Numbers 16:27-37

27 So they removed themselves from the tents of Korah, Dathan, and Abiram, on every side; and Dathan and Abiram came out, and stood in the door of their tents, with their wives and their sons and their little children.

28 And Moses said, Hereby ye shall know that the LORD has sent me to do all these works, for I have not done them out of my own heart.

29 If these men die the common death of all men or if they are visited after the visitation of all men, then the LORD has not sent me.

30 But if the LORD does a new thing and the earth opens her mouth and swallows them up with all their things and they go down alive into Sheol, then ye shall know that these men have provoked the LORD.

31 And it came to pass as he had made an end of speaking all these words that the ground broke open under them;

32 the earth opened her mouth and swallowed them up, and their houses and all the men of Korah and all their goods.

33 They and all that they had went down alive into Sheol, and the earth closed upon them, and they perished from among the congregation.

34 And all Israel, those that were round about them, fled at the cry of them, for they said, Lest the earth swallow us up also.

35 And fire came out from the LORD and consumed the two hundred and fifty men that offered incense.

36 Then the LORD spoke 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

Numbers 16:27-37 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.