Numbers 12:1-6

Miriam and Aaron Rebel

1 Miriam^[a] and Aaron criticized Moses because of the Cushite^{[b] [c]} woman he married (for he had married a Cushite woman).

2 They said, "Does the Lord speak only through Moses? Does He not also speak through us?" And the Lord heard [it].

3 Moses was a very humble man, more so than any man on the face of the earth.

4 Suddenly the Lord said to Moses, Aaron, and Miriam, "You three come out to the tent of meeting." So the three of them went out.

5 Then the Lord descended in a pillar of cloud, stood at the entrance to the tent, and summoned Aaron and Miriam. When the two of them came forward,

6 He said: "Listen to what I say: If there is a prophet among you from the Lord, I make Myself known to him in a vision;^[d] I speak with him in a dream.

Numbers 12:1-6 Meaning and Commentary

INTRODUCTION TO NUMBER 12

In this chapter we have an account of Aaron and Miriam speaking against Moses, and for what reason, whose amiable character is given, Nu 12:1-3; and of the Lord's calling them to him, and rebuking them for it, giving an excellent testimony to Moses, and then departing in anger, Nu 12:4-9; and of Miriam's being smitten with leprosy, and Aaron's entreating Moses on his and her account, who prayed to the Lord to heal her, Nu 12:10-13; and of her being ordered to be shut out of the camp seven days, during which time the Israelites stayed at Hazeroth, and then removed to the wilderness of Paran, Nu 12:14-16.

Footnotes

• [a]. Nm 20:1; 26:59; Ex 15:20-21; Dt 24:9
• [b]. LXX reads Ethiopian
• [c]. Sudan and Ethiopia
• [d]. 1 Sm 3:15; Ezk 1:1; Dn 10:7-8,16; Rv 1:10-12