Numbers 16

Numbers · Chapter 16

Numbers 16:38

1Now Korah, the son of Izhar, the son of Kohath, the son of Levi, and Dathan and Abiram, the sons of Eliab, and On, the son of Peleth, sons of Reuben, took men:2And they rose up before Moses, with certain of the children of Israel, two hundred and fifty princes of the assembly, famous in the congregation, men of renown:3And they gathered themselves together against Moses and against Aaron, and said unto them, Ye take too much upon you, seeing all the congregation are holy, every one of them, and the LORD is among them: wherefore then lift ye up yourselves above the congregation of the LORD?4And when Moses heard it, he fell upon his face:5And he spake unto Korah and unto all his company, saying, Even to morrow the LORD will shew who are his, and who is holy; and will cause him to come near unto him: even him whom he hath chosen will he cause to come near unto him.6This do; Take you censers, Korah, and all his company;7And put fire therein, and put incense in them before the LORD to morrow: and it shall be that the man whom the LORD doth choose, he shall be holy: ye take too much upon you, ye sons of Levi.8And Moses said unto Korah, Hear, I pray you, ye sons of Levi:9Seemeth it but a small thing unto you, that the God of Israel hath separated you from the congregation of Israel, to bring you near to himself to do the service of the tabernacle of the LORD, and to stand before the congregation to minister unto them?10And he hath brought thee near to him, and all thy brethren the sons of Levi with thee: and seek ye the priesthood also?11For which cause both thou and all thy company are gathered together against the LORD: and what is Aaron, that ye murmur against him?12And Moses sent to call Dathan and Abiram, the sons of Eliab: which said, We will not come up:13Is it a small thing that thou hast brought us up out of a land that floweth with milk and honey, to kill us in the wilderness, except thou make thyself altogether a prince over us?14Moreover thou hast not brought us into a land that floweth with milk and honey, or given us inheritance of fields and vineyards: wilt thou put out the eyes of these men? we will not come up.15And Moses was very wroth, and said unto the LORD, Respect not thou their offering: I have not taken one ass from them, neither have I hurt one of them.16And Moses said unto Korah, Be thou and all thy company before the LORD, thou, and they, and Aaron, to morrow:17And take every man his censer, and put incense in them, and bring ye before the LORD every man his censer, two hundred and fifty censers; thou also, and Aaron, each of you his censer.18And they took every man his censer, and put fire in them, and laid incense thereon, and stood in the door of the tabernacle of the congregation with Moses and Aaron.19And Korah gathered all the congregation against them unto the door of the tabernacle of the congregation: and the glory of the LORD appeared unto all the congregation.20And the LORD spake unto Moses and unto Aaron, saying,21Separate yourselves from among this congregation, that I may consume them in a moment.22And they fell upon their faces, and said, O God, the God of the spirits of all flesh, shall one man sin, and wilt thou be wroth with all the congregation?23And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying,24Speak unto the congregation, saying, Get you up from about the tabernacle of Korah, Dathan, and Abiram.25And Moses rose up and went unto Dathan and Abiram; and the elders of Israel followed him.26And he spake unto the congregation, saying, Depart, I pray you, from the tents of these wicked men, and touch nothing of theirs, lest ye be consumed in all their sins.27So they gat up from the tabernacle of Korah, Dathan, and Abiram, on every side: and Dathan and Abiram came out, and stood in the door of their tents, and their wives, and their sons, and their little children.28And Moses said, Hereby ye shall know that the LORD hath sent me to do all these works; for I have not done them of mine own mind.29If these men die the common death of all men, or if they be visited after the visitation of all men; then the LORD hath not sent me.30But if the LORD make a new thing, and the earth open her mouth, and swallow them up, with all that appertain unto them, and they go down quick into the pit; then ye shall understand that these men have provoked the LORD.31And it came to pass, as he had made an end of speaking all these words, that the ground clave asunder that was under them:32And the earth opened her mouth, and swallowed them up, and their houses, and all the men that appertained unto Korah, and all their goods.33They, and all that appertained to them, went down alive into the pit, and the earth closed upon them: and they perished from among the congregation.34And all Israel that were round about them fled at the cry of them: for they said, Lest the earth swallow us up also.35And there came out a fire from the LORD, and consumed the two hundred and fifty men that offered incense.36And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying,37Speak unto Eleazar the son of Aaron the priest, that he take up the censers out of the burning, and scatter thou the fire yonder; for they are hallowed.38The censers of these sinners against their own souls, let them make them broad plates for a covering of the altar: for they offered them before the LORD, therefore they are hallowed: and they shall be a sign unto the children of Israel.39And Eleazar the priest took the brasen censers, wherewith they that were burnt had offered; and they were made broad plates for a covering of the altar:40To be a memorial unto the children of Israel, that no stranger, which is not of the seed of Aaron, come near to offer incense before the LORD; that he be not as Korah, and as his company: as the LORD said to him by the hand of Moses.41But on the morrow all the congregation of the children of Israel murmured against Moses and against Aaron, saying, Ye have killed the people of the LORD.42And it came to pass, when the congregation was gathered against Moses and against Aaron, that they looked toward the tabernacle of the congregation: and, behold, the cloud covered it, and the glory of the LORD appeared.43And Moses and Aaron came before the tabernacle of the congregation.44And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying,45Get you up from among this congregation, that I may consume them as in a moment. And they fell upon their faces.46And Moses said unto Aaron, Take a censer, and put fire therein from off the altar, and put on incense, and go quickly unto the congregation, and make an atonement for them: for there is wrath gone out from the LORD; the plague is begun.47And Aaron took as Moses commanded, and ran into the midst of the congregation; and, behold, the plague was begun among the people: and he put on incense, and made an atonement for the people.48And he stood between the dead and the living; and the plague was stayed.49Now they that died in the plague were fourteen thousand and seven hundred, beside them that died about the matter of Korah.50And Aaron returned unto Moses unto the door of the tabernacle of the congregation: and the plague was stayed.

King James Version (1769)

Other translations

VerseKJVBSBASV
38The censers of these sinners against their own souls, let them make them broad plates for a covering of the altar: for they offered them before the LORD, therefore they are hallowed: and they shall be a sign unto the children of Israel.As for the censers of those who sinned at the cost of their own lives, hammer them into sheets to overlay the altar, for these were presented before the LORD, and so have become holy. They will serve as a sign to the Israelites.”even the censers of these sinners against their own lives; and let them be made beaten plates for a covering of the altar: for they offered them before Jehovah; therefore they are holy; and they shall be a sign unto the children of Israel.

In context

Who is speaking and to whom, what is happening, when and where, and why it matters, each with its sources. Coming with the context cards.

Original Hebrew words

EnglishHebrewSay itStrong'sMeaning
[the] censers ofמַחְתּוֹת֩mach-tOtH4289
censer

מַחְתָּה (mach.tah) 1) fire-holder, censer, firepan, snuff dish, tray 1a) snuff-dish 1b) fire-pans 1c) censer

the sinnersהַֽחַטָּאִ֨יםha-cha-ta-'IMH2400
sinner

חַטָּא (chat.ta) 1) sinners adj 2) sinful 3) exposed to condemnation, reckoned as offenders

the theseהָאֵ֜לֶּהha-'E-lehH0428
these

אֵ֫לֶּה (el.leh) 1) these 1a) used before antecedent 1b) used following antecedent Aramaic equivalent: el.leh (אֵלֶּה "these" H0429)

by lives theirבְּנַפְשֹׁתָ֗םbe-naf-sho-TAMH5315H
soul

נֶ֫פֶשׁ (ne.phesh) 1) soul, self, life, creature, person, appetite, mind, living being, desire, emotion, passion 1a) that which breathes, the breathing substance or being, soul, the inner being of man 1b) living being 1c) living being (with life in the blood) 1d) the man himself, self, person or individual 1e) seat of the appetites 1f) seat of emotions and passions 1g) activity of mind 1g1) uncertain 1h) activity of the will 1h1) uncertain 1i) activity of the character 1i1) uncertain

and people will makeוְעָשׂ֨וּve-'a-SUH6213H
to make

עֲבַד (a.vad) 1) to make, do 1a)(P'al) 1a1) to make, create 1a2) to do, perform 1b) (Ithp'al) 1b1) to be made into 1b2) to be done, be wrought, be performed, be executed, be carried out

beaten out ofרִקֻּעֵ֤יri-ku-'EIH7555
hammered out

רִקּוּעַ (riq.qu.a) expansion (of plates)

thin platesפַחִים֙fa-CHIMH6341B
plate

פַּח (pach) plate (of metal)

overlayצִפּ֣וּיtzi-PUIH6826
plating

צִפּוּי (tsip.puy) plating (of metal), metal plating

for the altarלַמִּזְבֵּ֔חַla-miz-BE-achH4196
sacrifice

דְּבַח (de.vach) sacrifice Aramaic of miz.be.ach (מִזְבֵּחַ "altar" H4196)

forכִּֽי־ki-H3588A
for

כִּי (ki) 1) that, for, because, when, as though, as, because that, but, then, certainly, except, surely, since 1a) that 1a1) yea, indeed 1b) when (of time) 1b1) when, if, though (with a concessive force) 1c) because, since (causal connection) 1d) but (after negative) 1e) that if, for if, indeed if, for though, but if 1f) but rather, but 1g) except that 1h) only, nevertheless 1i) surely 1j) that is 1k) but if 1l) for though 1m) forasmuch as, for therefore

they brought near themהִקְרִיבֻ֥םhik-ri-VUMH7126H
to present: come

קָרַב (qa.rav) : come/approach 1) to come near, approach, enter into, draw near 1a) (Qal) to approach, draw near 1b) (Niphal) to be brought near 1c) (Piel) to cause to approach, bring near, cause to draw near 1d) (Hiphil) to bring near, bring, present

to beforeלִפְנֵֽי־lif-nei-H6440G
face: before

פָּנֶה (pa.neh) : before/to/front 1) face 1a) face, faces 1b) presence, person 1c) face (of seraphim or cherubim) 1d) face (of animals) 1e) face, surface (of ground) 1f) as adv of loc/temp 1f1) before and behind, toward, in front of, forward, formerly, from beforetime, before 1g) with prep 1g1) in front of, before, to the front of, in the presence of, in the face of, at the face or front of, from the presence of, from before, from before the face of

Yahwehיְהוָ֖הYAH-wehH3068G
Lord

אֲדֹנָי (a.do.nai) Lord - a title, spoken in place of Yahweh in Jewish display of reverence Another name of ye.ho.vah (יהוה "LORD" H3068G)

and they became holyוַיִּקְדָּ֑שׁוּvai-yik-DA-shuH6942G
to consecrate: consecate

קָדַשׁ (qa.dash) : consecate/sanctify 1) to consecrate, sanctify, prepare, dedicate, be hallowed, be holy, be sanctified, be separate 1a) (Qal) 1a1) to be set apart, be consecrated 1a2) to be hallowed 1a3) consecrated, tabooed 1b) (Niphal) 1b1) to show oneself sacred or majestic 1b2) to be honoured, be treated as sacred 1b3) to be holy 1c) (Piel) 1c1) to set apart as sacred, consecrate, dedicate 1c2) to observe as holy, keep sacred 1c3) to honour as sacred, hallow 1c4) to consecrate 1d) (Pual) 1d1) to be consecrated 1d2) consecrated, dedicated 1e) (Hiphil) 1e1) to set apart, devote, consecrate …

and they may becomeוְיִֽהְי֥וּve-yih-YUH1961
to be

הָיָה (ha.yah) 1) to be, become, come to pass, exist, happen, fall out 1a) (Qal) 1a1) --- 1a1a) to happen, fall out, occur, take place, come about, come to pass 1a1b) to come about, come to pass 1a2) to come into being, become 1a2a) to arise, appear, come 1a2b) to become 1a2b1) to become 1a2b2) to become like 1a2b3) to be instituted, be established 1a3) to be 1a3a) to exist, be in existence 1a3b) to abide, remain, continue (with word of place or time) 1a3c) to stand, lie, be in, be at, be situated (with word of locality) 1a3d) to accompany, be with 1b) (Niphal) …

into a signלְא֖וֹתle-'otH0226H
sign: miraculous

אוֹת (ot) : miraculous 1) sign, signal 1a) a distinguishing mark 1b) banner 1c) remembrance 1d) miraculous sign 1e) omen 1f) warning 2) token, ensign, standard, miracle, proof

for [the] people ofלִבְנֵ֥יliv-NEIH1121GNo entry
Israelיִשְׂרָאֵֽל׃YIS-ra-'ELH3478
Jacob

יַעֲקֹב (ya.a.qov) A man living at the time of the Patriarchs, first mentioned at Gen.25.26; son of: Isaac (H3327) and Rebekah (H7259); brother of: Esau (H6215); married to Rachel (H7354), Leah (H3812), Zilpah (H2153) and Bilhah (H1090A); father of: Reuben (H7205), Simeon (H8095), Levi (H3878), Judah (H3063), Dan (H1835H), Naphtali (H5321), Gad (H1410), Asher (H0836), Issachar (H3485), Zebulun (H2074), Dinah (H1783), Joseph (H3130) and Benjamin (H1144); also called Jacob frequently Another name of yis.ra.el (יִשְׂרָאֵל "Israel" H3478) § Jacob = "heel holder" or "supplanter" …

Words and meanings from STEPBible data (Tyndale House, Cambridge, CC BY 4.0). The capitalized syllable is the stressed one.