1
Numbers 12:1
英文原文
Miriam, as a prophetess (compare Exodus 15:20-21) no less than as the sister of Moses and Aaron, took the first rank among the women of Israel; and Aaron may be regarded as the ecclesiastical head of the whole nation. But instead of being grateful for these high dignities they challenged the special vocation of Moses and the exclusive authority which God had assigned to him. Miriam was the instigator, from the fact that her name stands conspicuously first Numbers 12:1, and that the punishment Numbers 12:10 fell on her alone. She probably considered herself as supplanted, and that too by a foreigner. Aaron was misled this time by the urgency of his sister, as once before Exodus 32 by that of the people.
Numbers 12:1
The Ethiopian woman whom he had married - (Hebrew, "Cushite," compare Genesis 2:13; Genesis 10:6) It is likely that Zipporah Exodus 2:21 was dead, and that Miriam in consequence expected to have greater influence than ever with Moses. Her disappointment at his second marriage would consequently be very great.
The marriage of Moses with a woman descended from Ham was not prohibited, so long as she was not of the stock of Canaan (compare Exodus 34:11-16); but it would at any time have been offensive to that intense nationality which characterized the Jews. The Christian fathers note in the successive marriage of Moses with a Midianite and an Ethiopian a foreshadowing of the future extension to the Gentiles of God's covenant and its promises (compare Psalm 45:9 ff; Sol 1:4 ff); and in the complaining of Miriam and Aaron a type of the discontent of the Jews because of such extension: compare Luke 15:29-30.
2
Numbers 12:2
“耶和华……说话了吗”——意即：“难道耶和华竟是只借着摩西说话吗？”
英文原文
Hath the Lord ... - i. e. Is it merely, after all, by Moses that the Lord hath spoken?
3
Numbers 12:3
“摩西为人极其谦和”——在这段经文以及其他几处摩西同样毫不含糊地记下自己过失的段落里（参 Numbers 20:12 ff；Exodus 4:24 ff；Deuteronomy 1:37），显出一种“论及自己而作见证、却非为自己而作见证”的单纯（参 Matthew 11:28-29）。这句话的插入，是为了说明摩西为何未采取任何步骤为自己辩护，也说明耶和华为何随即如此迅速地出面干预。
英文原文
The man Moses was very meek - In this and in other passages in which Moses no less unequivocally records his own faults (compare Numbers 20:12 ff; Exodus 4:24 ff; Deuteronomy 1:37), there is the simplicity of one who bare witness of himself, but not to himself (compare Matthew 11:28-29). The words are inserted to explain how it was that Moses took no steps to vindicate himself, and why consequently the Lord so promptly intervened.
8
Numbers 12:8
"口对口"——意即没有任何第三人或事物的介入：参较旁注。
"乃是明说"——摩西是从神那里直接、明确地领受神的话，而非以梦、异象、比喻、隐晦之言或类似事物为媒介；参较旁注。
"他必见到我的形象"——然而约翰说："从来没有人看见神"（John 1:18；参较 1 Timothy 6:16，尤其是 Exodus 33:20 及以下）。因此，一方面，摩西所看见的并不是荣福直观（Beatific Vision），即神性那未被遮掩的本质；另一方面，那也不是单纯的象征性表象（如 Ezekiel 1:26 及以下、Daniel 7:9 所记），也不是奉差遣作信使的天使。那是神性本体亲自显现自己，使凡人的肉眼得以认出他。摩西在神面前所站的特殊地位之所以在此详细陈明，是因为它一方面立即证明摩西的至高地位乃奠基于神明确的任命，另一方面也表明米利暗违背这至高地位，便招致了干犯神权政体之罪所应受的刑罚。
英文原文
Mouth to mouth - i. e. without the intervention of any third person or thing: compare the marginal references.
Even apparently - Moses received the word of God direct from Him and plainly, not through the medium of dream, vision, parable, dark saying, or such like; compare the marginal references.
The similitude of the Lord shall he behold - But, "No man hath seen God at any time," says John (John 1:18 : compare 1 Timothy 6:16, and especially Exodus 33:20 ff). It was not therefore the Beatific Vision, the unveiled essence of the Deity, which Moses saw on the one hand. Nor was it, on the other hand, a mere emblematic representation (as in Ezekiel 1:26 ff, Daniel 7:9), or an Angel sent as a messenger. It was the Deity Himself manifesting Himself so as to be cognizable to mortal eye. The special footing on which Moses stood as regards God is here laid down in detail, because it at once demonstrates that the supremacy of Moses rested on the distinct appointment of God, and also that Miriam in contravening that supremacy had incurred the penalty proper to sins against the theocracy.
12
Numbers 12:12
"如同死人一般"——麻风病无异于一种活着的死亡：它毒化生命的泉源，败坏一切的体液，使全身逐渐溃解，以致肢体实际上一个接一个地腐烂脱落。参较 Leviticus 13 的注释。
英文原文
As one dead - leprosy was nothing short of a living death, a poisoning of the springs, a corrupting of all the humors, of life; a dissolution little by little of the whole body, so that one limb after another actually decayed and fell away. Compare the notes at Leviticus 13.
13
Numbers 12:13
"神啊，求你如今医治她，我恳求你"——有人将这话另译为："哦，不要这样；求你如今医治她，我恳求你。"
英文原文
Heal her now, O God, I beseech thee - Others render these words: "Oh not so; heal her now, I beseech Thee."
14
Numbers 12:14
"她父亲若……"——意即：她属肉身的父亲若以羞辱待她（参 Deuteronomy 25:9），她尚且要蒙羞一时；何况神如此降罚于她，岂不更当如此？
"耶和华对摩西说"——差派探子的事，最先是以色列人自己提出的。见 Deuteronomy 1:22。
英文原文
If her father ... - i. e. If her earthly parent had treated her with contumely (compare Deuteronomy 25:9) she would feel for a time humiliated, how much more when God has visited her thus?
And the Lord spake - The mission of the spies was first suggested by the Israelites themselves. See Deuteronomy 1:22.
米利暗既是女先知（参 Exodus 15:20-21），又是摩西和亚伦的姐姐，在以色列妇女中居于首位；亚伦则可视为全民的宗教领袖。然而，他们不但不为这些崇高的尊荣感恩，反而挑战摩西的特殊蒙召，以及神赋予他的独有权威。米利暗是煽动者：她的名字在 Numbers 12:1 中显著地列在前面，而且 Numbers 12:10 的刑罚也单单落在她身上。她大概认为自己被取代了，并且是被一个外族人取代的。亚伦这一次是被姐姐的强求所误导，正如先前在 Exodus 32 中被百姓的强求所误导一样。
Numbers 12:1
“他所娶的古实女子”——希伯来文作“古实女子”（参 Genesis 2:13；Genesis 10:6）。西坡拉（Exodus 2:21）那时大概已经去世，米利暗因此指望自己对摩西能有比以往更大的影响力；故此，她对摩西再婚的失望想必极其深切。
摩西娶含的后裔为妻，只要她不是迦南族出身，本是律法所不禁的（参 Exodus 34:11-16）；但对于犹太人那种强烈的民族意识而言，这样的事无论何时都会引起反感。教父们在摩西先后娶米甸女子和古实女子的事上，看到神的圣约及其应许日后要扩展到外邦人的预表（参 Psalm 45:9及以下；Sol 1:4及以下）；又在米利暗和亚伦的抱怨中，看出犹太人因这扩展而心怀不满的预表：参 Luke 15:29-30。