"MIRIAM THE PROPHETESS, THE SISTER OF AARON" (EXODUS 15:20) · EXODUS & WILDERNESS

Miriam. Led the women’s song at the sea; Micah names her with Moses and Aaron as sent before the people.

SCRIPTURE CALLS

Prophetess

ERA

Exodus & wilderness c. 1450–1400 BC

IN THE DAYS OF

Moses

BOOK

None bears the name

HOW THE WORD CAME

Exodus calls her "the prophetess" when she takes a timbrel and the women go out after her "with timbrels and with dances".

THE CALL

How the word came

  • Exodus calls her "the prophetess" when she takes a timbrel and the women go out after her "with timbrels and with dances". Exodus 15:20
  • She and Aaron claimed that the LORD had spoken "also by us". The LORD’s answer said that to a prophet he makes himself known "in a vision" and speaks "in a dream", but with Moses "mouth to mouth". Numbers 12:2 Numbers 12:6–8
  • From the textScripture names this Miriam in twelve verses (Exodus 15:20–21; Numbers 12:1, 4, 5, 10, 15; 20:1; 26:59; Deuteronomy 24:9; 1 Chronicles 6:3; Micah 6:4). The only words of hers it records are the refrain at the sea and the question she and Aaron asked in Numbers 12:2. Exodus 15:20–21 Numbers 12:1–15 Numbers 20:1 Numbers 26:59 Deuteronomy 24:9 1 Chronicles 6:3 +1 more

BEFORE THE KINGS

Before Moses

LEADER OF ISRAEL, LAWGIVER AND PROPHET

Moses

“Heal her now, O God, I beseech thee.”

Numbers 12:13 (KJV) →

THE MESSAGE

The word in its main themes

The song at the sea

“Sing ye to the LORD, for he hath triumphed gloriously; the horse and his rider hath he thrown into the sea.”

Exodus 15:21 (KJV) →

THE WORD TO …

To whom the word was spoken

TO THOSE WHO SANG AT THE SEA

“And Miriam answered them, Sing ye to the LORD”

Exodus 15:21 (KJV) →

TO MOSES (WITH AARON)

“Hath the LORD indeed spoken only by Moses? hath he not spoken also by us?”

Numbers 12:2 (KJV) →

SIGNS

Signs and wonders

SIGN

Leprous, white as snow

COMPANIONS AND OPPONENTS

Who stood with her, and against her

Moses

Aaron

HOW THE STORY ENDS

Scripture says, tradition says

SCRIPTURE SAYS

  • "The people abode in Kadesh; and Miriam died there, and was buried there." Numbers 20:1
  • Micah remembers her with her brothers as sent by the LORD: "I sent before thee Moses, Aaron, and Miriam." Micah 6:4

TRADITION SAYS

No tradition is recorded here.

OPEN QUESTIONS

Where readers have differed

For her gift of song and music

Rosenmüller, as reported by Keil (1872)

Keil reports Rosenmüller’s view that the title was given "ob poeticam et musicam facultatem", that is, for her poetic and musical gift.[3]

For a prophetic gift

Keil (1872)

Keil holds she was called the prophetess "because of her prophetic gift", which, he says, "may serve to explain her subsequent opposition to Moses". He reads "the sister of Aaron" as marking her place beside Aaron, below Moses.[3]

IN SCRIPTURE

Every passage

CHAPTERS · 8

Exodus 2 Exodus 15 Numbers 12 Numbers 20 Numbers 26 Deuteronomy 24 1 Chronicles 6 Micah 6

PASSAGES · 8

Exodus 2:4–8 Exodus 15:20–21 Numbers 12:1–16 Numbers 20:1 Numbers 26:59 Deuteronomy 24:9 1 Chronicles 6:3 Micah 6:4

WHAT SCRIPTURE DOES NOT SAY

  • Scripture gives no account of how the word first came to Miriam, and records no prophecy of hers about the future.
  • Exodus 15:20 calls her "the sister of Aaron"; Moses is not named in that verse.
  • Scripture does not say whom she married or whether she had children.
  • Numbers does not say why Miriam was struck and Aaron was not.

SOURCES

Where this page comes from

  • C. F. Keil and F. Delitzsch, tr. James Martin, Biblical Commentary on the Old Testament: The Pentateuch, vol. 1 (Genesis; Exodus 1–11) (1864), pp. 451–452 (Exodus 4:14–16).
  • C. F. Keil and F. Delitzsch, tr. James Martin, Biblical Commentary on the Old Testament: The Pentateuch, vol. 1 (Genesis; Exodus 1–11) (1864), p. 472 (Exodus 6:28–7:7).
  • C. F. Keil and F. Delitzsch, tr. James Martin, Biblical Commentary on the Old Testament: The Pentateuch, vol. 2 (1872 printing) (1872), p. 56 (Exodus 15:19–21).
  • C. F. Keil and F. Delitzsch, tr. James Martin, Biblical Commentary on the Old Testament: The Pentateuch, vol. 3 (1871 printing) (1871), pp. 70–71 (Numbers 11:24–30).
  • C. F. Keil and F. Delitzsch, tr. James Martin, Biblical Commentary on the Old Testament: The Pentateuch, vol. 3 (1871 printing) (1871), pp. 75–76 (Numbers 12:1–3).
  • C. F. Keil and F. Delitzsch, tr. James Martin, Biblical Commentary on the Old Testament: The Pentateuch, vol. 3 (1871 printing) (1871), p. 136 (Numbers 20:22–29); pp. 244–245 (Numbers 33:30–33 and Deuteronomy 10:6).
  • C. F. Keil and F. Delitzsch, tr. James Martin, Biblical Commentary on the Old Testament: The Pentateuch, vol. 3 (1871 printing) (1871), pp. 158–161 (Balaam and his prophecies, introduction).
  • C. F. Keil and F. Delitzsch, tr. James Martin, Biblical Commentary on the Old Testament: The Pentateuch, vol. 3 (1871 printing) (1871), p. 165 (Numbers 22:5).
  • C. F. Keil and F. Delitzsch, tr. James Martin, Biblical Commentary on the Old Testament: The Pentateuch, vol. 3 (1871 printing) (1871), pp. 168–169 (Numbers 22:20–22).
  • C. F. Keil and F. Delitzsch, tr. James Martin, Biblical Commentary on the Old Testament: The Pentateuch, vol. 3 (1871 printing) (1871), pp. 192–194 (Numbers 24:17–18).
  • C. F. Keil and F. Delitzsch, tr. James Martin, Biblical Commentary on the Old Testament: The Pentateuch, vol. 3 (1871 printing) (1871), pp. 394–396 (Deuteronomy 18:15–19).
  • C. F. Keil and F. Delitzsch, tr. James Martin, Biblical Commentary on the Old Testament: The Pentateuch, vol. 3 (1871 printing) (1871), p. 492 (Deuteronomy 32:48–52); pp. 517–518 (Concluding remarks on the composition of the Pentateuch).
  • C. F. Keil and F. Delitzsch, tr. James Martin, Biblical Commentary on the Old Testament: Joshua, Judges, Ruth (1872 printing of the 1865 translation) (1872), p. 308 (Judges 5:1).
  • George Foot Moore, A Critical and Exegetical Commentary on Judges (International Critical Commentary) (1895), pp. 130–132 (Judges 5, the date and author of the song).
  • George Buchanan Gray, A Critical and Exegetical Commentary on Numbers (International Critical Commentary) (1903), p. xlvi (Introduction §15).
  • George Buchanan Gray, A Critical and Exegetical Commentary on Numbers (International Critical Commentary) (1903), pp. 113–115 (Numbers 11:25–29).
  • George Buchanan Gray, A Critical and Exegetical Commentary on Numbers (International Critical Commentary) (1903), pp. 120–121 (Numbers 12:1).
  • George Buchanan Gray, A Critical and Exegetical Commentary on Numbers (International Critical Commentary) (1903), pp. 325–326 (Numbers 22:5).
  • George Buchanan Gray, A Critical and Exegetical Commentary on Numbers (International Critical Commentary) (1903), pp. 332–333 (Numbers 22:22).
  • George Buchanan Gray, A Critical and Exegetical Commentary on Numbers (International Critical Commentary) (1903), pp. 369–371 (Numbers 24:17–18).
  • S. R. Driver, A Critical and Exegetical Commentary on Deuteronomy (International Critical Commentary) (1895), p. xxvii (Introduction §3) and pp. xlv–xlvi (Introduction §4, the date of Deuteronomy).
  • S. R. Driver, A Critical and Exegetical Commentary on Deuteronomy (International Critical Commentary) (1895), pp. 119–120 (Deuteronomy 10:6–7).
  • S. R. Driver, A Critical and Exegetical Commentary on Deuteronomy (International Critical Commentary) (1895), pp. 228–229 (Deuteronomy 18:15–19).
  • A. F. Kirkpatrick, The First Book of Samuel (Cambridge Bible for Schools) (1884), Introduction, ch. I, §§2–4 (the title, the author and the sources).
  • A. F. Kirkpatrick, The First Book of Samuel (Cambridge Bible for Schools) (1884), p. 219 (note on 28:11) and Appendix, Note VIII, pp. 244–245.
  • Origen, tr. Frederick Crombie, Against Celsus, book 1 (Ante-Nicene Fathers, vol. 4) (1885), 1.59–60.
  • Origen, tr. Frederick Crombie, De Principiis (On First Principles), book 3 (Ante-Nicene Fathers, vol. 4) (1885), 3.2.1.
  • Tertullian, tr. Peter Holmes, A Treatise on the Soul (Ante-Nicene Fathers, vol. 3) (1885), ch. 57.
  • Jerome, tr. W. H. Fremantle, G. Lewis and W. G. Martley, Against Vigilantius (Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, Second Series, vol. 6) (1893), ch. 5.
  • J. B. Lightfoot and J. R. Harmer (eds. and trs.), The Apostolic Fathers (one-volume edition): The Shepherd of Hermas (1891), introduction, pp. 293–294; Vision 2.3, p. 409.

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