15 And Moses H4872 was very H3966 wroth, H2734 and said H559 unto the LORD, H3068 Respect H6437 not thou their offering: H4503 I have not taken H5375 one H259 ass H2543 from them, neither have I hurt H7489 one H259 of them.
And Abel, H1893 he H1931 also brought H935 of the firstlings H1062 of his flock H6629 and of the fat H2459 thereof. And the LORD H3068 had respect H8159 unto Abel H1893 and to his offering: H4503 But unto Cain H7014 and to his offering H4503 he had not respect. H8159 And Cain H7014 was very H3966 wroth, H2734 and his countenance H6440 fell. H5307
Receive G5562 us; G2248 we have wronged G91 no man, G3762 we have corrupted G5351 no man, G3762 we have defrauded G4122 no man. G3762
And it came to pass, as soon as he came nigh H7126 unto the camp, H4264 that he saw H7200 the calf, H5695 and the dancing: H4246 and Moses' H4872 anger H639 waxed hot, H2734 and he cast H7993 the tables H3871 out of his hands, H3027 and brake H7665 them beneath H8478 the mount. H2022
(Now the man H376 Moses H4872 was very H3966 meek, H6035 H6035 above all the men H120 which were upon the face H6440 of the earth.) H127
This do; H6213 Take H3947 you censers, H4289 Korah, H7141 and all his company; H5712 And put H5414 fire H784 therein, H2004 and put H7760 incense H7004 in them before H6440 the LORD H3068 to morrow: H4279 and it shall be that the man H376 whom the LORD H3068 doth choose, H977 he shall be holy: H6918 ye take too much H7227 upon you, ye sons H1121 of Levi. H3878
Behold, here I am: witness H6030 against me before the LORD, H3068 and before his anointed: H4899 whose ox H7794 have I taken? H3947 or whose ass H2543 have I taken? H3947 or whom have I defrauded? H6231 whom have I oppressed? H7533 or of whose hand H3027 have I received any bribe H3724 to blind H5956 mine eyes H5869 therewith? and I will restore H7725 it you. And they said, H559 Thou hast not defrauded H6231 us, nor oppressed H7533 us, neither hast thou taken H3947 ought H3972 of any man's H376 hand. H3027
Hear H8085 the word H1697 of the LORD, H3068 ye rulers H7101 of Sodom; H5467 give ear H238 unto the law H8451 of our God, H430 ye people H5971 of Gomorrah. H6017 To what H4100 purpose is the multitude H7230 of your sacrifices H2077 unto me? saith H559 the LORD: H3068 I am full H7646 of the burnt offerings H5930 of rams, H352 and the fat H2459 of fed beasts; H4806 and I delight H2654 not in the blood H1818 of bullocks, H6499 or of lambs, H3532 or of he goats. H6260 When ye come H935 to appear H7200 before H6440 me, who hath required H1245 this at your hand, H3027 to tread H7429 my courts? H2691 Bring H935 no more H3254 vain H7723 oblations; H4503 incense H7004 is an abomination H8441 unto me; the new moons H2320 and sabbaths, H7676 the calling H7121 of assemblies, H4744 I cannot away with; H3201 it is iniquity, H205 even the solemn meeting. H6116 Your new moons H2320 and your appointed feasts H4150 my soul H5315 hateth: H8130 they are a trouble H2960 unto me; I am weary H3811 to bear H5375 them. And when ye spread forth H6566 your hands, H3709 I will hide H5956 mine eyes H5869 from you: yea, when ye make many H7235 prayers, H8605 I will not hear: H8085 your hands H3027 are full H4390 of blood. H1818
But G1161 I G1473 say G3004 unto you, G5213 That G3754 whosoever G3956 is angry G3710 with his G846 brother G80 without a cause G1500 shall be G2071 in danger G1777 of the judgment: G2920 and G1161 whosoever G3739 G302 shall say G2036 to his G846 brother, G80 Raca, G4469 shall be G2071 in danger G1777 of the council: G4892 but G1161 whosoever G3739 G302 shall say, G2036 Thou fool, G3474 shall be G2071 in danger G1777 of G1519 hell G1067 fire. G4442
And G2532 when he had looked round about G4017 on them G846 with G3326 anger, G3709 being grieved G4818 for G1909 the hardness G4457 of their G846 hearts, G2588 he saith G3004 unto the man, G444 Stretch forth G1614 thine G4675 hand. G5495 And G2532 he stretched it out: G1614 and G2532 his G846 hand G5495 was restored G600 whole G5199 as G5613 the other. G243
I have coveted G1937 no man's G3762 silver, G694 or G2228 gold, G5553 or G2228 apparel. G2441 Yea, G1161 ye yourselves G846 know, G1097 that G3754 these G3778 hands G5495 have ministered G5256 unto my G3450 necessities, G5532 and G2532 to them that were G5607 with G3326 me. G1700
But G1161 I G1473 have used G5530 none G3762 of these things: G5130 G1161 neither G3756 have I written G1125 these things, G5023 that G2443 it should be G1096 so G3779 done G1096 unto G1722 me: G1698 for G1063 it were better G3123 for me G3427 to die, G599 G2570 than G2228 that G2443 any man G5100 should make G2758 my G3450 glorying G2745 void. G2758
For G1063 our G2257 rejoicing G2746 is G2076 this, G3778 the testimony G3142 of our G2257 conscience, G4893 that G3754 in G1722 simplicity G572 and G2532 godly G2316 sincerity, G1505 not G3756 with G1722 fleshly G4559 wisdom, G4678 but G235 by G1722 the grace G5485 of God, G2316 we have had our conversation G390 in G1722 the world, G2889 and G1161 more abundantly G4056 to G4314 you-ward. G5209
Behold, G2400 the third time G5154 I am G2192 ready G2093 to come G2064 to G4314 you; G5209 and G2532 I will G2655 not G3756 be burdensome G2655 to you: G5216 for G1063 I seek G2212 not G3756 yours, G5216 but G235 you: G5209 for G1063 the children G5043 ought G3784 not G3756 to lay up G2343 for the parents, G1118 but G235 the parents G1118 for the children. G5043 And G1161 I G1473 will very gladly G2236 spend G1159 and G2532 be spent G1550 for G5228 you; G5590 G5216 though G1499 the more abundantly G4056 I love G25 you, G5209 the less G2276 I be loved. G25 But G1161 be it so, G2077 I G1473 did G2599 not G3756 burden G2599 you: G5209 nevertheless, G235 being G5225 crafty, G3835 I caught G2983 you G5209 with guile. G1388 Did I make a gain G4122 G3361 of you G5209 by G1223 any G5100 of them G846 whom G3739 I sent G649 unto G4314 you? G5209
Worthy.Bible » Commentaries » Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible » Commentary on Numbers 16
Commentary on Numbers 16 Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
CHAPTER 16
Nu 16:1-30. The Rebellion of Korah.
1, 2. Now Korah, the son of Izhar—Izhar, brother of Amram (Ex 6:18), was the second son of Kohath, and for some reason unrecorded he had been supplanted by a descendant of the fourth son of Kohath, who was appointed prince or chief of the Kohathites (Nu 3:30). Discontent with the preferment over him of a younger relative was probably the originating cause of this seditious movement on the part of Korah.
Dathan and Abiram, … and On—These were confederate leaders in the rebellion, but On seems to have afterwards withdrawn from the conspiracy [compare Nu 16:12, 24, 25, 27; 26:9; De 11:6; Ps 106:17].
took men—The latter mentioned individuals, being all sons of Reuben, the eldest of Jacob's family, had been stimulated to this insurrection on the pretext that Moses had, by an arbitrary arrangement, taken away the right of primogeniture, which had vested the hereditary dignity of the priesthood in the first-born of every family, with a view of transferring the hereditary exercise of the sacred functions to a particular branch of his own house; and that this gross instance of partiality to his own relations, to the permanent detriment of others, was a sufficient ground for refusing allegiance to his government. In addition to this grievance, another cause of jealousy and dissatisfaction that rankled in the breasts of the Reubenites was the advancement of Judah to the leadership among the tribes. These malcontents had been incited by the artful representations of Korah (Jude 11), with whom the position of their camp on the south side afforded them facilities of frequent intercourse. In addition to his feeling of personal wrongs, Korah participated in their desire (if he did not originate the attempt) to recover their lost rights of primogeniture. When the conspiracy was ripe, they openly and boldly declared its object, and at the head of two hundred fifty princes, charged Moses with an ambitious and unwarrantable usurpation of authority, especially in the appropriation of the priesthood, for they disputed the claim of Aaron also to pre-eminence [Nu 16:3].
3. they gathered themselves together against Moses and against Aaron—The assemblage seems to have been composed of the whole band of conspirators; and they grounded their complaint on the fact that the whole people, being separated to the divine service (Ex 19:6), were equally qualified to present offerings on the altar, and that God, being graciously, present among them by the tabernacle and the cloud, evinced His readiness to receive sacrifices from the hand of any others as well as from theirs.
4. when Moses heard it, he fell upon his face—This attitude of prostration indicated not only his humble and earnest desire that God would interpose to free him from the false and odious imputation, but also his strong sense of the daring sin involved in this proceeding. Whatever feelings may be entertained respecting Aaron, who had formerly headed a sedition himself [Nu 12:1], it is impossible not to sympathize with Moses in this difficult emergency. But he was a devout man, and the prudential course he adopted was probably the dictate of that heavenly wisdom with which, in answer to his prayers, he was endowed.
5-11. he spake unto Korah and unto all his company—They were first addressed, not only because they were a party headed by his own cousin and Moses might hope to have more influence in that quarter, but because they were stationed near the tabernacle; and especially because an expostulation was the more weighty coming from him who was a Levite himself, and who was excluded along with his family from the priesthood. But to bring the matter to an issue, he proposed a test which would afford a decisive evidence of the divine appointment.
Even to-morrow—literally, "in the morning," the usual time of meeting in the East for the settlement of public affairs.
the Lord will show who are his, … even him whom he hath chosen will he cause to come near unto him—that is, will bear attestation to his ministry by some visible or miraculous token of His approval.
6, 7. Take your censers, Korah, and all his company, &c.—that is, since you aspire to the priesthood, then go, perform the highest function of the office—that of offering incense; and if you are accepted well. How magnanimous the conduct of Moses, who was now as willing that God's people should be priests, as formerly that they should be prophets (Nu 11:29). But he warned them that they were making a perilous experiment.
12-14. Moses sent to call Dathan and Abiram—in a separate interview, the ground of their mutiny being different; for while Korah murmured against the exclusive appropriation of the priesthood to Aaron and his family, they were opposed to the supremacy of Moses in civil power. They refused to obey the summons; and their refusal was grounded on the plausible pretext that their stay in the desert was prolonged for some secret and selfish purposes of the leader, who was conducting them like blind men wherever it suited him.
15. Moses was very wroth—Though the meekest of all men [Nu 12:3], he could not restrain his indignation at these unjust and groundless charges; and the highly excited state of his feeling was evinced by the utterance of a brief exclamation in the mixed form of a prayer and an impassioned assertion of his integrity. (Compare 1Sa 12:3).
and said unto the Lord, Respect not thou their offering—He calls it their offering, because, though it was to be offered by Korah and his Levitical associates, it was the united appeal of all the mutineers for deciding the contested claims of Moses and Aaron.
16-18. Moses said unto Korah, Be thou and all thy company before the Lord—that is, at "the door of the tabernacle" (Nu 16:18), that the assembled people might witness the experiment and be properly impressed by the issue.
17. two hundred fifty censers—probably the small platters, common in Egyptian families, where incense was offered to household deities and which had been among the precious things borrowed at their departure [Ex 12:35, 36].
20, 21. the Lord spake unto Moses and Aaron, saying, Separate yourselves from among this congregation—Curiosity to witness the exciting spectacle attracted a vast concourse of the people, and it would seem that the popular mind had been incited to evil by the clamors of the mutineers against Moses and Aaron. There was something in their behavior very offensive to God; for after His glory had appeared—as at the installation of Aaron (Le 9:23), so now for his confirmation in the sacred office—He bade Moses and Aaron withdraw from the assembly "that He might consume them in a moment."
22. they fell upon their faces, and said, O God, the God of the spirits of all flesh—The benevolent importunity of their prayer was the more remarkable that the intercession was made for their enemies.
24-26. Speak unto the congregation, … Get you up from about the tabernacle—Moses was attended in the execution of this mission by the elders. The united and urgent entreaties of so many dignified personages produced the desired effect of convincing the people of their crime, and of withdrawing them from the company of men who were doomed to destruction, lest, being partakers of their sins, they should perish along with them.
27. the tabernacle of Korah, Dathan, and Abiram—Korah being a Kohathite, his tent could not have been in the Reubenite camp, and it does not appear that he himself was on the spot where Dathan and Abiram stood with their families. Their attitude of defiance indicated their daring and impenitent character, equally regardless of God and man.
28-34. Moses said, Hereby ye shall know that the Lord hath sent me to do all these works—The awful catastrophe of the earthquake which, as predicted by Moses, swallowed up those impious rebels in a living tomb, gave the divine attestation to the mission of Moses and struck the spectators with solemn awe.
35. there came out a fire from the Lord—that is, from the cloud. This seems to describe the destruction of Korah and those Levites who with him aspired to the functions of the priesthood. (See Nu 26:11, 58; 1Ch 6:22, 37).
37-40. Speak unto Eleazar—He was selected lest the high priest might contract defilement from going among the dead carcasses.
39, 40. the brazen censers … made broad plates to be a memorial—The altar of burnt offerings, being made of wood and covered with brass, this additional covering of broad plates not only rendered it doubly secure against the fire, but served as a warning beacon to deter all from future invasions of the priesthood.
41. the children of Israel murmured against Moses and against Aaron, saying, Ye have killed the people of the Lord—What a strange exhibition of popular prejudice and passion—to blame the leaders for saving the rebels! Yet Moses and Aaron interceded for the people—the high priest perilling his own life in doing good to that perverse race.
48. he stood between the living and the dead—The plague seems to have begun in the extremities of the camp. Aaron, in this remarkable act, was a type of Christ.