New Living Translation
Exodus 15:20
20Then Miriam the prophet, Aaron’s sister, took a tambourine and led all the women as they played their tambourines and danced.
Exodus 15:20 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)And Miriam the prophetess, the sister of Aaron, took a timbrel in her hand; and all the women went out after her with timbrels and with dances.
- New International Version (NIV)Then Miriam the prophet, Aaron’s sister, took a timbrel in her hand, and all the women followed her, with timbrels and dancing.
- English Standard Version (ESV)Then Miriam the prophetess, the sister of Aaron, took a tambourine in her hand, and all the women went out after her with tambourines and dancing.
- New King James Version (NKJV)Then Miriam the prophetess, the sister of Aaron, took the timbrel in her hand; and all the women went out after her with timbrels and with dances.
Context of Exodus 15:20
18The Lord will reign forever and ever!” 19When Pharaoh’s horses, chariots, and charioteers rushed into the sea, the Lord brought the water crashing down on them. But the people of Israel had walked through the middle of the sea on dry ground! Then Miriam the prophet, Aaron’s sister, took a tambourine and led all the women as they played their tambourines and danced. 21And Miriam sang this song: “Sing to the Lord, for he has triumphed gloriously; he has hurled both horse and rider into the sea.” 22Then Moses led the people of Israel away from the Red Sea, and they moved out into the desert of Shur. They traveled in this desert for three days without finding any water.
Read all of Exodus 15Exodus 15:20 word by word
וַתִּקַּח֩ מִרְיָ֨ם הַנְּבִיאָ֜ה אֲח֧וֹת אַהֲרֹ֛ן אֶת־הַתֹּ֖ף בְּיָדָ֑הּ וַתֵּצֶ֤אןָ כָֽל־הַנָּשִׁים֙ אַחֲרֶ֔יהָ בְּתֻפִּ֖ים וּבִמְחֹלֹֽת׃Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- And Miriamמִרְיָםmiryâm · MiriamH4813
- the prophetessנְבִיאָהnebîy'âh · prophetessH5031
- the sisterאָחוֹת'âchôth · sisterH269
- of Aaronאַהֲרֹן'ahărôn · AaronH175
- tookלָקַחlâqach · to take: takeH3947
- a timbrelתֹּףtôph · tambourineH8596
- in her handיָדyâd · handH3027
- and all the womenאִשָּׁה'ishshâh nâshîym · womanH802
- went outיָצָאyâtsâ' · to come out: comeH3318
- afterאַחַר'achar · afterH310
- and with dancesמְחוֹלָהmechôlâh · danceH4246
Cross-references for Exodus 15:20
- Judges 4:4Deborah, the wife of Lappidoth, was a prophet who was judging Israel at that time.
- 1 Samuel 10:5“When you arrive at Gibeah of God, where the garrison of the Philistines is located, you will meet a band of prophets coming down from the place of worship. They will be playing a harp, a tambourine, a flute, and a lyre, and they will be prophesying.
- 2 Kings 22:14So Hilkiah the priest, Ahikam, Acbor, Shaphan, and Asaiah went to the New Quarter of Jerusalem to consult with the prophet Huldah. She was the wife of Shallum son of Tikvah, son of Harhas, the keeper of the Temple wardrobe.
- Luke 2:36Anna, a prophet, was also there in the Temple. She was the daughter of Phanuel from the tribe of Asher, and she was very old. Her husband died when they had been married only seven years.
- Acts 21:9He had four unmarried daughters who had the gift of prophecy.
- 1 Corinthians 11:5But a woman dishonors her head if she prays or prophesies without a covering on her head, for this is the same as shaving her head.
- 1 Corinthians 14:34Women should be silent during the church meetings. It is not proper for them to speak. They should be submissive, just as the law says.
- Exodus 2:4The baby’s sister then stood at a distance, watching to see what would happen to him.
- Numbers 12:1While they were at Hazeroth, Miriam and Aaron criticized Moses because he had married a Cushite woman.
- Numbers 20:1In the first month of the year, the whole community of Israel arrived in the wilderness of Zin and camped at Kadesh. While they were there, Miriam died and was buried.
- Numbers 26:59and Amram’s wife was named Jochebed. She also was a descendant of Levi, born among the Levites in the land of Egypt. Amram and Jochebed became the parents of Aaron, Moses, and their sister, Miriam.
- Micah 6:4For I brought you out of Egypt and redeemed you from slavery. I sent Moses, Aaron, and Miriam to help you.
- Judges 11:34When Jephthah returned home to Mizpah, his daughter came out to meet him, playing on a tambourine and dancing for joy. She was his one and only child; he had no other sons or daughters.
- Judges 21:21When you see the young women of Shiloh come out for their dances, rush out from the vineyards, and each of you can take one of them home to the land of Benjamin to be your wife!
- 1 Samuel 18:6When the victorious Israelite army was returning home after David had killed the Philistine, women from all the towns of Israel came out to meet King Saul. They sang and danced for joy with tambourines and cymbals.
- 2 Samuel 6:5David and all the people of Israel were celebrating before the Lord, singing songs and playing all kinds of musical instruments—lyres, harps, tambourines, castanets, and cymbals.
Commentaries on Exodus 15:20
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 20And Miriam the prophetess - We have already seen that Miriam was older than either Moses or Aaron: for when Moses was exposed on the Nile, she was a young girl capable of managing the stratagem used for the preservation of his life; and then Aaron was only three years and three months old, for he was fourscore and three years old when Moses was but fourscore, (see Exodus 7:7;); so that Aaron was older than Moses, and Miriam considerably older than either…Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 20And Miriam the prophetess - The part here assigned to Miriam and the women of Israel is in accordance both with Egyptian and Hebrew customs. The men are represented as singing the hymn in chorus, under the guidance of Moses; at each interval Miriam and the women sang the refrain, marking the time with the timbrel, and with the measured rhythmical movements always associated with solemn festivities. Compare Judges 11:34; 2 Samuel 6:5, and marginal…Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 19-21In many ancient societies, men and women took part in ceremonies separately. Women often had special roles in songs of praise and in songs of mourning.Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 2020. Miriam the prophetess--so called from her receiving divine revelations (Nu 12:1; Mi 6:4), but in this instance principally from her being eminently skilled in music, and in this sense the word "prophecy" is sometimes used in Scripture (1Ch 25:1; 1Co 11:5). took a timbrel--or "tabret"--a musical instrument in the form of a hoop, edged round with rings or pieces of brass to make a jingling noise and covered over with tightened parchment like a drum. It…Read the comment
Topics related to Exodus 15:20
In the dictionaries
Commentaries on Exodus 15
- 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
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