The Song of Miriam

Illustration of The Song of Miriam

As the men of Israel finished the Song of the Sea, Miriam the prophetess, Aaron's sister, took a timbrel in her hand, and all the women followed her with timbrels and dancing. She led them in an antiphonal refrain: 'Sing ye to the LORD, for he hath triumphed gloriously; the horse and his rider hath he thrown into the sea.' It is the earliest picture of women leading Israel in worship.

0:00
Strongest connections in Scripture
Exodus 15

Key Passages

Miriam Leads the Women

Exodus 15:20-21

Miriam takes a timbrel and leads the women in song and dance, echoing the triumph of the LORD at the sea.

A20nd Miriam the prophetess, the sister of Aaron, took a timbrel in her hand; and all the women went out after her with timbrels and with dances.

21 And Miriam answered them, Sing ye to the LORD, for he hath triumphed gloriously; the horse and his rider hath he thrown into the sea.

Explore Related

Characters

Miriam Miriam, the sister of Moses and Aaron, is identified in Scripture as a prophetess who exercised spiritualโ€ฆ Moses Moses was a prophet chosen by God to lead the Israelites out of slavery in Egypt during the Exodus. Throughโ€ฆ Aaron Aaron, the brother of Moses, played a pivotal role in the Exodus narrative as Moses' spokesman beforeโ€ฆ

Places

Red Sea The Red Sea holds a central place in biblical history as the body of water that God miraculously divided toโ€ฆ

Did You Know?

1

Miriam is the first woman in the Bible called a prophetess.

2

She led the women with timbrels and dancing.

3

Her song is an antiphonal refrain to the men's Song of Moses.

4

It is one of the oldest pieces of poetry in Scripture.