The Pulpit Commentary — Numbers — Section 153

time he walked and spake on earth. Who is Gen xxxii. SO; Judges xiii. 22, and elsowhcre. f&ithflll in all mine house. I~~~ with ::I means On the other hand, the seventy clJers seem to be proved, or attested, and so established to have seen the "Temunah" of tho Lord (cf. 1 Ssrn. ill. 20; xxii. 14). The Septuagint upon tltat one occaaion whon thoy wore gives the true sense, l v IIX II' r,p o)a,'t' p.011 trl o-roc, called up into Mount Sinai (Exod. xxiv. 10, and so it is quoted in the Epistle to the He. 11 ). Wherefore then were ye not afraid to brew-s (eh. iii. 2). The "house"ofGod,asthe &peak age.inst my aervant Moee.1 No adjective ••whole" shows, is not the taber- doubt n m'l.s the double fact of their rslation• nacle, but the house of Israel ; the word ship to Moses after tho ftesh, and of their "house" standing for household, family, sharing with him in certain spiritual ipts nation, ~ so often i:1 the sacred wi:~~ngs (see and prerogatives, which made them oblivious Gen. :rlvi. 27; Le,,t. x. 6; Heb. m. 6). of the gi-eat distinction which lifted him Yer. 8.-Iouth to mouth. Equivalent to above their rivalry, and should ha.ve lifted face to face in Exod. xxxiii. 11. What the him above their contradiction. That contra- exact facts of the case were it is not possible diction, however, served to bring out in the to know, scarcely to imagine; but the words clearest way the singular and unapproached seem to imply s familiar speaking with sn position of the mediator oCisrael; and it serves audible voice on the part of God, a.s distin- still to enable UH to estimate a.right the pecu- guished from the internal voice, inaudible to liar dignity of his legislation a.nd his writ- the ear, with which he spa.ke "in" the ings.. The substance of prophetic teaching prophets. To assert that the revela.tions may be of deeper interest and of wider im- accorded to Moses were only sul,jective port than "the law," but this latter will modillcations of his own consciousness is to &till rank higher in the sea.le of i.D.spiration, evacuate these strong words of any mea.ning as having been more directly communicated v.hatever. Apparently. 11~)'9 (Septuagint from on high. Thus " the law " (as the Jews rightly taught) remained the body of iv i,o.. ) is an accusative in apposition to what Divine revelation until "that Prophet" goes before by way (apparently) of further ea.me who was "like unto " Moses in the definition. 1t is the same word transla.ted fact that he enjoyed constant, open, and "vision" in ver. 6 ; but its meanini here must direct communication wit'h the Godhead. be determined by the expression "m riddles," Ver. 9.-And he departed. .As a judge which stands in antithesis to it. It wa.s con• departs from his judgrnent-see.t after trying fessedly the case with most prophetic utter- a.nil. convicting evil-doers. ances that the la.ngnage in which they were Ver. 10.-The cloud departed fromoi'ihe couched wa.s quite a.s much intended to con• tabernacle. During this awful interview ceal as to express their full meaning; but to the cloud of the Presence had rested on the Moses God spa.ke without any such conceal- tabernacle, a.s if it were the Divine chariot ments. The similitude of the Lord shall he waiting for the King of Israel while he behold. njn~ il,W::ll;l Not the essential na- tarried wi ~bin (cf. Ps. civ. 8 ; Isa. :rix. 1 ; ture of God, which no man can see, but a Rev. xi 12). Now that his work is done he form (wholly unknown and unima.ginable to ascends his chariot a.~in, and soars aloft us) in which it pleased him to veil his glory. above the host. ][inam became leprous. The Septuagint has r,jv lio(av K11pio11 <10,, The Hebrews had become familiar with this referring, apparently, to the vision proruised terrible disease in Egypt. The Levitica.l in Exod. x:rx:lii. 22 ; and the Targu.m Pales- legisla.tion had made it more terrible by tine speaks here of the vision of the burning affixing to it the penalty of religious nnd bush. The motive for this alteration is no social excommunication, and the stigma, as -doubt to be sought in a profoll1ld jealoll.!ly for it were, of the Di vine displeasure. Before the great truth declared in such texts a.a this legislation Moses himself had been made Deut. iv. 15 ; Isa. tl 18, and afterwards in partially and tempora.rill leprous, and that John i 18 ; 1 Tim. vi 16. But the state- solely for a sign, and without a.ny sense of ment in the text is a general one, and ea.n punishment (Exod. iv. 6). In Miriam's case, only mean that Moses habitually in his inter- however, as in all subsequent cases, the course with God had before his eyes some plagne of leprosy was endued with mora.l as visible manifestation of the invisible God, well as physical horror (cf. 2 Kings v. 27). which helped to make that intercourse at Al snow. This e:x:pressiou points to the per- once more awfully real and more intensely fect development of the disease, as contrasted bleased. Such manifestation to the sense of with its earlier and less conspicuous stages. sight must be distinguished both from the Aaron looked upon llriiriam. If we ask visiona.ry (or subjective) sight of God in why Aaron himself was not punished, the human li.gUre accorded to Ezekiel (eh. i 26), answer appears to be the same here as in the to laaiah (eh. vi 1), to St. John (Rev. iv. 2, case of the golden calf. 1. He wns ut the 3), aud perhaps to others, and also from such leader in mischief, but only led into it through theopha.nies in angel guiae as are recorded in weakneBl!, 2. He was, like many weak men, CH. XII.] rhIE BOOK OF NUMBERS. 133