Numbers 12:6 - Exposition

If there boa prophet among you I the Lord will make myself known. More probably "the Lord" belongs to the first clause: "If there be to you a prophet of the Lord, I will make myself known." So the Septuagint, ἐὰν γένηται προφήτης ὑμῶν κυρίῳ… . γνωσθήσομαι . In a vision. ἐν ὀράματι . An internal vision, in which the eyes (even if open) saw nothing, but the effects of vision' were produced upon the sensorium by other and supernatural means (see, e.g; Amos 7:7 , Amos 7:8 ; Acts 10:11 ). Speak unto him in a dream. Rather, speak "in him"— בּוֹ . The voice that spake to the prophet was an internal voice, causing no vibration of the outer air, but affecting only the inner and hidden seat of consciousness. It is not necessary to restrict the prophetic dream to the time of sleep; a waking state, resembling what we call day-dream, in which the external senses arc quiescent, and the imagination is freed from its usual restraints, was perhaps the more usual mental condition at the time. Indeed the Divine communications made to Joseph ( Matthew 1:20 ; Matthew 2:13 ) and to the Magi ( ibid. Numbers 2:12 ) are almost the only ones we read of as made during actual sleep, unless we include the ease of Pilate's wife ( ibid. Numbers 27:19 ); and none of these were prophets in the ordinary sense. Compare, however, Acts 2:17 b.