A Help for the Understanding of the Holy Scriptures, Numbers · Chapter 12
CHAP. XII.
Verſ. 1. ANd Miriam and Aaron ſpake againſt Moſes becauſe of the Ethiopian woman, &c.]
Miriam is here named firſt, and that, as it may be probably conceived, becauſe ſhe it was that began the quarrell, and Aaron was ſtirred up by her; and therefore alſo afterwards we ſee that ſhe onelyonly, not Aaron, was …tricken with leproſie. However by the providence of God doubtleſſe it was (the better to clear it that Moſes was exalted by Gods ſpeciall favour, not by any compa…t amongſt themſelves) that his own brother and ſiſter did thus riſe up againſt him. What the ground or occaſion of that quarrell was may ſeem queſtionable: onelyonly thus much is more then probable, firſt, that one main ground of their quarrell was their envy at the preheminence of Moſes above them, as appears by that their expoſtulation, verſ. 2. Hath the Lord indeed ſpoken onelyonly by Moſes? Hath he not ſpoken alſo by us? Becauſe Miriam was a propheteſſe, Exod. 15. 20. and Aaron the high prieſt, and imployed by God together with Moſes in fetching the Iſraelites out of Egypt, therefore they grudged that the ſupreme power of government ſhould be ſolely in Moſes. And perhaps this envy was newly ſtirred in Miriam, becauſe ſhe being a propheteſſe was not one of thoſe ſeventy, of whom mention is made in the foregoing chapter, that were choſen to be aſſiſtants to Moſes in the government of the people. And ſecondly, that whatever was the cauſe of this their quarrell againſt Moſes, yet the onelyonly cauſe they alledged was that he had married an Ethiopian woman or a Cuſhite (as it is in the margin) not one of Abrahams holy ſtock: and this was doubtleſſe no other but Zipporah the Midianiteſſe; for of her death we reade not, and ordinarily in the Scriptu…es the Midianites and other neighbouring nations that inhabited Arabia, Cuſh his land, are called Cuſhites or Ethiopians, as Hab. 3. 7. I ſaw the tents of Cuſhan (or Ethiopia) in affliction, and the curtains of the land of Midian did tremble.
Verſ. 2. Hath the Lord indeed spoken onelyonly by Moſes? hath he not spoken alſo by us?]
That is, have not we the gift of prophecy as well as he, and what reaſon then that he ſhould be all in all who hath matched himſelf to one that is a ſtranger to the holy ſeed of Iſrael?
Verſ. 3. Now the man Moſes was very meek, &c.]
Implying that firſt, he had given them no cauſe thus to quarrell with him; and ſecondly, that he was now content to ſwallow theſe affronts patiently, and made no complaint, but the Lord took his cauſe in hand. Nor is it ſtrange that Moſes ſhould thus commend himſelf, if we conſider that he did it by the immediate inſpiration of the holy Ghoſt, that his meekneſſe might be a pattern for the Church in all ages (and therefore elſewhere we ſee alſo that he relates his ſinnes and weakneſſes) and thus alſo doth S. Paul ſpeak of himſelf, as 1. Cor. 11. 1. Be ye followers of me, even as I alſo am of Chriſt, and 2. Cor. 11. and 12. But withall it may be held without wronging the authority of Moſes writings, that here and there by Joſhua, or ſome other of the prophets after him, ſome paſſages were inſerted, which Moſes himſelf wrote not, ſuch as that, Deut. 34. concerning the death and buriall of Moſes.
Verſ. 5. And the Lord came down in the pillar of the cloud, and ſ…ood in the doore of the tabernacle, and called Aaron and Miriam.)
Before God had commanded Moſes and Aaron and Miriam, verſ. 4. to come all three together to the tabernacle of the congregation, where being all three together, and the cloud being withall deſcended to the doore of the tabernacle, the Lord now from thence calls to Aaron and Miriam to ſtand forth, both becauſe he was now particularly to ſpeak to them, and not to Moſes, as alſo that this ſeparating them from Moſes might intimate their folly in going about to make themſelves equall with him.
Verſ. 7. My ſervant Moſes is not ſo, &c.]
That is, I do not make known my will to him ſo as to other prophets, in dreams and viſions, but with him will I ſpeak mouth to mouth, even apparently and not in dark ſpeeches, and the ſimilitude of the Lord ſhall he behold. But what is the meaning of this? doubtleſſe God is inviſible. Col. 1. 15. No man hath ſeen God at any time, John 1. 18. nor can ſee him, 1. Tim. 6. 16. It is not poſſible for any mortall creature to behold the very eſſence of God, as he is in himſelf: even Moſes himſelf could not ſo ſee the face of God, Exod. 33. 20. Thou canst not ſee my face (ſaith the Lord to Mo…es) for there ſhall no man ſee me and live: and ſecondly, neither could there be at any time preſented to Moſes any ſimilitude or likeneſſe of Gods eſſence and being; for no materiall viſible thing can be a repreſentation of the ſpiritall and inviſible eſſence of God, To whom willye liken God, or what likeneſſe will ye compare unto him? ſaith the prophet. Eſa. 40. 18. that therefore which is ſaid here concerning the priviledge of Moſes above all preſent and ſucceeding prophets, conſiſts in two things: firſt, that God manifeſted not his will to Moſes in d…eams and viſions, as to other prophets, in both which they had onelyonly imaginary repreſentations ſet before the eye of their minds, but that he ſpake to him with an audible voice out of the cloud and out of the tabernacle, and that he did oftentimes appear to him in a viſible ſhape, and ſpake to him in a familiar manner, mouth to mouth, as one friend ſhould ſpeak to another, and had at times diſcovered to him more of his glory then ever he did to the eye of mortall man, as we ſee in that ſtory of his ſeeing Gods back-parts, Exod. 33. 20. And then ſecondly, that when he ſpake to him, he did not make known his mind to him in obſcure figurative expreſſions, as he did to the prophets, as when he told Ezekiel of a great eagle with great wings, &c. Ezek. 17. 3. but plainly and clearly, apparently and not in dark ſpeeches, as it is here expreſſed.
Verſ. 9. And the anger of the Lord was kindled againſt them, and he departed.]
Not abiding their anſwer, which was a ſigne of great diſpleaſure. Now this departing of the Lord w…s by removing the ſigne of his preſence, the cloud, out of which he had ſpoken to them, as it is explained in the following words, verſ. 10. And the cloud departed from off the tabernacle. Nor yet did the cloud remove away from the tabernacle (for when it did ſo, that was a ſigne that the people were to remove) but it removed from the doore of the tabernacle whither it did uſually deſcend when God meant to ſpeak unto them, and ſo riſing up did hang over the tabernacle as at other times.
Verſ. 10. And behold Miriam became leprous white as ſnow.]
Though Aa…on joyned with Miriam in ſpeaking againſt Moſes, yet onelyonly Miriam was puniſhed, 1. becauſe ſhe began the quarrel; and 2. becauſe he was the high prieſt, and ſo the Lord would not ſtrike him with leproſie, leſt in his diſhonour the prieſthood ſhould ſuffer, but choſe rather to puniſh him in his ſiſter. As for the leproſie wherewith Miriam was ſtricken, it did well anſwer her ſinne, a virulent, envious, murmuring tongue being like a fretting leproſie that ſpreads where it comes, if it be not prevented to the infe…tion of many. And indeed how memorable a thing this was, we may ſee by the Lords putting them in mind afterwards of it, Deut. 24. 9. Remember what the Lord thy God did unto Miriam by the way, after that ye were come forth out of Egypt.
Verſ. 12. Let her not be as one dead, &c.]
Miriam ſtricken with this white leproſie was like a child▪ that hath been ſometime dead in the wombe, when it comes into the world; the fleſh of ſuch a child will be white, putrified as if it were ſodden, and half conſumed, and ſo was Miriams. And though ſhe were ſtill alive, yet as one dead ſhe was to be carried out from the communion of the Church, as one that muſt needs defile all that touched her, Numb. 5. 2. Command the children of Iſrael that they put out of the camp every leper; and beſides, this fretting plague would in the end have utterly conſumed and killed her, if God had not healed her.
Verſ. 14. And the Lord ſaid unto Moſes, If her father had but ſpit in her face, ſhould ſ…e not be aſhamed ſeven dayes? &c.]
God having immediately heard the prayer of Moſes, and healed her, gives order notwithſtanding that ſhe ſhould be ſhut out ſeven dayes from the camp. Indeed other lepers being cleanſed were yet ſhut up by themſelves ſeven dayes, but it was in the camp, Lev. 14. 8. And he that is to be cleanſed, ſhall waſh his clothes, and ſhave off all his hair, and waſh himſelf in water that he may be clean: and after that he ſhall come into the camp, and ſhall tarry abroad out of his tent ſeven dayes. But, ſayes the Lord, if her earthly father had in great diſpleaſure ſpit in her face, ſhe would have been aſhamed to ſhew her face for a time; and therefore much more is it fit in this cauſe, both as an expreſſion of her ſhame and ſorrow for that ſhe had done; and that his ſecluding her from others may be a reall inſtruction to all the people▪ that he would have them take heed of being corrupted with the ſame ſinne: now this expreſſion of ſpitting in her face God uſeth, becauſe ſpitting is a ſigne of anger, ſhame, and contempt. Job 30. 10. They abhorre me, they flee farre from me, and ſpare not to ſpit in my face. Iſa. 50. 6. I hid not my face from ſhame and ſpitting; and God by this puniſhment had ſhown his anger againſt her, and had poured ſhame and contempt upon her.
Verſ. 15. And the people journeyed not till Miriam was brought in again.]
But ſtayed mourning for her, which was a ſpeciall honour unto Miriam above other lepers, for whom the people ſtayed not, Numb. 5. 2, 4. Command the children of Iſrael that they put out of the camp every leper, &c. And the children of Iſrael did ſo, and put them out without the camp.
Verſ. 16. And afterwards the people removed from Haxeroth, and pitched in the wilderneſſe of Paran.]
Which I conceive to be all one as if he had ſaid, and pitched again in another place▪ but ſtill in the wilderneſſe of Paran (for that they came not now firſt into that wilderneſſe is evident, becauſe it is ſaid before, chap. 10. 12. And the children of Iſrael took their ioxrneys out of the wilderneſſe of Sinai, and the cloud reſted in the wilderneſſe of Paran) and the place where they pitched in this wilderneſſe is called Rithmah, chap. 33. 18. and Kadeſh-Barnea, chap. 13. 26. Deut. 1. 19. which was cloſe upon the borders of the land of Canaan.