And he said, Hear now my words: If there be a prophet among you, I the LORD will make myself known unto him in a vision, and will speak unto him in a dream.

NUMBERS 12:6KJV
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Numbers 12:6 (KJV)

What does Numbers 12:6 mean?

Numbers 12:6 says that when God chooses a prophet, He reveals Himself to that person through visions or dreams. This verse explains how God communicates with prophets, making it clear that their messages come from Him in a special way.

In this scene, God is speaking directly to Moses, Aaron, and Miriam after Miriam and Aaron questioned Moses’ unique relationship with God. God explains that prophets among the Israelites receive messages through visions and dreams, setting up a contrast with how He speaks to Moses more directly. The verse highlights the special way God makes His will known to chosen individuals.

The Hebrew behind Numbers 12:6

  • "prophet" (נָבִיא, navi): This word refers to someone who receives messages from God to share with others. Here, it emphasizes that not everyone hears from God in the same way—only those God chooses as prophets.
  • "vision" (מַּרְאָה, mar’ah): This means a supernatural sight or revelation, often seen while awake. It shows that God can communicate in vivid, sometimes mysterious ways.
  • "dream" (חֲלוֹם, chalom): This is an ordinary word for a dream, but here it means a dream given by God, not just any nighttime thought. It highlights that God’s communication can come even when someone is asleep.

Why Numbers 12:6 matters

  • Numbers 12:6 clarifies that God’s communication with prophets is not random or ordinary, but comes through specific, divinely chosen means like visions and dreams.
  • The verse sets up a distinction between how God speaks to most prophets and how He speaks to Moses, which is more direct and unique, as explained in the following verses.
  • Understanding this verse helps explain why Moses held a special status among Israel’s leaders, and why questioning his authority was a serious matter in this story.

Where else these words appear

“vision” Hebrew H4759 · used in 11 verses

  • Genesis 46:2 And God spake unto Israel in the visions of the night, and said, Jacob, Jacob. And he said, Here am I.
  • Ezekiel 1:1 Now it came to pass in the thirtieth year, in the fourth month, in the fifth day of the month, as I was among the captives by the river of Chebar, that the heavens were opened, and I saw visions of God.
  • Ezekiel 43:3 And it was according to the appearance of the vision which I saw, even according to the vision that I saw when I came to destroy the city: and the visions were like the vision that I saw by the river Chebar; and I fell upon my face.

“dream” Hebrew H2472 · used in 55 verses

  • Genesis 20:3 But God came to Abimelech in a dream by night, and said to him, Behold, thou art but a dead man, for the woman which thou hast taken; for she is a man's wife.
  • Genesis 41:11 And we dreamed a dream in one night, I and he; we dreamed each man according to the interpretation of his dream.
  • Job 7:14 Then thou scarest me with dreams, and terrifiest me through visions: