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.
Numbers 12
Legacy Standard Bible
Miriam and Aaron Speak Against Moses
12 Then Miriam and Aaron spoke against Moses because of the Cushite woman whom he had taken as a wife (for he had taken a (A)Cushite woman); 2 (B)and they said, “Has Yahweh indeed spoken only through Moses? Has He not spoken through us as well?” And Yahweh heard it. 3 (Now the man Moses was (C)very humble, more than any man who was on the face of the earth.) 4 Suddenly Yahweh 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 (D)Then Yahweh came down in a pillar of cloud and stood at the doorway of the tent, and He called [a]Aaron and Miriam. And then both came forward, 6 and He said,
“Hear now My words:
If there is a prophet among you,
I, Yahweh, shall make Myself known to him in a (E)vision.
I shall speak with him in a (F)dream.
7 Not so, with (G)My servant Moses,
(H)He is faithful in all My household;
8 (I)With him I speak mouth to mouth,
Indeed clearly, and not in riddles,
And he beholds (J)the form of Yahweh.
Why then were you not afraid
To speak against My servant, against Moses?”
9 So the anger of Yahweh burned against them, and (K)He went away. 10 But the cloud withdrew from over the tent, and behold, (L)Miriam was leprous, as (M)white as snow. And Aaron turned toward Miriam, and behold, she was leprous. 11 Then Aaron said to Moses, “Oh, my lord, I beg you, (N)do not place this sin on us, in which we have acted foolishly and in which we have sinned. 12 Oh, do not let her be like one dead, whose flesh is half eaten away when he comes from his mother’s womb!” 13 And Moses cried out to Yahweh, saying, “O God, (O)heal her, I pray!” 14 But Yahweh said to Moses, “If her father had but (P)spit in her face, would she not bear her dishonor for seven days? Let her be shut up for seven days (Q)outside the camp, and afterward she may be received again.” 15 So (R)Miriam was shut up outside the camp for seven days, and the people did not set out until Miriam was received again.
16 Afterward, however, the people set out from Hazeroth and camped in the wilderness of Paran.
Footnotes
- Numbers 12:5 Or “Aaron and Miriam!”
Numbers 12
New King James Version
Dissension of Aaron and Miriam
12 Then (A)Miriam and Aaron [a]spoke (B)against Moses because of the [b]Ethiopian woman whom he had married; for (C)he had married an Ethiopian woman. 2 So they said, “Has the Lord indeed spoken only through (D)Moses? (E)Has He not spoken through us also?” And the Lord (F)heard it. 3 (Now the man Moses was very humble, more than all men who were on the face of the earth.)
4 (G)Suddenly the Lord said to Moses, Aaron, and Miriam, “Come out, you three, to the tabernacle of meeting!” So the three came out. 5 (H)Then the Lord came down in the pillar of cloud and stood in the door of the tabernacle, and called Aaron and Miriam. And they both went forward. 6 Then He said,
“Hear now My words:
If there is a prophet among you,
I, the Lord, make Myself known to him (I)in a vision;
I speak to him (J)in a dream.
7 Not so with (K)My servant Moses;
(L)He is faithful in all (M)My house.
8 I speak with him (N)face to face,
Even (O)plainly,[c] and not in [d]dark sayings;
And he sees (P)the form of the Lord.
Why then (Q)were you not afraid
To speak against My servant Moses?”
9 So the anger of the Lord was aroused against them, and He departed. 10 And when the cloud departed from above the tabernacle, (R)suddenly Miriam became (S)leprous, as white as snow. Then Aaron turned toward Miriam, and there she was, a leper. 11 So Aaron said to Moses, “Oh, my lord! Please (T)do not lay [e]this sin on us, in which we have done foolishly and in which we have sinned. 12 Please (U)do not let her be as one dead, whose flesh is half consumed when he comes out of his mother’s womb!”
13 So Moses cried out to the Lord, saying, “Please (V)heal her, O God, I pray!”
14 Then the Lord said to Moses, “If her father had but (W)spit in her face, would she not be shamed seven days? Let her be (X)shut[f] out of the camp seven days, and afterward she may be received again.” 15 (Y)So Miriam was shut out of the camp seven days, and the people did not journey till Miriam was brought in again. 16 And afterward the people moved from (Z)Hazeroth and camped in the Wilderness of Paran.
Footnotes
- Numbers 12:1 criticized
- Numbers 12:1 Cushite
- Numbers 12:8 appearing
- Numbers 12:8 riddles
- Numbers 12:11 the penalty for this
- Numbers 12:14 exiled
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