Numbers 12:2

“And they said, hath the Lord, indeed spoken only by Moses? etc.] They own he had spoken by him; this was so notorious that it could not be denied: hath he not spoken also by us? are we not prophets as well as he? the Lord spake to Aaron while he was in Egypt, and had made him a good spokesman in his name, and bore this testimony of him, that he could speak well, and Miriam is expressly called a prophetess, (<020414>Exodus 4:14,27) (<021520>Exodus 15:20); and this being the case, they stomached it that they should have no concern in the choice and appointment of the seventy elders: and the Lord heard [it]; for perhaps this was said secretly between themselves; but God, that sees, and hears,…”

“Hath the Lord indeed spoken only by Moses? hath he not also spoken by us?--The prophetical name and character was bestowed upon Aaron (Exo 4:15-16) and Miriam (Exo 15:20); and, therefore, they considered the conduct of Moses, in exercising an exclusive authority in this matter, as an encroachment on their rights (Mic 6:4).”

“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 32:0 by that…”

“By us - Are not we prophets as well as he? so Aaron was made, Exo 4:15-16, and so Miriam is called, Exo 15:20. And Moses hath debased and mixed the holy seed, which we have not done. Why then should he take all power to himself, and make rulers as he pleaseth, without consulting us. The Lord heard - Observed their words and carriage to Moses. Numbers 12:3”

“12:2 The challenge to Moses’ authority was, by implication, a rejection of the Lord’s choice of Moses as Israel’s leader. • the Lord heard: The same phrase in 11:1 foreshadows the Lord’s response.”

“Hath the Lord: Num 16:3; Exo 4:30, Exo 5:1, Exo 7:10, Exo 15:20, Exo 15:21; Mic 6:4 hath he not: Num 11:29; Pro 13:10; Rom 12:3, Rom 12:10; Phi 2:3, Phi 2:14; Pe1 5:5 And the: Num 11:1; Gen 29:33; Sa2 11:27; Kg2 19:4; Psa 94:7-9; Isa 37:4; Eze 35:12, Eze 35:13 Numbers 12:3”