SEV Biblia, Chapter 12:14
Respondió el SEÑOR a Moisés: Pues si su padre hubiera escupido en su cara, ¿no se avergonzaría por siete días? Sea echada fuera del campamento por siete días, y después se reunirá.
Clarke's Bible Commentary - Numbers 12:14
Verse 14. If her father had but spit in her face] This appears to have been done only in cases of great provocation on the part of the child, and strong irritation on the side of the parent. Spitting in the face was a sign of the deepest contempt. See Job xxx. 10; Isaiah l. 6; Mark xiv. 65. In a case where a parent was obliged by the disobedient conduct of his child to treat him in this way, it appears he was banished from the father's presence for seven days. If then this was an allowed and judged case in matters of high provocation on the part of a child, should not the punishment be equally severe where the creature has rebelled against the Creator? Therefore Miriam was shut out of the camp for seven days, and thus debarred from coming into the presence of God her father, who is represented as dwelling among the people. To a soul who knows the value and inexpressible blessedness of communion with God, how intolerable must seven days of spiritual darkness be! But how indescribably wretched must their case be who are cast out into outer darkness, where the light of God no more shines, and where his approbation can no more be felt for ever! Reader, God save thee from so great a curse! Several of the fathers suppose there is a great mystery hidden in the quarrel of Miriam and Aaron with Moses and Zipporah. Origen (and after him several others) speaks of it in the following manner:- "1. Zipporah, a Cushite espoused by Moses, evidently points out the choice which Jesus Christ has made of the Gentiles for his spouse and Church. 2. The jealousy of Aaron and Miriam against Moses and Zipporah signifies the hatred and envy of the Jews against Christ and the apostles, when they saw that the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven had been opened to the Gentiles, of which they had rendered themselves unworthy. 3. The leprosy with which Miriam was smitten shows the gross ignorance of the Jews, and the ruinous, disordered state of their religion, in which there is neither a head, a temple, nor a sacrifice. 4. Of none hut Jesus Christ can it be said that he was the most meek and patient of men; that he saw God face to face; that he had every thing clearly revealed without enigmatical representations; and that he was faithful in all the house of God." This, and much more, Origen states in the sixth and seventh homilies on the book of Numbers, and yet all this he considers as little in comparison of the vast mysteries that lie hidden in these accounts; for the shortness of the time, and the magnitude of the mysteries, only permit him "to pluck a few flowers from those vast fields-not as many as the exuberance of those fields afford, but only such as by their odour he was led to select from the rest." Licebat tamen ex ingentibus campis paucos flosculos legere, et non quantum ager exuberet, sed quantum ordoratui supiciat, carpere.
John Gill's Bible Commentary
Ver. 14. And the Lord said unto Moses , etc.] By a voice out of the cloud, though at a distance; unless it was by a secret impulse upon his spirit, darting such words into his mind as if he heard an audible voice: if her father had but spit in her face ; or, “in spitting spitted” f150 ; spit much, and continued spitting till he had covered her face with spittle; which, as it would have been a token of anger and displeasure in him, an earthly father, who is meant, and of shame and disgrace to her; so there is some likeness in spittle to leprosy, both being white, and in such a case to the abundance of it, her thee being covered with leprosy; and which came as it were from the mouth of the Lord, by his order and appointment, immediately, as spittle from a man, and like that, in a way of detestation and contempt, and to make abhorred and despised: should she not be ashamed seven days ? hide herself, and never appear in the family, and especially in her father’s presence, because of the shame she was put unto, for the space of seven days; how much more ashamed then should she be, now her heavenly Father did spit in her face, and covered it with a white leprosy and for as long a time at least, or indeed longer? fourteen days, say the Targum of Jonathan, and Jarchi, but no more than seven are required, when more might have justly been, for her separation and shutting up from company and conversation: let her be shut out from the camp seven days ; for so long the leper was to be shut up at the trial of his leprosy, and so long he was to be out of his tent at the cleansing of him, ( Leviticus 13:5,6 14:8); and after that let her be received [again] ; into the camp and into society with her relations and friends.
Matthew Henry Commentary
Verses 10-16 - The cloud departed, and Miriam became leprous. When God goes, evi comes: expect no good when God departs. Her foul tongue, as Bishop Hal says, was justly punished with a foul face. Aaron, as priest, was judg of the leprosy. He could not pronounce her leprous without trembling knowing himself to be equally guilty. But if she was thus punished for speaking against Moses, what will become of those who sin agains Christ? Aaron, who joined his sister in speaking against Moses, i forced for himself and his sister, to beseech him, and to speak highl of him whom he had so lately blamed. Those who trample upon the saint and servants of God, will one day be glad to make court to them. It is well when rebukes produce confession of sin and repentance. Suc offenders, though corrected and disgraced, shall be pardoned. Mose made it appear, that he forgave the injury done him. To this pattern of Moses, and that of our Saviour, who said, "Father, forgive them," we must conform. A reason is given for Miriam's being put out of the cam for seven days; because thus she ought to accept the punishment of he sin. When under the tokens of God's displeasure for sin, it becomes u to take shame to ourselves. This hindered the people's progress in their march forward towards Canaan. Many things oppose us, but nothin so hinders us in the way to heaven, as sin __________________________________________________________________
Original Hebrew
ויאמר 559 יהוה 3068 אל 413 משׁה 4872 ואביה 1 ירק 3417 ירק 3417 בפניה 6440 הלא 3808 תכלם 3637 שׁבעת 7651 ימים 3117 תסגר 5462 שׁבעת 7651 ימים 3117 מחוץ 2351 למחנה 4264 ואחר 310 תאסף׃ 622
