Event · Exodus and Wilderness
Miriam and Aaron speak against Moses
Miriam and Aaron speak against MosesNumbers 12:1–1615th or 13th century BCE (debated)
Miriam and Aaron criticise Moses; the LORD defends him, and Miriam is struck with a skin disease until Moses prays for her.
- Main passage Numbers 12:1–16
Places named Hazeroth Numbers 12:16
- Place in the order
- Explicit biblical sequence Scripture itself gives the order of these events.
- Historical setting
- 15th or 13th century BCE (debated) Disputed date
1 Kings 6:1 counts 480 years from the exodus to Solomon's fourth year, which points to about 1446 BCE in the conventional chronology. Many scholars argue for the thirteenth century from archaeological evidence.
Proposals: About 1446 BCE (from 1 Kings 6:1); About 1260s BCE (archaeological arguments)
Read it
Numbers 12:1–16 WEB
1Miriam and Aaron spoke against Moses because of the Cushite woman whom he had married; for he had married a Cushite woman. 2They said, “Has the LORD indeed spoken only with Moses? Hasn’t he spoken also with us?” And the LORD heard it. 3Now the man Moses was very humble, more than all the men who were on the surface of the earth. 4The LORD spoke suddenly to Moses, to Aaron, and to Miriam, “You three come out to the Tent of Meeting!” The three of them came out. 5The LORD came down in a pillar of cloud, and stood at the door of the Tent, and called Aaron and Miriam; and they both came forward. 6He said, “Now hear my words. If there is a prophet among you, I, the LORD, will make myself known to him in a vision. I will speak with him in a dream. 7My servant Moses is not so. He is faithful in all my house. 8With him, I will speak mouth to mouth, even plainly, and not in riddles; and he shall see the LORD’s form. Why then were you not afraid to speak against my servant, against Moses?” 9The LORD’s anger burned against them; and he departed. 10The cloud departed from over the Tent; and behold, Miriam was leprous, as white as snow. Aaron looked at Miriam, and behold, she was leprous. 11Aaron said to Moses, “Oh, my lord, please don’t count this sin against us, in which we have done foolishly, and in which we have sinned. 12Let her not, I pray, be as one dead, of whom the flesh is half consumed when he comes out of his mother’s womb.” 13Moses cried to the LORD, saying, “Heal her, God, I beg you!” 14The LORD said to Moses, “If her father had but spit in her face, shouldn’t she be ashamed seven days? Let her be shut up outside of the camp seven days, and after that she shall be brought in again.” 15Miriam was shut up outside of the camp seven days, and the people didn’t travel until Miriam was brought in again. 16Afterward the people traveled from Hazeroth, and encamped in the wilderness of Paran.