Nombres 12

¹ Miriam and Aaron criticized Moses because of the Cushite woman he married (for he had married a Cushite woman).

² They said, “Does the Lord speak only through Moses? Does he not also speak through us?” And the Lord heard it.

³ Moses was a very humble man, more so than anyone on the face of the earth.

Note · Nombres 12.1–3

Ne pas inventer l’identité et les motifs laissés ouverts

Le texte désigne une femme koushite sans expliquer complètement son identité ni le rapport avec Séphora. La contestation s’étend à la parole de Dieu par Moïse. Le passage ne justifie aucun mépris ethnique ; il ne rapporte pas non plus tous les motifs intérieurs des protagonistes.

⁴ Suddenly the Lord said to Moses, Aaron, and Miriam, “You three come out to the tent of meeting.” So the three of them went out.

⁵ Then the Lord descended in a pillar of cloud, stood at the entrance to the tent, and summoned Aaron and Miriam. When the two of them came forward,

⁶ he said:
“Listen to what I say:
If there is a prophet among you from the Lord,
I make myself known to him in a vision;
I speak with him in a dream.

⁷ Not so with my servant Moses;
he is faithful in all my household.

⁸ I speak with him directly,
openly, and not in riddles;
he sees the form of the Lord.So why were you not afraid to speak against my servant Moses?”

Note · Nombres 12.4–8

Une proximité de parole singulière

La révélation faite à Moïse est distinguée des rêves et des visions. Cette singularité appartient à sa fonction dans le récit. Elle n’abolit pas toute parole donnée à d’autres et ne permet pas à un responsable de déclarer ses propres décisions infaillibles.

⁹ The Lord’s anger burned against them, and he left.

¹⁰ As the cloud moved away from the tent, Miriam’s skin suddenly became diseased, resembling snow. When Aaron turned toward her, he saw that she was diseased

¹¹ and said to Moses, “My lord, please don’t hold against us this sin we have so foolishly committed.

¹² Please don’t let her be like a dead baby whose flesh is half eaten away when he comes out of his mother’s womb.”

¹³ Then Moses cried out to the Lord, “God, please heal her!”

¹⁴ The Lord answered Moses, “If her father had merely spit in her face, wouldn’t she remain in disgrace for seven days? Let her be confined outside the camp for seven days; after that she may be brought back in.”

¹⁵ So Miriam was confined outside the camp for seven days, and the people did not move on until Miriam was brought back in.

¹⁶ After that, the people set out from Hazeroth and camped in the Wilderness of Paran.

Note · Nombres 12.9–16

La prière ne se réjouit pas de la chute d’autrui

Aaron reconnaît la faute et Moïse demande la guérison de Miryam. Le texte ne donne pas de raison complète à l’asymétrie de leur traitement. L’attente du peuple rappelle cependant que la marche commune reste liée à celle qui doit pouvoir réintégrer le camp.