Numbers 12:1

Numbers 12:1 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)And Miriam and Aaron spake against Moses because of the Ethiopian woman whom he had married: for he had married an Ethiopian woman.
• New International Version (NIV)Miriam and Aaron began to talk against Moses because of his Cushite wife, for he had married a Cushite.
• English Standard Version (ESV)Miriam and Aaron spoke against Moses because of the Cushite woman whom he had married, for he had married a Cushite woman.
• New King James Version (NKJV)Then Miriam and Aaron spoke against Moses because of the Ethiopian woman whom he had married; for he had married an Ethiopian woman.

Context of Numbers 12:1

While they were at Hazeroth, Miriam and Aaron criticized Moses because he had married a Cushite woman. 2They said, “Has the Lord spoken only through Moses? Hasn’t he spoken through us, too?” But the Lord heard them. 3(Now Moses was very humble—more humble than any other person on earth.)

Numbers 12:1 word by word

וַתְּדַבֵּ֨ר מִרְיָ֤ם וְאַהֲרֹן֙ בְּמֹשֶׁ֔ה עַל־אֹד֛וֹת הָאִשָּׁ֥ה הַכֻּשִׁ֖ית אֲשֶׁ֣ר לָקָ֑ח כִּֽי־אִשָּׁ֥ה כֻשִׁ֖ית לָקָֽח׃Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• And Miriamמִרְיָםmiryâm · MiriamH4813
• and Aaronאַהֲרֹן'ahărôn · AaronH175
• spakeדָבַרdâbar · to speak: speakH1696
• against Mosesמֹשֶׁהmôsheh · MosesH4872
• because ofאוֹדָה'ôdôth 'ôdôth · causeH182
• the Ethiopianכּוּשִׁיתkûshîyth · CushitessH3571
• womanאִשָּׁה'ishshâh nâshîym · womanH802
• whom he had marriedלָקַחlâqach · to take: marryH3947

Cross-references for Numbers 12:1

• Matthew 10:36Your enemies will be right in your own household!’
• Matthew 12:48Jesus asked, “Who is my mother? Who are my brothers?”
• John 7:5For even his brothers didn’t believe in him.
• John 15:20Do you remember what I told you? ‘A slave is not greater than the master.’ Since they persecuted me, naturally they will persecute you. And if they had listened to me, they would listen to you.
• Galatians 4:16Have I now become your enemy because I am telling you the truth?
• Exodus 2:16Now the priest of Midian had seven daughters who came as usual to draw water and fill the water troughs for their father’s flocks.
• Genesis 24:3Swear by the Lord, the God of heaven and earth, that you will not allow my son to marry one of these local Canaanite women.
• Genesis 26:34At the age of forty, Esau married two Hittite wives: Judith, the daughter of Beeri, and Basemath, the daughter of Elon.
• Genesis 27:46Then Rebekah said to Isaac, “I’m sick and tired of these local Hittite women! I would rather die than see Jacob marry one of them.”
• Genesis 28:6Esau knew that his father, Isaac, had blessed Jacob and sent him to Paddan-aram to find a wife, and that he had warned Jacob, “You must not marry a Canaanite woman.”
• Genesis 34:14They said to them, “We couldn’t possibly allow this, because you’re not circumcised. It would be a disgrace for our sister to marry a man like you!
• Genesis 41:45Then Pharaoh gave Joseph a new Egyptian name, Zaphenath-paneah. He also gave him a wife, whose name was Asenath. She was the daughter of Potiphera, the priest of On. So Joseph took charge of the entire land of Egypt.
• Exodus 34:16Then you will accept their daughters, who sacrifice to other gods, as wives for your sons. And they will seduce your sons to commit adultery against me by worshiping other gods.
• Leviticus 21:14He may not marry a widow, a woman who is divorced, or a woman who has defiled herself by prostitution. She must be a virgin from his own clan,

Commentaries on Numbers 12:1

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 1Miriam and Aaron spake against Moses - It appears that jealousy of the power and influence of Moses was the real cause of their complaint though his having married an Ethiopian woman-הכשית האשה haishshah haccushith - That Woman, the Cushite, probably meaning Zipporah, who was an Arab born in the land of Midian - was the ostensible cause.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. 1God rebukes the murmuring of Aaron and Miriam. (1-9) Miriam struck with leprosy, and healed at the prayer of Moses. (10-16) Verses 1-9 The patience of Moses was tried in his own family, as well as by the people. The pretence was, that he had married a foreign wife; but probably their pride was hurt, and their envy stirred up, by his superior authority. Opposition from our near relations, and from religious friends, is most painful. But this is to be…Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 1Most interpreters believe the Cushite woman is Zipporah, the wife of Moses. She was from Midian (Exodus 2:16–22). They see Cush as referring to Cushan, a region and people near Midian (Habakkuk 3:7). Other interpreters think Cushite refers to Kusi in northern Arabia, Ethiopia, or Sudan. This would suggest she was a different wife. In either case, it is possible that Miriam and Aaron disapproved of his having married a non-Israelite or that they were…Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 1-91. an Ethiopian woman--Hebrew, "a Cushite woman"--Arabia was usually called in Scripture the land of Cush, its inhabitants being descendants of that son of Ham (see on Ex 2:15) and being accounted generally a vile and contemptible race (see on Am 9:7). The occasion of this seditious outbreak on the part of Miriam and Aaron against Moses was the great change made in the government by the adoption of the seventy rulers [Nu 11:16]. Their irritating…Read the comment

Topics related to Numbers 12:1

• Aaron
• Citizens
• Envy
• Ethiopia
• Forgiveness
• Judgments
• Leprosy
• Minister, Christian
• Miscegenation
• Treason
• Zipporah

In the dictionaries

• Aaron
• Miriam
• Moses
• Ethiopian
• Ethiopia, Ethiopian
• Ethiopian woman
• Cushite
• Dedicate
• Exodus
• Hazeroth

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