Berean Standard Bible
Numbers 12:14
14But the LORD answered Moses, “If her father had but spit in her face, would she not have been in disgrace for seven days? Let her be confined outside the camp for seven days; after that she may be brought back in.”
Numbers 12:14 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)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.
- New International Version (NIV)The Lord replied to Moses, “If her father had spit in her face, would she not have been in disgrace for seven days? Confine her outside the camp for seven days; after that she can be brought back.”
- English Standard Version (ESV)But the Lord said to Moses, "If her father had but spit in her face, should she not be shamed seven days? Let her be shut outside the camp seven days, and after that she may be brought in again."
- New King James Version (NKJV)Then the Lord said to Moses, “If her father had but spit in her face, would she not be shamed seven days? Let her be shut out of the camp seven days, and afterward she may be received again.”
Context of Numbers 12:14
12Please do not let her be like a stillborn infant whose flesh is half consumed when he comes out of his mother’s womb.” 13So Moses cried out to the LORD, “O God, please heal her!” But the LORD answered Moses, “If her father had but spit in her face, would she not have been in disgrace for seven days? Let her be confined outside the camp for seven days; after that she may be brought back in.” 15So Miriam was confined outside the camp for seven days, and the people did not move on until she was brought in again. 16After that, the people set out from Hazeroth and camped in the Wilderness of Paran.
Read all of Numbers 12Numbers 12:14 word by word
וַיֹּ֨אמֶר יְהוָ֜ה אֶל־מֹשֶׁ֗ה וְאָבִ֙יהָ֙ יָרֹ֤ק יָרַק֙ בְּפָנֶ֔יהָ הֲלֹ֥א תִכָּלֵ֖ם שִׁבְעַ֣ת יָמִ֑ים תִּסָּגֵ֞ר שִׁבְעַ֤ת יָמִים֙ מִח֣וּץ לַֽמַּחֲנֶ֔ה וְאַחַ֖ר תֵּאָסֵֽף׃Read the interlinear
- But the LORDיְהֹוָהyehôvâh · LORDH3068
- But the LORDאֶל'êl 'el · to(wards)H413
- answeredאָמַר'âmar · to sayH559
- Mosesמֹשֶׁהmôsheh · MosesH4872
- If her fatherאָב'âb · fatherH1
- had but spitיָרַקyâraq · to spitH3417
- in her faceפָּנֶהpânîym · faceH6440
- would she notלֹאlô' lô' lôh · notH3808
- have been in disgraceכָּלַםkâlam · be humiliatedH3637
- for sevenשֶׁ֫בַעsheba‛ shib‛âh · sevenH7651
- daysיוֹםyôm · dayH3117
- Let her be confinedסָגַרsâgar · to shutH5462
- outsideחוּץchûts chûts · outsideH2351
- the campמַחֲנֶהmachăneh · campH4264
- after thatאַחַר'achar · afterH310
- she may be brought back inאָסַף'âsaph · to gatherH622
Cross-references for Numbers 12:14
- Deuteronomy 25:9his brother’s widow shall go up to him in the presence of the elders, remove his sandal, spit in his face, and declare, “This is what is done to the man who will not maintain his brother’s line.”
- Job 30:10They abhor me and keep far from me; they do not hesitate to spit in my face.
- Isaiah 50:6I offered My back to those who struck Me, and My cheeks to those who tore out My beard. I did not hide My face from scorn and spittle.
- Matthew 26:67Then they spit in His face and struck Him. Others slapped Him
- Hebrews 12:9Furthermore, we have all had earthly fathers who disciplined us, and we respected them. Should we not much more submit to the Father of our spirits and live?
- Numbers 5:2“Command the Israelites to send away from the camp anyone with a skin disease, anyone who has a bodily discharge, and anyone who is defiled by a dead body.
- Leviticus 13:45A diseased person must wear torn clothes and let his hair hang loose, and he must cover his mouth and cry out, ‘Unclean, unclean!’
- Leviticus 14:8The one being cleansed must wash his clothes, shave off all his hair, and bathe with water; then he will be ceremonially clean. Afterward, he may enter the camp, but he must remain outside his tent for seven days.
- 2 Chronicles 26:20When Azariah the chief priest and all the priests turned to him and saw his leprous forehead, they rushed him out. Indeed, he himself hurried to get out, because the LORD had afflicted him.
Commentaries on Numbers 12:14
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 14If her father had but spit in her face - This appears to have been done only in cases of great provocation on the part of the child, and strong irritation on the side of the parent. Spitting in the face was a sign of the deepest contempt. See Job 30:10; Isaiah 50:6; Mark 14:65. In a case where a parent was obliged by the disobedient conduct of his child to treat him in this way, it appears he was banished from the father's presence for seven days. If then…Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 1-15Verses 1-15 Miriam, as a prophetess (compare Exodus 15:20-21) no less than as the sister of Moses and Aaron, took the first rank among the women of Israel; and Aaron may be regarded as the ecclesiastical head of the whole nation. But instead of being grateful for these high dignities they challenged the special vocation of Moses and the exclusive authority which God had assigned to him. Miriam was the instigator, from the fact that her name stands…Read the comment
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 10-16Verses 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…Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 14Miriam had to follow the usual steps to become ceremonially pure after a skin disease (5:2–4; Leviticus 13–14).Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 1414. her father had but spit in her face, should she not be ashamed seven days?--The Jews, in common with all people in the East, seem to have had an intense abhorrence of spitting, and for a parent to express his displeasure by doing so on the person of one of his children, or even on the ground in his presence, separated that child as unclean from society for seven days.Read the comment
Topics related to Numbers 12:14
In the dictionaries
Commentaries on Numbers 12
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
- Tyndale Open Study Notes
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
- Rashi on Tanakh
- Calvin’s Commentaries
- Keil & Delitzsch Commentary
- John Wesley’s Notes
- Darby Translation Notes
- Geneva Bible Translation Notes
- Kingcomments
- Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
- Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
- Scofield Reference Notes, 1917 Edition
- Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
- EGW Writings
Berean Standard Bible — © Berean Bible — CC0 / Public Domain
Commentaries