Numbers 16

Chap. XVI. ver. 1. Now &c.] At what time this rebellion happened, the history does not inform us. Probably it was soon after the advancement of Aaron and his family to the office of high priest, it being the general opinion that that advancement was the cause of the mutiny. And so Josephus represents it. Stackhouse.

— Korah.] He was cousin-german to Moses and Aaron, Exod. vi. 18, and thought himself fit to be their equal. Again—Elizaphan, the son of Uziel, who was younger brother to Izhar, was appointed chief of the house of the father of the families of the Kohathites, Numb. iii. 30, which might occasion some discontent to Korah. Bp. Kidder.

— Reuben.] He was the firstborn of Israel, but for his sin was deprived of his birthright, Gen. xlix. 3, 4, and the privileges of it, 1 Chron. v. 1, 2; which his posterity seditionally would usurp. They and Korah confederated together. Bp. Kidder.

The narrative no where notices the circumstances, which led these men in particular to unite in this rebellion; but when minutely examined, we discover from it, that they had such pretensions from their rank, as may have encouraged them to resist the authority of Moses and Aaron. Korah was one of the chiefs of the family of Kohath, which appears to have been specially employed to carry the ark and the Holy of Holies, though not permitted to look into them, Numb. iii. 31. They were therefore, amongst the Levites, the next in sacredness of function to Aaron and his sons, and may therefore the more readily have formed a scheme to contest with Aaron his exclusive right to the high priesthood. Dathan, Abiram, and On, were chiefs of the tribe of Reuben, the firstborn of the sons of Jacob; and may therefore have conceived themselves better entitled than Moses to preeminence in temporal power. Dr. Desses.

— took men:] That is, accomplices or associates in his rebellion; namely, the 250, mentioned in the next verse: or, the word “men” being not in the Hebrew, the verse may be thus translated, Korah the son of Izhar, &c. took both Dathan and Abiram the sons of Eliab, and On the son of Peleth, &c. Bp. Patrick.

Korah was certainly at the head of the rebellion. Also, the verb, which is singular, and begins the verse, signifies to “take” or “take in,” in the sense of alluring, winning, or gaining by persuasion. The verse therefore should run thus; “Now Korah — won over both Dathan and Abiram, &c.” Eliab being a Reuben-

two hundred and fifty princes of the assembly, b famous in the congregation, men of renown:

Before CHRIST about 1471. b Chap. 26. 9.

— him whom he hath chosen will he cause, &c.] They shall discharge the office of priesthood, whom God Himself hath chosen to it; and no person else. Bp. Patrick.

Chap. XVII. ver. 2.—of every one of them] That is, of every tribe.

—a rod] It has been the custom in all ages for elderly men, and for those in authority, to carry, as a mark of dignity, a rod or cane, or walking-staff; which at length became the sceptre peculiar to princes. The priests too, among the Greeks and Romans, had their recurved rods; and bishops, in later ages, have their croziers. All these are ensigns of dignity and office.

The rod of Aaron should seem to have been of the almond tree: the Fathers thought it was of some other kind of wood; but there is no need to augment a miracle, which is sufficient in itself.

The Jews, to commemorate this miracle, have struck the blossoming rod on several of their coins. Script. Illust. Expos. Ind.

Numbers 16:2

2. — two hundred and fifty princes &c.] What wonder is it, that the ten rulers prevailed so much with the multitude, to dissuade them from Canaan, when three traitors prevailed thus with two hundred and fifty rulers “famous in the congregation, men of renown?” One man may kindle such a fire, as all the world cannot quench. One plague-sore may infect a whole kingdom. The infection of evil is much worse than the act. Bp. Hall.

Numbers 16:3

3. — Ye take too much upon you.] Ye take too much state and greatness upon you; as if you only might or ought to engross the Lord to yourselves: since there is none of the congregation, who is not capable and fit to do those holy actions, which ye have appropriated to yourselves; and the Lord would be as ready to testify His acceptance of them. Bp. Hall.

— the congregation are holy, &c.] As if they had said, Every man is qualified to be his own priest, to instruct and to save himself; and who is Aaron, that he should set himself up, and lord it over God’s heritage? Bp. Horus.

Nothing can be more pleasing to the vulgar, than to hear their governours censured, and themselves flattered. Every word of this speech was a falsehood. Instead of “lifting himself up,” Moses humbled himself, “Who am I?” It was God who lifted him up over Israel. And Israel was as “holy,” as Moses was ambitious. What holiness was there in so much infidelity, fear, idolatry, mutiny, disobedience? What could make them unclean, if this were holiness? They were still fresh from their last obstinacy; and yet these flatterers say, “All Israel is holy.” Bp. Hall.

Numbers 16:4

4. — he fell upon his face:] In a deep sorrow for this presumptuous sin of these princes, and in an humble invocation of God, who only could right these proud challenges. Bp. Hall.

4.—where I will meet with you] There He promised “to meet” with Moses, Exod. xxv. 22, by whom He communicated His mind to the people. For this reason the tabernacle of the Lord is called The Tabernacle of Meeting: not of men’s meeting there, as is commonly supposed by our translating it, “The tabernacle of the congregation;” but of God’s meeting there with men. See Exod. xxix. 32; xxx. 36. Bp. Patrick.

Numbers 16:5

5. — who are his.] Who are chosen by Him to govern and minister in holy things. Bp. Kidder. To morrow the Lord will give a visible proof, whether He hath set us apart to these His highest services; and is well pleased, that ye should, without any special calling thereunto, approach unto His presence to offer sacrifices to Him. Bp. Hall.

— and will cause him to come near unto him.] He will make it appear, that they are the persons, who ought to burn incense, and to offer sacrifices. Bp. Patrick.

Moses opposeth the rebellion, Before CHRIST about 1471. even him whom he hath chosen will he cause to come near unto him.

Numbers 16:6

6. — Take you censers,] Perform the office of priests to which you pretend that you have a right. Moses, no doubt, by God’s direction, orders Korah and his company to execute the office to which they aspired. Bp. Patrick.

Numbers 16:7

7. — ye take too much upon you, ye sons of Levi.] Thou, O Korah, being one of the tribe of Levi, rather takest too much upon thee and thine, thus to encroach upon the priest’s office. Bp. Hall.

7.—in the tabernacle of witness.] In that part of the tabernacle where the ark was, which had in it the “witness” or testimony given by God to Moses, Exod. xxv. 21. Bp. Patrick.

Numbers 16:8

8.—was budded.] Probably in some places of the rod there was an appearance of buds coming forth; in others the buds were fully thrust out; and in others they were opened and shot forth into blossoms; and those blossoms in other parts were knotted and grown into almonds. Bp. Patrick.

Numbers 16:9

9. — To bring you near to himself] Though not so near as the priests, yet nearer than all other men; being the sole attendants on the priests. Bp. Patrick. As there was a difference betwixt the people and Levites, so was there betwixt the Levites and priests. The God of order loves to have our degrees kept. While the Levites would be looking up to the priests, Moses directs their eyes down to the people. The way not to repine at those above us, is to look at those below us. There is no better remedy for ambition, than to reckon up our former blessings, and to set them against our deservings, and to compare our own estate with that of our inferiours. So shall we find cause to be thankful that we are above any, rather than to be envious because any are above us. Bp. Hall.

Numbers 16:10

10.—for a token against the rebels:] That it might be produced as a sufficient conviction of their impiety, if any should presume hereafter to rebel against Aaron’s authority. Or rather that it might prevent all insur-

Numbers 16:12

12. — which said, We will not come up:] At the same time that a schism was forming in the church, by Korah, a discontented factious Levite, charging Aaron with priestcraft, a rebellion was likewise fomented in the state. For Dathan and Abiram, who were laymen, and princes of the congregation, accused Moses of tyranny and a design to establish arbitrary power; which they affirmed to be so clear a case, that unless he “put out the eyes” of the people, they must see he intended to enslave, and “to make himself altogether a prince over them.” Bp. Horse. Moses was the prince of Israel, Aaron the priest; Moses was mild, Aaron popular; yet both were conspired against: their places were no less nearly related than their persons, yet both were opposed at once. He that is a traitor to the Church is a traitor to the King. Bp. Hall.

Numbers 16:13

13. — out of a land that floweth with milk and honey,] Nothing could be more insolent and ungrateful, than to describe Egypt in the very same language, in which God had often spoken of the land of promise: particularly since He sent Moses to tell them, He would bring them up out of the affliction of Egypt, Exod. iii. 16, 17. Bp. Patrick.

Numbers 16:15

15. — I have not taken one ass from them,] The innocence of Moses called for vengeance on his adversaries. If he had wronged them in his government, in vain would he have looked to God’s hand for protection. Our sins exclude us from God’s favour; whereas uprightness challenges and receives His patronage. Bp. Hall. and separath the people from the rebels’ tent.

Numbers 16:20

20.—to do all these works:] That is to take upon me the government; and to put Aaron and his family into the priesthood; and to make the Levites only their ministers, &c. Bp. Patrick.

Numbers 16:21

21.—the common death of all men.] A natural death. “After the visitation of all men,” means such judgments of God as are common in the world; namely, pestilence, sword, or famine. To “go down quick into the pit,” in the next verse, signifies, “to be buried alive, in perfect health.” Bp. Patrick.

Numbers 16:22

22.—the God of the spirits of all flesh.] Thou who hast created the souls of all mankind, and who therefore knowest their most secret thoughts and inclinations. Bp. Patrick. God is called “the God of the spirits of all flesh,” as He is called “the Father of spirits,” Heb. xii. 9, that is, the Creator of the souls of men. Abp. Tillotson.

Numbers 16:26

26. Depart, I pray you, from the tents &c.] God’s vengeance, when it is hottest, distinguishes betwixt men. In the universal judgment of all the earth, the Judge Himself will separate: in these particular judgments we must separate ourselves. The society of wicked men, especially in their sins, is mortally dangerous: while we will not be parted, how can we complain, if we be included in their condemnation? Bp. Hall.

Numbers 16:31

31. And it came to pass, &c.] The history of the punishment of Korah is among the most striking instances of the Divine Power, exerted to vindicate His appointments, and to destroy profligate offenders. Let the earth swallow men and their dwellings, when it opens its abysses; there is nothing in that beyond the powers of nature. When the earth trembles, those places which are the seat of this disturbance must crumble into dust by the shock. Sicily and Italy furnish innumerable instances in support of these assertions; yet even in these instances, though not miraculous, it is the Divine power that produces such commotions. All the works of nature are works of God. But here, while the earth is composed and tranquil, the man of God

foretels the time, the place, the persons concerned, and the manner in which this prodigy should happen: and this, not in Sicily, not in Italy, not in a country undermined by subterranean fires; but in the sandy deserts of Arabia, where rocks probably form the general under strata, and sand the upper; where earthquakes are little known, except by report; and where little expectation of this threat’s fulfilment could arise in the minds of the hearers, from general appearances, or from supposable natural causes. Yet here, at the time appointed, the earth opens her mouth, and swallows down into her profound abysses the whole company of rebels; leaving no trace of them remaining, but by the void where they had been.

As to the fire from the Lord, mentioned in ver. 35, the probability is that it was lightning; but nothing forbids its being an exhalation of a different kind; perhaps from the earth itself.

It is good to remark here, in passing, that the greater part of the miracles wrought to establish the Jewish religion were of a terrific nature, and often involved the ruin of a multitude of transgressors; witness this destruction of Korah and his accomplices. On the contrary, the miracles wrought in establishing the truth of the Gospel were salutary and benevolent, as well to the enemies as to the friends of religion. Script. illustr. Expos. Ind.

Numbers 16:32

32. And the earth opened her mouth, and swallowed them up.] It appears from chap. xxvi. 11, that “the children of Korah died not” in this destruction, which involved the entire families of Dathan and Abiram. The difference may be thus accounted for. Dathan and Abiram shewed their rebellion in resisting the authority of Moses, as temporal judge, refusing to come, when called on, to attend his summons, ver. 12. Korah’s rebellion consisted in his laying claim to the high priesthood: and in consequence of a direction given for bringing his claim to a test, ver. 16, 17, he “gathered all the congregation against Moses and Aaron unto the door of the tabernacle

The censers are reserved to holy use. Before CHRIST about 1471.

Numbers 16:35

35. — consumed the two hundred and fifty men that offered incense.] Which was a plain declaration, that they usurped the office of priests; and therefore were thus punished by God Himself for their presumption. Bp. Patrick. There were two sorts of traitors: the earth swallowed up the one, the fire consumed the other. All the

elements agree to serve the vengeance of their Maker. Nadab and Abihu brought fit persons, but unfit fire to God: these Levites bring the right fire, but unwarranted persons before Him: fire from God consumes both. It is a dangerous thing to usurp sacred functions. Bp. Hall.

Numbers 16:37

37. — unto Eleazar] These evil men attempted to deprive Aaron’s posterity of the priesthood. Therefore Eleazar his son is commanded to make the censers into a standing memorial of their fault, and of the priesthood’s being settled in the family of Aaron. Bp. Kidder.

— yonder;] Farther from the sanctuary. Probably into some unclean place, as a token of God’s abhorrence of their offering. Dr. Wells.

— hallowed.] That is, separated from common use, having been offered before the Lord, and that by God’s command: and therefore God would not have them serve hereafter for any other use. Bp. Patrick.

— for they are hallowed.] Whatever is once dedicated to God, cannot afterwards be applied to any secular or profane use: but it may, by lawful authority, be diverted to other use than that, to which at first it was piously designed. There were many institutions with reference to religion, originally founded in piety and devotion, which in process of time degenerated into superstition and idolatry: and, as these profane customs ought to be suppressed, so, whatever was conferred for the maintenance and support of that service in the integrity of it, ought not to be diverted to any arbitrary purpose, because the first end is determined; but it ought still to be applied to somewhat that is sacred, and to comply with the original designation, as far as can be, lawfully and usefully. And for this, methinks, God’s own determination seems to be some warrant in the insurrection of Korah, Dathan, and Abiram; where the two hundred and fifty censers, in which incense had been offered, were taken out of the fire. “The censers of these sinners &c.” see ver. 28. There must be no more incense offered in them; they had been too much profaned. “And Eleazar the priest took &c.” ver. 39. There was no need of any “covering for the altar:” God had provided every thing that was necessary for it before; there was no defect: but He would rather make a new addition to what was perfect enough before, than suffer what had been once hallowed to be turned to any use which had no reference to His service. Lord Clarendon.

Numbers 16:38

38. — sinners against their own souls.] Who have brought destruction on themselves by their presumption. Bp. Patrick.

— they shall be a sign unto the children of Israel.] Or, “a memorial,” ver. 40, that God accepts no sacrifice, which is not presented by the hands of the sons of

The people murmur against Moses and Aaron. were made broad plates for a covering of the altar:

Numbers 16:40

40.—that no stranger.] Though he were an Israelite, nay, a Levite, if he were not of the seed of Aaron, he was reputed a “stranger” to this office. Bp. Patrick.

40. And Moses said unto Aaron, &c.] Moses, though he were great with God, yet takes not upon himself this reconciliation: he may advise Aaron what to do, himself undertakes not to do it: it is the work of the priesthood to make an atonement for the people. And shall there be less use, or less regard, of the evangelical ministry, than of the legal? Bp. Hall.

—Take a censer, &c.] By what Aaron did and

congregation, that I may consume them as in a moment. And they fell upon their faces.

Numbers 16:41

41. But on the morrow &c.] They who have not studied human nature, who have not seen or heard much of mankind, will perhaps imagine that such a decision as that just recorded must needs have silenced every objection, and put an end to the murmurings of discontent. And so far indeed it is true, that the people fled at the cry of those who suffered, “for they said, Lest the earth swallow us up also.” But as soon as the danger was over, they discovered the real sentiments of their corrupted hearts. After a single night’s rest, the spirit of rebellion again took possession of them; and, all reverence laid aside, they go in a tumultuous and insolent manner to their leaders, requiring at their hands, truly, the blood of Korah and his followers. Thus, by standing up for these offenders, they shewed a secret approbation of their offence; and, being partakers of their crime, they justly became partakers also of their punishment. Bp. Horne.

Numbers 16:42

42.—they looked toward the tabernacle of the congregation.] Moses and Aaron implored help of God, which is implied in their looking toward His dwelling place. Bp. Patrick.

Numbers 16:47

47. And Aaron took—and made an atonement for the people.] He interceded with God for them, and obtained what he desired. But was it for Aaron’s sake that God spared the remnant of His people? Had Aaron any merit of his own, any superfluous righteousness, which might be imputed to them? Far from it. He, and “every high priest taken from among men,” were necessarily heirs of the universal corruption of the children of Adam: they had their infirmities, as the Apostle argues, and were obliged to offer up sacrifices for their own sins, as well as for those of the people. But, as the same Apostle teaches us, Aaron, in the office of high priest and mediator, represented the world’s Redeemer; and the atonement, which he made for Israel, showed forth that great Atonement, to be one day made by Jesus Christ for the Church universal of all ages and nations. God had respect unto that great Atonement; and for His sake, who was to make it, pardoned those for whom it was to be made. In the person of Aaron He beheld His beloved Son, “in whom He is well pleased,” interceding for the transgressors: Israel was spared for the sake of Aaron; but Aaron himself was accepted for the sake of Christ. Bp. Horne.

Numbers 16:50

50.—and the plague was stayed.] Upon Aaron’s offering incense a stop is put to the destruction; whereas when they, who were not called of God, as Aaron, attempted to offer it, they were overtaken by the judgment of God. Bp. Kidder.

Under this most affecting image of rebellious Israel, smitten with a pestilence, and saved by the intercession of Aaron, are described the miserable state of man after the fall; the terrible execution of God’s judgment on

Aaron’s rod flourisheth, and is left for a monument. Before CHRIST about 1471. # CHAP. XVII.