Numbers 16:18-38

18 And they took each his censer, and put fire on them, and laid incense thereon, and stood before the entrance to the tent of meeting, as well as Moses and Aaron.
19 And Korah gathered the whole assembly against them to the entrance of the tent of meeting. And the glory of Jehovah appeared to all the assembly.
20 And Jehovah spoke to Moses and to Aaron, saying,
21 Separate yourselves from the midst of this assembly, and I will consume them in a moment.
22 And they fell on their faces, and said, O God, the God of the spirits of all flesh! shall *one* man sin, and wilt thou be wroth with the whole assembly?
23 And Jehovah spoke to Moses, saying,
24 Speak unto the assembly, saying, Get you up from about the habitation of Korah, Dathan, and Abiram.
25 And Moses rose up and went to Dathan and Abiram; and the elders of Israel followed him.
26 And he spoke to the assembly, saying, Depart, I pray you, from the tents of these wicked men, and touch nothing of theirs, lest ye perish in all their sins.
27 And they got up from the habitation of Koran, Dathan, and Abiram, on every side. And Dathan and Abiram came out, and stood in the entrance of their tents, and their wives, and their sons, and their little ones.
28 And Moses said, Hereby ye shall know that Jehovah has sent me to do all these deeds, for they are not out of my own heart:
29 if these men die as all men die, and are visited with the visitation of all men, Jehovah has not sent me;
30 but if Jehovah make a new thing, and the ground open its mouth, and swallow them up, and all that they have, and they go down alive into Sheol, then ye shall know that these men have despised Jehovah.
31 And it came to pass when he had ended speaking all these words, that the ground clave apart that was under them.
32 And the earth opened its mouth, and swallowed them up, and their households, and all the men that belonged to Korah, and all their property.
33 And they went down, they and all that they had, alive into Sheol, and the earth covered them; and they perished from among the congregation.
34 And all Israel that were round about them fled at their cry; for they said, Lest the earth swallow us up!
35 And there came out a fire from Jehovah, and consumed the two hundred and fifty men that had presented incense.
36 And Jehovah 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 afar; for they are hallowed,
38 the censers of these sinners who have forfeited their life; and they shall make them into broad plates for the covering of the altar; for they presented them before Jehovah, therefore they are hallowed; and they shall be a sign unto the children of Israel.

Numbers 16:18-38 Meaning and Commentary

INTRODUCTION TO NUMBERS 16

This chapter gives an account of a sedition of Korah and others against Moses and Aaron, Nu 16:1-4, with whom Moses expostulates, and shows the unreasonableness of their clamour against Aaron, Nu 16:5-11; sends for Dathan and Abiram, who were in the confederacy, but refused to come, which greatly angered Moses, Nu 16:12-15; orders Korah and his company to appear before the Lord the next day, with Aaron, to have the controversy decided, Nu 16:16-18; when all the congregation gathered together would have been, consumed had it not been for the intercession of Moses and Aaron, Nu 16:19-22; and who, being separated from the rebels by the command of the Lord, some of the rebels were swallowed up in the earth, and others destroyed by fire from heaven, Nu 16:23-35; and their censers were made a covering for the altar, as a memorial of their sin, Nu 16:36-40; on which there was a new insurrection of the people, which brought a plague upon them, and destroyed 14,700 persons, and which was stopped at the intercession of Aaron, Nu 16:41-50.

Footnotes 4

  • [a]. 'Tabernacle,' as ver. 9 and Ex. 25.9,
  • [b]. Lit. 'create a creation.'
  • [c]. See Note, Gen. 37.35.
  • [d]. Or 'sinned against.'
The Darby Translation is in the public domain.