Numbers 12:10

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!

Ex 33:7-10; Le 13:2,3-46; De 24:9; 2Ki 5:27; 2Ki 15:5; 2Ch 26:19-21; Eze 10:4,5,18,19; Ho 9:12; Mt 25:41

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.”