Numbers 12:1-11

1 And Miriam and Aaron spoke against Moses because of the Ethiopian woman whom he had taken; for he had taken an Ethiopian woman.
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 very meek, above all the men which were upon the face of the earth.)
4 And the LORD spoke suddenly unto Moses and unto Aaron and unto Miriam, Come out ye three unto the tabernacle of the testimony. And they three came out.
5 Then the LORD came down in the pillar of the cloud and stood in the door of the tabernacle and called Aaron and Miriam; and they both came forth.
6 And he said, Hear now my words: If there is a prophet among you, I the LORD will make myself known unto him in a vision and will speak unto him in dreams.
7 My slave Moses is not so, who is faithful in all my house.
8 With him I will speak mouth to mouth and by sight not by enigmas; he shall see the similitude of the LORD. Why then were ye not afraid to speak against my slave Moses?
9 Then the anger of the LORD was kindled against them, and he departed.
10 And the cloud departed from off the tabernacle, and, behold, Miriam was leprous as the snow; and Aaron looked upon Miriam, and, behold, she was leprous.
11 And Aaron said unto Moses, Alas, my lord, I beseech thee, lay not the sin upon us, in which we have done foolishly, and we have sinned.

Numbers 12:1-11 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.

The Jubilee Bible (from the Scriptures of the Reformation), edited by Russell M. Stendal, Copyright © 2000, 2001, 2010