Numbers 12 - Introduction
_MIRIAM'S AND AARON'S SEDITION REBUKED: MIRIAM IS PUNISHED WITH LEPROSY, AND AFTERWARDS HEALED AT THE INTERCESSION OF MOSES._ _Before Christ 1490._... [ Continue Reading ]
_MIRIAM'S AND AARON'S SEDITION REBUKED: MIRIAM IS PUNISHED WITH LEPROSY, AND AFTERWARDS HEALED AT THE INTERCESSION OF MOSES._ _Before Christ 1490._... [ Continue Reading ]
AND MIRIAM AND AARON SPAKE AGAINST MOSES— Miriam is mentioned before Aaron, probably because she was the beginner of this sedition, and drew Aaron into it. It is uncertain what occasioned them to quarrel with him about his wife Zipporah: they might possibly be jealous of his being ruled too much by... [ Continue Reading ]
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 they are joined with Moses, as conductors of the people while they were in the wilderness, they might... [ Continue Reading ]
NOW THE MAN MOSES WAS VERY MEEK, &C.— It has been supposed by many, that this passage was not written by Moses, but inserted by some other hand in after-times. The reason, however, urged for this supposition, namely, its containing a high encomium of himself, is by no means sufficient; for the encom... [ Continue Reading ]
AND THEY BOTH CAME FORTH— Read, _They both had come forth._... [ Continue Reading ]
IF THERE BE A PROPHET AMONG YOU— It is very plain, that the design of the Lord in this speech is to shew the evident superiority of Moses, as a prophet, over Aaron and Miriam. They boasted, Numbers 12:2 that the Lord had spoken by them as well as by Moses. The Lord, therefore, now condescends to set... [ Continue Reading ]
AND, BEHOLD, MIRIAM BECAME LEPROUS— We have here another instance of the expressive beauty of the original being spoiled by the insertion of the italics. Nothing can be more nervous and significative than the passage is without them: _the cloud departed; and behold Miriam leprous as snow!_ As a toke... [ Continue Reading ]
AARON SAID,—ALAS, MY LORD— Alarmed at this terrible punishment inflicted upon his sister, and justly apprehensive of the like, Aaron, conscious of his misdemeanour, in the humblest terms, begs of Moses to forgive them, and to intercede with God for the life of his sister, who, he knew, without the d... [ Continue Reading ]
IF HER FATHER HAD BUT SPIT IN HER FACE, &C.— That is to say, "If she had, by some undutiful behaviour, provoked her father to be angry with her, and to spit in her face, as an indication of that anger, (Job 30:10. Isaiah 50:6. Mark 14:65; Mark 15:19.) she would certainly be ashamed for some time to... [ Continue Reading ]
AND PITCHED IN THE WILDERNESS OF PARAN— That all the people might be admonished of the sin of Miriam, they were not permitted to remove from _Hazeroth_ till her days of cleansing were fulfilled, when they removed _and pitched in the wilderness of Paran._ This station was at the mountain of the Amori... [ Continue Reading ]