12 1 Aaron and Miriam grudge against Moses. 10 Miriam is stricken with leprosy, and healed at the prayer of Moses.
1 Afterward Miriam and Aaron [a]spake against Moses, because of the woman of Ethiopia whom he had married (for he had married [b]a woman of Ethiopia.)
2 And they said, What? hath the Lord spoken but only by Moses? hath he not spoken also by us? and the Lord heard this.
3 (But Moses was a very [c]meek man above all the men that were upon the earth.)
4 And by and by the Lord said unto Moses, and unto Aaron, and unto Miriam, come out ye three unto the Tabernacle of the Congregation: and they three came forth.
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 be a Prophet of the Lord among you, I will be known to him by a [d]vision, and will speak unto him by dream.
7 My servant Moses is not so, who is faithful [e]in all mine house,
8 Unto him will I speak (A)mouth to mouth, and by vision, and not in dark words, but he shall [f]see the similitude of the Lord. Wherefore then were ye not afraid to speak against my servant, even against Moses?
9 Thus the Lord was very angry with them, and departed.
10 Also the cloud departed from the [g]Tabernacle: and behold, Miriam was leprous like snow: and Aaron looked upon Miriam, and behold, she was leprous.
11 Then Aaron said unto Moses, Alas, my lord, I beseech thee, lay not the sin upon us, which we have foolishly committed, and wherein we have sinned.
12 Let her not, I pray thee, be as one [h]dead, of whom the flesh is half consumed, when he cometh out of his mother’s womb.
13 Then Moses cried unto the Lord, saying, O God, I beseech thee, heal her now.
14 ¶ And the Lord said unto Moses, If her father had [i]spit in her face, should she not have been ashamed seven days? let her be (B)shut out of the host seven days, and after she shall be received.
15 So Miriam was shut out of the host seven days, and the people removed not, till Miriam was brought in again.
Footnotes
- Numbers 12:1 Or, murmured.
- Numbers 12:1 Zipporah Moses’ wife was a Midianite, and because Midian bordered on Ethiopia, it is sometimes in the Scriptures comprehended under this name.
- Numbers 12:3 And so bare with their grudging, although he knew them.
- Numbers 12:6 These were the two ordinary means.
- Numbers 12:7 In all Israel which was his Church.
- Numbers 12:8 So far as any man was able to comprehend, which he calleth his back parts, Exod. 33:23.
- Numbers 12:10 From the door of the Tabernacle.
- Numbers 12:12 As a child that cometh out of his mother’s belly dead, having as it were but the skin.
- Numbers 12:14 In his displeasure.