Numbers 12:2
New International Version
“Has the LORD spoken only through Moses?” they asked. “Hasn’t he also spoken through us?” And the LORD heard this.

New Living Translation
They said, “Has the LORD spoken only through Moses? Hasn’t he spoken through us, too?” But the LORD heard them.

English Standard Version
And they said, “Has the LORD indeed spoken only through Moses? Has he not spoken through us also?” And the LORD heard it.

Berean Standard Bible
“Does the LORD speak only through Moses?” they said. “Does He not also speak through us?” And the LORD heard this.

King James Bible
And they said, Hath the LORD indeed spoken only by Moses? hath he not spoken also by us? And the LORD heard it.

New King James Version
So they said, “Has the LORD indeed spoken only through Moses? Has He not spoken through us also?” And the LORD heard it.

New American Standard Bible
and they said, “Is it a fact that the LORD has spoken only through Moses? Has He not spoken through us as well?” And the LORD heard this.

NASB 1995
and they said, “Has the LORD indeed spoken only through Moses? Has He not spoken through us as well?” And the LORD heard it.

NASB 1977
and they said, “Has the LORD indeed spoken only through Moses? Has He not spoken through us as well?” And the LORD heard it.

Legacy Standard Bible
and they said, “Has Yahweh indeed spoken only through Moses? Has He not spoken through us as well?” And Yahweh heard it.

Amplified Bible
and they said, “Has the LORD really spoken only through Moses? Has He not spoken also through us?” And the LORD heard it.

Christian Standard Bible
They said, “Does the LORD speak only through Moses? Does he not also speak through us? ” And the LORD heard it.

Holman Christian Standard Bible
They said, “Does the LORD speak only through Moses? Does He not also speak through us?” And the LORD heard it.

American Standard Version
And they said, Hath Jehovah indeed spoken only with Moses? hath he not spoken also with us? And Jehovah heard it.

English Revised Version
And they said, Hath the LORD indeed spoken only with Moses? hath he not spoken also with us? And the LORD heard it.

GOD'S WORD® Translation
They asked, "Did the LORD speak only through Moses? Didn't he also speak through us?" The LORD heard their complaint.

Good News Translation
They said, "Has the LORD spoken only through Moses? Hasn't he also spoken through us?" The LORD heard what they said. (

International Standard Version
They asked, "Has the LORD spoken only through Moses? Hasn't he also spoken through us?" But the LORD heard it.

Majority Standard Bible
?Does the LORD speak only through Moses?? they said. ?Does He not also speak through us?? And the LORD heard this.

NET Bible
They said, "Has the LORD only spoken through Moses? Has he not also spoken through us?" And the LORD heard it.

New Heart English Bible
They said, "Has the LORD indeed spoken only with Moses? Hasn't he spoken also with us?" And the LORD heard it.

Webster's Bible Translation
And they said, Hath the LORD indeed spoke only by Moses? hath he not spoke also by us? And the LORD heard it.

World English Bible
They said, “Has Yahweh indeed spoken only with Moses? Hasn’t he spoken also with us?” And Yahweh heard it.
Literal Translations
Literal Standard Version
and they say, “Has YHWH only spoken by Moses? Has he not also spoken by us?” And YHWH hears.

Young's Literal Translation
and they say, 'Only by Moses hath Jehovah spoken? also by us hath he not spoken?' and Jehovah heareth.

Smith's Literal Translation
And they will say, Did Jehovah only now speak by Moses? Did he not also speak by us? And Jehovah will hear.
Catholic Translations
Douay-Rheims Bible
And they said: Hath the Lord spoken by Moses only? hath he not also spoken to us in like manner? And when the Lord heard this,

Catholic Public Domain Version
and they said: “Has the Lord spoken only through Moses? Has he not also spoken similarly to us?” And when the Lord had heard this,

New American Bible
They complained, “Is it through Moses alone that the LORD has spoken? Has he not spoken through us also?” And the LORD heard this.

New Revised Standard Version
and they said, “Has the LORD spoken only through Moses? Has he not spoken through us also?” And the LORD heard it.
Translations from Aramaic
Lamsa Bible
And they said, Has the LORD indeed spoken only by Moses? Has he not spoken by us also? And the LORD heard it.

Peshitta Holy Bible Translated
And they were saying, “Has LORD JEHOVAH spoken only with Moshe? Behold, he has spoken also with us”; and LORD JEHOVAH heard.
OT Translations
JPS Tanakh 1917
And they said: 'Hath the LORD indeed spoken only with Moses? hath He not spoken also with us?' And the LORD heard it.--

Brenton Septuagint Translation
And they said, Has the Lord spoken to Moses only? has he not also spoken to us? and the Lord heard it.

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
The Murmuring of Miriam and Aaron
1Then Miriam and Aaron criticized Moses because of the Cushite woman he had married, for he had taken a Cushite wife. 2“Does the LORD speak only through Moses?” they said. “Does He not also speak through us?” And the LORD heard this. 3Now Moses was a very humble man, more so than any man on the face of the earth.…

Cross References
Exodus 4:11-12
And the LORD said to him, “Who gave man his mouth? Or who makes the mute or the deaf, the sighted or the blind? Is it not I, the LORD? / Now go! I will help you as you speak, and I will teach you what to say.”

Deuteronomy 18:15-18
The LORD your God will raise up for you a prophet like me from among your brothers. You must listen to him. / This is what you asked of the LORD your God at Horeb on the day of the assembly, when you said, “Let us not hear the voice of the LORD our God or see this great fire anymore, so that we will not die!” / Then the LORD said to me, “They have spoken well. ...

Exodus 33:11
Thus the LORD would speak to Moses face to face, as a man speaks to his friend. Then Moses would return to the camp, but his young assistant Joshua son of Nun would not leave the tent.

Hebrews 3:5-6
Now Moses was faithful as a servant in all God’s house, testifying to what would be spoken later. / But Christ is faithful as the Son over God’s house. And we are His house, if we hold firmly to our confidence and the hope of which we boast.

Acts 7:35-39
This Moses, whom they had rejected with the words, ‘Who made you ruler and judge?’ is the one whom God sent to be their ruler and redeemer through the angel who appeared to him in the bush. / He led them out and performed wonders and signs in the land of Egypt, at the Red Sea, and for forty years in the wilderness. / This is the same Moses who told the Israelites, ‘God will raise up for you a prophet like me from among your brothers.’ ...

Exodus 16:2-3
And there in the desert the whole congregation of Israel grumbled against Moses and Aaron. / “If only we had died by the LORD’s hand in the land of Egypt!” they said. “There we sat by pots of meat and ate our fill of bread, but you have brought us into this desert to starve this whole assembly to death!”

1 Samuel 8:7
And the LORD said to Samuel, “Listen to the voice of the people in all that they say to you. For it is not you they have rejected, but they have rejected Me as their king.

John 5:45-47
Do not think that I will accuse you before the Father. Your accuser is Moses, in whom you have put your hope. / If you had believed Moses, you would believe Me, because he wrote about Me. / But since you do not believe what he wrote, how will you believe what I say?”

Exodus 14:11-12
They said to Moses, “Was it because there were no graves in Egypt that you brought us into the wilderness to die? What have you done to us by bringing us out of Egypt? / Did we not say to you in Egypt, ‘Leave us alone so that we may serve the Egyptians’? For it would have been better for us to serve the Egyptians than to die in the wilderness.”

1 Corinthians 10:10
And do not complain, as some of them did, and were killed by the destroying angel.

Exodus 17:2-3
So the people contended with Moses, “Give us water to drink.” “Why do you contend with me?” Moses replied. “Why do you test the LORD?” / But the people thirsted for water there, and they grumbled against Moses: “Why have you brought us out of Egypt—to make us and our children and livestock die of thirst?”

Matthew 13:57
And they took offense at Him. But Jesus said to them, “Only in his hometown and in his own household is a prophet without honor.”

Exodus 32:1
Now when the people saw that Moses was delayed in coming down from the mountain, they gathered around Aaron and said, “Come, make us gods who will go before us. As for this Moses who brought us up out of the land of Egypt, we do not know what has happened to him!”

Luke 4:24
Then He added, “Truly I tell you, no prophet is accepted in his hometown.

Exodus 15:24
So the people grumbled against Moses, saying, “What are we to drink?”


Treasury of Scripture

And they said, Has the LORD indeed spoken only by Moses? has he not spoken also by us? And the LORD heard it.

hath the Lord

Numbers 16:3
And they gathered themselves together against Moses and against Aaron, and said unto them, Ye take too much upon you, seeing all the congregation are holy, every one of them, and the LORD is among them: wherefore then lift ye up yourselves above the congregation of the LORD?

Exodus 4:30
And Aaron spake all the words which the LORD had spoken unto Moses, and did the signs in the sight of the people.

Exodus 5:1
And afterward Moses and Aaron went in, and told Pharaoh, Thus saith the LORD God of Israel, Let my people go, that they may hold a feast unto me in the wilderness.

hath he not

Numbers 11:29
And Moses said unto him, Enviest thou for my sake? would God that all the LORD'S people were prophets, and that the LORD would put his spirit upon them!

Proverbs 13:10
Only by pride cometh contention: but with the well advised is wisdom.

Romans 12:3,10
For I say, through the grace given unto me, to every man that is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think; but to think soberly, according as God hath dealt to every man the measure of faith…

and the

Numbers 11:1
And when the people complained, it displeased the LORD: and the LORD heard it; and his anger was kindled; and the fire of the LORD burnt among them, and consumed them that were in the uttermost parts of the camp.

Genesis 29:33
And she conceived again, and bare a son; and said, Because the LORD hath heard that I was hated, he hath therefore given me this son also: and she called his name Simeon.

2 Samuel 11:27
And when the mourning was past, David sent and fetched her to his house, and she became his wife, and bare him a son. But the thing that David had done displeased the LORD.

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Numbers 12
1. God rebukes the sedition of Miriam and Aaron
11. Miriam's leprosy is healed at the prayer of Moses
14. God commands her to be shut out of the host
16. The people encamp in the desert of Paran














Has the LORD indeed spoken only through Moses?
This phrase reflects a moment of doubt and challenge against Moses' unique prophetic authority. The Hebrew root for "spoken" is דָּבַר (dabar), which means to speak or declare. In the context of the Old Testament, this term often signifies divine communication. Miriam and Aaron's question implies a challenge to Moses' exclusive role as God's mouthpiece. Historically, Moses was seen as the primary mediator between God and Israel, having received the Law on Mount Sinai. This challenge can be seen as a test of God's established order and a reminder of the importance of respecting divinely appointed leadership.

Has He not also spoken through us?
Here, Miriam and Aaron assert their own prophetic experiences. The Hebrew word for "us" is אָנַחְנוּ (anachnu), emphasizing their inclusion in God's communication. This reflects a broader biblical theme where God speaks through various prophets, not just Moses. However, their statement reveals a misunderstanding of the unique role Moses played. While God did speak through others, Moses' relationship with God was unparalleled, as later verses in Numbers 12 clarify. This serves as a caution against pride and the assumption that all roles in God's plan are equal in function and authority.

And the LORD heard this
The phrase underscores God's omniscience and His active involvement in the affairs of His people. The Hebrew root for "heard" is שָׁמַע (shama), which means to hear or listen. This is not merely passive listening but implies an attentive and responsive hearing. In the biblical narrative, when God "hears," it often precedes divine action. This serves as a reminder that God is aware of our words and attitudes, and He responds according to His justice and mercy. It also highlights the seriousness of challenging God's appointed leaders, as God Himself intervenes to address the situation.

(2) Hath the Lord indeed spoken only by Moses?--There is probably a reference in these words to the facts related in Exodus 4:10-16, where Moses speaks of his own slowness of speech (Numbers 12:10), and where it is said of Aaron, "And he shall be thy spokesman unto the people" (Numbers 12:16). Miriam also is spoken of in Exodus 15:20 as "the prophetess." "Such is the depravity of human nature," writes Calvin, "that they not only abuse the gifts of God towards the brother whom they despise, but by an ungodly and sacrilegious glorification extol the gifts themselves in such a manner as to hide the Author of the gifts."

Verse 2. - And they said, Hath the Lord indeed spoken only by Moses? hath he not spoken also by us? This is evidently not the "speaking against Moses" mentioned in the previous verse, for that is distinctly said to have been on the score of Moses' marriage. This is their justification of themselves for daring to dispute his judgment and arraign his proceedings; a thing which clearly required justification. Moses himself, or more likely others for him, had remonstrated with them on the language they were using. They retorted that Moses had no monopoly of Divine communications; Aaron also received the revelation of God by Urim and Thummim, and Miriam was a prophetess. They were acknowledged in a general sense as sharing with him the leadership of Israel (see Micah 6:4); upon this they meant to found a claim to coordinate authority. They would have had perhaps all matters settled in a family council in which they should have had an equal voice. It was hard for them both to forget that Moses was only their younger brother: for Miriam that she had saved his life as an infant; for Aaron that he had been as prominent as Moses in the original commission from God to the people. And the Lord heard it. In one sense he hears everything; in another sense there are many things which he does not choose to hear, because he does not wish to take judicial notice of them. Thus he had not "heard" the passionate complaints of Moses himself a short time before, because his will was then to pardon, not to punish (cf. Isaiah 42:19; Malachi 3:16).

Parallel Commentaries ...


Hebrew
“Does the LORD
יְהוָ֔ה (Yah·weh)
Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 3068: LORD -- the proper name of the God of Israel

speak
דִּבֶּ֣ר (dib·ber)
Verb - Piel - Perfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 1696: To arrange, to speak, to subdue

only
הֲרַ֤ק (hă·raq)
Adverb
Strong's 7535: But, even, except, howbeit howsoever, at the least, nevertheless

through Moses?”
בְּמֹשֶׁה֙ (bə·mō·šeh)
Preposition-b | Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 4872: Moses -- a great Israelite leader, prophet and lawgiver

they said.
וַיֹּאמְר֗וּ (way·yō·mə·rū)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine plural
Strong's 559: To utter, say

“Does He not
הֲלֹ֖א (hă·lō)
Adverb - Negative particle
Strong's 3808: Not, no

also
גַּם־ (gam-)
Conjunction
Strong's 1571: Assemblage, also, even, yea, though, both, and

speak
דִבֵּ֑ר (ḏib·bêr)
Verb - Piel - Perfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 1696: To arrange, to speak, to subdue

through us?”
בָּ֣נוּ (bā·nū)
Preposition | first person common plural
Strong's Hebrew

And the LORD
יְהוָֽה׃ (Yah·weh)
Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 3068: LORD -- the proper name of the God of Israel

heard this.
וַיִּשְׁמַ֖ע (way·yiš·ma‘)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 8085: To hear intelligently


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OT Law: Numbers 12:2 They said Has Yahweh indeed spoken only (Nu Num.)
Numbers 12:1
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