Numbers 12:1-9

The Murmuring of Miriam and Aaron

1 Then Miriam and Aaron spoke against Moses because * of the Cushite woman whom he had married (for he had married a ¹Cushite woman );

2 ²and they said, "Has the LORD indeed spoken only * through Moses? Has He not spoken through us as well?" And the LORD heard it.

3 (Now the man Moses was ³very humble, more than any man who was on the face of the earth.)

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

5 ⁴Then the LORD came down in a pillar of cloud and stood at the doorway of the tent, and He called Aaron and Miriam. When they had both come forward,

6 He said, "Hear now My words: If there is a prophet among you, I, the LORD, shall make Myself known to him in a ⁵vision. I shall speak with him in a ⁶dream.

7 "Not so, with ⁷My servant Moses, ⁸He is faithful in all My household;

8 ⁹With him I speak mouth to mouth, Even openly, and not in dark sayings, And he beholds ¹⁰the form of the LORD. Why then were you not afraid To speak against My servant, against Moses?"

9 So the anger of the LORD burned against them and ¹¹He departed.

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Numbers 12:1-9 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.

Taken from John Gill's Exposition of the Bible

Cross References 11

1. Exodus 2:21
2. Numbers 16:3
3. Matthew 11:29
4. Exodus 19:9; Exodus 34:5
5. Genesis 46:2; 1 Samuel 3:15
6. Genesis 31:11; 1 Kings 3:5, 15
7. Joshua 1:1
8. Hebrews 3:2, 5
9. Deuteronomy 34:10; Hosea 12:13
10. Exodus 20:4; Exodus 24:10, 11; Deuteronomy 5:8; Psalms 17:15
11. Genesis 17:22; Genesis 18:33

Footnotes 1

[a]. Or "``Aaron and Miriam!''"