Numbers 16:39

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;)

Numbers 16:39 Meaning and Commentary

Numbers 16:39

And Eleazar the priest took the brazen censers
The metal of which these censers were made is particularly observed, to show that they were fit for the use they were ordered to be put unto, namely, for a covering of the altar of burnt offering, which was covered with brass, that being very suitable, since fire was continually burning on it; and by this it appears that these censers were different from those of Aaron and his sons, for theirs were silver ones; the high priest on the day of atonement indeed made use of golden one, but at all other times he used a silver one ^F2; and so did the common priests every day, morning and night, when they offered incense ^F3,

wherewith they that were burnt had offered;
the two hundred fifty men burnt with fire from the Lord, having offered incense to him with the brazen censers:

and they were made broad [plates for] a covering of the altar;
not by Eleazar, but by workmen skilled in the art of drawing or beating any kind of metal into thin plates, by the direction and order of Eleazar.

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FOOTNOTES:

F2 Misn. Yoma, c. 4. sect. 4.
F3 Misn. Tamid, c. 5. sect. 5.

Numbers 16:39 In-Context

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.)

41 Forsooth all the multitude of the sons of Israel grouched in the day following against Moses and Aaron, and said, Ye have slain the people of the Lord. (But on the following day all the multitude of the Israelites grumbled against Moses and Aaron, and said, Ye have killed the people of the Lord.)