Miriam's Song

I keep thinking about the prophetess Miriam in the Bible. We know she's a prophetess because the Bible names her as such, the very first time that she is introduced by name in Scripture:

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. (Exodus 15:20, NRSV).

Of course, we know about her younger self, as the older sister who looked after baby brother Moses in the bulrushes of the Nile River. She watched for his safety as he floated down the river and then acted decisively when Pharoah's daughter found her.

"Should I go and find one of the Hebrew women to nurse the baby for you?" she asked (Exodus 2:7, NLT).

Smart cookie that she was, this girl arranged it so that her younger brother simultaneously became a prince of Egypt and was cared for, at least for a while, by his actual mother.

Next thing we know, she is one of the leaders of the Exodus and is called a prophetess.

Then, following the glorious Red Sea miracle, Moses leads the men in a beautiful song of praise. You see, back in the day, even not so long ago as this, it was cool to be an outdoorsman and a poet. These things are not mutually exclusive.

Perhaps Gen Z is bringing us back to the quite logical position that people have multiple aspects to themselves and can be multiply talented. I mean, didn't we learn anything from High School Musical? Currently, the 2024 Summer Olympics are showcasing the impressive successes of the so-called geeks who are incredible athletes and yet love Rubik's cubes and have higher degrees in impressive subject areas. Increasingly, I feel that the world can learn a lot from this generation.

Anyway, Moses--leader, shepherd, navigator, mystic, poet, writer, and singer--bursts forth in an ornate and beautiful song of praise. Incidentally, he also has written some of my favorite psalms. Once the men are done singing, the women begin, led by Miriam, sister to Moses and Aaron. This song appears to be a shorter version of Moses' song, an antiphonal response to what the men had sung, and they do so with instrument accompaniment. Where did the tambourines come from, and why do the women whip them out so quickly?

Multiple Jewish sources have detailed explanations. For instance, the great rabbi Rashi (1040-1105) said,

"The righteous women of that generation were [so] certain that the Holy One, blessed be He, would perform miracles for them, they took timbrels out of Egypt. (from Mekhilta)"(as cited in JTS)

This brings up the marked differences I've noticed in how Jewish and Christian theologians handle Christian characters. Christian theologians admirably want to stick close to the Bible and not encourage accounts that are extra-Biblical and likely more legend than truth. However, we are a fallen people, and when this admirable goal is paired with less-admirable motivations for avoiding a positive focus on women of the faith, you get either...nothing or a hyperfocus on the women's sins (e.g. Eve, Rahab, Sarah, Miriam, Rachel, Rebekah, etc. etc.).

The Bible is honest and accurate, pointing out the failures along with the successes of each character. You know, like would be true if these events actually happened rather than the heavily stylized ancient accounts of contemporaneous persons. When the character gets a lot of "screen time" per se, like David or Joseph, their failings are rolled into their triumphs. However, characters that get less ink but display at least one sin of omission or commission end up being suspect. It's like we're trying to sort the sheep and the goats ourselves, which is a role that only God has. Who is saved, and who isn't, our nebby selves want to know! (Note: if you don't know the Yinzer, i.e Pittsburghese, term I just used, feel free to look it up. It's a fun one!)

For example, does my list below match what you've observed in writings?

• Abraham, good

• Moses, good

• Solomon, suspect

• Samson, suspect

Pretty much all women in the Bible land in the "suspect" category because there is always something to call attention to their failings. Yet, Jesus' lineage is filled with such women and Jesus himself, while on earth, seemed to give particular attention to the "suspect" folks, especially ladies with problematic pasts.

This detour is needed as background in our study of Miriam, who has a long and detailed history in the Jewish oral tradition. It's quite remarkable to read, although it goes beyond the Biblical narrative. What a Christian can come away from after reading rabbinical descriptions is that Judaism holds deep respect for Biblical women. They aren't trying to sort folks into sheep and goats, it's clear. Flaws are present, for sure, but these don't take over the woman's entire history. Instead, the focus is on her importance to God's people. While some of the accounts seem a little too much like fan fiction, in my estimation, I appreciate the loving attention to women worth studying.

Back to the Rashi and other rabbis, the consensus is that the Exodus was predicated on the righteousness of the female Israelites. That is, God heard them, specifically, when they called out to the Lord. The goodness of some of these women can be seen in the Biblical account of the Hebrew midwives saving children. The women held onto the faith of their father and mothers and carried this light through the darkness of slavery in Egypt, much like African-American women did so and are still doing so despite slavery and oppression.

The rabbis say this is why the women brought their instruments along with them on the Exodus, despite the huge company of people being told to leave Egypt in haste, even eating unleavened bread. These women were ready to praise!

The Bible tells us that Moses leads the group (presumably just men) in song. But then Miriam and the women take out instruments and they get into it. They're singing, dancing, and playing tambourines. They're going all out in praise to the Lord. JTS quotes a nineteenth century rabbi who said that Miriam's song showcases "intense concentration and sacred fervor.

Miriam led the women in this song; the Bible says that "all the women went out after her" (Exodus 15:20 NRSV). What an amazing celebration of praise--the most appropriate response to the great and miraculous provision of the Lord.

And this brings us back to where we started, with Miriam as a prophetess. Why is she a prophetess? Well, the Jewish tradition gives specific reasons on this, as she is said to have prophesied the future of her brother's great role. Even if as Christians we're not so sure of that because the Bible doesn't say so, we do need to accept that the Bible does in fact call her a prophetess. It could be that the second meaning of the term "prophet" is being used here, as someone who speaks forth God's word, which she certainly does--most notably in Miriam's song.

Miriam is the first woman in the Bible who is called a prophetess. While Christians may not accept the Jewish oral tradition's account of her story, we do need to hear what the Bible directly says about her. So many Christians, especially girls and women of the faith, can be encouraged by her godly and passionate example of exuberant faith.

The final time the Bible mentions Miriam is in Micah 6. This chapter is spoken in the Lord's voice, and God says,

I brought you up out of Egypt and redeemed you from the land of slavery. I sent Moses to lead you, also Aaron and Miriam. (Micah 6:4, NIV)

This is perhaps the clearest statement describing the triumvirate of leadership during the Exodus. Moses is the head, for sure, and Aaron and Miriam do wrong when they question it (Numbers 12). But Aaron, despite his failures, is repeatedly held up as the head of the Levite line of priests. And Miriam is perhaps our original model of the female prophetic tradition, or, in modern Christian parlance, the women's ministry leader! Also, perhaps a worship leader.

According to Micah, God sent Moses to the Israelites, and he also sent Aaron and Miriam. This means that He appointed them to their roles. For Miriam, we see lifelong service to the Lord, with bravery, and musical talent thrown in as well. She was a mother to the people of Israel. However, Protestants are very afraid of acknowledging mother figures likely due to overtones of Catholicism. Concerns run deep regarding veneration of Mary and other female figures.

But I would argue for a middle way, and a more Biblical way. We should not add to what Scripture has written and we should not detract from it, either. (Deuteronomy 4:2 and Revelation 22:18-19). We should be equally afraid of each error.

Two passages of Scripture describe Miriam as a leader, and the example given is a person who modeled faith, had followers, and is particularly noted for her praise. Speaking of, the discovery of a Dead Sea Scroll fragment prompts re-examination of Miriam's song; it may be that the whole chapter reflects Miriam's song. Rather that repeat the whole text twice, once for Moses leading it and once for Miriam, the Bible just gives the song title for the women's response; they actually may have sung the whole thing, composed by Miriam. Regardless of whether it is Miriam singing Moses' song or Moses singing Miriam's, these are siblings singing in beautiful accord before the Lord.