Exodus 15:20–21

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I. Miriam’s Lineage and Historical Placement

• Genealogy
  • Daughter of Amram and Jochebed; sister of Aaron and Moses (Numbers 26:59).
  • A granddaughter of Levi (Exodus 6:16–20).
• Chronological Implications
  • Levi was among Jacob’s sons who entered Egypt (Genesis 46:11).
  • Miriam, as Levi’s great-granddaughter, lived only a few generations removed from the patriarchs.
  • If she was roughly 80+ years old at the time of the Exodus (being several years older than Moses, Exodus 7:7), then the total sojourn in Egypt could not span 400 literal years.
  • This aligns with Galatians 3:17, which counts 430 years from Abraham’s promise to the giving of the Law, not the entire Egyptian stay.
  • Therefore, Israel’s actual time in Egypt was closer to 215 years, not 400.
  • Rabbinic tradition adds that slavery began when Miriam was born, and that her name (Miriam, “bitterness”) commemorates that suffering.
  • Summary: Miriam was Levi’s great-granddaughter—only four generations removed from Jacob himself.
• A note concerning Genesis 15:13–16:
  • Verse 13 mentions 400 years “in a land that is not theirs.” We assume this to be Egypt, but the text doesn’t say this explicitly, and allows for the 400 years to simply be “in a land that is not theirs.”
  • The “four hundred years” fits the time from Abraham to the Exodus, not the entire Egyptian residence.

II. Miriam’s Early Prophetic Gift

• What we know about Miriam’s Prophetic title:
  • She is explicitly called a “prophetess” (Exodus 15:20), yet no explanation is given.
  • It is strongly implied that God spoke to her prophetically, though not as directly as with Moses, and we are not told what He revealed - Num 12:2, 6-8
  • The only words of Miriam are found in Exodus 15:21, which are not particularly prophetic, but rather a repetition of the words of Moses in Exodus 15:1.
  • Because we know something but not much, we can move forward in some careful speculation.
• Midrashic tradition (Exodus Rabbah 1:22):
  • The Midrash (ancient Jewish rabbinical commentary) picks up on the fact that in Exodus 15:20 Miriam is simply called the “sister of Aaron.”
    • We already knew this, so why tell us?
    • We also know her as the sister of her more famous brother, Moses, so why isn’t he mentioned?
  • Midrashic speculation: As a child, Miriam prophesied that her mother would give birth to a son who would deliver Israel. When Pharaoh decreed that all male infants be drowned, Amram and Jochebed decided to avoid having more children; Miriam rebuked them, declaring by prophetic inspiration they would give birth to a son who would be the redeemer.
    • This is in line with the general expectation of a redeemer born from a woman from Genesis 3:15.
    • Since the ultimate Redeemer will be “a prophet like Moses,” (reference), this supposed prophecy is then fulfilled in Moses’ birth (Exodus 2:1–10).
• Hence, her title “prophetess” (Ex. 15:20) likely refers not to her song but to her earlier Spirit-given insight.

III. The Song of Miriam – Prophecy in Praise

• Context: After the crossing of the Red Sea, Miriam leads the women with timbrels and dancing (Exodus 15:20–21).

• Text:

  “Sing ye to the LORD, for he hath triumphed gloriously; the horse and his rider hath he thrown into the sea.”

• The verb ‘ānāh (“answered”) indicates antiphonal response—a refrain to Moses’ longer song (Exodus 15:1–18).

• Prophetic Nature of the Song:

  • Early Jewish interpreters saw it as a prophetic proclamation—a preview of God’s future victories and final redemption.
  • It thus serves as both a theological interpretation of present deliverance and a prophetic typology of future salvation.

V. Later Traditions