Numbers 12:16

_AND AFTERWARD THE PEOPLE REMOVED FROM HAZEROTH, AND PITCHED IN THE WILDERNESS OF PARAN._ Pitched in the wilderness of Paran. The station of encampment seems to have been Rithma (Numbers 33:19)....

Numbers 12:16._And afterward the people departed from Hazeroth. _At first sight Moses appears to be at variance with himself: for he here states that he sent the spies at God’s command, whereas in Deuteronomy 1:22, he relates that he made this concession at the request of the people; (48) but the two statements are easily reconciled. It is, indeed, unquestionable that God had regard to the infirmity and distrust of the people; for the spies are not sent to see in what direction the land was to be attacked, with which design two were afterwards sent by Joshua, but God had here no other object than to encourage them, when they else were cowardly and inert, to throw off their inactivity, and eagerly to advance. The necessity of such a remedy was evidently shown, when they all demanded this of

10-16 The cloud departed, and Miriam became leprous. When God goes, evil comes: expect no good when God departs. Her foul tongue, as Bishop Hall says, was justly punished with a foul face. Aaron, as priest, was judge of the leprosy. He could not pronounce her leprous without trembling, knowing himself to be equally guilty. But if she was thus punished for speaking against Moses, what will become of those who sin against Christ? Aaron, who joined his sister in speaking against Moses, is forced for himself and his sister, to beseech him, and to speak highly of him whom he had so lately blamed. Those who trample upon the saints and servants of God, will one day be glad to make court to them. It is well when rebukes produce confession of sin and repentance. Such offenders, though corrected and disgraced, shall be pardoned. Moses made it appear, that he forgave the injury done him. To this p...

Verse Numbers 12:16. _THE WILDERNESS OF PARAN._] This could not be the same Paran with that mentioned Deuteronomy 1:1, for that was on the borders of the promised land, see the note on Deuteronomy 1:1; they were long near the borders of Canaan, and might have speedily entered into it, had it not been for their provocations and iniquities. They spent thirty-eight years in a journey which might have been accomplished in a few weeks! How many through their unfaithfulness have been _many years_ in gaining that for which, in the ordinary procedure of Divine grace, a _few days_ had been sufficient! How much ground may a man lose in the Divine life by one act of unfaithfulness or transgression! Israe...

EXPOSITION THE SEDITION AND PUNISHMENT OF MIRIAM (Numbers 12:1.). NUMBERS 12:1 AND MIRIAM AND AARON SPAKE AGAINST MOSES. While the people were encamped at Hazeroth (see Numbers 12:16), and therefore probably very soon after the events of the last chapter. That Miriam's was the moving spirit in the matter is sufficiently evident, (1) because her name stands first; (2) because the verb "spake" is in the feminine (יַתְּדַבֵּר, "and she said"); (3) because the ground of annoyance

AND AFTERWARDS THE PEOPLE REMOVED FROM HAZEROTH,.... After seven days, where they had been so long at least; the cloud being returned to the tabernacle, and having been taken up, which was the signal for motion, the camps of Israel, in their order, removed and marched forward: AND PITCHED IN THE WILDERNESS OF PARAN; at a place in it called Rithmah, Numbers 33:18; which, according to Bunting m, was eight miles from Hazeroth, near to which was another place called Kadesh, or else this was another name of Rithmah, see Numbers 13:3; and now the Israelites were very near the land of promise, and from hence they sent spies to make their observations on it, and bring a report of it; and had it not been for their ill conduct in that affair, in all probability would have been quickly in it, but on

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. Aaron's confession and intercession (Numbers 12:11) 5. Moses' prayer and Miriam's restoration (Numbers 12:13) Open rebellion against Moses by his own brother and sister is the next step in the story of failure. Envy was at the bottom of it. The words Miriam and Aaron spoke reveal that they aimed at Moses' pos

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 respecting his marriage with a Cushite woman (perhaps another story in which Miriam, without Aaron, figured). Elsewhere Moses-' wife, Zipporah, is represented as a Midianite (Exodus 2:16) or a Kenite (Judges 1:16; Judges 4:11): so that if Zipporah is here alluded to, this description of her as a Cushite may refer not to the African Cush (= Ethiopia) but to an Arabian Cush (perhaps the Cushan of...

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 Amorites, at the south part of Canaan; (Deuteronomy 1:20.) so that their next removal was to have been into the promised land, had not they hindered themselves by their rebellion. "As tradition," says Dr. Shaw, "has continued down to us the names of _Shur, Marah,_ and _Sin,_ so has it also that of _Paran;_ the ruins of the late convent of _Paran,_ built upon those of an ancient city of _that name_ (which might give denomination to the whole desart) being found about the half way between Sinai and Corondel, which lie at forty leagues distance. This situation of...

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 he had married an Ethiopian woman. 2. And they said, Hath the Lord indeed spoken only by Moses? hath he not spoken also by us? And the Lord heard it. 3. (Now the man Moses was very meek, above all the men which were upon the face of the earth.) 4. And the Lord spake suddenly unto Moses, and unto Aaron, and unto Miriam, Come ye out ye three unto the tabernacle of the congregation. And they three came out. 5. And 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 amo