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Pentateuch · WORLD ENGLISH BIBLE

Numbers 12

Israel's wilderness journey, rebellion, divine faithfulness, and preparation for the land.

Old Testament

Numbers 12

1Miriam and Aaron spoke against Moses because of the Cushite woman whom he had married; for he had married a Cushite woman.

2They said, “Has the LORD indeed spoken only with Moses? Hasn’t he spoken also with us?” And the LORD heard it.

3Now the man Moses was very humble, more than all the men who were on the surface of the earth.

4The LORD spoke suddenly to Moses, to Aaron, and to Miriam, “You three come out to the Tent of Meeting!” The three of them came out.

5The LORD came down in a pillar of cloud, and stood at the door of the Tent, and called Aaron and Miriam; and they both came forward.

6He said, “Now hear my words. If there is a prophet among you, I, the LORD, will make myself known to him in a vision. I will speak with him in a dream.

7My servant Moses is not so. He is faithful in all my house.

8With him, I will speak mouth to mouth, even plainly, and not in riddles; and he shall see the LORD’s form. Why then were you not afraid to speak against my servant, against Moses?”

9The LORD’s anger burned against them; and he departed.

10The cloud departed from over the Tent; and behold, Miriam was leprous, as white as snow. Aaron looked at Miriam, and behold, she was leprous.

11Aaron said to Moses, “Oh, my lord, please don’t count this sin against us, in which we have done foolishly, and in which we have sinned.

12Let her not, I pray, be as one dead, of whom the flesh is half consumed when he comes out of his mother’s womb.”

13Moses cried to the LORD, saying, “Heal her, God, I beg you!”

14The LORD said to Moses, “If her father had but spit in her face, shouldn’t she be ashamed seven days? Let her be shut up outside of the camp seven days, and after that she shall be brought in again.”

15Miriam was shut up outside of the camp seven days, and the people didn’t travel until Miriam was brought in again.

16Afterward the people traveled from Hazeroth, and encamped in the wilderness of Paran.

READ IN CONTEXT

Before applying this chapter

Israel's wilderness journey, rebellion, divine faithfulness, and preparation for the land. Read Numbers 12 within the complete Numbers overview, and use the contextual Bible reading guide before forming a personal application. Chapter divisions aid navigation, but the literary unit may begin earlier or continue into the next chapter.

Observe first

Mark repeated words, changes of speaker, commands, promises, contrasts, questions, and the relationship between paragraphs.

Apply responsibly

Distinguish description from command and immediate audience from later readers before forming a personal application.

TEXT-DERIVED READING NOTES

What to notice in Numbers 12

Numbers 12 contains 16 verses and about 356 words in this translation. These observations come from the chapter itself; they are prompts for close reading, not claims about its only possible meaning.

The opening movement

Verse 1 begins: “Miriam and Aaron spoke against Moses because of the Cushite woman whom he had married; for he had married a Cushite woman.” Ask what situation, voice, image, or argument this opening establishes for everything that follows.

The closing movement

Verse 16 closes: “Afterward the people traveled from Hazeroth, and encamped in the wilderness of Paran.” Compare the ending with the opening and note what changed, resolved, intensified, or remained open.

Vocabulary worth tracing

Recurring or prominent content words include moses, miriam, aaron, tent, will, speak. Follow where each word appears and whether its meaning shifts with the speaker or setting.

COMMON QUESTIONS

About Numbers 12

Which Bible translation is shown here?+

This page reproduces the World English Bible Protestant edition (WEBP), a modern-English translation dedicated to the public domain.

How should I cite a specific verse?+

Use the book, chapter, and verse—for example, Numbers 12:1—and name the World English Bible if the wording matters. Each verse number above is a direct anchor link.

Does the chapter number define the complete literary unit?+

Not always. Chapter and verse numbers were added for navigation. Check the paragraphs, scenes, poetic stanzas, or argument before and after this chapter.

A SMALL NEXT STEP

You do not have to have everything figured out.

Begin with one honest question, one passage read carefully, and one faithful next step.

Start with prayer