Who
The sister of Moses and Aaron, who watched over the infant Moses on the Nile. After the crossing of the sea, “Miriam the prophetess, the sister of Aaron, took a tambourine in her hand; and all the women went out after her” singing, “Sing to the LORD, for he has triumphed gloriously” (Exodus 15:20–21). She was struck with leprosy for speaking against Moses and healed at his prayer (Numbers 12), and died at Kadesh. Micah names her with her brothers among those God sent before Israel (Micah 6:4). Mary bears her name (Hebrew Miryam), and Ambrose sets her before virgins as one who led the women’s song of deliverance.
Key verses
- Exodus 15:20
Miriam the prophetess, the sister of Aaron, took a tambourine in her hand; and all the women went out after her with tambourines and with dances.
- Exodus 15:21
Miriam answered them, “Sing to the LORD, for he has triumphed gloriously. He has thrown the horse and his rider into the sea.”
- Numbers 26:59
The name of Amram’s wife was Jochebed, the daughter of Levi, who was born to Levi in Egypt. She bore to Amram Aaron and Moses, and Miriam their sister.
- Micah 6:4
For I brought you up out of the land of Egypt, and redeemed you out of the house of bondage. I sent before you Moses, Aaron, and Miriam.
Where the Bible names her
Family
Discussed by
Comments on the verses that name her.
- Ambrose of Milan, Concerning Virgins II.2
The life of Mary is set before virgins as an example, and her many virtues are dwelt upon, her chastity, humility, hard life, love of retirement, and the like; then her kindness to others, her zeal in learning, and…
- Ambrose of Milan, Concerning Virgins I.3
Virginity is praised on many grounds, but chiefly because it brought down the Word from heaven, and hence its pursuit, which existed in but few under the old covenant, has spread to countless numbers. 10. And now the…
- Gregory of Nazianzus, Orations Oration 18
On the Death of His Father. ThisOration was delivered a.d. 374. S. Gregory the elder died early in that year, according to the Greek Menæa on the 1st of January, though Clémencet and some others place his death a few…
- Ambrose of Milan, Letters Letter 41
: To Marcellina on the Same. St. Ambrose in this letter to his sister continues the account of the matters contained in his letter to Theodosius, and of a sermon which he subsequently delivered before the Emperor,…
- Ambrose of Milan, Letters Letter 15
Epistle LXIII: To the Church at Vercellæ. Limenius, Bishop of Vercellæ, having died, the see remained long vacant owing to domestic factions. St. Ambrose, therefore, as Exarch, writes to the Christians at Vercellæ,…
- Gregory of Nyssa, On Virginity On Virginity.19
But besides other things the action of Miriam the prophetess also gives rise to these surmisings of ours. Directly the sea was crossed she took in her hand a dry and sounding timbrel and conducted the women’s dance.…
- Jerome, Letters Letter 22
To Eustochium. Perhaps the most famous of all the letters. In it Jerome lays down at great length (1) the motives which ought to actuate those who devote themselves to a life of virginity, and (2) the rules by which…
- Jerome, Letters Letter 54
To Furia. A letter of guidance to a widow on the best means of preserving her widowhood (according to Jerome ‘the second of the three degrees of chastity’). Furia had at one time thought of marrying again but…