Num 12:11-16 | NET2full | STEP | So Aaron said to Moses , “ O my lord , please do not hold this sin against us, in which we have acted foolishly and have sinned !

Numbers 12:11-16

The Intercession of Moses

11 So Aaron said to Moses, “O my lord, ^{▼▼tn The expression בִּי אֲדֹנִי (bi ʾadoni, “O my lord”) shows a good deal of respect for Moses by Aaron. The expression is often used in addressing God.} please do not hold this sin against us, in which we have acted foolishly and have sinned! 12 Do not let her be like a baby born dead, whose flesh is half consumed when it comes out of its ^{▼▼tc The words “its mother” and “its flesh” are among the so-called tiqqune sopherim, or “emendations of the scribes.” According to this tradition the text originally had here “our mother” and “our flesh,” but the ancient scribes changed these pronouns from the first person to the third person. Apparently they were concerned that the image of Moses’ mother giving birth to a baby with physical defects of the sort described here was somehow inappropriate, given the stature and importance of Moses.} mother’s womb!”

13 Then Moses cried to the Lord, “Heal her now, O God.” ^{▼▼tc Some scholars emend אֵל (ʾel, “God”) to עַל (ʿal, “no”). The effect of this change may be seen in the NAB: “Please, not this! Pray, heal her!”} 14 The Lord said to Moses, “If her father had only spit ^{▼▼tn The infinitive absolute strengthens the modality of the clause, here emphasizing the alternative condition.} in her face, would she not have been disgraced for seven days? Shut her out from the camp seven days, and afterward she can be brought back in again.”

15 So Miriam was shut outside of the camp for seven days, and the people did not journey on until Miriam was brought back in. ^{▼▼tn The clause has the Niphal infinitive construct after a temporal preposition.} 16 After that the people moved from Hazeroth and camped in the wilderness of Paran.