The Pulpit Commentary — Numbers — Section 150

CHAPTER XII. of Cush were distributed both in Africa (the Ethiopians proper) and in Asia (the southern TJUI SEDITION AND PUNISHMENT 01!' Arabians, Babylonians, Ninevites, &c.). See MIRIAM (eh. xii.). Ver. 1.-And Miriam Gen. x. Some have thought that this Ethi- and Aaron spake against Moses. While opian woman was none other than the Midian, the people were encamped ..t Hazeroth (see ite Zipporah, who might have been called a ver. 16), and therefore probably very soon Cushite in some loose sense by Miriam. The after the events of the last chapter. That historian, however, would not have repeateu Miriam'e WRB the moving spirit in the matter in his own name a statement so inaccurate; i.s sufficiently evident, (1) because her name nor is it at all likely that that marriage stands first ; (2) because the verb " epake " would have beccme fl matter of contention is in the feminine ("'1~11:1~ "ar..d she said") ; after so many years. The natural supposition (3) bocouse the ground· of annoyance was a undoubtedly is that Moses (whetherafter the peculie.rlv feminine one, a misalliance; (4) death of 'Zipporah, or during her lifetime, because Mirie.m alone WRB punished; (6) be- we cannot tell) had taken to himself 11. second cause Aaron never seems to have taken the wife of He.mite ori&in, Wbere he found her l~ad in anything. He appears uniformly RB it is useless to conJecture; she may possibly a man of weak and pliable character, who he.ve been one of the "mixed multitude" was ein!!lllarly open to influence from others, the.t went up out of Egypt. It is o~ually for goo3 or for evil. Superior to his brother useless to attribute any morn! or religious in certain gifts, he wns ns inferior to him in character to this marriage, of which Holy force of character as could well be. On the Scripture takes no direct notice, 11.nd whicl1 present occasion there cau bo little question WRS evidently regarded by Moses as a matter that Aaron simplyallowed himselftobedrawn of purely private concern to himself. Iu by his sister into an opposition with which general we may say that tho rulers of Israel ho had little poraonal sym:patby ; a general attached neither political, social, nor religious discontent at the manifest mferiority of bis significance to their marriages ; and that position inclined him to toke up her que.rrel, neither law nor custom imposed any restraint e.nd to echo her comple.ints. Beoauae of the upon their choice, so long as they did not Ethiopian woman whom he had married : 11.lly themselves with the daughters of Canaein f<>r he had married an Ethiopian woman. (see Exod. xx:xiv. 16). It would be alto!:(~lber Hebrew, a Cusbito wom11n. The descendants beside the m11,rk to sup1 ose that llloso.iii lll'OMDKBB. It  130 THE BOOK OF NUMBERS. [CR. XII