Numbers 16

ENGWEBEnglish50 verses

1Now Korah, the son of Izhar, the son of Kohath, the son of Levi, with Dathan and Abiram, the sons of Eliab, and On, the son of Peleth, sons of Reuben, took some men.

2They rose up before Moses, with some of the children of Israel, two hundred fifty princes of the congregation, called to the assembly, men of renown.

3They assembled themselves together against Moses and against Aaron, and said to them, “You take too much on yourself, since all the congregation are holy, everyone of them, and Yahweh is among them! Why do you lift yourselves up above Yahweh’s assembly?”

4When Moses heard it, he fell on his face.

5He said to Korah and to all his company, “In the morning, Yahweh will show who are his, and who is holy, and will cause him to come near to him. Even him whom he shall choose, he will cause to come near to him.

6Do this: take censers, Korah, and all his company;

7and put fire in them, and put incense on them before Yahweh tomorrow. It shall be that the man whom Yahweh chooses, he shall be holy. You have gone too far, you sons of Levi!”

8Moses said to Korah, “Hear now, you sons of Levi!

9Is it a small thing to you, that the God of Israel has separated you from the congregation of Israel, to bring you near to himself, to do the service of Yahweh’s tabernacle, and to stand before the congregation to minister to them;

10and that he has brought you near, and all your brothers the sons of Levi with you? Do you seek the priesthood also?

11Therefore you and all your company have gathered together against Yahweh! What is Aaron that you murmur against him?”

12Moses sent to call Dathan and Abiram, the sons of Eliab; and they said, “We won’t come up!

13Is it a small thing that you have brought us up out of a land flowing with milk and honey, to kill us in the wilderness, but you must also make yourself a prince over us?

14Moreover you haven’t brought us into a land flowing with milk and honey, nor given us inheritance of fields and vineyards. Will you put out the eyes of these men? We won’t come up.”

15Moses was very angry, and said to Yahweh, “Don’t respect their offering. I have not taken one donkey from them, neither have I hurt one of them.”

16Moses said to Korah, “You and all your company go before Yahweh, you, and they, and Aaron, tomorrow.

17Each man take his censer, and put incense on them, and each man bring before Yahweh his censer, two hundred fifty censers; you also, and Aaron, each his censer.”

18They each took his censer, and put fire in them, and laid incense on it, and stood at the door of the Tent of Meeting with Moses and Aaron.

19Korah assembled all the congregation opposite them to the door of the Tent of Meeting. Yahweh’s glory appeared to all the congregation.

20Yahweh spoke to Moses and to Aaron, saying,

21“Separate yourselves from among this congregation, that I may consume them in a moment!”

22They fell on their faces, and said, “God, the God of the spirits of all flesh, shall one man sin, and will you be angry with all the congregation?”

23Yahweh spoke to Moses, saying,

24“Speak to the congregation, saying, ‘Get away from around the tent of Korah, Dathan, and Abiram!’”

25Moses rose up and went to Dathan and Abiram; and the elders of Israel followed him.

26He spoke to the congregation, saying, “Depart, please, from the tents of these wicked men, and touch nothing of theirs, lest you be consumed in all their sins!”

27So they went away from the tent of Korah, Dathan, and Abiram, on every side. Dathan and Abiram came out, and stood at the door of their tents, with their wives, their sons, and their little ones.

28Moses said, “Hereby you shall know that Yahweh has sent me to do all these works; for they are not from my own mind.

29If these men die the common death of all men, or if they experience what all men experience, then Yahweh hasn’t sent me.

30But if Yahweh makes a new thing, and the ground opens its mouth, and swallows them up, with all that belong to them, and they go down alive into Sheol; then you shall understand that these men have despised Yahweh.”

31As he made an end of speaking all these words, the ground that was under them split apart.

32The earth opened its mouth and swallowed them up, with their households, all of Korah’s men, and all their goods.

33So they, and all that belonged to them went down alive into Sheol. The earth closed on them, and they perished from among the assembly.

34All Israel that were around them fled at their cry; for they said, “Lest the earth swallow us up!”

35Fire came out from Yahweh, and devoured the two hundred fifty men who offered the incense.

36Yahweh spoke to Moses, saying,

37“Speak to Eleazar the son of Aaron the priest, that he take up the censers out of the burning, and scatter the fire away from the camp; for they are holy,

38even the censers of these sinners against their own lives. Let them be made beaten plates for a covering of the altar, for they offered them before Yahweh. Therefore they are holy. They shall be a sign to the children of Israel.”

39Eleazar the priest took the bronze censers, which those who were burnt had offered; and they beat them out for a covering of the altar,

40to be a memorial to the children of Israel, to the end that no stranger, who isn’t of the offspring of Aaron, would come near to burn incense before Yahweh, that he not be as Korah, and as his company; as Yahweh spoke to him by Moses.

41But on the next day all the congregation of the children of Israel murmured against Moses and against Aaron, saying, “You have killed Yahweh’s people!”

42When the congregation was assembled against Moses and against Aaron, They looked toward the Tent of Meeting. Behold, the cloud covered it, and Yahweh’s glory appeared.

43Moses and Aaron came to the front of the Tent of Meeting.

44Yahweh spoke to Moses, saying,

45“Get away from among this congregation, that I may consume them in a moment!” They fell on their faces.

46Moses said to Aaron, “Take your censer, and put fire from off the altar in it, and lay incense on it, and carry it quickly to the congregation, and make atonement for them; for wrath has gone out from Yahweh! The plague has begun.”

47Aaron did as Moses said, and ran into the middle of the assembly. Behold, the plague has begun among the people. He put on the incense, and made atonement for the people.

48He stood between the dead and the living; and the plague was stayed.

49Now those who died by the plague were fourteen thousand and seven hundred, besides those who died about the matter of Korah.

50Aaron returned to Moses to the door of the Tent of Meeting, and the plague was stopped.

Commentary

16:1 The son of Izhar - Amram's brother, Exo 6:18, therefore Moses and he were cousin germans. Moreover, Izhar was the second son of Kohath, whereas Elizaphan, whom Moses had preferred before him, and made prince or ruler of the Kohathites, Num 3:30, was the son of Uzziel, the fourth son of Kohath. This, the Jewish writers say, made him malcontent, which at last broke forth into sedition. Sons of Reuben - These are drawn into confederacy with Korah, partly because they were his next neighbours, both being encamped on the south - side, partly in hopes to recover their rights of primogeniture, in which the priesthood was comprehended, which was given away from their father.

Chapter 16 The date of the history contained in this chapter is altogether uncertain. Probably these mutinies happened after their removal back again from Kadesh-barnea, when they were fixed (if I may so speak) for their wandering in the wilderness, and began to look upon that as their settlement. Presently after new laws given follows the story of a new rebellion, as if sin took occasion from the commandment to become more exceedingly sinful. Here is, I. A daring and dangerous rebellion raised against Moses and Aaron, by Korah, Dathan, and Abiram (v. 1–15). 1. Korah and his accomplices contend for the priesthood against Aaron (v. 3). Moses reasons with them, and appeals to God for a decision of the controversy (v. 4–11). 2. Dathan and Abiram quarrel with Moses, and refuse to obey his summons, which greatly grieves him (v. 12–15). II. A solemn appearance of the pretenders to the priesthood before God, according to order, and a public appearance of the glory of the Lord, which would have consumed the whole congregation if Moses and Aaron had not interceded (v. 16–22). III. The deciding of the controversy, and the crushing of the rebellion, by the cutting off of the rebels. 1. Those in their tents were buried alive (v. 23–34). 2. Those at the door of the tabernacle were consumed by fire (v. 35), and their censers preserved for a memorial (v. 37–40). IV. A new insurrection of the people (v. 41–43). 1. God stayed in the insurrection by a plague (v. 45). 2. Aaron stayed the plague by offering incense (v. 46–50). The manner and method of recording this story plainly show the ferment to have been very great.Verses 1-11 Here is, I. An account of the rebels, who and what they were, not, as formerly, the mixed multitude and the dregs of the people, who are therefore never named, but men of distinction and quality, that made a figure. Korah was the ring-leader: he formed and headed the faction; therefore it is called the gainsaying of Korah, Jude 11. He was cousin-german to Moses, they were brothers’ children, yet the nearness of the relation could not restrain him from being insolent and rude to Moses. Think it not strange if a man’s foes be those of his own house. With him joined Dathan and Abiram, chief men of the tribe of Reuben, the eldest son of Jacob. Probably Korah was disgusted both at the preferment of Aaron to the priesthood and the constituting of Elizaphan to the head of the Kohathites (ch. 3:30); and perhaps the Reubenites were angry that the tribe of Judah had the first post of honour in the camp. On is mentioned (v. 1) as one of the heads of the faction, but never after in the whole story, either because, as some think, he repented and left them, or because he did not make himself so remarkable as Dathan and Abiram did. The Kohathites encamped on the same side of the tabernacle that the Reubenites did, which perhaps gave Korah an opportunity of drawing them in, whence the Jews say, Woe to the wicked man, and woe to his neighbour, who is in danger of being infected by him. And, these being themselves men of renown, they seduced into the conspiracy two hundred and fifty princes of the assembly (v. 2); probably they were first-born, or at least heads of families, who, before the elevation of Aaron, had themselves ministered in holy things. Note, The pride, ambition, and emulation, of great men, have always been the occasion of a great deal of mischief both in churches and states. God by his grace make great men humble, and so give peace in our time, O Lord! Famous men, and men of renown, as these are described to be, were the great sinners of the old world, Gen. 6:4. The fame and renown which they had did not content them; they were high, but would be higher, and thus the famous men became infamous.II. The rebels’ remonstrance, v. 3. That which they quarrel with is the settlement of the priesthood upon Aaron and his family, which they think an honour too great for Moses to give and Aaron to accept, and so they are both charged with usurpation: You take too much upon you; or, "Let it suffice you to have domineered thus long, and now think of resigning your places to those who have as good a title to them and are as well able to manage them." 1. They proudly boast of the holiness of the congregation, and the presence of God in it. "They are holy, every one of them, and as fit to be employed in offering sacrifice as Aaron is, and as masters of families formerly were, and the Lord is among them, to direct and own them." Small reason they had to boast of the people’s purity, or of God’s favour, as the people had been so frequently and so lately polluted with sin, and were now under the marks of God’s displeasure, which should have made them thankful for priests to mediate between them and God; but, instead of that, they envy them. 2. They unjustly charge Moses and Aaron with taking the honour they had to themselves, whereas it was evident, beyond contradiction, that they were called of God to it, Heb. 5:4. So that they would either have no priests at all, nor any government, none to preside either in civil or sacred things, none over the congregation, none above it, or they would not acquiesce in that constitution of the government which God had appointed. See here, (1.

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Translations8 · 5

AMHEVG የሌዊም ልጅ የቀዓት ልጅ የይስዓር ልጅ ቆሬ ከሮቤልም ልጆች የኤልያብ ልጆች ዳታንና አቤሮን የፋሌትም ልጅ ኦን በሙሴ ላይ ተነሡ። አማርኛ ENGNIV Korah son of Izhar, the son of Kohath, the son of Levi, and certain Reubenites–Dathan and Abiram, sons of Eliab, and On… English BCV ቆሬ ወዲ ይስዓር፥ ወዲ ቃዓት ወዲ ሌዊ፥ ዳታንን ኣቤሮንን ደቂ ኤልያብ፥ ኦን ከዓ ወዲ ፋሌት ካብ ነገድ ሮቤል፥ ትግርኛ GAZBIB Qoraahi ilmi Yizhaar akaakayyuun Qehaat inni sanyii Lewwii, Daataanii fi Abiiram ilmaan Eliiyaabii fi On ilmi Phelet sa… Afaan Oromoo BCV GIZ ወተናገሮ ቆሬ ወልደ ይስአር ወልደ ቃዓት ወልደ ሌዊ ወዳታን ወአቢሮን ደቂቀ ኤልያብ ወአውናን ወልደ ፋሌት ወልደ ሮቤል። giz GAZGAZ Qoraahi ilmi Yizhaar akaakayyuun Qehaat inni sanyii Lewwii, Daataanii fi Abiiram ilmaan Eliiyaabii fi On ilmi Phelet sa… Afaan Oromoo BCV aksum ቆሬ ወዲ ይስዓር፥ ወዲ ቃዓት ወዲ ሌዊ፥ ዳታንን ኣቤሮንን ደቂ ኤልያብ፥ ኦን ከዓ ወዲ ፋሌት ካብ ነገድ ሮቤል፥ ትግርኛ AMHNIV የሌዊ ልጅ፣ የቀዓት ልጅ፣ የይስዓር ልጅ የሆነው ቆሬ፣ ከሮቤልም ነገድ የኤልያብ ልጆች ዳታንና አቤሮን እንዲሁም የፍሌት ልጅ ኦን በክፋት ተነሣሥተው፣ አማርኛ