married, (tor + he had * married an Ethiopian woman. ) a Whom God permitted r& murmur againſt their brother, partly to exerciſe and diſcover his admirable meckneſs and patience for the inſtrution of after-ages: And partly that by this thaki:'g Moſes his authority might take the deeper root, and the people might be deterred from all ſedition and rebellion againſt him,by this example. Miriam ſeems to be firſt named, becauſe ſhe was the chief inſtigatou: or firſt mover of the ſedition ; wherefore ſhealſo is more eminently puniſhed. b Which was either 1. Zipporah, who 1s here called an Ethiopian, in the Hebrew a Cuſbite, becauſe ſhe was a Midianite: The word C#ujb being generally uſed in ſcripture, not for Erh;opia pro- perly ſo called below Egypt, but for Arabia, as ſome late learned men haveevidently proved from 2 King: ig. 9. 2 Chron: 21. 16, Ezek: 29. 10. and 30.8, 9, Hah: 3.7. and other places. If ſhe be meant, as it is commonly conceived, I ſuppoſe they did not quarrel with him for marrying her, becauſe that was done long ſince, bur for indulging her too much, and being ſwayed by her and her re- lations, by whom they might think he was perſwaded to make this innovation, and to chuſe ſeventy Rulers, as he had been formerly, Exod: 18, By which co-partnerſhip in government they thoughr their authority and reputation much diminiſhed, eſpecially when no notice was taken, nor uſe made of them in the choice, but al] was done by the direQion of Moſes, and for his aſſiſtance in the government. And becauſe they durſt not accuſe God,who was the chief Agent in it, they charge Moſes, his inſtrument, as the manner of men 1s. Or 2. Some other woman, though not named in Scrip- ture, whom he married either whilſt Zipporah lived, or rather be- cauſe the was now dead, though that, as many other things, be not recorded. For, as the quarrel ſeems to be about h's marrying a ſtranger, ſo it is probable it was a late and freſh occaſion about which they contended, and not a thing done 40 years ago. And it was lawful for him as well as any other to marry an Ethiopian or Arabian woman, provided ſhe were, as doubtleſs this woman was, a ſincere proſelyte, which were by the law of God 2dmitted to the ſame priviledges with the 1ſrazlites, Exod: 12.48. So there might be many reaſons why Moſes might chuſe to marry ſuch a perſon ra- ther than an Jſaelire, or why God ſo ordered it by his providence, either becauſe ſhe was a perſon of eminent worth and vertue, or becauſe God intended that the government ſhould not be continued in the hands of Moſes his children, and therefore would have ſome political blemiſh to be put upon the family, as being ſtrangers by one parent. And this they here urge as a blemiſh to Moſes alſo.
wy 2 And they ſaid, Hath the LORD indeed ſpoken on- *Mic:6.4. ly by Moſes ? * hath he not ſpoken alſo by us c? And the LORD heard zt 4. c Are not we Prophets as well as he? So Aaron was made, Exod: 4. 15, 16. and ſo Miriam is called, Exod: 15. 20. See alſo Mic: 6. 4. And Moſes hath debaſed and mixed the holy Seed, which we have not done. Why then ſhould he take all power to himſe'f, and make rulers as he pleaſeth, without conſulting us in the caſe :
Chap, XII,
3 (Now the man Moſes was very meek c, above all
the men which ere upon the face of the earth.
c This is added as the reaſon why Moſes took no notice of their reproach, but was one that heard it not, .and v hy God did io ſpee- dily and ſeverely plead Moſes his cauſe, becauſe he did not avenge himſeJf. Queſt: 1. Did it become Mo/zs thus to commer.d | imſelt ? Anſw: 1. The holy pen-men of Sc1ipture are not to be mciaftir<d or cenſured by other profane writers, becauſe they are guided by ſpecial InſtinQ, in every thing they write; And as they oft-times
; publiſh their own and their near relations greateſt faults, where it ! » . .
' may be uſeful to the honour of God, and the edification of the , Church in after ages, ſo it is not ſtrange if for the ſame reaſons : ſometimes they commend themſelves, eſpecially v hen they are
forced to it by the inſolence and contempr of their adverſa: ics, which was Moſes his caſe here, in which caſe St Paul allo commends himſelf, 2 Cor: 21. 5. and 12.11, 12. Which they might the bet- ter do, becauſe all their writings and carriage made it evi..ent to all men, that they did not this out of vain-glory, and har they were exalted above the affeation of mens praiſes, and the dead of mens reproaches. =. This might be added, as ſome other c'avſes were,by ſome ſucceeding Prophet, which was no diſparagement to
| the authority of the holy Scriptures, ſeing itis all written by one
hand, though divers pens be uſed by it.» MYweſt: 2. How was Moſes ſo meek, when we oft-times read of his anger, as Exod: 11. 18. and 16. 20. and 32. 19, Levit: 10. 16.%Numb: 16. 15. and 20. 10, 17. compared with Pſal: 106. 32, 33+? As 1. The meekeſt men upon earth are provoked ſometimes, yea oftner than Moſes was. .2. True meekneſs doth not exclude all anger, but only ſuch as is unjuſt or immoderate or implacable. Moſes was and ought to be angry where ng _ offendedand diſkonoured,as he was in almoſt all the places alledged.
4 And the LORD ſpake ſuddenly f unto Moſes.and unto Aaron, and unto Miriam, Come out g ye three into the tabernacle of the congregation, and they three came Our,
f Partly to ſhew his great reſpe& unto Moſes and unto the grace of meekneſs; And partly to ſtifle the beginnings of the ſedition, that this example might not ſpread amongſt the people, who had too much of that lJeaven among them. g To wit, out of your pri- vate dwellings, and from amongſt the people, both that you may not infett them by ſuch ſcandalous words, and partly that you may know, my pleaſure and your own doom.
5 And the LORD came down in the pillar of the cloud, and ſtood in. the door of the tabernacle þ, and called Aaron and Miriam, and they both came forth.
h Where they ſtood without, not being admitted into the Ta- bernacle, as Aaron. uſed to be: Wh.ch is noted as a fign of God's diſpleaſure.
6 And he ſaid, Hear now my words: if there be a prophet among you ;, I the LORD will make my ſelf known unto him in a viſion &, end will ſpeak unto him in a dream]: