3

When Miriam dies we are not of Israel mourning for her and the period of mourning. We are just told that she died and was buried there.

KJV Numbers 20 : 1

1 Then came the children of Israel, even the whole congregation, into the desert of Zin in the first month: and the people abode in Kadesh; and Miriam died there, and was buried there.

But When Aaron dies We are told how Israeli mourned for him.

KJV Numbers 20 : 28 - 29

28 And Moses stripped Aaron of his garments, and put them upon Eleazar his son; and Aaron died there in the top of the mount: and Moses and Eleazar came down from the mount. 29 And when all the congregation saw that Aaron was dead, they mourned for Aaron thirty days, even all the house of Israel.

Even when Moses dies we are also told of how Israel mourned for him

KJV Deuteronomy 34 : 5, 8

5 *So Moses the servant of the LORD died there in the land of Moab(, according to the word of the LORD. 8 And the children of Israel wept for Moses in the plains of Moab thirty days: so the days of weeping and mourning for Moses were ended.

Why is there no mention of Miriam being mourned like her brothers?

1 Answer 1

1

Why was Miriam not mourned like Moses and Aaron in Numbers 20:1?

In short, the Biblical record is silent on this matter. But note what the topic "Mourning" in the Insight on the Scriptures mentions:

Causes of Mourning. Persons mourned to express repentance (Ne 9:1, 2; Jon 3:5-9), or because of the imminence of calamity (Es 4:3; Jer 6:26; Am 5:16, 17) or a disastrous condition already prevailing (Joe 1:5-14). The most common cause of mourning, undoubtedly, was death. The death of a member of the immediate family set in motion a period of mourning (Ge 23:2; 27:41; 37:33-35), while the death of a parent or of an only son are set out as occasions of the deepest grief. (Ps 35:14; Am 8:10; Zec 12:10) The death of a national leader occasioned periods of mourning lasting from 7 to 30 days. (Nu 20:29; De 34:8; 1Sa 31:8, 12, 13) The Egyptians continued to shed tears over the death of Joseph’s father Jacob for 70 days, with an additional 7-day period of mourning rites in Canaan.​—Ge 50:3-11. [emphasis mine]

Moses was the means by which Jehovah God delivered the Israelites from Egypt and lead them through the wilderness into the Promised Land.

Aaron was appointed by Jehovah God to be High Priest and serve to lead the other priests in officiating the duties and ceremonies commanded by Jehovah.

Miriam was known as a "prophetess" (Exodus 15:20) and was also a means by which Jehovah God gave instruction to the Israelites. (Numbers 12:2)

So the custom was to mourn for an extensive period of time, in Moses and Aaron's case 30 days. While the Bible record does not say why Miriam was not mourned for 30 days, we do know that Moses and Aaron were highlighted because of their status within the nation of Israel by Jehovah God himself.

[All scripture quotations from the New World Translation of the Holy Scriptures (Study Edition)]

Your Answer

By clicking “Post Your Answer”, you agree to our terms of service and acknowledge that you have read and understand our privacy policy and code of conduct.

Not the answer you're looking for? Browse other questions tagged or ask your own question.