Numbers 16:2

2 and rose up against Moses. With them were 250 Israelite men, well-known community leaders who had been appointed members of the council.

Numbers 16:2 in Other Translations

2 And they rose up before Moses, with certain of the children of Israel, two hundred and fifty princes of the assembly, famous in the congregation, men of renown:

2 And they rose up before Moses, with a number of the people of Israel, 250 chiefs of the congregation, chosen from the assembly, well-known men.

2 They incited a rebellion against Moses, along with 250 other leaders of the community, all prominent members of the assembly.

2 rebelled against Moses. He had with him 250 leaders of the congregation of Israel, prominent men with positions in the Council.

2 and they rose up before Moses, with certain of the children of Israel, two hundred and fifty princes of the congregation, called to the assembly, men of renown;

2 These four men were joined by 250 Israelite men, well-known leaders of the community, chosen by the assembly.

2 250 prominent Israelite men who were leaders of the community and representatives in the assembly, and they rebelled against Moses.

2 All of those men rose up against Moses. And 250 men of Israel joined them. All of them were known as leaders in the community. They had been appointed as members of the ruling body.

Numbers 16:2 Meaning and Commentary

Numbers 16:2

And they rose up before Moses
To his face, openly and publicly, in a bold and audacious manner; with impudence, as the Targum of Jonathan:

with certain of the children of Israel;
some out of the several tribes, but perhaps chiefly of the tribe of Reuben, as Jarchi:

two hundred and fifty princes of the assembly;
or "congregation" ^F9, who were princes in the several tribes to which they belonged, heads of houses and families of their fathers, rulers of thousands, hundreds, &c.

famous in the congregation;
or "called" ^F11 to the tabernacle of the congregation; who, when the great men among the people were gathered together to consult about any affair, were called, as Ben Melech observes:

men of renown,
or "of name" ^F12; in high esteem among the people for their birth and rank, their wealth and riches, wisdom and prudence; and were so before they came out of Egypt, as Aben Ezra remarks; so that the persons concerned in this rebellion were not the mob and dregs of the people, but men of the greatest figure and fame, and therefore was likely to be of bad consequence.

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FOOTNOTES:

F9 (hde) "congregationis", Pagninus.
F11 (yarq) "vocati", Montanus, Drusius.
F12 (Mv yvna) "viri nominis", Montanus, Drusius.

Numbers 16:2 In-Context

1 Korah son of Izhar, the son of Kohath, the son of Levi, and certain Reubenites—Dathan and Abiram, sons of Eliab, and On son of Peleth—became insolent

2 and rose up against Moses. With them were 250 Israelite men, well-known community leaders who had been appointed members of the council.

3 They came as a group to oppose Moses and Aaron and said to them, “You have gone too far! The whole community is holy, every one of them, and the LORD is with them. Why then do you set yourselves above the LORD’s assembly?”

4 When Moses heard this, he fell facedown.

5 Then he said to Korah and all his followers: “In the morning the LORD will show who belongs to him and who is holy, and he will have that person come near him. The man he chooses he will cause to come near him.

Cross References

• 1. Numbers 27:3
• 2. Numbers 1:16; Numbers 26:9