The Fourth Book of Moses, called Numbers
Numbers 16
Chapter XVI · Vol. I, pp. 441–443
1 The rebellion of Korah, Dathan, and Abiram. 23 Moses separateth the people from the rebels' tents. 31 The earth swalloweth up Korah, and a fire consumeth others. 36 The censers are reserved to holy use. 41 Fourteen thousand and seven hundred are slain by a plague for murmuring against Moses and Aaron. 46 Aaron by incense stayeth the plague.
1 NOW a Korah, the son of Izhar, the son of Kohath, the son of Levi, and Dathan and Abiram, the sons of Eliab, and On, the son of Peleth, sons of Reuben, took men:1
A.M. 2533. B.C. 1471.
a ch. 27.3; 26.9. Jude 11. Korah and his Levites hated subjection to Aaron and his family; and these sons of Reuben thought the principal rule in the state belonged to them as descended from Jacob's eldest son.
1 The word translated 'took,' though last in our version, is the first in the Hebrew; and being in the singular number, must therefore denote the act, not of the whole company, but of Korah their leader. The true meaning of the verse seems to be—'Now Korah the son of Izhar,' &c., took even Dathan, &c.; and On, the son of Peleth (Dathan, Abiram, and On, being all sons of Reuben, see De. 11.6), and they rose up before Moses, &c. Some high authorities, following the Septuagint and several MSS., read 'son' of Reuben. But the current of authority is decidedly for the plural, 'sons.'—C.
2 And they rose up before Moses, with certain of the children of Israel, two hundred and fifty princes of the assembly, b famous in the congregation, men of renown:
b ch. 26.9. Ge. 6.4.
3 And they gathered themselves together againstc Moses, and against Aaron, and said unto them, Ye take too much upon you,2 seeing all the congregation are holy, every one of them, and the LORD is among them: wherefore then lift ye up yourselves above the congregation of the LORD?3
c Ps. 106.16. Ex. 16.4. ch. 12.1, 2. Jude 11.
2 Heb. It is much for you. They pretend to humble Moses and Aaron, but meant to exalt themselves. The whole congregation are fit to offer sacrifices for themselves; and the Lord is ready to accept them at their own hands.
3 To mistake or substitute privileges for godliness is one of the commonest instances of self-righteousness and self-deception, Je. 7.4. God was no doubt among them, as a worker of many wonders; but he was not in them, as renewing them after his own image, Col. 3.10.—C.
4 And when Moses heard it, he d fell upon his face:
d Ge. 17.3, 17. Le. 9.24. ch. 14.5; 20.6. Jos. 7.6. ver. 22, 45.
5 And he spake unto Korah, and unto all his company, saying, Even e to-morrow4 the LORD will show who are his, and who is holy; and will cause him to come near unto him: even him whom he hath chosen will he cause to come near unto him.
e Ps. 101.8; 65.4. 2 Ti. 2.19. Ex. xxviii. xxix. Le. viii. ix. 1 Pe. 2.5, 9.
4 Prophecy of the future, and fixed time of fulfilment, are the real tests and essential accompaniments of scriptural miracles, Re. 19.10. By these tests all 'lying wonders,' when tried, are rejected.—C.
6 This do; f Take you censers, Korah and all his company;
f ver. 35, 46-48. Le. 16.12, 13. 1 Ki. 18.21, 24.
7 And put fire therein, and put incense in them before the LORD to-morrow: and it shall be, that the man whom the LORD doth choose, he shall be holy: ye take g too much upon you, ye sons of Levi.
g ver. 3. 1 Ki. 18.17, 18.
8 And Moses said unto Korah, Hear, I pray you, ye sons of Levi:
9 Seemeth it but a small thing unto you, that the God of Israel h hath separated you from the congregation of Israel, to bring you near5 to himself, to do the service of the tabernacle of the LORD, and to stand before the congregation to minister unto them?
h Le. 20.26. ch. 8.11-16; 18.2-6, 21. De. 10.8. 2 Ch. 35.3. Eze. 44.11. Ne. 12.44.
5 Nearer than other tribes.
10 And he hath brought thee near to him, and all thy brethren the sons of Levi with thee; and seek ye the priesthood also?
11 For which cause both thou and all thy company are gathered together i against the LORD: and k what is Aaron, that ye murmur against him?6
i Ex. 16.8; 17.2, 7. 1 Sa. 8.7. Lu. 10.16. Jn. 13.20.
A.M. 2533. B.C. 1471.
k Ex. 16.7, 8. 2 Co. 3.5.
6 What dignity has he gained beyond the ordinary result of such piety, talents, attainments, and habits? God, by his own will, has chosen him, but by these high endowments he has demonstrated the wisdom of his choice. And, notwithstanding all these gifts, has he not been the most humble, the most complying, the most parental? Why, then, this unnatural, this unreasonable jealousy and rebellion?—C.
13 Is it a small thing that thou hast brought us up m out of a land that floweth with milk and honey, to kill us in the wilderness, except thou n make thyself altogether a prince over us?
14 Moreover, thou hast not brought us o into a land that floweth with milk and honey, or given us inheritance of fields and vineyards: wilt thou put out7 the eyes of these men? we will not come up.
15 And Moses was p very wroth,8 and said unto the LORD, q Respect not thou their offering:9 Ir have not taken one ass from them, neither have I hurt one of them.1
p ch. 12.3. Ep. 4.26. Ex. 32.19. Mar. 3.5.
8 Anger, like all other passions, is not only justifiable, but commendable and righteous, when the provocation is sufficient. the feeling still merciful, and the object, not injury to be inflicted, but repentance to be enforced.—C.
q Ge. 4.4. ver. 6, 7.
9 This prayer was justifiable, because Moses knew their offering was presented in direct opposition to himself, God's acknowledged and appointed servant.—P.
r 1 Sa. 12.3, 4. 1 Th. 2.10. 2 Co. 7.2. Ac. 20.33. I have never used my authority to oppress any of them, but to do them good offices.
1 Neither sought a present, enforced a demand, nor inflicted an injury.—C.
16 And Moses said unto Korah, Be thou and all thy company s before the LORD, thou, and they, and Aaron, to-morrow:
s ver. 18, 19.
17 And take every man his censer, and put incense in them, and bring ye before the LORD every man his censer, two hundred and fifty censers; thou also, and Aaron, each of you his censer.
18 And they took every man his censer, and put fire in them, and laid incense thereon, and stood in the door of the tabernacle of the congregation with Moses and Aaron.
19 And Korah gathered t all the congregation2 against them unto the door of the tabernacle of the congregation: and the glory of the LORD appeared unto all the congregation.
t ver. 11, 42; ch. 14.1, 10; 12.5. Ex. 16.7, 10. Le. 9.6, 23. Pr. 16.29; 13.20.
2 Not merely the congregation of his two hundred and fifty followers and partisans, ver. 2, but the whole congregation of the people, as is evident from ver. 22.—C.
20 And the LORD spake unto Moses and unto Aaron, saying,
22 And y they fell upon their faces, and said, O God, the God of the z spirits of all flesh, shall one man sin, and wilt thou be wroth with all the congregation?
23 And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying,
24 Speak unto the congregation, saying, a Get you up from about the tabernacle of Korah, Dathan, and Abiram.3
a ver. 21, 26, 45.
3 The Hebrew word rendered 'tabernacle' signifies literally 'dwelling-place.' The people were ordered to separate themselves from the tent of Korah, round which apparently the rebel company had collected.—P.
25 And Moses rose up, and went b unto Dathan and Abiram; and the elders of Israel followed him.
b ver. 12; ch. 11.16, 17.
26 And he spake unto the congregation, saying, c Depart, I pray you, from the tents of these wicked men, and touch nothing of theirs, lest ye be consumed in all their sins.
27 So they gat up from the tabernacle of Korah, Dathan, and Abiram, on every side: and Dathan and Abiram came out, and d stood in the door of their tents, and their wives, and their sons, and their little children.
28 And Moses said, Hereby ye shall know that the LORD hath sent me to do e all these works;4 (for I have not done them f of mine own mind;)
e Ex. vii.-xl. Le. i.-xxvii. ch. i.-xv.
4 That is, all the works I have done on the assertion and in proof of being 'sent' of God. See ver. 29.—C.
f 1 Ki. 12.35. Eze. 13.17.
29 If these men die the common death5 of all men, or if they be g visited after the visitation of all men, then the LORD hath not sent me:
30 But if the LORD h make a new thing,6 and the earth open her mouth, and swallow them up, with all that appertain unto them, and they go down quick into the pit, then ye shall understand that these men have provoked the LORD.
6 Heb. create a creature.
31 Andi it came to pass, as he had made an end of speaking all these words, that the ground clave asunder that was under them:
i ch. 27.3; 26.10, 11. De. 11.6. Ps. 106.17; 109.15; 55.15; 73.18-20; 140.11. ver. 29, 30. Je. 20.3, 4. 1 Th. 5.2, 3. Job 9.4; 40.2. Pr. 13.17.
32 And the earth opened her mouth, and swallowed them up, and their houses, and all the men that 7 appertained k unto Korah, and all their goods.
7 Not all that 'appertained' to them, for the judgment was not inflicted on the children of Korah, ch. 26.11. Ge. 18.23, but all that had taken part with them in their murmuring and rebellion.—C.
k Some of Korah's sons were not slain, ch. 26.11. 1 Ch. 6.22, 37.
33 They, and all that appertained to them, went down alive into the pit, and the earth closed upon them: and they perished from among the congregation.
34 And all Israel that were round about them l fled at the cry of them:8 for they said, Lest the earth swallow us up also.
l Is. 33.14. Je. 49.21. Pr. 21.11.
8 Dr. Joseph Wolff, a Jewish missionary, was present at Aleppo during the time of a most destructive earthquake. We heard his simple narrative of the trembling and yawning of the earth, the sudden and struggling descent of the living inhabitants, the piercing cry, the closing jaws of the chasm, and the flowing of the blood, as from an immense wound; and it presented a most harrowing picture of judgment to Christians, such as that of Korah and his company presented to Israel.—C.
35 And there m came out a fire9 from the LORD, and consumed the two hundred and fifty men that offered incense.1
9 They had rebelled by fire—that is, offering incense by burning, contrary to law—they therefore suffer by fire.—Note, 'Be sure your sin will find you out,' Nu. 32.23.—C.
1 Korah had remained at his tent, and round him were grouped those retainers and members of his family who joined in the rebellion. They were all swallowed up. The other company of rebels stood in front of the tabernacle with censers in their hands, and there they were consumed by fire.—P.
36 And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying,
37 Speak unto Eleazar the son of Aaron the priest, that he take up the censers out of the burning, and scatter thou the fire yonder; for they are n hallowed.
n Le. 27.10. ch. 5.10.
38 The censers of these o sinners against their own souls, let them make them broad plates for a covering of the altar: for they offered them before the LORD, therefore they are hallowed: and they shall be a p sign unto the children of Israel.2
o 1 Ki. 2.23. Pr. 20.2. Ge. 13.13.
p ch. 17.10; 26.10. Eze. 14.8. 1 Co. 10.11. 2 Pe. 2.6. Jude 7. ver. 40.
2 A sign of God's displeasure against unreasonable complaints and ambitious rebellions, a sign to demonstrate how 'the wrath of man shall praise him,' Ps. 76.10, and the altar of God shall be protected by every attempt of men to usurp its functions or overturn its foundations.—C.
39 And Eleazar the priest took the brasen censers, wherewith they that were burnt had offered; and they were made broad plates for a covering of the altar:
40 To be q a memorial unto the children of Israel, that no r stranger,3 which is not of the seed of Aaron, come near to offer incense before the LORD; that he be not as Korah, and as his company: as the LORD said to him by the hand of Moses.
q Ex. 12.14; 13.9; 17.14. ch. 5.15, 18.
r Le. 22.10-13. ch. 1.51; 3.10, 38; 18.4, 7.
3 How blessed the state of the believing Gentile church! 'We are no more strangers,' Ep. 2.19, to be excluded from the altar, 'but fellow-citizens with the saints, and of the household of God.'—C.
41 But s on the morrow all the congregation of the children of Israel murmured4 against Moses and against Aaron, saying, Ye have killed the people of the LORD.
A.M. 2533. B.C. 1471.
s Ps. 106.13. Ex. 15.24. Is. 26.11. Je. 17.9. Ro. 8.7, 8. ch. 14.1, 2. 1 Ki. 18.17. 2 Li. 6.30, 31.
4 The infatuation and waywardness of this generation of the Israelites are astonishing. Some have supposed that they imagined Moses and Aaron to have used some secret arts for the destruction of the rebels, and they speak of them as the people of the Lord, as if their death had not been a judgment from God. It is more probable, however, that the ground of their charge was a belief that Moses and Aaron might, by their prayers, have prevented their awful punishment.—I.
42 And it came to pass, when the congregation was gathered against Moses and against Aaron, that they looked toward the tabernacle of the congregation: and, behold, the cloud covered it, and the t glory of the LORD appeared.
43 And Moses and Aaron came before the tabernacle of the congregation.
44 And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying,
45 Getu you up from among this congregation, that I may consume them as in a moment. And they x fell upon their faces.
u ver. 21, 24, 26.
x ver. 4, 22; ch. 20.6; 14.5. 1 Ch. 21.16. Mat. 26.39. Ge. 17.3, 17.
46 And Moses said unto Aaron, Take a censer, and put fire therein from off the altar, and y put on incense, and go quickly unto the congregation, and make an atonement for them: for there is wrath gone out from the LORD; the plague is begun.
y ver. 17, 35. Ps. 141.3. Re. 8.3, 4. He. 7.25. Ro. 5.10, 11.
47 And Aaron took as Moses commanded, and ran into the midst of the congregation; and, behold, the plague was begun among the people: and he z put on incense, and made an atonement for the people.
48 And he a stood between the dead and the living; and the plague was stayed.5
a Ja. 5.16-18. 1 Jn. 5.14. 2 Sa. 24.16. 1 Ti. 2.5, 6.
5 Of the precise nature of the plague we are not informed. It may have been in the form of a sweeping epidemic—such as the disease commonly called Indian cholera—which is still seen to select, as it were, particular localities, and to be restrained by Providence at particular boundaries; or it may have been inflicted by a destructive wind, whose ravages are directed and confined in particular currents. Note, In this courageous and generous act of intercession, Aaron is a special type of Christ, 'standing between the living and the dead,' having put away sin, returning, as an atoning priest, to Moses the representative of a once condemning but now satisfied law, Ro. 10.4.—C.
49 Now they that died in the plague were fourteen thousand and seven hundred, besides them that died about the matter of Korah.
Notes
Reflections.—It is hard for the best of characters to stand before envy. Unsanctified honours often puff up men to their own destruction: and if God exalt them above most of their brethren, they can endure to be in subjection to none. Yea, God permits unsanctified professors, especially ministers and magistrates, to go often the most fearful lengths in sin. Every act of disobedience to or contempt of God's vicegerents in the church or state, is by him accounted rebellion against himself: and often would sinful nations be utterly ruined, were it not for the intercession of those saints whom they abuse and persecute. But God can, and sometimes does, execute upon presumptuous sinners the most terrible correspondent justice. And though, with care, he distinguishes between the more and the less guilty, yet he sets up proper memorials of his judgments, that others may hear and fear to do wickedly. But notwithstanding, hardened sinners, who survive, forget the most awakening alarms, and return to their persecution of God's servants! Yet still, in the most endearing manner, ought we to promote the welfare and salvation of those who have injured us; and when we are maliciously accused, the greatest comfort is the testimony of a good conscience. How like unto their master Christ do ministers act, when they expose their very lives to prevent the ruin of such as abuse them! And quickly the Lord repents him of the evil, when, earnestly entreated by such as, along with himself, are abused by sinners. Let me now, with trembling, remember my faults this day.—How often have I, as these rebels, gone about to establish my own righteousness, and refused to submit to the laws of Christ; and thus attempted to thrust him from his office of priest and king over the people of God, in order that I might usurp his place! How often have I refused to come at his call, and offered strange incense before him? How often, the moment in which I had witnessed the awful justice of Heaven, and obtained a distinguished deliverance, have I returned to my former iniquities! And remarkably is it of the Lord's mercies that I am not consumed! not swallowed up alive into hell by an opening earth! not burned with fire from heaven! But here let me admire the wonderful zeal and love of my great High-priest, when he ran from his throne of glory when he came among dying sinners—himself exposed to all their miseries—to stop the plague of sin, already begun in the woes of life, the stings of conscience, and the sentence of death; and to bring in everlasting righteousness and redemption. How superior his priesthood! If they did not escape who despised Moses and Aaron, how shall I escape if I despise Jesus the great High-priest, Jesus the King in Zion.