Numbers 16:40

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.)

Numbers 16:40 Meaning and Commentary

Numbers 16:40

[To be] a memorial unto the children of Israel
The whole body of them; this explains what is meant by sign, ( Numbers 16:38 ) ; that it was to put or keep in mind what follows:

that no stranger which [is] not of the seed of Aaron come near to offer
incense before the Lord;
not only any Gentile but any Israelite, and not any Israelite only, but any Levite; none but those of the family of Aaron might offer incense before the Lord;

that he be not as Korah and as his company;
this makes it clear that Korah perished at this time, though it is nowhere expressed; and it seems pretty plain from hence that he perished by fire, as his company, the two hundred fifty men with censers, did:

as the Lord said unto him by the hand of Moses;
either to Korah, who is the immediate antecedent, and who perished as the Lord had told him by Moses he should; so some understand it, mentioned by Aben Ezra and Jarchi; or else to Aaron, as they interpret it; and then the sense is, that none but those of Aaron's seed should offer incense, as the Lord had declared to him by Moses; see ( Numbers 3:10 ) ; or it may be rather to Eleazar, as Abendana, who did as the Lord spake to him by Moses, took up the censers of the men that were burnt, and got them beaten into broad plates, and covered the altar of burnt offering with them.

Numbers 16:40 In-Context

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.)

42 And when dissension (a)rose, and the noise increased, Moses and Aaron fled to the tabernacle of the bond of peace (Moses and Aaron fled to the Tabernacle of the Covenant); and after that they entered into it, a cloud covered the tabernacle, and the glory of the Lord appeared.