Numbers 16:29

29 If they perish by customable death of men, and wound, either pestilence, visit them, by which also other men be wont to be visited, the Lord sent not me; (If these men die by the customary deaths of people, or if a wound, or a pestilence, visit them, by which other people be wont to be visited, then the Lord did not send me;)

Numbers 16:29 Meaning and Commentary

Numbers 16:29

If these men die the common death of all men
Or "as every man dies" ^F18, or the generality of men, who for the most part die of one disease or another, as a fever, and the like, or through old age:

or if they be visited after the visitation of all men;
with such visitations as men in all ages for their sins are visited with, meaning public calamities, such as pestilence, famine, and sword:

[then] the Lord hath not sent me;
it may be concluded that I had no mission nor commission from the Lord to do what I have done, but may be reckoned a deceiver and an impostor; and I am content to be accounted so, should either of the above things be the case of these men.

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FOOTNOTES:

F18 (Mdah lk twmk) "ut moriuntur omnes homines", Pagninus; "reliqui homines", Junius & Tremellius; "alii homines", Piscator.

Numbers 16:29 In-Context

27 And when they had gone away from their tents by compass, Dathan and Abiram went out, and stood in the entry of their tents, with their wives, and their free children, and with all the multitude. (And when they had gone away from their tents all around, Dathan and Abiram went out, and stood at the entrance to their tents, with their wives, and their children, and with all their multitude.)

28 And Moses said, In this ye shall know that the Lord sent me, that I should do all things which ye see, and that I brought them not forth of mine own heart. (And Moses said, By this ye shall know that the Lord hath sent me, to do all these things which ye see, and that I did not bring them forth from my own heart.)

29 If they perish by customable death of men, and wound, either pestilence, visit them, by which also other men be wont to be visited, the Lord sent not me; (If these men die by the customary deaths of people, or if a wound, or a pestilence, visit them, by which other people be wont to be visited, then the Lord did not send me;)

30 but if the Lord doeth a new thing, that the earth open his mouth, and swallow them, and all things that pertain to them, and they go down quick into hell, ye shall know that they blasphemed the Lord. (but if the Lord doeth a new thing, yea, and the earth open its mouth, and swallow them, and all things that pertain to them, and they go down alive into hell, or to Sheol, then ye shall know that they blasphemed against the Lord.)

31 Therefore anon as he ceased to speak, the earth was broken under their feet, (And so as soon as he ceased to speak, the ground broke up under their feet,)