Hazeroth

Biblical Text and Narrative

Hazeroth is an encampment mentioned in the account of the wilderness journey after the Exodus. The Israelites set out from Kibroth-hattaavah, the site of the quail incident, and came to Hazeroth, where they stayed (Numbers 11:35; see Manna and Quail). There Miriam and Aaron objected to Moses because he had married a Cushite woman. The two spoke against Moses, saying, "Hath the LORD indeed spoken only by Moses? hath he not spoken also by us?" (Numbers 12:1-2).

God called the three of them to the tabernacle of the congregation. He declared that while He speaks to other prophets in visions and dreams, with Moses He speaks "mouth to mouth, even apparently," and that Moses is a servant who "is faithful in all mine house" (Numbers 12:6-8). Afterward Miriam was stricken with leprosy. At Aaron's plea, Moses prayed for Miriam's healing (Numbers 12:13). Miriam was shut out of the camp for seven days, and the people did not journey until she was brought in again. After that, the people moved from Hazeroth and camped in the wilderness of Paran (Numbers 12:14-16). The list of wilderness stations also places Hazeroth between Kibroth-hattaavah and Rithmah (Numbers 33:17-18). Deuteronomy 1:1 includes Hazeroth among the place names used to describe where Moses delivered his words.

Background

The Hebrew Ḥaṣerot is understood as the plural of a word meaning "enclosures" or "villages." Some suggest that it may have been a name for settlements where nomads stayed. Some scholars identify Hazeroth with Ain Hudra (Ain Khadra), an oasis in the eastern Sinai Peninsula. However, this identification depends on where one locates Mount Sinai and therefore remains uncertain.

Significance in Scripture as a Whole

The Hazeroth episode is read as demonstrating the unique nature of Moses' calling and authority. Deuteronomy 24:9, in giving regulations concerning leprosy, instructs the people to remember what God did to Miriam. Hebrews 3:2-5 takes up the expression "faithful in all mine house" from Numbers 12:7. Hebrews contrasts Moses, who was faithful in God's house as a servant, with Jesus Christ, who as the Son is over that house.

Interpretations and Issues

• The Cushite woman: The text does not give this woman's name. Some identify her with Zipporah of Midian, while others regard her as a woman of Ethiopian descent distinct from Zipporah.
• Why only Miriam was punished: Because the verb in Numbers 12:1 is feminine singular in Hebrew, many interpreters conclude that Miriam led the criticism. Some also explain it in connection with Aaron's office as high priest.
• Numbers 12:3: The verse "Now the man Moses was very meek, above all the men which were upon the face of the earth" is frequently cited in discussions of the authorship of the Pentateuch. Conservative scholars regard the verse either as written by Moses or as an editorial explanation added later. Critical scholars see it as evidence that multiple sources were combined.

In the Korean Church

In Korean church preaching, the Hazeroth episode is used mainly as a text addressing slander against leaders, God-appointed authority, and Moses' meekness and intercessory prayer. The scene in which the people halted their march until Miriam returned is also interpreted as a picture of a community waiting for its weaker members.