Numbers 12:4-16 comments: Miriam is given leprosy for a week

 

Numbers 12:4 ¶  And the LORD spake suddenly unto Moses, and unto Aaron, and unto Miriam, Come 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 among you, I the LORD will make myself known unto him in a vision, and will speak unto him in a dream. 7  My servant Moses is not so, who is faithful in all mine house. 8  With him will I speak mouth to mouth, even apparently, and not in dark speeches; and the similitude of the LORD shall he behold: wherefore then were ye not afraid to speak against my servant Moses? 9  And the anger of the LORD was kindled against them; and he departed.

 

God wasted no time in addressing this issue created by Miriam and Aaron’s challenge to Moses. God’s reprimand is very clear here. Moses is special to God and He speaks to Moses directly, not in dreams or visions.

Numbers 12:10 ¶  And the cloud departed from off the tabernacle; and, behold, Miriam became leprous, white as snow: and Aaron looked upon Miriam, and, behold, she was leprous. 11  And Aaron said unto Moses, Alas, my lord, I beseech thee, lay not the sin upon us, wherein we have done foolishly, and wherein we have sinned. 12  Let her not be as one dead, of whom the flesh is half consumed when he cometh out of his mother’s womb. 13  And Moses cried unto the LORD, saying, Heal her now, O God, I beseech thee. 14  And the LORD said unto Moses, If her father had but spit in her face, should she not be ashamed seven days? let her be shut out from the camp seven days, and after that let her be received in again. 15  And Miriam was shut out from the camp seven days: and the people journeyed not till Miriam was brought in again. 16  And afterward the people removed from Hazeroth, and pitched in the wilderness of Paran.

 

Aaron pleads repentance for their foolishness and mercy for the sister of Moses and himself acknowledging Moses’ authority and unique relationship to God, restoring a balance, so to speak, or what should be. The sister who made it possible for Moses to be cared for by his mother while being taken in by the daughter of Pharaoh has challenged Moses’ authority. She was apparently the ringleader and instigator of the discontent. But Moses does not wish for anything bad to happen to his sister whom he loves and Aaron has pleaded for and he prays for her healing.

Abraham prayed for Abimelech’s healing in Genesis 20:17 and we are to do the same for those who wish to harm us.

Matthew 5:44  But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you;

 

Luke 6:28  Bless them that curse you, and pray for them which despitefully use you.

 

Moses sets an example for leaders, siblings, and spouses. His mercy, his love, and his humility give us pause.

To repeat what I said in Leviticus’ comments; “Leprosy in early modern English, the language of the King James era, included many malignant skin diseases. Neither the Hebrews of 3,000 BC nor the translators of the King James era of 1600 would have restricted it to what it is called today, Hansen’s Disease, named after the Norwegian doctor, Gerhard Hansen, who identified the bacterial agent that causes it in 1873. But, don’t read that back into the Bible. Leprosy would have been a much broader umbrella in 1611 as well as in the millennia before that. In the 1600s even Elephantiasis, caused by a parasite, was regarded as a type of Leprosy.”

Leprosy, whatever it is specifically, is visited upon Miriam. This will not be the last time someone is punished with leprosy. Gehazi is for lying in 2Kings, chapter 5 and King Uzziah for presuming on the priests’ office in 2Chronicles, chapter 26.

This illustration of leprosy is referenced again in Deuteronomy 24:8-9.

 

Deuteronomy 24:8  Take heed in the plague of leprosy, that thou observe diligently, and do according to all that the priests the Levites shall teach you: as I commanded them, so ye shall observe to do.9  Remember what the LORD thy God did unto Miriam by the way, after that ye were come forth out of Egypt.

 

The argument here against Moses was not that he was a bad leader but that he should not be the exclusive leader and this was prompted, this envy, by him taking another wife.

Here in verse 14 is a fascinating reference to a custom perhaps the Hebrews picked up in Egypt or developed there. Perhaps it came from the land of Canaan. But it was not ordered by God, merely referenced as the justification for the time He was going to give Miriam leprosy for her impertinence.

Again, Aaron gets away with something, it seems, starting with the golden calf that he said just popped out of the fire and then here. Possibly the loss of his two sons was enough of a pain and shame and the Lord spared him for that reason. But, guesswork and supposition of a preacher aside we really don’t know from the text.