Numbers 12:11 Komentář

In the foregoing chapter we had the vexation which the people gave to Moses; in this we have his patience tried by his own relations. I. Miriam and Aaron, his own brother and sister, affronted him (Num 12:1-3). II. God called them to an account for it (Num 12:4-9). III. Miriam was smitten with a leprosy for it (Num 12:10). IV. Aaron submits, and Moses meekly intercedes for Miriam (Num 12:11-13). V. She is healed, but put to shame for seven days (Num 12:14-16). And this is recorded to show that the best persons and families have both their follies and their crosses.

INTRODUCTION TO NUMBERS 12 In this chapter we have an account of Aaron and Miriam speaking against Moses, and for what reason, whose amiable character is given, Num 12:1; and of the Lord's calling them to him, and rebuking them for it, giving an excellent testimony to Moses, and then departing in anger, Num 12:4; and of Miriam's being smitten with leprosy, and Aaron's entreating Moses on his and her account, who prayed to the Lord to heal her, Num 12:10; and of her being ordered to be shut out of the camp seven days, during which time the Israelites stayed at Hazeroth, and then removed to the wilderness of Paran, Num 12:14.

And Aaron said unto Moses, alas, my lord!.... The word for "alas" is generally interpreted by the Jewish writers as a note of beseeching and entreating, as it is here by the Targums of Onkelos and Jonathan,"I beseech thee, my lord,''or "upon me, my lord" (k), be all the blame; such was his tenderness to his sister, and the compassion he had on her; and such reverence and respect did he show to Moses his brother, though younger than he, because of his superior dignity as a prophet, and chief magistrate, and prime minister, and servant of the Lord, calling him "my lord": I beseech thee, lay not the sin upon us; the punishment of it, bear not hard upon us, or suffer us to be punished in a rigorous manner, without interceding to the Lord for us, for the abatement of removal of it; such a powerful and prevailing interest he knew he had with God, that by his prayers their punishment would be mitigated, or not laid, or, if laid, removed: wherein we have done foolishly, and wherein we have sinned; he owns they had sinned, but suggests, and so he would have it understood, that it was not through malice, and purposely and presumptuously, but through and ignorance, inadvertency and weakness, and hoped it would be forgiven. (k) "in me", Montanus.

All monuments of idolatry in the promised land to be destroyed, Deu 12:1-3; and God's service to be duly performed, Deu 12:4-7. The difference between the performance of that service in the wilderness and in the promised land, Deu 12:8-11. The people are to be happy in all their religious observances, Deu 12:12. The offerings must be brought to the place which God appoints, and no blood is to be eaten, Deu 12:13-16. The tithe of corn, wine, oil, etc., to be eaten in the place that God shall choose, Deu 12:17, Deu 12:18. The Levite must not be forsaken, Deu 12:19. All clean beasts may be eaten, but the blood must be poured out before the Lord, and be eaten on no pretense whatever, Deu 12:20-25. Of vows, burnt-offerings, etc., Deu 12:26, Deu 12:27. These precepts are to be carefully obeyed, Deu 12:28. Cautions against the abominations of the heathen, Deu 12:29-31. Nothing to be added to or diminished from the word of God, Deu 12:32.

MIRIAM'S AND AARON'S SEDITION. (Num 12:1-9) an Ethiopian woman--Hebrew, "a Cushite woman"--Arabia was usually called in Scripture the land of Cush, its inhabitants being descendants of that son of Ham (see on Exo 2:15) and being accounted generally a vile and contemptible race (see on Amo 9:7). The occasion of this seditious outbreak on the part of Miriam and Aaron against Moses was the great change made in the government by the adoption of the seventy rulers [Num 11:16]. Their irritating disparagement of his wife (who, in all probability, was Zipporah [Exo 2:21], and not a second wife he had recently married) arose from jealousy of the relatives, through whose influence the innovation had been first made (Exo 18:13-26), while they were overlooked or neglected. Miriam is mentioned before Aaron as being the chief instigator and leader of the sedition.

On the humble and penitential submission of Aaron, Moses interceded for both the offenders, especially for Miriam, who was restored; not, however, till she had been made, by her exclusion, a public example [Num 12:14-15].

When Aaron saw his sister smitten in this way, he said to Moses, "Alas! my lord, I beseech thee, lay not this sin upon us, for we have done foolishly;" i.e., let us not bear its punishment. "Let her (Miriam) not be as the dead thing, on whose coming out of its mother's womb half its flesh is consumed;" i.e., like a still-born child, which comes into the world half decomposed. His reason for making this comparison was, that leprosy produces decomposition in the living body.