In the Old Testament we learn that Moses married a black woman. Some traditions teach that this woman was Zipporah, the woman Moses met and married in Exodus 2:15-22.
The Bible records that Zippporah was from Midian, which is east of the present-day Gulf of Aquaba (northeast Red Sea). Moses’ black wife was from Cush, which is hundreds of miles from Midian, on the other side of the Red Sea.
I believe the wife mentioned in Numbers chapter 12 was Moses’ second wife – not Zipporah. Because the Bible does not mention Zipporah’s death, it is unknown whether Moses had two wives simultaneously or whether he remarried after Zipporah had passed.
The murmuring
And Miriam and Aaron spake against Moses because of the Ethiopian woman whom he had married: for he had married an Ethiopian woman.
Numbers 12:1-2
And they said, Hath the Lord indeed spoken only by Moses? hath he not spoken also by us? And the Lord heard it.
In the New International Version of the Bible (NIV) “Ethiopian” is translated as “Cushite.” The ancient Kingdom of Cush was located in the upper Nile region south of Egypt (roughly modern Sudan).
At one point, (long after the Moses story) the Cushites conquered and ruled Egypt for a hundred years. Although, the ancient Greeks called the upper Nile region “Aethiopia,” the region is not geographically the same as the current nation of Ethiopia.
Both the word “Cush” and the word “Ethiopia” were originally references to skin color. The point is that Moses married a black woman and his sister, Miriam, and his brother, Aaron, did not approve.
The chastisement
And the Lord spake suddenly unto Moses, and unto Aaron, and unto Miriam, Come out ye three unto the tabernacle of the congregation. And they three came out.
Numbers 12:4-5
And the Lord came down in the pillar of the cloud, and stood in the door of the tabernacle, and called Aaron and Miriam: and they both came forth.
In the book of Numbers, the Lord took notice of their murmuring and called them into the tabernacle for a personal talking to.
After telling Miriam and Aaron that Moses was MORE than a mere prophet (Numbers 12 6-8), the Lord indicates that they should have been afraid to speak against Moses. The text indicates that the Lord then left in anger (Numbers 12:9).
The lesson
And the cloud departed from off the tabernacle; and, behold, Miriam became leprous, white as snow: and Aaron looked upon Miriam, and, behold, she was leprous.
Numbers 12:10
The lesson here couldn’t be clearer. The Lord literally taught them, “So you think white skin makes you superior to others? I’ll give you white skin – white as snow.”
The aftermath
Upon seeing Miriam’s leprosy, Aaron immediately admitted they had been foolish and sinful and asked Moses for forgiveness (Numbers 12:11-12). Moses “cried unto the Lord” for Miriam to be healed (Numbers 12:13).
The Lord replied to Moses that Miriam should live with her shame for a while and ordered that she should be “shut out from the camp” for seven days since she was unclean (Numbers 12:14). Presumably she was healed after that time, but the scripture does not say.
The lesson was for everyone
And Miriam was shut out from the camp seven days: and the people journeyed not till Miriam was brought in again.
Numbers 12:15-16
And afterward the people removed from Hazeroth, and pitched in the wilderness of Paran.
The last two verses in the chapter make it clear that the entire camp of Israel was aware of this event. They were unable to move until the seven days were up.
Everyone in the camp knew who Miriam and Aaron were. They also knew who Moses had married; and many had probably heard Miriam and Aaron murmur about it. I am confident that everyone in the camp soon learned exactly what had happened and why.
It is important to remember that, assisting and working under Moses, Miriam and Aaron were respected leaders of the people. To see them so directly and personally corrected by the Lord for their racism, however loud or subtle it may have been, was a strong message to the Lord’s people at that time.
It should also be a strong message for us today.
Source
Prof. Sidnie White Crawford, “Moses’ Black-Skinned Wife: What Does the Torah Think of Her?” The Torah.com, 2021.
Interesting. I had never considered this message before.
Thank you, Brian. Again, glorious wisdom.