Numbers 16:38

38 in the deaths of (these) sinners; and that he bring forth those censers into plates, and nail them to the altar, for incense is offered in those to the Lord, and those be hallowed, that the sons of Israel see them for a sign and a memorial. (even without the deaths of these sinners; and that he make those censers into plates, and then nail them to the altar, for incense was offered in them to the Lord, and so they be holy; and then the Israelites shall see them as a sign and as a reminder.)

Numbers 16:38 Meaning and Commentary

Numbers 16:38

The censers of these sinners against their own souls
Who by burning incense in them sinned, and by sinning hurt and ruined their souls:

let them make them broad plates [for] a covering of the altar;
the altar of burnt offering, which, though it had a covering of brass, another made of these were to be over it, for the further security of it, being of from the fire continually burning on it; these censers were to be beaten into broad plates, by the workmen who understood how to do it:

for they offered them before the Lord, therefore they are hallowed;
they offered them in his presence, they burned incense in them, and to him, though it was not their business, but the business of the priests; yet these being done, and by his orders, for an open trial who were his priests and who not, they were not to be put to common use:

and they shall be a sign unto the children of Israel;
a memorial sign, a sign bringing this affair to remembrance, as it is explained in ( Numbers 16:40 ) ; this was a sign to the priests, that they only were to offer every kind of offerings, and to the Levites, who attended the priests at the altar continually, and so had every day a sight of it and of those plates upon it, which would remind them of this fact, and teach them not to usurp the priest's office; and to all the children of Israel, to learn from hence that none were to burn incense but the priests of the Lord, for doing which Uzziah, though a king, was punished, ( 2 Chronicles 26:18-23 ) .

Numbers 16:38 In-Context

36 And the Lord spake to Moses, and said,

37 Command thou to Eleazar, the son of Aaron, [the] priest, that he take, or gather up, the censers that lie in the burning, and that he scatter the fire hither and thither; for those censers be hallowed (for those censers be holy),

38 in the deaths of (these) sinners; and that he bring forth those censers into plates, and nail them to the altar, for incense is offered in those to the Lord, and those be hallowed, that the sons of Israel see them for a sign and a memorial. (even without the deaths of these sinners; and that he make those censers into plates, and then nail them to the altar, for incense was offered in them to the Lord, and so they be holy; and then the Israelites shall see them as a sign and as a reminder.)

39 Therefore Eleazar, the priest, took the brazen censers, in which they, which the burning had devoured had offered, and he beat out those censers into plates, and nailed them to the altar; (And so Eleazar, the priest, took the bronze censers, with which they, whom the burning had devoured, had made an offering to the Lord, and he beat those censers into plates, and then nailed them to the altar;)

40 that the sons of Israel should have those censers with them afterward, by which they should remember this great vengeance of God, lest any alien, and which is not of the seed of Aaron, nigh to offer incense to the Lord; lest he suffer, as Korah suffered, and all his multitude, while the Lord spake to Moses. (so that the Israelites would have those censers with them afterward, by which they would remember this great vengeance of God, lest any stranger, who is not of Aaron's descendants, come near to offer incense to the Lord; for then he would suffer, like Korah and all his fellows had suffered; all of this was done as the Lord commanded to Eleazar, through Moses.)