Discovery BoxNumbers 12:10-11 
Context12:10 When 1 the cloud departed from above the tent, Miriam became 2 leprous 3 as snow. Then Aaron looked at 4 Miriam, and she was leprous!
12:11 So Aaron said to Moses, “O my lord, 5 please do not hold this sin against us, in which we have acted foolishly and have sinned!
1 tn The disjunctive vav (ו) is here introducing a circumstantial clause of time.
2 tn There is no verb “became” in this line. The second half of the line is introduced with the particle הִנֵה (hinneh, “look, behold”) in its archaic sense. This deictic use is intended to make the reader focus on Miriam as well.
3 sn The word “leprosy” and “leprous” covers a wide variety of skin diseases, and need not be limited to the actual disease of leprosy known today as Hansen’s disease. The description of it here has to do with snow, either the whiteness or the wetness. If that is the case then there would be open wounds and sores – like Job’s illness (see M. Noth, Numbers [OTL], 95-96).
4 tn Heb “turned to.”
5 tn The expression בִּי אֲדֹנִי (bi ’adoni, “O my lord”) shows a good deal of respect for Moses by Aaron. The expression is often used in addressing God.
