Numbers 12:10-15

Numbers 12:10-15

[10] And the cloud  departed  from off the tabernacle;  and, behold, Miriam  became leprous,  white as snow:  and Aaron  looked  upon Miriam,  and, behold, she was leprous.  [11] And Aaron  said  unto Moses,  Alas,  my lord,  I beseech thee, lay  not the sin  upon us, wherein we have done foolishly,  and wherein we have sinned.  [12] Let her not be as one dead,  of whom the flesh  is half  consumed  when he cometh out  of his mother's  womb.  [13] And Moses  cried  unto the LORD,  saying,  Heal  her now, O God,  I beseech thee. [14] And the LORD  said  unto Moses,  If her father  had but  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  [15] And Miriam  was shut  out  from the camp  seven  days:  and the people  journeyed  not till Miriam  was brought 

What does Numbers 12:10-15 Mean?

Contextual Meaning

The Lord punished Miriam for her dissatisfaction with her divinely appointed role in the nation. He punished her with leprosy, the disease that specially symbolized sin ( Leviticus 13-14). Frank Cross suggested that Miriam"s punishment of white, leprous skin was a divine response to her prejudice against her black sister-in-law. [1] All the Israelites probably identified her self-assertion as sin. Perhaps God did not smite Aaron because his involvement was not as great.
"In the present narrative, the sign of Moses" leadership was Miriam"s "leprosy, which was white as snow" ( Numbers 12:10). Similarly, one of the first signs given to vindicate God"s election of Moses as leader of his people was the sign of "leprosy, white as snow" ( Exodus 4:6). In the initial narratives dealing with the work of Moses, Moses himself doubted his calling and consequently became a leper. Here, however, it is Miriam who doubts and thus becomes a leper. We should also note that the other sign given to vindicate the role of Moses in the earlier narrative was the serpent that came from Moses" rod ( Exodus 4:3). So also here, when Moses" authority is further questioned by the people at the end of their time in the wilderness ( Numbers 21:5), God responds by sending serpents against them ( Numbers 21:6)." [2]
Moses interceded for Miriam at Aaron"s pleading. Ironically Aaron had wanted to be like Moses ( Numbers 12:2), but instead of being able to intercede directly with God as Moses did, Aaron had to appeal to Moses who interceded with God. [3] God again showed mercy. He removed Miriam"s leprosy but punished her with exclusion from the camp for seven days ( Leviticus 14:8). Spitting in the face ( Numbers 12:14) was an act of contempt for one who had done something despicable (cf. Deuteronomy 25:9; Job 17:6; Job 30:10). The people suffered too as a result of Miriam and Aaron"s rebellion. God halted their progress toward the Promised Land again ( Numbers 12:15; cf. Numbers 11:20).
"Aaron, on seeing the judgment of leprosy come upon his sister, beseeches Moses for mercy. There is surely in his prayer an implicit recognition of the different kind of authority that Moses had. Indeed, he is acknowledging that Moses possessed a power in intercession with God that he himself could not exercise, hence his appeal to his brother." [4]
"The purpose of this chapter, then, is to vindicate Moses" divinely given leadership and to brush aside any further suggestion that, because of the establishment of other forms of authority, the type of leadership epitomized in Moses was no longer valid." [5]