And Miriam the prophetess, the sister of Aaron, took the tambour in her hand, and all the women went out after her with tambours and with dances.
The song of Moses has just ended on the far side of the Red Sea, and his sister now takes up the celebration. Who is she, and why does Scripture call her a prophetess here for the first time?
She may have been in the story since Exodus 2, watching a basket in the river. Only here does she get a name — and a title with it.
This was no ordinary joy that found its expression in this song of jubilant praise... It is the first mention of Miriam by name, and it is very interesting to notice that she was a prophetess. She was most probably the one who watched over the basket of reeds where her baby brother Moses lay, and who brought him back to his mother. So she also becomes prominent in Israel, not only through her connection with Moses, but also through her own distinct gift. It is the way of the Lord to bless everyone connected with the man of His counsels. It also shows us how sacred the family tie is in His sight. In the scene before us it was her honour and privilege to be the leader and the voice of the joy of the women of Israel. The hearts of all were filled with gladness, and it came out in music, dancing and song. They were redeemed, and they knew it on that happy morning; loaded with the joy of their salvation, they tell it out in words of gratitude and praise.
after_note: DELETE none
Her part is not a new song but a reply. Writers see a picture in that arrangement.
Miriam (or Mary), the prophetess, took her tambourine and lifted up her voice. She led the song of the women as Moses led the song of the men. Her praise answered his. In this way Moses is a figure of Christ risen from the dead, the Prince of the kings of the earth (Revelation 1:5), leading the praises of the Church (Psalm 22:22; Hebrews 2:12). And Miriam, responding to the song, is a figure of the Church.
The praise is not finished until the women sing.
The women's voices, with their musical accompaniment, take up the refrain. It is the seal of completeness. Sin had come in through the woman; now her heart is lifted up in praise, which itself testifies to victory over it. Even the mute, lifeless things answer back in these tambourines in her hand. The joy is full and universal in the redeemed creation.
Miriam has a real gift. Where she used it mattered.
This was a good service. She led the women in a song of praise to the Lord; she did not seek to lead the men. Here her service was quite acceptable. But later she led Aaron in complaining about Moses, and she was struck with leprosy for her sin (Numbers 12).
Commentators differ over the chorus. One writer measures it against the song of Moses and finds it stops short.
The chorus is not on a level with the song itself, for Miriam is a type of a soul that never gets beyond the thought of escape. She rejoices in what had been done in destroying the foe, but never breathes a word about getting into the land. It is very striking; she never got in. She died in the wilderness (Numbers 20:1). In the history of her soul, she never got over Jordan.
Another writer hears something else in her shorter strain.
Moses and the congregation in their song rejoice in both grace and glory. Miriam and her women echo the thought of grace only. And yet Miriam's gentler strain is very welcome to the ear.
Her story does not end at the shore.
First of all, Miriam dies. Her voice was heard in the brilliant scenes of Exodus 15, chanting a hymn of victory. Now she passes away, and her ashes are laid in the wilderness of Kadesh. The tambourine is laid aside. The voice of song is hushed in the silence of death. She can no longer lead in the dance. She had sung sweetly in her day. She had blessedly caught the keynote of that magnificent song of praise, sung on the resurrection side of the Red Sea.
- Redeemed — they knew that morning they were redeemed, and the gladness came out as music, dancing and song.
- Named — here Miriam is first named, and named as a prophetess. The Lord blesses everyone connected with the man of His counsels, and He holds the family tie sacred.
- Answering — her praise answers his. Moses leading the men pictures Christ risen, leading the praises of His people.
- Complete — the women's voices seal the praise. Sin came in through the woman; now her lifted heart testifies to victory over it.
- Limited — her chorus rejoices in escape, but says nothing about the land. She died in the wilderness, and the tambourine was laid aside.
And Miriam answered them, Sing to Jehovah, for he is highly exalted The horse and his rider hath he thrown into the sea.
The song at the Red Sea does not end with Moses. A woman takes a tambourine, leads the women out, and throws the opening line back to the camp as a call to keep singing.
The refrain rises out of a rescue that had just happened. One writer notes what makes this the first song of its kind:
There is no song recorded in the book of Genesis. The patriarchs were men of deep thought and serious mind, not joyful. The first song on earth that we have any account of is recorded in Exodus 15. The deliverance God had worked for Israel (Ex. 14) gave both the song (Ex. 15:1-19) and the refrain (v. 21) their ground and material.
Another writer names the only people able to sing it:
Only the redeemed, conscious of their deliverance, can sing.
One commentator draws out her history, her gift, and her place in that morning's joy:
This is the first mention of Miriam by name, and it is very interesting to notice that she was a prophetess. She was most probably the one who watched over the basket of reeds where her infant brother Moses was laid, and who was the means of bringing him back to his mother. So she becomes prominent in Israel, not only through her connection with Moses, but through her own distinct gift. It is the way of the Lord to bless everyone connected with the man He has chosen for His purpose, and it shows at the same time how sacred family ties are in His sight. But in the scene before us, her honour and privilege was to lead the women of Israel and to be the voice of their joy. The hearts of all were filled with gladness, and it came out in music, dancing, and song. They were redeemed, and they knew it on this happy morning.
Miriam adds nothing of her own. One writer draws out what she chose not to do, and what she did:
She did not try to dampen his enthusiasm. She did not suggest that he should be more collected and dignified, or think more about his position as leader — almost king — in Israel, and leave matters like singing to a less important person. No, she took up the very words he had used, and urged, surely from a full heart, that the songs of praise continue.
One writer catches the difference between the two halves of the chapter:
Moses composes the song so that each person can sing it as the feelings of his own heart, celebrating the great triumph of Israel's God. Miriam, as a prophetess, and the women of Israel following her, use almost the same words. But they use them to urge the people on: "Sing to the Lord, for He has triumphed gloriously."
Commentators differ on the chorus itself. Some read it as the crown of the chapter — Miriam "echoes the song of Moses… This is the seventh section, which completes the chorus of praise to the Lord" (L. M. Grant). Others measure the refrain against the full song and find it shorter:
The chorus is not on a level with the song itself, for Miriam is a type of a soul that never gets beyond the thought of escape. She rejoices in what God had done in destroying the enemy, but says not a word about getting into the land. It is very striking; she never got in. She died in the wilderness (Num. 20:1).
The pattern of leader and answering voice carries a meaning beyond that morning:
Miriam the prophetess took her tambourine, lifted up her voice, and led the song of the women, as Moses led the song of the men. Her praise answered his. So Moses is a picture of Christ risen from the dead, the Prince of the kings of the earth (Rev. 1:5), leading the praises of the Church (Ps. 22:22; Heb. 2:12), and Miriam, answering the song, is a picture of the Church.
One writer ties the first song in Scripture to the last:
The first song recorded in Scripture is that of Moses in Exodus 15. It celebrates the Lord's victory in crushing the might of Egypt and redeeming His people. The last song recorded in Scripture is the song of Moses again, for once more and finally God is crushing the adversary and redeeming His people. But coupled with that is the song of the once suffering but now triumphant Lamb.
- Rescue first. The rescue at the sea in chapter 14 gives chapter 15 its words. Only people who know God has delivered them can sing.
- Then the refrain. Miriam adds nothing new. She takes her brother's words and turns them into a call to keep singing.
- A gift used in its place. Scripture names her a prophetess here for the first time. She leads the women's joy in music, dance and song.
- A short reach. Her chorus celebrates the enemy destroyed but says nothing of the land ahead. Commentators differ over what that shows.
- A long echo. The first song in the Bible returns as the last, joined there to the song of the Lamb.