Numbers 12:8

Numbers 12:8 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)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?
• New International Version (NIV)With him I speak face to face, clearly and not in riddles; he sees the form of the Lord. Why then were you not afraid to speak against my servant Moses?”
• English Standard Version (ESV)With him I speak mouth to mouth, clearly, and not in riddles, and he beholds the form of the Lord. Why then were you not afraid to speak against my servant Moses?"
• New King James Version (NKJV)I speak with him face to face, Even plainly, and not in dark sayings; And he sees the form of the Lord. Why then were you not afraid To speak against My servant Moses?”

Context of Numbers 12:8

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. 7It is not this way for My servant Moses; He is faithful in all My household; With him I speak mouth to mouth, That is, openly, and not using mysterious language, And he beholds the form of the Lord. So why were you not afraid To speak against My servant, against Moses?” 9And the anger of the Lord burned against them and He departed. 10But when the cloud had withdrawn from above the tent, behold, Miriam was leprous, as white as snow. As Aaron turned toward Miriam, behold, she was leprous.

Numbers 12:8 word by word

פֶּ֣ה אֶל־פֶּ֞ה אֲדַבֶּר־בּ֗וֹ וּמַרְאֶה֙ וְלֹ֣א בְחִידֹ֔ת וּתְמֻנַ֥ת יְהוָ֖ה יַבִּ֑יט וּמַדּ֙וּעַ֙ לֹ֣א יְרֵאתֶ֔ם לְדַבֵּ֖ר בְּעַבְדִּ֥י בְמֹשֶֽׁה׃Read the interlinear

• With him I speakדָבַרdâbar · to speak: speakH1696
• mouthפֶּהpeh · lipH6310
• That is, openlyמַרְאֶהmar'eh · appearanceH4758
• mysteriousחִידָהchîydâh · riddleH2420
• And he beholdsנָבַטnâbaţ · to lookH5027
• the formתְּמוּנָהtemûnâh temûnâh · likenessH8544
• of the Lordיְהֹוָהyehôvâh · LORDH3068
• So whyמַדּוּעַmaddûa‛ maddûa‛ · why?H4069
• you not afraidיָרֵאyârê' · to fearH3372
• against My servantעֶ֫בֶד‛ebed · servant/slaveH5650
• against Mosesמֹשֶׁהmôsheh · MosesH4872

Cross-references for Numbers 12:8

• Numbers 14:14and they will tell it to the inhabitants of this land. They have heard that You, Lord, are in the midst of this people, because You, Lord, are seen eye to eye, while Your cloud stands over them; and You go before them in a pillar of cloud by day, and in a pillar of fire by night.
• Exodus 33:11So the Lord used to speak to Moses face to face, just as a man speaks to his friend. When Moses returned to the camp, his servant Joshua, the son of Nun, a young man, would not depart from the tent.
• Deuteronomy 34:10Since that time no prophet has risen in Israel like Moses, whom the Lord knew face to face,
• 1 Timothy 6:16who alone possesses immortality and dwells in unapproachable light, whom no one has seen or can see. To Him be honor and eternal dominion! Amen.
• Psalms 49:4I will incline my ear to a proverb; I will express my riddle on the harp.
• Ezekiel 17:2“Son of man, ask a riddle and present a parable to the house of Israel,
• Ezekiel 20:49Then I said, “Oh, Lord God! They are saying of me, ‘Is he not just speaking in riddles?’”
• Matthew 13:34All these things Jesus spoke to the crowds in parables, and He did not speak anything to them without a parable.
• John 15:15No longer do I call you slaves, for the slave does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, because all things that I have heard from My Father I have made known to you.
• 1 Corinthians 13:12For now we see in a mirror dimly, but then face to face; now I know in part, but then I will know fully, just as I also have been fully known.
• Exodus 24:10and they saw the God of Israel; and under His feet there appeared to be a pavement of sapphire, as clear as the sky itself.
• Exodus 33:19And He said, “I Myself will make all My goodness pass before you, and will proclaim the name of the Lord before you; and I will be gracious to whom I will be gracious, and will show compassion to whom I will show compassion.”
• Exodus 34:5And the Lord descended in the cloud and stood there with him as he called upon the name of the Lord.
• Deuteronomy 4:15“So be very careful yourselves, since you did not see any form on the day the Lord spoke to you at Horeb from the midst of the fire,
• Isaiah 40:18To whom then will you liken God? Or what likeness will you compare with Him?
• Isaiah 46:5“To whom would you liken Me And make Me equal, and compare Me, That we would be alike?

Commentaries on Numbers 12:8

• 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
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 6-8The Lord trusted Moses, leading to a close relationship. God communicated with prophets through visions and dreams, but he spoke to Moses face to face (literally mouth to mouth; see Exodus 33:8–11, 18–23; Deuteronomy 34:10).Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 88. with him will I speak mouth to mouth--immediately, not by an interpreter, nor by visionary symbols presented to his fancy. apparently--plainly and surely. not in dark speeches--parables or similitudes. the similitude of the Lord shall he behold--not the face or essence of God, who is invisible (Ex 33:20; Col 1:15; Joh 1:18); but some unmistakable evidence of His glorious presence (Ex 33:2; 34:5). The latter clause should have been conjoined with the…Read the comment

Topics related to Numbers 12:8

• Ambition
• Citizens
• Communion
• Envy
• Forgiveness
• Judgments
• Leprosy
• Minister, Christian
• Moses
• Prophets
• Tabernacle
• Treason

In the dictionaries

• Moses
• Aaron
• Communion
• Dedicate
• Exodus
• Hazeroth
• Meek
• Prophet
• Proverb
• Agrapha

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