12:15 So Miriam was shut outside of the camp for seven days, and the people did not journey on until Miriam was brought back in. 1
1 tn The clause has the Niphal infinitive construct after a temporal preposition.
2 tn The verb סְלַח־נָא (selakh-na’), the imperative form, means “forgive” (see Ps 130:4), “pardon,” “excuse.” The imperative is of course a prayer, a desire, and not a command.
3 tn The construct unit is “the greatness of your loyal love.” This is the genitive of specification, the first word being the modifier.
4 tn The word is “shepherds.” It means that the people would be wilderness nomads, grazing their flock on available land.
5 tn Heb “you shall bear your whoredoms.” The imagery of prostitution is used throughout the Bible to reflect spiritual unfaithfulness, leaving the covenant relationship and following after false gods. Here it is used generally for their rebellion in the wilderness, but not for following other gods.
6 tn The infinitive is from תָּמַם (tamam), which means “to be complete.” The word is often used to express completeness in a good sense – whole, blameless, or the like. Here and in v. 35 it seems to mean “until your deaths have been completed.” See also Gen 47:15; Deut 2:15.
7 sn Here the text makes clear that he had at least one assistant.