "Hear now My words: Should there be a prophet among you (= when you all have your prophet), I the Lord will make Myself known to him in a vision (this also essential to a prophet, cp. 11:29), and will speak to him in a dream.
7 My servant Moses (1st occ. Occ. 6 times. See Num. 12:7,8. Josh. 1:2,7. 2 Kings 21:8. Mal. 4:4) is not so (i.e. much greater, cp. v.8), faithful is he in all My house (cp. Heb. 3:2).
8 With him will I speak mouth to mouth (cp. Gen. 45:12. 2 John 12:3. John 14. See also Ex. 33:11. Deut. 34:10), even plainly, and not in dark speeches (Fig Redundancy, where what is said is, immediately after, put in another or opposite way to make it impossible for the sense to be missed. The figure may affect words; or sentences); and the similitude of Yehovah (i.e. likeness or image. This must be understood in harmony with Ex.33:20,23. Cp. Deut. 4:12,15. John 1:18. 1 Tim. 6:16. Cp. Col. 1:15) shall he behold: why then were you not afraid to speak against My servant Moses? (Heb. "against My servant, against Moses." Cp. Idiom in Gen. 21:10 and note.)
9 And the anger of the Lord was kindled against them (with instant result); and He departed.
10 And the cloud departed from off the tent of the congregation;
and, behold, Miriam became leprous (see Ex. 4:6), white as snow: and Aaron looked upon Miriam, and, behold (abruptness of language reveals the excitement produced), there she was leprous!
11 And Aaron said to Moses, "Alas, my lord, I beseech you, lay not the sin upon us, wherein we have done foolishly, and wherein we have sinned.
12 Let her not be as one stillborn, of whom our flesh is half consumed when he comes out of his mother's womb."
13 And Moses cried to the Lord, saying, "Heal her now, O GOD (El = God, the mighty God), I beseech You.
14 And the Lord said to Moses, "If her father had but spit in her face (= treat with contempt; so the idiom is used in Syr. and Arabic today. Cp. Job 30:10), should she not be ashamed seven days? (Cp. Lev. 13:4,5,21,26) let her be shut out from the camp seven days, and after that let her be recovered again (Homonym 'asaph: 1-to heal or recover, here, 2 Kings 5:6. Ps. 27:10; 2-to snatch away or destroy, Ps. 26:9. Jer. 16:5).
15 And Miriam (Heb. = rebellion) was shut out from the camp seven days: and the People journeyed not till Miriam was recovered again.
16 And afterward the people removed from Hazeroth, and pitched in the wilderness of Paran (= place of caverns).