Moses was described as "very meek" in Numbers 12:3, but the author has questioned this translation. After examining the Hebrew word used and its context, the author argues it may better mean Moses was "very miserable." While translations use "meek" due to Jewish tradition elevating humility, the complaints against Moses suggest misery instead fits. Ultimately, no single English word can fully capture the meaning in this complex context of Moses' life and leadership.

1. Was Moses
Meek?
PITTSBURGH APRIL 2022

2. A Question Mark
Numbers 13:2: (Now the man Moses was very
meek, above all the men which were upon the
face of the earth.)
I put a question mark in my Bible to this verse
many decades ago
I finally erased it and put a comment there
perhaps ten years ago
And this is the story of how this happened

3. Moses: Main Events
Early Life in Egypt : Born in Secret, set adrift in basket: The infant was rescued when Pharaoh’s daughter found him and adopted
him into the elite of Egyptian royalty.
Midianite Exile. When he was forty years old, Moses was incensed the violence of a lone Egyptian violence toward a Jew, and he
slew him. Found out, he fled to the wilderness of Midian, where he married Jethroe's daughter Zipporah. Moses had two sons
Confrontation with Pharaoh. At eighty years old, he came across a burning bush in the wilderness. Jehovah, speaking from the bush,
commanded him to return to Egypt with a message of liberation for the Israelite slaves. Moses returned and met his older brother Aaron
on the way. Yet despite his impressive signs, the Egyptians only responded with increased labor for their captives. Moses then called
down ten devastating plagues to demolish Egypt, culminating in the death of every firstborn Egyptian. Pharaoh, finally convinced of the
futility of fighting the LORD, freed the Israelites. But he changed his mind again and pursued them to the Red Sea. The Israelites
escaped by crossing the sea on dry ground, while Pharaoh and his army followed them and drowned.
Journey to Sinai The Israelites began to murmur about insufficient food and water. the LORD by miraculously providing water,
‘manna,’ and Quails. The LORD was unhappy and sent a fire, but Moses prayed and the fire stopped, although a plaque followed. The
Israelites moved on, But Miriam and Aaron criticized Moses over Zipporah: the LORD sent a plague of Leprosy on Miriam, but Moses
prayed on her behalf and she was healed. The people moved on, and following a successful battle with Amalekites, the Israelites
approached Mount Sinai. At this mountain they were met by the LORD and He gave Moses a series of laws, encapsulated in the Ten
Commandments.
Tabernacle. The Israelites responded by building the Tabernacle, a portable temple, for the LORD. When Moses went missing on the
mountain, however, they built a golden calf and worshiped it. Moses returned with strict punishment.
The Wilderness of Paran. Leaving Sinai, the Israelites prepared for the conquest by sending out twelve spies, but ten of the spies
returned discouraged. Rather than believing the two hopeful spies, the Israelites refused to enter the Promised Land; as punishment,
the LORD condemned them to wander in the wilderness for forty years. During this time Moses continued to receive legal instruction for
the Israelites. He also contended with the dangerous rebellion of Korah, fomented by over 250 Israelite leaders, but this was
spectacularly judged by a divine fire and earthquake.
Later Wanderings At one point, Moses and Aaron disobeyed the LORD’s command by striking a stone. Both were condemned to die
before entering the Promised Land. The LORD dealt with the Hebrew murmuring agin by sending a swarm of deadly snakes into the
camp. Moses fashioned a metallic serpent in response. After surveying the Promised Land, Moses died on the mountain and was
buried by the Lord in an unmarked grave in the land of Moab. The lawgiver, judge, and prophet of Israel was memorialized by thirty
days of weeping and mourning.

4. Summary of the Life of Moses
Moses stood up to the one of the most powerful man
in the world
He was the undoubted leader of a vast nation
He communed directly with the Lord
He showed anger and command of the nation in the
episode of the Golden Calf
He shepherded a rebellious nation for 40 years,
despite grumblings, complaints, and direct opposition
He is perhaps the most important individual in the
Bible, with the exception of Jesus himself.
He wrote the Pentateuch, the bedrock of Judaism to
theis day

5. Summary of Characteristics
Prophet, Priest, Ruler, and Savior of
Israel
 Moses’ most heroic virtue is his
steadfast obedience
 Moses himself is far from passive or
reticent, yet he represents a prototype of
the biblical hero whose greatness lies not
in self-assertion but in obedience to the
LORD.
 Moses is passionate and impulsive.

6. So How is Moses Often Described?
"Moses, meek, humble, and with no trace of
jealousy in his make-up."
"In Numbers 12:3 it is recorded that Moses was
‘very meek’. The importance of being meek
(literally mild or humble) is emphasized by the
Lord Jesus Christ in his ‘Sermon on the Mount’:
‘Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the
earth’."
2 Timothy 2:24, 25 Moses
“the servant of the Lord" A very common title of Moses
must not strive As Israel did with him (Numbers 26:9)
but be gentle unto all The spirit of Moses
apt to teach As was Moses (Exodus 18:20; 24:12;etc
patient As was Moses
in meekness Moses was the meekest man (Numbers 12:3)
instructing those that oppose at the time of Aaron and Miriam’s rebellion

7. The Meek are Blessed
Jesus pronounces a blessing on everyone who is meek such as in
Matthew 5:5 where He said "Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit
the earth." Who will inherit the land in the kingdom? The Bible says that
"the meek shall inherit the land and delight themselves in abundant
peace" (Psalm 37:11). Moses was called meek but he certainly wasn’t
weak.
The Bible says "Now the man Moses was very meek, more than all
people who were on the face of the earth" (Num 12:3) but there is no sign
of Moses every being weak. In fact, it was just the opposite as we see
Exodus 2:16-17 "Now the priest of Midian had seven daughters, and they
came and drew water and filled the troughs to water their father’s flock.
The shepherds came and drove them away, but Moses stood up and
saved them, and watered their flock." Here was one man who took on
several shepherds and drove them away from harassing the seven
daughters of Midian. We don’t know how many there were but there were
probably more than three or four.
Here was one man, Moses, who drove them all away even though he
was called the meekest man on earth.

8. Moses protecting the Daughters: Meek?

9. Numbers 12:3 Translations
Num 12:3 (Now the man Moses was very meek, above all the
men which were upon the face of the earth.) (KJV) – Meek in
RSV, ESV,
Num 12:3 (Now the man Moses was very humble, more than
all men who were on the face of the earth.) (NJKV) – Humble in
NIV,
Num 12:3 Moses wasn't very proud at all. In fact, he had less
pride than anyone else on the face of the earth. ((NIrV)
Num 12:3 (Now the man Moses was very humble, N9 more so
than any man on the face of the earth.
N9: tc The spelling of the word is a Kethib-Qere reading with only a slight difference between the two.
tn The word ‫ָו‬‫נ‬ָ‫ע‬
(
’ anav) means "humble." The word may reflect a trustful attitude (as in Pss 25:9, 37:11), but perhaps
here the idea of "more tolerant" or "long-suffering." The point is that Moses is not self-assertive. the LORD singled out
Moses and used him in such a way as to show that he was a unique leader. For a suggestion that the word means
"miserable," see C. Rogers, "Moses: Meek or Miserable?" JETS 29 (1986): 257-63.
sn Humility is a quality missing today in many leaders. Far too many are self-promoting, or competitive, or even
pompous. The statement in this passage would have been difficult for Moses to write – and indeed, it is not impossible
that an editor might have added it. One might think that for someone to claim to be humble is an arrogant act. But
the statement is one of fact – he was not self-assertive (until Num 20 when he strikes the rock).

10. Moses Meek

11. Moses Humble

12. Hebrew Etc
Num 12:3 (Now the manH376 MosesH4872 was veryH3966 meek,H6035
above allH4480 H3605 the menH120 whichH834 were uponH5921 the faceH6440 of
the earth.)H127
H3065: ‫ענו‬ ‫עניו‬ ‛â nâ v ‛â nâ yv aw-nawv', aw-nawv'
The second form is by intermixture with H6041;
from H6031; depressed (figuratively), in mind (gentle) or circumstances
(needy, especially saintly)KJV Usage: humble, lowly, meek, poor`.
Numbers 12:3 meek, Psalms 25:9 and the meek Proverbs 14:21 on the poor,
Job 24:4 the poor Psalms 34:2 the humble Proverbs 16:19 with the lowly,
Psalms 9:12 of the humble. Psalms 37:11 But the meek Isaiah 11:4 for the meek
Psalms 9:18 of the poor Psalms 69:32 The humble Isaiah 29:19 The meek
Psalms 10:12 not the humble. Psalms 76:9 all the meek Isaiah 32:7 the poor
Psalms 10:17 of the humble: Psalms 147:6 the meek: Isaiah 61:1 to the meek;
Psalms 22:26 The meek Psalms 149:4 the meek Amos 2:7 of the meek:
Psalms 25:9 The meek Proverbs 3:34 to the lowly. Amos 8:4 the poor
Zephaniah 2:3 all ye meek
25 occurrences of H6035 ‫ענו‬ ‫עניו‬

13. What Does Actually it Mean Here?

14. Why Miserable?
Etymology – The Root meaning
 The basic root of the word ' aw-nawv is probably 'nh, which means
"to be bowed down, afflicted". The word could take different
directions depending on the idea one wished to express. One could
be bowed down with force, which meant "to be subdued" or "to
subdue." It could also mean "to be bowed down with
submissiveness"-that is, "to be humble." Or it could mean "to be
bowed down with care or trouble"-that is, "to be miserable or
afflicted
The evidence of usage.
The evidence of usage supports the basic observation of etymology.
The word under consideration-'anaw-is an adjective that describes
the state or condition of being "bowed down."It appears in
Aramaic in Dan 4:24. Here the meaning is given as "miserable" and
describes the condition of those to whom King Nebuchadnezzar is to
show mercy. The word occurs in the Hebrew OT about twenty-one
times, but the only place it appears in the singular is Num 12:3.21

16. Why Miserable - Continued
The Evidence of context
 In approaching a specific context one must try to decide
which of the existing meanings the writer intended in each
instance. The question: "Which of the possibilities fits the
context of Num 12:3-'meek' or 'miserable’?"
The people of Israel have been complaining many times.
About food, about many other items, so much so that Moses
complained the burden was too heavy for him to bear
The immediate context is also one of complaints, but this
time from within the family. Miriam and Aaron speak
against Moses, their brother. Though the main reason given
is that Moses had married a Cushite woman, the real reason
seems to be pride and envy: "The LORD did not really speak
only by Moses, did he?" (12:2). The context then is one of
misery and complaining against Moses. It is difficult to see
how a statement about Moses' "meekness" would fit such a
context.

17. Why “Meek” in the Translations
Septuagint: The LXX translators used the word
praus in Num 12:3. The word in Greek seems to have
a much wider range than the Hebrew word and was
therefore too broad to be limited to only one of its
aspects. The word indicates the patient, submissive
spirit that, in the midst of difficulties, does not strike
back but yields in faith to the LORD
The term in Judaism. The term takes on a strong
religious nuance. Humility was a noble quality, and
Moses was an important person in Judaism. These
two factors along with the LXX rendering may have
contributed to the translation "meek."

18. Numbers 12:3
"Moses was a very miserable man. He
was more miserable than any other man
on earth."
Moses was saying that in light of the
burden of the people and the complaint of
his family he was the most "miserable"
person in the world.
Who has not made this statement about
himself at some point in life?

19. Conclusions
None of us may be called on to carry the tremendous load
of responsibility which Moses bore; but we are all "servants
in the LORD’s house". As servants, we need to be qualified,
and to that end we can appreciate that these things
"written aforetime" are for our instruction and example.
In a changing world, the things which make up a
character pleasing to the LORD do not change —
faithfulness in service, unswerving loyalty to the LORD’s
word, diligence in our work, readiness to respond to the call
of duty, albeit with humility, in the consciousness of our
own insufficiency.
The ninetieth Psalm is "A prayer of Moses the man of the
LORD", and we can each, from our hearts, re-echo his
petitions: "So teach us to number our days, that we may
apply our hearts unto wisdom . . . O satisfy us early with
thy mercy, that we may rejoice and be glad all our days."