Numbers 12:11-13
New English Translation
The Intercession of Moses
11 So Aaron said to Moses, “O my lord,[a] please do not hold this sin against us, in which we have acted foolishly and have sinned! 12 Do not let her be like a baby born dead, whose flesh is half consumed when it comes out of its[b] mother’s womb!”
13 Then Moses cried to the Lord, “Heal her now, O God.”[c]
Read full chapterFootnotes
- Numbers 12:11 tn The expression בִּי אֲדֹנִי (bi ʾadoni, “O my lord”) shows a good deal of respect for Moses by Aaron. The expression is often used in addressing God.
- Numbers 12:12 tc The words “its mother” and “its flesh” are among the so-called tiqqune sopherim, or “emendations of the scribes.” According to this tradition the text originally had here “our mother” and “our flesh,” but the ancient scribes changed these pronouns from the first person to the third person. Apparently they were concerned that the image of Moses’ mother giving birth to a baby with physical defects of the sort described here was somehow inappropriate, given the stature and importance of Moses.
- Numbers 12:13 tc Some scholars emend אֵל (ʾel, “God”) to עַל (ʿal, “no”). The effect of this change may be seen in the NAB: “Please, not this! Pray, heal her!”
Numbers 12:11-13
New International Version
11 and he said to Moses, “Please, my lord, I ask you not to hold against us the sin we have so foolishly committed.(A) 12 Do not let her be like a stillborn infant coming from its mother’s womb with its flesh half eaten away.”
13 So Moses cried out to the Lord, “Please, God, heal her!(B)”
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