Numbers 16:45

45 Go ye away from the midst of this multitude, also now I shall do away them. And when they lay in the earth, (Go ye away from the midst of this multitude, for I shall now destroy them. And when they lay on the ground,)

Numbers 16:45 Meaning and Commentary

Numbers 16:45

Get you up from among this congregation
That is, withdraw from them, and be separate, that they might not be involved in the same destruction with them, as well as that they might have no concern for them, or plead with the Lord in prayer on their account, but let him alone to destroy them, as follows:

that I may consume them in a moment;
as he was able to do, and had proposed to do it before, but they entreated him that he would not, ( Numbers 16:21 Numbers 16:22 ) ; as they again do:

and they fell upon their faces;
in prayer, as the Targums of Jonathan and Jerusalem; and so Aben Ezra observes, it was to pray to deprecate the wrath of God, and to implore his pardoning mercy for this sinful people; which shows what an excellent temper and disposition these men were of, to pray for them that had so despitefully used them as to charge them with murder, and were about to commit it on them; see ( Matthew 5:44 ) ( Luke 23:34 ) .

Numbers 16:45 In-Context

43 (See verse 42 above.)

44 And the Lord said to Moses and Aaron,

45 Go ye away from the midst of this multitude, also now I shall do away them. And when they lay in the earth, (Go ye away from the midst of this multitude, for I shall now destroy them. And when they lay on the ground,)

46 Moses said to Aaron, Take thy censer, and when the fire is taken up from (off) the altar, cast thou incense above, and go thou forth soon to the people, that thou pray for them; for now wrath is gone out from the Lord, and the vengeance is fierce. (Moses said to Aaron, Take thy censer, and when thou hast taken fire from off the altar, cast thou incense on it, and quickly go forth to the people, and make amends for them; for anger hath now gone out from the Lord, and the plague hath begun.)

47 And when Aaron had done this, and had run to the midst of the multitude, which the burning wasted then, he offered incense; (And Aaron did this, and ran to the midst of the multitude, who were already dying from the plague, and he offered the incense;)