Numberschapter 12
16 verses · BSBNumbers book hub →
A.Has the LORD spoken only by Moses?vv. 1-3
1 Then Miriam and Aaron criticized Moses because of the Cushite woman he had married, for he had taken a Cushite wife. 2 “Does the LORD speak only through Moses?” they said. “Does He not also speak through us?” And the LORD heard this. 3 Now Moses was a very humble man, more so than any man on the face of the earth.
B.Mouth to mouth, not in dark sayingsvv. 4-9
4 And suddenly the LORD said to Moses, Aaron, and Miriam, “You three, come out to the Tent of Meeting.” So the three went out, 5 and the LORD came down in a pillar of cloud, stood at the entrance to the Tent, and summoned Aaron and Miriam. When both of them had stepped forward, 6 He said, “Hear now My words: If there is a prophet among you, I, the LORD, will reveal Myself to him in a vision; I will speak to him in a dream. 7 But this is not so with My servant Moses; he is faithful in all My house. 8 I speak with him face to face, clearly and not in riddles; he sees the form of the LORD. Why then were you unafraid to speak against My servant Moses?” 9 So the anger of the LORD burned against them, and He departed.
C.Miriam white as snow, shut out seven daysvv. 10-16
10 As the cloud lifted from above the Tent, suddenly Miriam became leprous, white as snow. Aaron turned toward her, saw that she was leprous, 11 and said to Moses, “My lord, please do not hold against us this sin we have so foolishly committed. 12 Please do not let her be like a stillborn infant whose flesh is half consumed when he comes out of his mother’s womb.” 13 So Moses cried out to the LORD, “O God, please heal her!” 14 But the LORD answered Moses, “If her father had but spit in her face, would she not have been in disgrace for seven days? Let her be confined outside the camp for seven days; after that she may be brought back in.” 15 So Miriam was confined outside the camp for seven days, and the people did not move on until she was brought in again. 16 After that, the people set out from Hazeroth and camped in the Wilderness of Paran.
Chapter summary
Miriam and Aaron against Moses.
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Chapter summary
Miriam and Aaron against Moses.
Read the rest, the context and the outline ▾Show less ▴
Miriam and Aaron against Moses. They speak against him because of the Ethiopian woman (Zipporah or a second wife. The text does not resolve). ‘Hath the LORD indeed spoken only by Moses? Hath he not spoken also by us?’ The LORD hears. Moses is the meekest man upon the face of the earth. The LORD summons all three to the tabernacle; speaks of Moses' unique ‘mouth to mouth’ relation; and departs in anger. Miriam is leprous, white as snow. Aaron pleads; Moses cries, ‘heal her now, O God, I beseech thee’. She is shut out seven days; the camp does not journey until she is brought in. The chapter defends prophetic humility.
Drawn from Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory, Matthew Henry, Complete Commentary, John Wesley, Notes on the Old Testament and John Calvin, Commentaries.
Context
Law · Moses — Numbers overview
- A. 1–3 Has the LORD spoken only by Moses?
- B. 4–9 Mouth to mouth, not in dark sayings
- C. 10–16 Miriam white as snow, shut out seven days
Top cross-references8 chapters ▾
Numbers 112 verses
- Numbers 11:25Then the LORD came down in the cloud and spoke to him, and He took some of the Spirit that was on Moses and placed that Spirit on the seventy elders. As the Spirit rested on them, they prophesied—but they never did so again.
- Numbers 11:35From Kibroth-hattaavah the people moved on to Hazeroth, where they remained for some time.
- Read Numbers 11 →
Deuteronomy 242 verses
- Deuteronomy 24:8In cases of infectious skin diseases, be careful to diligently follow everything the Levitical priests instruct you. Be careful to do as I have commanded them.
- Deuteronomy 24:9Remember what the LORD your God did to Miriam on the journey after you came out of Egypt.
- Read Deuteronomy 24 →
Exodus 21 verse
- Exodus 2:21Moses agreed to stay with the man, and he gave his daughter Zipporah to Moses in marriage.
- Read Exodus 2 →
Genesis 261 verse
- Genesis 26:34When Esau was forty years old, he took as his wives Judith daughter of Beeri the Hittite and Basemath daughter of Elon the Hittite.
- Read Genesis 26 →
4 more chapters this one speaks with
Genesis 271 verse
- Genesis 27:46Then Rebekah said to Isaac, “I am weary of my life because of these Hittite women. If Jacob takes a Hittite wife from among them, what good is my life?”
- Read Genesis 27 →
Numbers 161 verse
- Numbers 16:3They came together against Moses and Aaron and told them, “You have taken too much upon yourselves! For everyone in the entire congregation is holy, and the LORD is in their midst. Why then do you exalt yourselves above the assembly of the LORD?”
- Read Numbers 16 →
Ezekiel 351 verse
- Ezekiel 35:12Then you will know that I, the LORD, have heard every contemptuous word you uttered against the mountains of Israel when you said, ‘They are desolate; they are given to us to devour!’
- Read Ezekiel 35 →
Isaiah 371 verse
- Isaiah 37:4Perhaps the LORD your God will hear the words of the Rabshakeh, whom his master the king of Assyria has sent to defy the living God, and He will rebuke him for the words that the LORD your God has heard. Therefore lift up a prayer for the remnant that still survives.”
- Read Isaiah 37 →
Cross-references from the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge and OpenBible.info.