Numbers 12:4-10 New English Translation

The Response of the Lord

⁴The Lord spoke immediately to Moses, Aaron, and Miriam: “The three of you come to the tent of meeting.” So the three of them went. ⁵And the Lord came down in a pillar of cloud and stood at the entrance of the tent; he then called Aaron and Miriam, and they both came forward.

⁶The Lord^[a] said, “Hear now my words: If there is a prophet among you,^[b] I the Lord^[c] will make myself known to him in a vision; I will speak with him in a dream. ⁷My servant^[d] Moses is not like this; he is faithful^[e] in all my house. ⁸With him I will speak face to face,^[f] openly^[g] and not in riddles, and he will see the form^[h] of the Lord. Why then were you not afraid to speak against my servant Moses?” ⁹The anger of the Lord burned against them, and he departed. ¹⁰After the cloud had departed^[i] from above the tent, there was^[j] Miriam, leprous^[k] like snow. Then Aaron turned toward Miriam, and realized^[l] that she was leprous.

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Footnotes

Numbers 12:6 tn Heb “he.”
Numbers 12:6 tn The form of this construction is rare: נְבִיאֲכֶם (n^eviʾakhem) would normally be rendered “your prophet.” The singular noun is suffixed with a plural pronominal suffix. Some commentators think the MT has condensed “a prophet” with “to you.”
Numbers 12:6 tn The Hebrew syntax is difficult here. “The Lord” is separated from the verb by two intervening prepositional phrases. Some scholars conclude that this word belongs with the verb at the beginning of v. 6 (“And the Lord spoke”).
Numbers 12:7 sn The title “my servant” or “servant of the Lord” is reserved in the Bible for distinguished personages, people who are truly spiritual leaders, like Moses, David, Hezekiah, and also the Messiah. Here it underscores Moses’ obedience.
Numbers 12:7 tn The word “faithful” is נֶאֱמָן (neʾeman), the Niphal participle of the verb אָמַן (ʾaman). This basic word has the sense of “support, be firm.” In the Niphal it describes something that is firm, reliable, dependable—what can be counted on. It could actually be translated “trustworthy.”
Numbers 12:8 tn The emphasis of the line is clear enough—it begins literally “mouth to mouth” I will speak with him. In human communication this would mean equality of rank, but Moses is certainly not equal in rank with the Lord. And yet God is here stating that Moses has an immediacy and directness with communication with God. It goes beyond the idea of friendship, almost to that of a king’s confidant.
Numbers 12:8 tn The word מַרְאֶה (marʾeh) refers to what is seen, a vision, an appearance. Here it would have the idea of that which is clearly visible, open, obvious.
Numbers 12:8 tn The word “form” (תְּמוּנָה, t^emunah) means “shape, image, form.” The Greek text took it metaphorically and rendered it “the glory of the Lord.” This line expresses even more the uniqueness of Moses. The elders saw God on one special occasion (Exod 24:10), and the people never (Deut 4:12, 15), but Moses has direct and familiar contact with God.
Numbers 12:10 tn The syntax, vav (ו) plus noun first, indicates a circumstantial clause. The translation treats the verb as a perfect. The form could also be a participle, “while it was departing.”
Numbers 12:10 tn The particle הִנֵּה (hinneh, “look, behold”) calls for or directs attention. Here it shifts the audience’s focus from the Lord leaving to Miriam’s condition.
Numbers 12:10 sn The word “leprosy” and “leprous” covers a wide variety of skin diseases, and need not be limited to the actual disease of leprosy known today as Hansen’s disease. The description of it here has to do with snow, either the whiteness or the wetness. If that is the case then there would be open wounds and sores—like Job’s illness (see M. Noth, Numbers [OTL], 95-96).
Numbers 12:10 tn This second use of הִנֵּה (hinneh, “look, behold”) portrays the perspective of Aaron. The first הִנֵּה directed the audience’s attention to Miriam. Now we watch Aaron come to realize the same thing, leading into his plea in the next verse.

New English Translation (NET)