Numbers 16

Numbers 16:1

Now Korah son of Izhar, the son of Kohath son of Levi, along with some Reubenites—Dathan and Abiram, sons of Eliab, and On son of Peleth—conducted

Numbers 16:1 · BSB

took men As the word men is not in the text , some read "took counsel;" and some "took courage." Houbigant renders yikkach , rebellionem fecerunt , "they rebelled;" which scarcely any rule of criticism can ever justify. Dr. Geddes' translation is , "Another insurrection was raised against Moses by Korah ," etc. Others think that it may mean , "behaved with insolence." But , as Dr. A. Clarke observes , the verb wyyikkach , "and he took" which though at the end of the sentence in English , is the first word in Hebrew , is not in the plural , but the singular; and hence cannot be applied to the acts of all these chiefs. In every part of the Scripture , where this rebellion is referred to , it is attributed to Korah , therefore the verb here belongs to him; and the whole #### Verse should be translated , "Now Korah , son of Izhar , son of Kohath , son of Levi , he took even Dathan and Abiram , the sons of Eliab , and On , son of Peleth , son of Reuben , and they rose up ," etc.; reading , with some manuscripts , the Samaritan , and Septuagint , ben , son , instead of beney , sons.

Numbers 16:2

a rebellion against Moses, along with 250 men of Israel renowned as leaders of the congregation and representatives in the assembly.

Numbers 16:2 · BSB

Numbers 16:3

They came together against Moses and Aaron and told them, "You have taken too much upon yourselves! For everyone in the entire congregation is holy, and the LORD is in their midst. Why then do you exalt yourselves above the assembly of the LORD?"

Numbers 16:3 · BSB

Ye take too much upon you Heb. It is much for you

Numbers 16:4

When Moses heard this, he fell facedown.

Numbers 16:4 · BSB

Numbers 16:5

Then he said to Korah and all his followers, “Tomorrow morning the LORD will reveal who belongs to Him and who is holy, and He will bring that person near to Himself. The one He chooses, He will bring near to Himself.

Numbers 16:5 · BSB

Numbers 16:6

You, Korah, and all your followers are to do as follows: Take censers,

Numbers 16:6 · BSB

Numbers 16:7

and tomorrow you are to place fire and incense in them in the presence of the LORD. Then the man the LORD chooses will be the one who is holy. It is you sons of Levi who have taken too much upon yourselves!”

Numbers 16:7 · BSB

Numbers 16:8

Moses also said to Korah, “Now listen, you sons of Levi!

Numbers 16:8 · BSB

Numbers 16:9

Is it not enough for you that the God of Israel has separated you from the congregation of Israel and brought you near to Himself to perform the work at the LORD’s tabernacle, and to stand before the congregation to minister to them?

Numbers 16:9 · BSB

Numbers 16:10

He has brought you near, you and all your fellow Levites, but you are seeking the priesthood as well.

Numbers 16:10 · BSB

Numbers 16:11

Therefore, it is you and all your followers who have conspired against the LORD! As for Aaron, who is he that you should grumble against him?”

Numbers 16:11 · BSB

Numbers 16:12

Then Moses summoned Dathan and Abiram, the sons of Eliab, but they said, “We will not come!

Numbers 16:12 · BSB

Numbers 16:13

Is it not enough that you have brought us up out of a land flowing with milk and honey to kill us in the wilderness? Must you also appoint yourself as ruler over us?

Numbers 16:13 · BSB

Numbers 16:14

Moreover, you have not brought us into a land flowing with milk and honey or given us an inheritance of fields and vineyards. Will you gouge out the eyes of these men? No, we will not come!”

Numbers 16:14 · BSB

put out Heb. bore out

Numbers 16:15

Then Moses became very angry and said to the LORD, “Do not regard their offering. I have not taken one donkey from them or mistreated a single one of them.”

Numbers 16:15 · BSB

Numbers 16:16

And Moses said to Korah, “You and all your followers are to appear before the LORD tomorrow—you and they and Aaron.

Numbers 16:16 · BSB

Numbers 16:17

Each man is to take his censer, place incense in it, and present it before the LORD—250 censers. You and Aaron are to present your censers as well.”

Numbers 16:17 · BSB

Numbers 16:18

So each man took his censer, put fire and incense in it, and stood with Moses and Aaron at the entrance to the Tent of Meeting.

Numbers 16:18 · BSB

Numbers 16:19

When Korah had gathered his whole assembly against them at the entrance to the Tent of Meeting, the glory of the LORD appeared to the whole congregation.

Numbers 16:19 · BSB

Numbers 16:20

And the LORD said to Moses and Aaron,

Numbers 16:20 · BSB

Numbers 16:21

“Separate yourselves from this congregation so that I may consume them in an instant.”

Numbers 16:21 · BSB

Numbers 16:22

But Moses and Aaron fell facedown and said, “O God, the God of the spirits of all flesh, when one man sins, will You be angry with the whole congregation?”

Numbers 16:22 · BSB

Numbers 16:23

Then the LORD said to Moses,

Numbers 16:23 · BSB

Numbers 16:24

“Tell the congregation to move away from the dwellings of Korah, Dathan, and Abiram.”

Numbers 16:24 · BSB

Numbers 16:25

So Moses got up and went to Dathan and Abiram, and the elders of Israel followed him.

Numbers 16:25 · BSB

Numbers 16:26

And he warned the congregation, “Move away now from the tents of these wicked men. Do not touch anything that belongs to them, or you will be swept away because of all their sins.”

Numbers 16:26 · BSB

Numbers 16:27

So they moved away from the dwellings of Korah, Dathan, and Abiram. Meanwhile, Dathan and Abiram had come out and stood at the entrances to their tents with their wives and children and infants.

Numbers 16:27 · BSB

Numbers 16:28

Then Moses said, “This is how you will know that the LORD has sent me to do all these things, for it was not my own doing:

Numbers 16:28 · BSB

for I have Kee lo millibbee , "and that not out of my heart." It was not of my own device or contrivance. It was not out of an ambitious desire to be great myself that I took upon me the government , nor out of private affection to my brother , that I appointed him and his family to the priesthood.

Numbers 16:29

If these men die a natural death, or if they suffer the fate of all men, then the LORD has not sent me.

Numbers 16:29 · BSB

the common etc. Heb. as every man dieth

Numbers 16:30

But if the LORD brings about something unprecedented, and the earth opens its mouth and swallows them and all that belongs to them so that they go down alive into Sheol, then you will know that these men have treated the LORD with contempt.”

Numbers 16:30 · BSB

Numbers 16:31

As soon as Moses had finished saying all this, the ground beneath them split open,

Numbers 16:31 · BSB

Numbers 16:32

and the earth opened its mouth and swallowed them and their households—all Korah’s men and all their possessions.

Numbers 16:32 · BSB

Numbers 16:33

They went down alive into Sheol with all they owned. The earth closed over them, and they vanished from the assembly.

Numbers 16:33 · BSB

Numbers 16:34

At their cries, all the people of Israel who were around them fled, saying, “The earth may swallow us too!”

Numbers 16:34 · BSB

Numbers 16:35

And fire came forth from the LORD and consumed the 250 men who were offering the incense.

Numbers 16:35 · BSB

Numbers 16:37

“Tell Eleazar son of Aaron the priest to remove the censers from the flames and to scatter the coals far away, because the censers are holy.

Numbers 16:37 · BSB

Numbers 16:38

As for the censers of those who sinned at the cost of their own lives, hammer them into sheets to overlay the altar, for these were presented before the LORD, and so have become holy. They will serve as a sign to the Israelites.”

Numbers 16:38 · BSB

Numbers 16:39

So Eleazar the priest took the bronze censers brought by those who had been burned up, and he had them hammered out to overlay the altar,

Numbers 16:39 · BSB

Numbers 16:40

just as the LORD commanded him through Moses. This was to be a reminder to the Israelites that no outsider who is not a descendant of Aaron should approach to offer incense before the LORD, lest he become like Korah and his followers.

Numbers 16:40 · BSB

Numbers 16:41

The next day the whole congregation of Israel grumbled against Moses and Aaron, saying, “You have killed the LORD’s people!”

Numbers 16:41 · BSB

on the morrow It is not unlikely , that the people persuaded themselves that Moses and Aaron had used some cunning in this business and that the earthquake and fire were artificial; for , had they discerned the hand of God in this punishment , they would scarcely have dared the anger of the Lord in the very face of his justice. And while they thus absurdly imputed this judgment to Moses and Aaron , they impiously called the persons , thus perishing in their rebellion , "the people of the Lord!"

Numbers 16:42

But when the congregation gathered against them, Moses and Aaron turned toward the Tent of Meeting, and suddenly the cloud covered it and the glory of the LORD appeared.

Numbers 16:42 · BSB

Numbers 16:43

Then Moses and Aaron went to the front of the Tent of Meeting,

Numbers 16:43 · BSB

Numbers 16:44

and the LORD said to Moses,

Numbers 16:44 · BSB

Numbers 16:45

“Get away from this congregation so that I may consume them in an instant.” And Moses and Aaron fell facedown.

Numbers 16:45 · BSB

Numbers 16:46

Moses said to Aaron, “Take your censer, place fire from the altar in it, and add incense. Go quickly to the congregation and make atonement for them, because wrath has come out from the LORD; the plague has begun.”

Numbers 16:46 · BSB

the plague is begun God now punished them by a secret blast , so as to put the matter beyond dispute; His hand , and His alone , was seen , not only in the plague , but in the manner in which the mortality was arrested. It was necessary that it should be done in this way , that the whole congregation might see that these men who had perished were not "the people of the Lord ," and that God , not Moses and Aaron , had destroyed them.

Numbers 16:47

So Aaron took the censer as Moses had ordered and ran into the midst of the assembly. And seeing that the plague had begun among the people, he offered the incense and made atonement for the people.

Numbers 16:47 · BSB

Numbers 16:48

He stood between the living and the dead, and the plague was halted.

Numbers 16:48 · BSB

Numbers 16:49

But those who died from the plague numbered 14,700, in addition to those who had died on account of Korah.

Numbers 16:49 · BSB

Numbers 16:50

Then Aaron returned to Moses at the entrance to the Tent of Meeting, since the plague had been halted.

Numbers 16:50 · BSB