The wilderness
Miriam and Aaron Speak Against Moses
Miriam and Aaron criticize Moses for his Cushite wife and claim that the Lord also speaks through them. The Lord calls them to the tent of meeting and defends Moses as His faithful servant, with whom He speaks face to face. Miriam is struck with a skin disease, but after Moses' prayer she is healed and kept outside the camp for seven days before being brought back in.
Numbers 12,1-15
1Miriam and Aaron spoke against Moses because of the Cushite woman he had married—for he had married a Cushite woman.
וַתְּדַבֵּ֨ר מִרְיָ֤ם וְאַהֲרֹן֙ בְּמֹשֶׁ֔ה עַל־אֹד֛וֹת הָאִשָּׁ֥ה הַכֻּשִׁ֖ית אֲשֶׁ֣ר לָקָ֑ח כִּֽי־אִשָּׁ֥ה כֻשִׁ֖ית לָקָֽח׃
2They said, "Has the LORD spoken only through Moses? Has he not spoken through us as well?" And the LORD heard it.
וַיֹּאמְר֗וּ הֲרַ֤ק אַךְ־בְּמֹשֶׁה֙ דִּבֶּ֣ר יְהוָ֔ה הֲלֹ֖א גַּם־בָּ֣נוּ דִבֵּ֑ר וַיִּשְׁמַ֖ע יְהוָֽה׃
3Now Moses was a very humble man, more so than anyone else on the face of the earth.
וְהָאִ֥ישׁ מֹשֶׁ֖ה *ענו **עָנָ֣יו מְאֹ֑ד מִכֹּל֙ הָֽאָדָ֔ם אֲשֶׁ֖ר עַל־פְּנֵ֥י הָאֲדָמָֽה׃ ס
4Suddenly the LORD said to Moses, Aaron, and Miriam, "Come out, the three of you, to the tent of meeting." So the three of them went out.
וַיֹּ֨אמֶר יְהוָ֜ה פִּתְאֹ֗ם אֶל־מֹשֶׁ֤ה וְאֶֽל־אַהֲרֹן֙ וְאֶל־מִרְיָ֔ם צְא֥וּ שְׁלָשְׁתְּכֶ֖ם אֶל־אֹ֣הֶל מוֹעֵ֑ד וַיֵּצְא֖וּ שְׁלָשְׁתָּֽם׃
5Then the LORD came down in a pillar of cloud and stood at the entrance of the tent. He called Aaron and Miriam, and the two of them stepped forward.
וַיֵּ֤רֶד יְהוָה֙ בְּעַמּ֣וּד עָנָ֔ן וַֽיַּעֲמֹ֖ד פֶּ֣תַח הָאֹ֑הֶל וַיִּקְרָא֙ אַהֲרֹ֣ן וּמִרְיָ֔ם וַיֵּצְא֖וּ שְׁנֵיהֶֽם׃
6He said, "Listen to my words: When there is a prophet among you, I, the LORD, make myself known to him in a vision; I speak with him in a dream.
וַיֹּ֖אמֶר שִׁמְעוּ־נָ֣א דְבָרָ֑י אִם־יִֽהְיֶה֙ נְבִ֣יאֲכֶ֔ם יְהוָ֗ה בַּמַּרְאָה֙ אֵלָ֣יו אֶתְוַדָּ֔ע בַּחֲל֖וֹם אֲדַבֶּר־בּֽוֹ׃
7Not so with my servant Moses; he is faithful in all my house.
לֹא־כֵ֖ן עַבְדִּ֣י מֹשֶׁ֑ה בְּכָל־בֵּיתִ֖י נֶאֱמָ֥ן הֽוּא׃
8With him I speak face to face, plainly and not in riddles; he sees the form of the LORD. Why, then, were you not afraid to speak against my servant Moses?"
פֶּ֣ה אֶל־פֶּ֞ה אֲדַבֶּר־בּ֗וֹ וּמַרְאֶה֙ וְלֹ֣א בְחִידֹ֔ת וּתְמֻנַ֥ת יְהוָ֖ה יַבִּ֑יט וּמַדּ֙וּעַ֙ לֹ֣א יְרֵאתֶ֔ם לְדַבֵּ֖ר בְּעַבְדִּ֥י בְמֹשֶֽׁה׃
9The anger of the LORD burned against them, and he departed.
וַיִּֽחַרְאַ֧ף יְהוָ֛ה בָּ֖ם וַיֵּלַֽךְ׃
10When the cloud lifted from above the tent, there stood Miriam, her skin diseased, white as snow. Aaron turned toward her and saw that she was diseased.
וְהֶעָנָ֗ן סָ֚ר מֵעַ֣ל הָאֹ֔הֶל וְהִנֵּ֥ה מִרְיָ֖ם מְצֹרַ֣עַת כַּשָּׁ֑לֶג וַיִּ֧פֶן אַהֲרֹ֛ן אֶל־מִרְיָ֖ם וְהִנֵּ֥ה מְצֹרָֽעַת׃
11Aaron said to Moses, "Please, my lord, do not hold against us this sin we have so foolishly committed.
וַיֹּ֥אמֶר אַהֲרֹ֖ן אֶל־מֹשֶׁ֑ה בִּ֣י אֲדֹנִ֔י אַל־נָ֨א תָשֵׁ֤ת עָלֵ֙ינוּ֙ חַטָּ֔את אֲשֶׁ֥ר נוֹאַ֖לְנוּ וַאֲשֶׁ֥ר חָטָֽאנוּ׃
12Do not let her be like a stillborn child, coming from the womb with its flesh half wasted away."
אַל־נָ֥א תְהִ֖י כַּמֵּ֑ת אֲשֶׁ֤ר בְּצֵאתוֹ֙ מֵרֶ֣חֶם אִמּ֔וֹ וַיֵּאָכֵ֖ל חֲצִ֥י בְשָׂרֽוֹ׃
13So Moses cried out to the LORD, "Please, God, heal her!"
וַיִּצְעַ֣ק מֹשֶׁ֔ה אֶל־יְהוָ֖ה לֵאמֹ֑ר אֵ֕ל נָ֛א רְפָ֥א נָ֖א לָֽהּ׃ פ
14The LORD answered Moses, "If her father had spit in her face, would she not be in disgrace for seven days? Let her be confined outside the camp for seven days; after that she may be brought back in."
וַיֹּ֨אמֶר יְהוָ֜ה אֶל־מֹשֶׁ֗ה וְאָבִ֙יהָ֙ יָרֹ֤ק יָרַק֙ בְּפָנֶ֔יהָ הֲלֹ֥א תִכָּלֵ֖ם שִׁבְעַ֣ת יָמִ֑ים תִּסָּגֵ֞ר שִׁבְעַ֤ת יָמִים֙ מִח֣וּץ לַֽמַּחֲנֶ֔ה וְאַחַ֖ר תֵּאָסֵֽף׃
15So Miriam was confined outside the camp for seven days, and the people did not move on until she was brought back.
וַתִּסָּגֵ֥ר מִרְיָ֛ם מִח֥וּץ לַֽמַּחֲנֶ֖ה שִׁבְעַ֣ת יָמִ֑ים וְהָעָם֙ לֹ֣א נָסַ֔ע עַד־הֵאָסֵ֖ף מִרְיָֽם׃