New Living Translation
Numbers 12:6
6And the Lord said to them, “Now listen to what I say: “If there were prophets among you, I, the Lord, would reveal myself in visions. I would speak to them in dreams.
Numbers 12:6 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)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.
- New International Version (NIV)he said, “Listen to my words: “When there is a prophet among you, I, the Lord, reveal myself to them in visions, I speak to them in dreams.
- English Standard Version (ESV)And he said, "Hear my words: If there is a prophet among you, I the Lord make myself known to him in a vision; I speak with him in a dream.
- New King James Version (NKJV)Then He said, “Hear now My words: If there is a prophet among you, I, the Lord, make Myself known to him in a vision; I speak to him in a dream.
Context of Numbers 12:6
4So immediately the Lord called to Moses, Aaron, and Miriam and said, “Go out to the Tabernacle, all three of you!” So the three of them went to the Tabernacle. 5Then the Lord descended in the pillar of cloud and stood at the entrance of the Tabernacle. “Aaron and Miriam!” he called, and they stepped forward. And the Lord said to them, “Now listen to what I say: “If there were prophets among you, I, the Lord, would reveal myself in visions. I would speak to them in dreams. 7But not with my servant Moses. Of all my house, he is the one I trust. 8I speak to him face to face, clearly, and not in riddles! He sees the Lord as he is. So why were you not afraid to criticize my servant Moses?”
Read all of Numbers 12Numbers 12:6 word by word
וַיֹּ֖אמֶר שִׁמְעוּ־נָ֣א דְבָרָ֑י אִם־יִֽהְיֶה֙ נְבִ֣יאֲכֶ֔ם יְהוָ֗ה בַּמַּרְאָה֙ אֵלָ֣יו אֶתְוַדָּ֔ע בַּחֲל֖וֹם אֲדַבֶּר־בּֽוֹ׃Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- And he saidאָמַר'âmar · to sayH559
- Hearשָׁמַעshâma‛ · to hear: hearH8085
- now my wordsדָּבָרdâbâr · wordH1697
- If there be a prophetנָבִיאnâbîy' · prophetH5030
- the Lordיְהֹוָהyehôvâh · LORDH3068
- will make myself knownיָדַעyâda‛ · to knowH3045
- unto him in a visionמַרְאָהmar'âh · visionH4759
- will speakדָבַרdâbar · to speak: speakH1696
- unto him in a dreamחֲלוֹםchălôm chălôm · dreamH2472
Cross-references for Numbers 12:6
- Genesis 20:7Now return the woman to her husband, and he will pray for you, for he is a prophet. Then you will live. But if you don’t return her to him, you can be sure that you and all your people will die.”
- Exodus 7:1Then the Lord said to Moses, “Pay close attention to this. I will make you seem like God to Pharaoh, and your brother, Aaron, will be your prophet.
- Psalms 105:15“Do not touch my chosen people, and do not hurt my prophets.”
- Matthew 23:31“But in saying that, you testify against yourselves that you are indeed the descendants of those who murdered the prophets.
- Luke 20:6But if we say it was merely human, the people will stone us because they are convinced John was a prophet.”
- Ephesians 4:11Now these are the gifts Christ gave to the church: the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, and the pastors and teachers.
- Revelation 11:3And I will give power to my two witnesses, and they will be clothed in burlap and will prophesy during those 1,260 days.”
- Genesis 15:1Some time later, the Lord spoke to Abram in a vision and said to him, “Do not be afraid, Abram, for I will protect you, and your reward will be great.”
- Genesis 46:2During the night God spoke to him in a vision. “Jacob! Jacob!” he called. “Here I am,” Jacob replied.
- Job 4:13It came to me in a disturbing vision at night, when people are in a deep sleep.
- Job 33:15He speaks in dreams, in visions of the night, when deep sleep falls on people as they lie in their beds.
- Psalms 89:19Long ago you spoke in a vision to your faithful people. You said, “I have raised up a warrior. I have selected him from the common people to be king.
- Ezekiel 1:1On July 31 of my thirtieth year, while I was with the Judean exiles beside the Kebar River in Babylon, the heavens were opened and I saw visions of God.
- Daniel 8:2In this vision I was at the fortress of Susa, in the province of Elam, standing beside the Ulai River.
- Daniel 10:8So I was left there all alone to see this amazing vision. My strength left me, my face grew deathly pale, and I felt very weak.
- Luke 1:11While Zechariah was in the sanctuary, an angel of the Lord appeared to him, standing to the right of the incense altar.
Commentaries on Numbers 12:6
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 6If there be a prophet - We see here the different ways in which God usually made himself known to the prophets, viz., by visions - emblematic appearances, and by dreams, in which the future was announced by dark speeches, בחידת bechidoth, by enigmas or figurative representations, Numbers 12:8. But to Moses God had communicated himself in a different way - he spoke to him face to face, apparently, showing him his glory: not in dark or enigmatical speeches…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
- 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. 6-76-7. Hear now my words--A difference of degree is here distinctly expressed in the gifts and authority even of divinely commissioned prophets. Moses, having been set over all God's house, (that is, His church and people), was consequently invested with supremacy over Miriam and Aaron also and privileged beyond all others by direct and clear manifestations of the presence and will of God.Read the comment
Topics related to Numbers 12:6
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
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