Numbers 12
Expanded Bible
Miriam and Aaron Speak Against Moses
12 Miriam [Ex. 15:20] and Aaron [C Moses’ sister and brother] began to talk against Moses because of his Cushite wife (he had married a Cushite [C perhaps Zipporah (Hab. 3:7), but more likely an Ethiopian]). 2 They said, “Is Moses the only one the Lord speaks through? Doesn’t he also speak through us?” And the Lord heard this.
3 (Now Moses was very ·humble [or devout]. He was the ·least proud [L most humble; or most devout] person on earth.)
4 So the Lord suddenly spoke to Moses, Aaron, and Miriam and said, “All three of you come to the Meeting Tent.” So they went. 5 The Lord came down in a pillar of cloud [C representing his presence; Ex. 13:21] and stood at the entrance to the Tent. He called to Aaron and Miriam, and they both came near. 6 He said, “Listen to my words:
When prophets are among you,
I, the Lord, ·will show myself [make myself known] to them in visions;
I will speak to them in dreams [C indirectly].
7 But this is not true with my servant Moses.
I trust him to lead all my ·people [L house].
8 I speak face to face with him—
clearly, not with hidden meanings [C directly].
He has even seen the form of the Lord [Heb. 3:1–6].
·You should be [L Why are you not…?] afraid
to speak against my servant Moses.”
9 The Lord was very angry with them, and he left.
10 When the cloud lifted from the Tent and Aaron turned toward Miriam, she was as white as snow; she had a skin disease [C rendering her ritually unclean; Num. 5:2; Lev. 13:2]. 11 Aaron said to Moses, “Please, my ·master [lord], ·forgive us for our foolish sin [do not punish us for our foolish sin; L do not lay sin on us that we foolishly committed]. 12 Don’t let her be like a baby who is ·born dead [stillborn]. (Sometimes a baby is born with half of its flesh eaten away.)”
13 So Moses cried out to the Lord, “God, please heal her!”
14 The Lord answered Moses, “If her father had spit in her face, ·she would [L would she not…?] have been shamed for seven days, so ·put her [she was shut] outside the camp for seven days. After that, she may come back.” 15 So Miriam was ·put [shut] outside of the camp for seven days, and the people did not move on until she came back.
16 After that, the people left Hazeroth and camped in the ·Desert [Wilderness] of Paran.
Numbers 12
New American Bible (Revised Edition)
Chapter 12
Jealousy of Aaron and Miriam. 1 Miriam and Aaron spoke against Moses on the pretext of the Cushite woman he had married; for he had in fact married a Cushite woman.[a] 2 They complained,[b] “Is it through Moses alone that the Lord has spoken? Has he not spoken through us also?” And the Lord heard this. 3 (A)Now the man Moses was very humble, more than anyone else on earth. 4 So at once the Lord said to Moses and Aaron and Miriam: Come out, you three, to the tent of meeting. And the three of them went. 5 Then the Lord came down in a column of cloud, and standing at the entrance of the tent, called, “Aaron and Miriam.” When both came forward, 6 the Lord said: Now listen to my words:
If there are prophets among you,
in visions I reveal myself to them,
in dreams I speak to them;
7 Not so with my servant Moses!
Throughout my house he is worthy of trust:[c](B)
8 face to face I speak to him,(C)
plainly and not in riddles.
The likeness of the Lord he beholds.
Why, then, do you not fear to speak against my servant Moses? 9 And so the Lord’s wrath flared against them, and he departed.
Miriam’s Punishment. 10 Now the cloud withdrew from the tent, and there was Miriam,(D) stricken with a scaly infection, white as snow![d] When Aaron turned toward Miriam and saw her stricken with snow-white scales, 11 he said to Moses, “Ah, my lord! Please do not charge us with the sin that we have foolishly committed! 12 Do not let her be like the stillborn baby that comes forth from its mother’s womb with its flesh half consumed.” 13 Then Moses cried to the Lord, “Please, not this! Please, heal her!” 14 But the Lord answered Moses: Suppose her father had spit in her face, would she not bear her shame for seven days? Let her be confined outside the camp for seven days; afterwards she may be brought back. 15 So Miriam was confined outside the camp for seven days, and the people did not start out again until she was brought back.
16 After that the people set out from Hazeroth and encamped in the wilderness of Paran.
Footnotes
- 12:1 Cushite woman: apparently Zipporah, the Midianite, is meant; cf. Ex 2:21.
- 12:2 The apparent reason for Miriam’s and Aaron’s quarrel with their brother Moses was jealousy of his authority; his Cushite wife served only as an occasion for the dispute.
- 12:7 Worthy of trust: the text is open to a variety of interpretations. Thus, the word of Moses may be relied upon by Israel because God speaks to him directly; or, Moses alone is worthy of God’s trust in God’s household (heavenly or earthly). An alternative translation, however, is: “with all my house he is entrusted.”
- 12:10 Stricken with a scaly infection, white as snow: see note on Lv 13:1–14:47. The point of the simile lies either in the flakiness or the whiteness of snow.
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