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Kretzmann's Popular Commentary

Numbers 12:2

And they said, Hath the Lord indeed spoken only by Moses? Hath He not spoken also by us? Miriam, as the prophetess, Exodus 15:20, thought herself and her brother Aaron, as the high priest and the bearer of the mysterious light and truth, Exodus 28:30, entitled to a share in the teaching of the people; they wanted to have equal rights with their younger brother. And the Lord heard it; He took note of the complaint, for it was His intention to adjust matters with all possible speed.

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See also Numbers 12:2 in other biblical comments:

  • Adam Clarke Bible Commentary

    Verse Numbers 12:2. _HATH THE LORD INDEED SPOKEN ONLY BY MOSES?_] It is certain that both Aaron and Miriam had received a portion of the prophetic spirit, (see Exodus 4:15, and Exodus 15:20), and the...

  • Albert Barnes' Bible Commentary

    Miriam, as a prophetess (compare Exodus 15:20) no less than as the sister of Moses and Aaron, took the first rank among the women of Israel; and Aaron may be regarded as the ecclesiastical head of the...

  • Annotated Bible by A.C. Gaebelein

    3. THE REBELLION OF MIRIAM AND AARON CHAPTER 12 _ 1. Miriam and Aaron speak against Moses (Numbers 12:1)_ 2. The interference of the Lord (Numbers 12:4) 3. Miriam leprous (Numbers 12:10) 4. Aar

  • Arthur Peake's Commentary on the Bible

    NUMBERS 12:1 (JE). MIRIAM'S AND AARON'S JEALOUSY OF MOSES, AND YAHWEH'S VINDICATION OF HIM. The challenge of Moses-' prerogative to be Yahweh's sole spokesman is strangely combined with a complaint re...

  • Bullinger's Companion Bible Notes

    HATH... ? Figure of speech _Erotesis._ App-6. THE LORD. Hebrew. _Jehovah._ App-4....

  • Coke's Commentary on the Holy Bible

    AND THEY SAID, HATH THE LORD INDEED SPOKEN ONLY BY MOSES? &C.— As both Aaron and Miriam had been favoured by communications from God, and the gifts of his Spirit; (Exodus 4:14; Exodus 15:20.) and as t...

  • College Press Bible Study Textbook Series

    F. FOOLISH CONDUCT OF MIRIAM AND AARON AND RESOLUTION OF THE PROBLEM (NUMBERS 12) TEXT Numbers 12:1. And Miriam and Aaron spake against Moses because of the Ethiopian woman whom he had married: for h...

  • Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible

    _AND THEY SAID, HATH THE LORD INDEED SPOKEN ONLY BY MOSES? HATH HE NOT SPOKEN ALSO BY US? AND THE LORD HEARD IT._ Hath the Lord ... not spoken also by us? The prophetic name and character was bestowe...

  • Darby's translation notes (1890)

    12:2 to (e-9) to (e-16) Or 'through.'...

  • Dummelow's Commentary on the Bible

    THE JEALOUSY OF MIRIAM AND AARON In this scene Miriam is the chief actor: the punishment falls on her alone. Aaron seems to have been led away by her (cp. Exodus 32:22). The controversy arose in conne...

  • Dummelow's Commentary on the Bible

    Miriam is called a prophetess in Exodus 15:20 : see note there and cp. Exodus 4:14....

  • EasyEnglish Bible Commentaries

    THE OLD TESTAMENT BOOK OF NUMBERS IN THE DESERT NUMBERS _MARION ADAMS_ CHAPTER 12 MIRIAM AND AARON ARE JEALOUS OF MOSES – NUMBERS 12:1-16 V1 Moses’ wife was a woman from Cush (a place in

  • Ellicott's Commentary On The Whole Bible

    HATH THE LORD INDEED SPOKEN ONLY BY MOSES? — There is probably a reference in these words to the facts related in Exodus 4:10, where Moses speaks of his own slowness of speech (Numbers 12:10), and whe...

  • ETCBC data on Hebrew bible

    וַ יֹּאמְר֗וּ הֲ רַ֤ק אַךְ ־בְּ מֹשֶׁה֙

  • Expositor's Bible Commentary (Nicoll)

    THE JEALOUSY OF MIRIAM AND AARON Numbers 12:1 IT may be confidently said that no representative writer of the post-exilic age would have invented or even cared to revive the episode of this chapter....

  • Frederick Brotherton Meyer's Commentary

    GOD PROTECTS MOSES AGAINST CRITICISM Numbers 12:1 This Ethiopian wife may have been Zipporah, or some other woman whom Moses married after his first wife's death. That Moses, the great lawgiver and l...

  • G. Campbell Morgan's Exposition on the Whole Bible

    A third manifestation of discontent and rebellion arose among individuals and leaders. The marriage of Moses to a Cushite woman was the occasion of the revelation of an element of jealousy in the hear...

  • Hawker's Poor man's commentary

    Reader! remark though Moses is not said to have heard or answered their accusations, the LORD heard it. Was not Moses here a type of the ever blessed JESUS, of whom it was said of him in the days of h...

  • Introductory Lectures - Commentary by William Kelly

    The previous portion of the Book of Numbers, viewed as a history, has evidently a prefatory character, however important and divinely wise. It is in a great measure preparatory for that which we have...

  • James Nisbet's Church Pulpit Commentary

    _THE LISTENING GOD_ ‘And Miriam and Aaron spake against Moses … And the Lord heard it.’ Numbers 12:1 We have the _ ostensible_ cause of this ‘speaking against Moses’ in the first verse, the _ real_...

  • John Calvin's Bible Commentary

    2._And they said, Hath the Lord indeed spoken only by Moses? _They pride themselves on their gift of prophecy, which ought rather to have schooled them to humility. But such is the natural depravity o...

  • John Darby's Synopsis

    After that (for what form will not rebellion assume?) Miriam and Aaron speak against Moses. It is the prophetess and the priest (one who has the word from God and access to God, the twofold character...

  • John Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible

    AND THEY SAID, HATH THE LORD, INDEED SPOKEN ONLY BY MOSES?.... They own he had spoken by him; this was so notorious that it could not be denied: HATH HE NOT SPOKEN ALSO BY US? are we not prophets as...

  • John Trapp Complete Commentary

    _And they said, Hath the LORD indeed spoken only by Moses? hath he not spoken also by us? And the LORD heard [it]._ Ver. 2. _Hath the Lord spoken only by Moses._] Every man would be something at home...

  • Joseph Benson’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments

    _By us_ Are not we prophets as well as he? So Aaron was made, (Exodus 4:15,) and so Miriam is called, Exodus 15:20. And Moses hath debased and mixed the holy seed, which we have not done. Why then sho...

  • KJV Original Language Details

    1 God rebuketh the sedition of Miriam and Aaron. 10 Miriams leprosie is healed at the prayer of Moses. 14 God commandeth her to be shut out of the hoste. [MIRIAM LEPROUS.] 1 AND Miriam and Aaron s...

  • Leslie M. Grant's Commentary on the Bible

    MIRIAM AND AARON BECOME CRITICS (vs.1-16) Soon after God's dealing so seriously with Israel's complaints, both Miriam and Aaron are infected with a similar spirit of murmuring. It was plainly Miriam...

  • Matthew Henry Commentary on the Whole Bible

    1-9 The patience of Moses was tried in his own family, as well as by the people. The pretence was, that he had married a foreign wife; but probably their pride was hurt, and their envy stirred up, by...

  • Matthew Poole's Concise Commentary On The Bible

    Are not we prophets as well as he? so Aaron was made, EXODUS 4:15,16, and so Miriam is called, EXODUS 15:20. See also MICAH 6:4. And Moses hath debased and mixed the holy seed, which we have not done....

  • Notes on the Pentateuch by Charles Henry Mackintosh

    The brief section of our book to which we now approach may be viewed in two distinct aspects; in the first place, it is typical or dispensational; and, in the second, moral or practical. In the union...

  • Patchworkid's Personal Study Bible Notes

    Numbers 12:2 said H559 (H8799) LORD H3068 spoken H1696 (H8765) Moses H4872 spoken H1696 (H8765) LORD...

  • Summarized Bible Commentary

    CONTENTS: Murmuring of Miriam and Aaron and the consequences. CHARACTERS: God, Moses, Aaron, Miriam. CONCLUSION: We have reason to be exceedingly cautious of saying or doing anything against the ser...

  • Sutcliffe's Commentary on the Old and New Testaments

    Numbers 12:1. _The Ethiopian woman;_ that is, the Cushite, the daughter of Jethro. Miriam and Aaron seem to have been offended because Moses had honourably received her as his wife. But Josephus affir...

  • The Biblical Illustrator

    _Miriam and Aaron spake against Moses._ MIRIAM AND AARON’S SEDITION 1. The noblest disinterestedness will not preserve us from the shafts of envy. The poet has said, in regard to another virtue, “Be...

  • The ESV Global Study Bible's Study Notes

    NUMBERS—NOTE ON NUMBERS 12:1 Moses’ brother Aaron, the high priest, and his sister Miriam, a prophetess (Exodus 15:20), challenge his unique position. Their initial remarks, concerning Moses’ Cushite...

  • The Preacher's Complete Homiletical Commentary

    CRITICAL AND EXPLANATORY NOTES Numbers 12:1. _The Ethiopian woman_, &c. Heb.: “The woman, the Cushite.” This could not have been Zipporah, who was a Midianite, not a Cushite. And even if it be suppose...

  • The Pulpit Commentaries

    EXPOSITION THE SEDITION AND PUNISHMENT OF MIRIAM (Numbers 12:1.). NUMBERS 12:1 AND MIRIAM AND AARON SPAKE AGAINST MOSES. While the people w

  • Through The Bible C2000 Serie by Chuck Smith

    Now in chapter twelve, Miriam, the sister of Moses and Aaron began to murmur against Moses. He had taken an Ethiopian wife, which means that she was probably black-skinned. And they began to find faul...

  • Treasury of Scripture Knowledge

    1 Peter 5:5; 2 Kings 19:4; 2 Samuel 11:27; Exodus 15:20; Exodus 15:21;

  • Wesley's Explanatory Notes

    By us — Are not we prophets as well as he? so Aaron was made, Exodus 4:15, and so Miriam is called, Exodus 15:20. And Moses hath debased and mixed the holy seed, which we have not done. Why then shoul...

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