The Bible is full of stories of women who are chosen by God for leadership. Miriam was anywhere from seven to twelve years old when she approached Pharaoh’s daughter and suggested she could find a woman to nurse the baby. Now a man from the house of Levi went and married a Levite woman. Any woman who does so will do well to speak only what God speaks (Deut. Cain and Abel Moses and Aaron Jacob and Esau Isaac and Ishmael. Isn’t that interesting? Home Prophecy Articles Bible GEMS Holy Days Books Media Kibbutz About Contact Donate. Aaron Jochebed Amram Eleazar. The last we hear of Miriam is that she died and was buried in Kadesh Barnea, not all that far from where Hagar, another slave woman, had encountered an angel in the wilderness so many years earlier. Miriam was a prophetess of God (Exodus 15:20). That might have been it. Enjoy the videos and music you love, upload original content, and share it all with friends, family, and the world on YouTube. And the princess adopted Moses (Exodus 2:5–10). While she is often overlooked, Miriam was the only person right by Moses' side from birth to death. Miriam first appears in the biblical book of Exodus not long after Pharaoh decrees that all newborn Hebrew boys will be drowned in the Nile river. Miriam and Aaron criticized Moses for his marriage to a Cushite woman; because of this criticism, Miriam was punished by the Lord with leprosy (Num 12:1, 9; Deut 24:9), but on the protest of Aaron and the prayer of Moses (Num 12:11, 13) she was restored after a period of seven days, during which she was isolated from the camp and the march was delayed. Moses leads the Israelite people in a song of praise to God, after which Miriam appears again. So, Miriam brought her mother. Miriam was not mentioned again until after the Hebrews had crossed the Red Sea. Like her brothers Moses and Aaron, Miriam died shortly before the Israelites ended their forty-year sojourn in the desert. If the Bible was a Eurocentric book, I highly doubt that the story of Moses would include him having a black wife. Who was Miriam's father? Both horse and driver. Name Meaning—As a name Miriam belongs to a family of words having different root-form, all of which suggest “bitterness,” Mary, Maria, Mariamne. God answered his prayer and Miriam was cleansed of her leprosy. Miriam and Aaron were both popular leaders, but they were bound by the Law, represented by Moses. .’” (Exodus 15:20–21). God chose Miriam to prophesy and lead the Israelite women. Miriam also appears in the biblical book of Numbers, when she and her brother Aaron speak unfavorably about the Cushite woman Moses is married to. 3:16-17; Jude 3). Miriam is a woman of the Bible who doesn't always get the recognition she deserves, being overshadowed by her famous brother, Moses. Covered basket made of split reeds and palm fibres, possibly from the 18th dynasty period of Egyptian history. He responded by ordering that all male babies be thrown into the Nile river. Hence, as a result of Miriam's boldness, Moses was raised by his mother until he was weaned, at which time he was adopted by the princes and became a member of the Egyptian royal family. Women in the Bible #6: Miriam. Creating an account allows you to access more features and content such as: Reading Plans. As a prophetess, she had a role in relating God’s messages. "Then Miriam the prophet, Aaron’s sister, took a timbrel in her hand, and all the women followed her, with timbrels and dancing. Jewish traditions, however, cannot tolerate her status as single. So the future leader of the Hebrew people, Moses, owed his life to five women: Pharaoh’s daughter finds the baby Moses hidden in the bulrushes. In this new series, we will explore a story of a faithful biblical woman each month. Miriam – Bible Woman – Women of the Old Testament; Bible Study Resource Miriam, Moses and Aaron – From Slavery to Freedom. On one occasion she and the women sang the Song of Miriam; it is one of the few poems that survive from the ancient world. The Egyptians had commanded that Hebrew babies be drowned. They, Possible route taken by Miriam and Moses in the Exodus from Egypt to the Promised Land. Eventually these conditions took their toll on Miriam, and she died. "Take this baby and nurse him for me, and I will pay you," Pharaoh's daughter says to Yocheved (Exodus 2:9). In this respect, Anissimov’s works are intriguing complements to the American Jewish novel of the 1960s and 1970s. The Hebrew word mosheh also means ‘pulled out of’, as in pulled out of the water. SuperStock / Getty Images. Miriam in the Bible. The life they led was hard, and they must often have yearned for the stability and settled life they had left back in Egypt. They were led by Moses, Miriam, and her second brother Aaron. Miriam is the elder sister of Aaron and Moses. Miriam, Moses, and Aaron were all born to Jochebed while living in Egypt, Africa. The words of Miriam's song are among the oldest poetic lines of verse in the Bible: They also added dances to the drums, augmenting Miriam's example. They began to talk about Moses. 1.) We get a delightful glimpse of Miriam in Exodus 15:19-21 when she led the women of Israel in a song of praise to God for His deliverance of the Israelites after they crossed the Red Sea. Learn Religions uses cookies to provide you with a great user experience. Throughout this essay we will gain a recognition of Miriam's qualities and the effect she had on the destiny of the Jewish nation. Miriam was a woman of influence, ... Mrs. Vickie Kraft, a graduate of Dallas Theological Seminary, served as Minister to Women at Northwest Bible Church in Dallas for over 13 years. Miriam sang to them: “Sing to the Lord, for he is highly exalted. Moses’ name appears to be Egyptian, as in Thutmoses (child of Thut); or it may simply mean ‘child of the water’. By Kelly Wise Valdes. Rabbi Joseph Telushkin suggests this difference stems from the Hebrew verb used to describe their comments about Moses' wife. God's Curse by James Tissot. Who was Miriam in the Bible? It is this same wife that Miriam was punished for criticizing: “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 (See "The Passover Story" for more information.). By the grace of God, Miriam helps … Philo of Alexandria (On A Contemplative Life), described Jewish women standing in rows, swaying and moving their arms and bodies in harmony, chanting rhythmical songs together. 3.) Eve was the first woman, created by God to be a companion and helper for Adam, the first man. She is the first woman that is honored by this title. The survival of the leader of the Exodus, Moses, depended on the courage and ingenuity of his sister Miriam. Miriam sang to them: “Sing to the Lord, for he is highly exalted.Both horse and driver he has hurled into the sea.” Exodus 15:20-21 A remnant of the song composed by Miriam appears in the Bible: Then, as now, warriors were honoured when they returned from battle, greeted with an acknowledgment of their courage and self-sacrifice, ‘Then the prophet Miriam, Aaron’s sister, took a tambourine in her hand; and all the women went out after her with tambourines and with dancing. Before you begin reading, what do you remember about Miriam? Miriam questioned Moses’ authority, and was punished with a disease that turned her skin white and leprous. 1. Category: Women in the Bible. We actually know less about their mother than we do about there father, and there is almost nothing said about him in the Bible. Gossip! She is the only daughter of her family. She was the sister of Moses and Aaron. And Miriam sang to them: Bible scholars are divided over whether she was of African decent, as names and geography have changed in meaning over the centuries. They would not co-operate with the Pharaoh’s order, but instead let the babies live. Miriam, the prophetess, the sister of Aaron (Exd 15:20. Miriam doesn't need to give orders or instructions, she simply took a drum in her hand, brandishing the symbol of freedom and tens of thousands of women followed her, without exception. Whether it be sorrow, i.e., songs in the night” or joy of spirit, there is a Psalm or hymn that we can sing to give us hope and help express our joy and praise to God. The Bible does not make it clear as to who this Ethiopian woman is and why they have a problem with her. by Dina Coopersmith. Miriam’s life had been one of service and leadership. 10 Bible Movies. In any case, this became a platform that Miriam and Aaron used to advance their own authority to equality with Moses. Surprisingly, Aaron is not afflicted or punished in any way, though he too spoke against Moses. That being so, it was necessary to repent and reform – which Miriam had to do. Miriam Women’s Study Hall: Miriam Exodus 2: 4-9; Exodus 15:20-21; Numbers 12:1-16, Numbers 20:1; Micah 6:4 DAY 1 – General Overview STOP! Reading the Bible is rewarding, and these plans make it easy! Read Exodus 2:1-10. She was born four years before Aaron and seven years before Moses. . Maybe Miriam didn’t like another woman’s having an influence in Moses’ life. she led the song of victory after the parting of the Red Sea. Since Miriam’s name precedes that of Aaron’s, it leads me to believe that she is the initiator in this criticism of Moses’ wife. 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