Miriam and Aaron spoke against Moses but only Miriam was punished

[tonychanyt]

Numbers 12:

1 Miriam and Aaron spoke against Moses

criticized
וַתְּדַבֵּ֨ר (wat·tə·ḏab·bêr)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Piel - Consecutive imperfect - third person feminine singular Strong's 1696: To arrange, to speak, to subdue

Moses' older sister and brother spoke against Moses but the verb is feminine singular.

because of the Cushite woman whom he had married, for he had married a Cushite woman. 2 And they said, “Has the LORD indeed spoken only through Moses? Has he not spoken through us also?”

Miriam was a prophetess and the leading woman of the Israelites. She felt the responsibility to speak up against Moses marrying a Gentile woman. But God had other ideas.

10 When the cloud removed from over the tent, behold, Miriam was leprous, like snow. And Aaron turned toward Miriam, and behold, she was leprous.

But only Miriam was punished. Why?

Keil and Delitzsch explained:

Miriam was the instigator of the open rebellion, as we may see both from the fact that her name stands before that of Aaron, and also from the use of the feminine תּדבּר [H1696] in Numbers 12:1. Aaron followed her, being no more able to resist the suggestions of his sister, than he had formerly been to resist the desire of the people for a golden idol (Exodus 32).

Fearing that God might punish him too, Aaron was quick to repent:

11And Aaron said to Moses, “Oh, my lord, do not punish us because we have done foolishly and have sinned. 12Let her not be as one dead, whose flesh is half eaten away when he comes out of his mother’s womb.” 13And Moses cried to the LORD, “O God, please heal her—please.”

Once again, Moses came to the rescue, pleading for his sister.

14But the LORD said to Moses, “If her father had but spit in her face, should she not be shamed seven days? Let her be shut outside the camp seven days, and after that she may be brought in again.” 15So Miriam was shut outside the camp seven days, and the people did not set out on the march till Miriam was brought in again.

Miriam had learned her lesson.