Numbers 16 commentary

Pride and ambition occasion a great deal of mischief both in churches and states. The rebels quarrel with the settlement of the priesthood upon Aaron and his family. Small reason they had to boast of the people's purity, or of God's favour, as the people had been so often and so lately polluted with sin, and were now under the marks of God's displeasure. They unjustly charge Moses and Aaron with taking honour to themselves; whereas they were called of God to it. See here, 1. What spirit levellers are of; those who resist the powers God has set over them. 2. What usage they have been serviceable. Moses sought instruction from God. The heart of the wise studies to answer, and asks counsel of God. Moses shows their privileges as Levites, and convicts them of the sin of undervaluing these privileges. It will help to keep us from envying those above us, duly to consider how many there are below us.

Moses summoned Dathan and Abiram to bring their complaints; but they would not obey. They bring very false charges against Moses. Those often fall under the heaviest censures, who in truth deserve the highest praise. Moses, though the meekest man, yet, finding God reproached in him, was very wroth; he could not bear to see the people ruining themselves. He appeals to God as to his own integrity. He bade them appear with Aaron next morning, at the time of offering the morning incense. Korah undertook thus to appear. Proud ambitious men, while projecting their own advancement, often hurry on their own shameful fall.

The same glory of the Lord that appeared to place Aaron in his office at first, Le 9:23, now appeared to confirm him in it; and to confound those who set up against him. Nothing is more terrible to those who are conscious of guilt, than the appearance of the Divine glory. See how dangerous it is to have fellowship with sinners, and to partake with them. Though the people had treacherously deserted them, yet Moses and Aaron approved themselves faithful shepherds of Israel. If others fail in their duty to us, that does not take away the obligations we are under to seek their welfare. Their prayer was a pleading prayer, and it proved a prevailing one.

The seventy elders of Israel attend Moses. It is our duty to do what we can to countenance and support lawful authority when it is opposed. And those who would not perish with sinners, must come out from among them, and be separate. It was in answer to the prayer of Moses, that God stirred up the hearts of the congregation to remove for their own safety. Grace to separate from evil-doers is one of the things that accompany salvation. God, in justice, left the rebels to the obstinacy and hardness of their own hearts. Moses, by Divine direction, when all Israel were waiting the event, declares that if the rebels die a common death, he will be content to be called and counted an imposter. As soon as Moses had spoken the word, God caused the earth to open and swallow them all up. The children perished with their parents; in which, though we cannot tell how bad they might be to deserve it, or how good God might be otherwise to them; yet of this we are sure, that Infinite Justice did them no wrong. It was altogether miraculous. God has, when he pleases, strange punishments for the workers of iniquity. It was very significant. Considering how the earth is still in like manner loaded with the weight of man's sins, we have reason to wonder that it does not now sink under its load. The ruin of others should be our warning. Could we, by faith, hear the outcries of those that are gone down to the bottomless pit, we should give more diligence than we do to escape for our lives, lest we also come into their condemnation.

A fire went out from the Lord, and consumed the two hundred and fifty men that offered incense, while Aaron, who stood with them, was preserved alive. God is jealous of the honour of his own institutions, and will not have them invaded. The sacrifice of the wicked is an abomination to the Lord. The censers are devoted, and, as all devoted things, must be made serviceable to the glory of God. This covering of the altar would remind the children of Israel of this event, that others might hear and fear, and do no more presumptuously. They brought destruction on themselves both in body and soul. Thus all who break the law and neglect the gospel choose and love death.

The gaping earth was scarcely closed, before the same sins are again committed, and all these warnings slighted. They called the rebels the people of the Lord; and find fault with Divine justice. The obstinacy of Israel notwithstanding the terrors of God's law, as given on mount Sinai, and the terrors of his judgments, shows how necessary the grace of God is to change men's hearts and lives. Love will do what fear cannot. Moses and Aaron interceded with God for mercy, knowing how great the provocation was. Aaron went, and burned incense between the living and the dead, not to purify the air, but to pacify an offended God. As one tender of the life of every Israelite, Aaron made all possible speed. We must render good for evil. Observe especially, that Aaron was a type of Christ. There is an infection of sin in the world, which only the cross and intercession of Jesus Christ can stay and remove. He enters the defiled and dying camp. He stands between the dead and the living; between the eternal Judge and the souls under condemnation. We must have redemption through His blood, even the remission of sins. We admire the ready devotion of Aaron: shall we not bless and praise the unspeakable grace and love which filled the Saviour's heart, when he placed himself in our stead, and bought us with his life? Greatly indeed hath God commended his love towards us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us, Ro 5:8.

1. Now Korah, the son of Izhar. The impious conspiracy is here related of a few men, but these of the highest rank, whose object was to subvert and destroy the divinely-appointed priesthood. They make their attack, indeed, upon Moses, and accuse him of ruling unjustly; for thus it is that turbulent persons are carried away without reason or discrimination; but, the only cause why they are set against him is because they suppose him to be the originator of the priesthood, as we easily collect from his reply. For he does not command them to stand forth, in order that they may decide respecting the political government or chieftainship, but that it may be made plain whether God acknowledges them as priests; nor does he reproach the Levites with anything but that, not content with their own lot, they have an unreasonable ambition to obtain the honor of the high-priesthood. It was jealousy, then, that instigated Korah and his companions to set on foot first a quarrel, and then a tumult; respecting the priesthood, because they were indignant that the hope of attaining that honor was taken away from themselves and their posterity for ever. Thus there never was any more deadly or abominable plague in the Church of God, than ambition; inasmuch as it cannot be that those who seek for pre-eminence should range themselves beneath God’s yoke. Hence arises the dissolution of legitimate authority, when each one neglects the duties of his position, and aims at his own private advancement.

Now, this conspiracy was the more formidable, because the sedition did not arise from the dregs of the people, but amongst the princes themselves, who were of high dignity, and held in the greatest estimation. For although there were only four leaders of the faction, there is but little room to doubt but that the purpose of the two hundred and fifty was the same; for they would never have eagerly embarked in a grave and invidious contest for the sake of four men; but the fact was, that all unholy covetousness misled them all, for there was none of them who did not expect some prize as a reward of victory. They not only, then, dissemble their mental disease, but conceal it under an honorable pretext; for they pretend that they are instigated by zeal for the public good, and that their object is the defense of liberty. For, inasmuch as ambition is crafty, it is never destitute of some specious excuse: thus, whilst schismatics are influenced by nothing but pride to disturb the peace of the Church, they always invent plausible motives, whereby they may conciliate in some degree the favor of the ignorant, or even of the unstable and worthless. We must, therefore, cautiously weigh the designs of those who seek to make innovations, and to overthrow a state of things which might be endured; for thorough investigation will make it plain that; they aim at something besides what they pretend. By the, fact of their so speedily engaging such a multitude of persons in their party, we perceive how disposed man’s nature is to the most unpromising and unreasonable revolts in the world. Four worthless men wickedly endeavor to overthrow Moses and Aaron; and straightway two hundred and fifty persons are ready to follow them, not of the populace, but chiefs of the tribes, whose reputation might dazzle the eyes of the simple. Hence we must be the more cautious, lest any bugbears (larvae) should deceive us into making rash innovations.

With respect to the wording of the passage, some refer the verb “he took,” A.V., “took men.” There has been very much discussion among the commentators respecting this word. Holden says, “There is nothing in the Hebrew answering to the word men, and the verb is in the singular number; the received version, therefore, can scarcely be correct. The most easy and natural construction of the original is, ‘And Korah took (i.e., won over, or drew into a conspiracy with him) both Dathan and Abiram,’ etc. This agrees with other parts of Scripture which attribute this rebellion to Korah, chap. 27:3; Jude 11.” And this appears to be the general opinion. to the other conspirators, as if it were said that Korah stirred them up. Others explain it that he instigated himself, and hurried himself onwards by his evil passions. I do not, however, assent to either signification, but take it for “he set to work” (aggressus est.) When it is afterwards said that “they rose up before Moses,” some understand the words according to their simple meaning, others in a bad sense; and undoubtedly here the expression “before the face of,” is equivalent to “against,” and thus indicates the wantonness of their aggression. There is more difficulty in the words קראי מועד, A.V., “famous in the congregation.” S.M. Vocabantur ad concilium. — W. kerei mogned. All, however, almost with one consent, translate them “great in the congregation;” but since the word קריים, keriira, generally signifies persons called or invited, and מועד, mogned, not only an assembly, but also an appointed time, or convention, it seems probable to me that these princes and men of high name are stated to have been present, because they were called according to appointment: as if Moses had said that they were called at a fixed time, or by agreement. For neither do I see any reason why, after the word עדה, עדה, A.V., “of the assembly.” gnedah, מועד, mogned, should be used with the same meaning.

3. Ye take too much upon you. “Sat sit vobis;” let it be enough for you. — Lat. Some explain, “Let it suffice,” as if they desired to put an end to the tyranny of Moses; but I am rather of opinion that they would thus make a charge of presumptuous and sacrilegious supremacy, as if Moses and Aaron had not only usurped more than their right, but had also robbed God of His supreme authority. They, therefore, reproach the holy men with having impiously subjected to themselves the inheritance of God. Thus we see that God’s faithful servants, whatever may be their moderation, are still not exempted from false accusations. Moses was an extraordinary example, not only of integrity, but also of humility and gentleness; yet he is called proud and violent, as if he unworthily oppressed the people of God. Observe further, that God permits His servants to be loaded with such unjust calumnies, in order to teach them that they must expect their reward elsewhere than from the world; and that the may humble them and make trial of their endurance. Let us learn, then, to harden ourselves, so as to be prepared, though we do well, to be evil spoken of. These ungodly and seditious men betray their senselessness as well as their impudence. For by what right do they seek to degrade Moses and Aaron? Because, forsooth, God dwells amongst the people, and all in the congregation are holy! But holiness is neither destructive of subordination, nor does it introduce confusion, nor release believers from the obligation to obey the laws. It is madness in them, then, to infer that those, whom God has sane-titled, are not subject to the yoke; yet they maliciously stigmatize as tyranny that care of the people which God has intrusted to His servants, as if they would purposely turn light into darkness.

4. And when Moses heard it, he fell upon his face. There is no doubt but that he had recourse to prayer in his perplexity, since he knew that the remedy for so great an evil was only in the hand of God. It is in this respect that the magnanimity of the ungodly differs from the firmness of believers; for it often happens that unbelievers also labor in the defense of a good cause, voluntarily expose themselves to the hatred of many, undergo severe contests, and encounter of their own accord great perils; but with them obstinacy stands in the place of virtue. But those who look to God, since they know that the prosperous or unhappy events of all things are in His power, thus rely upon His providence; and when any adversity occurs, implore His faithfulness and assistance. When, therefore, Moses cast himself upon the earth, this “Telle humilite a prier;” such humility in prayer. — Fr. supplication was of more: value than all those heroic virtues in which unbelievers have ever seemed to excel.

5. And he spoke unto Korah. Moses did not inconsiderately choose this mode of divination, but by the dictation of the Spirit maintained the priesthood of his brother by this token and testimony; for we know how, in matters of doubt and obscurity, he was accustomed to inquire what God’s pleasure was. He did not, therefore, at this time make this proposal hastily and at random, but by the inspiration of the Spirit had recourse to the sure judgment of God. The effect of his prayer was that God suggested an easy and expeditious mode of conquest.

He bids them take their censers, that by their incense-offering it might be manifested whether their oblation was acceptable to God. By deferring it to the morrow he con-suited their own safety, if any of them might still be not incurable; for he saw that they were carried away headlong by blind fury, and that they could not be recalled to their senses in a moment. He, therefore, grants them some space of time for repentance, that they might be led to consideration during the night; or perhaps his object was that, the tumult being appeased, he might render them all attentive to the decision of God.

8. Hear, I pray you, ye sons of Levi. He addresses the whole body, and yet it is said that his discourse was directed to Korah alone, and this was because he had corrupted others of the Levites, and therefore is first summoned to God’s tribunal, so that the whole party might be at the same time included. He was able to expostulate with the Levites at once, because their residence was close to the sanctuary.

He accuses them of ingratitude, because they were not satisfied with the honor with which God had already dignified them, but also sought the high-priesthood. In this they betrayed their despisal of His grace; for, if they had rightly valued the gifts of God, each of them would have quietly contented himself with his lot; especially since, in proportion as a person has been liberally dealt with, his ingratitude is more intolerable, if he aspires to anything higher. We are taught, therefore, that the higher the degree may be to which we have been elevated by God’s goodness, the greater is the punishment which our crime deserves, if our ambition still incites us to overleap the bounds of our calling. Nevertheless, such is the perversity of almost all men, that as soon as a person has attained some intermediate position, he uplifts, as it were, the standard of pride “Comme si Dieu en l’honorant luy avoit dresse une banniere d’orgueil;” as if God by honoring him had raised for him a banner of pride. — Fr. and prescribes to himself no limit, until he shall have reached above the clouds. In a word, few are found who do not grow insolent in places of honor. Wherefore we ought to be all the more attentive to this admonition of Moses, that those are most ungrateful to God who despise their lot, which is already honorable, and aim at something higher.

11. For which cause both thou, and all thy company. He here lays open their sin, which they had endeavored to disguise. For they had neither scruple nor shame, as we have seen, in pretending pious zeal. But in one word Moses scatters these mists, telling them that they were instigated by nothing but pride and envy to disturb the condition of the people. We must observe the expression which he uses, that they are in “arms against God;” for, although they might have never confessed to themselves that they had to do with Him, but only that they were contending for the pre-eminence with men; still, because it was their aim to overthrow the order established by God, Moses casts aside all false pretences, and sets before them the simple fact that they are waging war with God, when they are fighting with His servants. If, therefore, we are afraid of contending with Him, let us learn to remain in our right place. For, however they may prevaricate, who disturb the Church through their ambition, in fighting against the servants of God, they attack Himself: and therefore it is needful that He should resist them, to avenge Himself. For war is not waged against God, as the poets feign the giants to have done, when they heaped up mountains, and endeavored to surmount heaven; but when He is assailed in the person of His servants, and when what He has decreed is in any wise undermined. The vocation of the priests was sacred, so that they who conspired to overthrow it, were the open enemies of God, as much as if they had directed their arms, their strength, and their assaults against Him. We must, therefore, bear in mind the reason which is subjoined, “And what is Aaron?” for, if Aaron had usurped anything for himself, his temerity and audacity would not have been supported by the countenance of God. Moses, therefore, declares that this is God’s cause, because there was nothing human in the ordinance of the priesthood. It was, indeed, an honorable office, so that Aaron justly deserved to be thought something of; but Moses indicates that he had nothing of his own, nor arrogated anything to himself; in a word, that he is nothing in himself, and moreover, that he is not elevated for his own private advantage, and that his dignity is no idle one; but rather a laborious burden placed upon his shoulders for the common welfare of the Church. How utterly ridiculous, then, is the folly of the Pope in comparing all the enemies of his tyranny to Koran, Dathan, and Abiram; for, in order to prove that his cause is connected with that of God, let him show us the credentials of his calling, and at the same time thoroughly fulfil his office. But what frivolous and vapid trifling it is, when some mimic Aaron sets himself up — produces no divine command or vocation — domineers in obedience to his own lusts, and is rather an actor on the stage than a priest in the temple; that all who reject this spurious dominion should be condemned as schismatics! Wherefore let us hold fast this principle, that war is waged against God when His servants are molested, who are both lawfully called and faithfully exercise their office.

12. And Moses sent to call Dathan and Abiram. He desired, in this way, if it might be, by his holy admonitions, to withhold them from that destruction, on which they were rushing. Therefore he ceased not to provide for their welfare, though he had thus far experienced that they were altogether in a desperate state. Herein he presented a likeness of the loving-kindness of God, by whose Spirit he was directed; not only because he was unwilling to pass sentence without hearing the cause, but also because he endeavored to bring them to repentance, that they might not willfully destroy themselves. Nevertheless it came to pass at this time, as also often afterwards, that not only was the earnestness of the Prophet, with respect to these unbelievers, throw away, but that it hardened them more and more. For we know what was said by Isaiah;

“Make the heart of this people fat, and make their ears heavy, and shut their eyes: lest they see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and understand with hearts, and convert, and be healed.” (Isaiah 6:10.)

Thus does it please God to discover the wickedness of the reprobate, in order that they may be rendered the more inexcusable.

13. Is it a small thing that thou hast brought us. It is not enough for these wicked men, when they are invited to discussion, contumaciously to repudiate the superiority of Moses, unless they also assail him with counter-accusations. The crime they allege against him must be observed. They reproach him for having led them up out of the land of Egypt: though they cunningly suppress its name, whilst they magniloquently extol its fruitfulness, in order to throw into the shade all that God had promised with respect to the land of Canaan. Nay, they seem to transfer slyly to Egypt the very phrase which Moses had often used, so that thus God’s blessing may be, as it were buried. But what gross ingratitude it showed, to allege as a crime against Moses, God’s minister, that deliverance, which was so extraordinary an act of His kindness! In the next place, they reproach him with having brought them into the desert, to die: and this they enlarge upon in the next verse, and maliciously inquire, Where is the truth of the promises? At length they conclude that Moses is impudent in his deceptions, inasmuch as it plainly appears that the people had been imposed upon by him: as if it were his fault that they had deprived themselves of the possession of the promised land. Moses had exhorted them, by God’s command, to enter upon the inheritance promised to them: what dishonesty and petulance, therefore, was it, when they had shut the door against themselves, to complain of Moses, upon whom it had not depended that they were not in the enjoyment of fields and vineyards! In the third place, they taunt Moses with seeking to domineer over a free people. He did indeed preside over them; but how far short of dominion was that moderate control, which was as onerous to Moses, as it was advantageous to the whole people! But this is the condition of God’s servants, that their course is through reproaches, Addition in Fr., “comme dit Sainct Paul.” though they are conducting themselves aright.

15. And Moses was very wroth. Although it might be, that there was something of human passion here, still zeal for God was supreme in his mind, nor did intemperate feelings, if he was at all tempted by them, prevail. Assuredly, it appears probable, from the context, that he was inflamed with holy ardor; since he executes the vengeance of God, as His lawful minister, so that it is plain he neither spoke nor did anything but at the dictation of the Spirit. Nay, we shall soon see that, although he was anxious with regard to the public safety, he required that but a few offenders should be punished, and not that the multitude should perish. Nor does his anger burst forth into revilings: as those, who are carried away by excess, usually assail the enemies by whom they are injured, with their tongue as well as their hands: but he betakes himself to God; nor does he ask more than flint they may be brought to shame in their pride. This is, indeed, expounded generally, by many, as if Moses desired that God should have no mercy upon them; but inasmuch as the decision of the quarrel depended on the approbation or rejection by God of rite offering they were about to make, he does not seem to me to pray for more than that God, by refusing their polluted gift, should thus chastise their ambition. At the same time also he shows that his prayer springs from the confidence of a good conscience, when he dares to testify before God that he had injured no man. Now this was the extreme of integrity and disinterestedness, that, when the people owed everything to him, he had not taken even the value of a single ass as the reward of all his labors.

16. And Moses said unto Korah. The idea of Moses is not to make an experiment as if in a doubtful matter; but, being assured by the Spirit of prophecy what the event would be, he summons Korah before the tribunal of God, that he may receive the sentence of condemnation which he deserves. Nor does he inveigle him so as to destroy him unawares, but rather still endeavors to cure his madness, if it were possible to do so. For the sacred incense-offering was calculated to inspire him with alarm, lest, by rashly attempting more than was lawful, he should effect his own destruction, especially after so memorable an example had been made in the case of Nadab and Abihu. Moses, however, in reliance on God’s command, does not hesitate to engage in an open contest, in order that the judgment of God might be the more conspicuous.

18. And they took every man his censer. It is manifest how greatly they were blinded by pride, since, although admonished both by the confidence of Moses and also by the previous examples, they still obstinately go forward. Surely if any spark of the fear of God had remained in them, their censers would straightway have fallen from their hands; but Korah seems to have sought, as it were, deliberately how he might cast aside all fear, and totally bereave himself of his senses. For in the next verse, Moses narrates how ostentatiously he hardened himself in his rebellion, before he should offer the incense; for he gathered the people together to his party, in order that the magnificence of his array might overwhelm the grace of God, which opposed[ him. Herein also his senselessness is clearly seen, when he seeks to fortify himself against God by the favor of the, mob, as if he had desired to extinguish the light of the sun by interposing a little smoke. Now, let us learn so to condemn his folly, as that nothing similar may happen in ourselves; for all ambitious persons are affected by the same disease. They collect their forces by endeavoring to ingratiate themselves with men; and, if the world approves of’ them, they are inebriated with such fatal confidence, as to spit at the very clouds. But we shall soon see how God, by a single breath, dissipates all their ungodly conspiracies.

On the other side, the levity of the people is set before our eyes. For some time they had been all accustomed to the duly-appointed priesthood, which they knew to be instituted by God; yet only a single night is required to make them revolt to Korah. And, in fact, as we are by nature slow to act aright, so also we are carried away to evil in a moment, as soon as some villain lifts up his finger.

21. Separate yourselves from among this congregation. Again does God declare that He will bear the people’s great impiety no longer, but will destroy them all to a man. Just, therefore, as he had commanded Lot to depart from Sodom, nay, had drawn him out by the hand of the angel, when He desired to destroy that city, so He now commands Moses and Aaron to give Him room to exercise His wrath. In this He declares His extraordinary favor towards them; as if He were not free to execute vengeance, until they had gone out of the way, lest the destruction should reach themselves. In speaking thus, however, He does not absolutely affirm what He had determined in His secret counsel, but only pronounces what the authors of this wickedness had deserved. It is, therefore, just as if He were ascending His judgment-seat. Thus Moses by his intercession by no means changed His eternal decree; but, by appeasing Him, delivered the people from the punishment they had merited. In the same sense God is said to be influenced by our prayers; not that after the manner of men He assumes new feelings, but, in order to show the more than paternal love with which he honors us, He, as it were, indulges us, when He listens to our desires. Hence we gather that even by this express denunciation Moses was not prohibited from praying; because his faith in the adoption of the people was not destroyed. For we have already said that this principle, that the covenant which God had made with Abraham could not be made void, was so thoroughly an-graven upon his mind, that it surmounted whatever obstacles might present themselves. Resting, therefore, on the gratuitous promise, which depended not on men, his prayer was the offspring of faith. For the saints do not always reason accurately and subtlety as to the form of their prayers; but, after they have once embraced that which suffices to awaken in them confidence in prayer, viz., God’s word, their whole attention is so directed to it, that they pass over the things which seem apparently to contradict it. Nor can we doubt but that it was God’s design, when He delivered his terrible sentence as to the destruction of the people, to quicken the earnestness of Moses in prayer, since necessity more and more inflames the zeal of the pious. In short, Moses was always consistent in his care for the well-being of the people.

22. O God, the God of the, spirits of all flesh. The old interpreter renders the first אל, el, as an adjective, in which some others have followed him; In the clause under consideration, אל, El, is immediately followed by אלהי, Elohey, the form given to Elohim, when it is to be used in connection with the next word. The different roots of El and Elohim seem to indicate that El has an especial reference to the power of the Deity, and Elohim to His authority as a judge. There being no practicable equivalent distinction in Latin or English, and the word Almighty being appropriated to rendering שדי, Shaddai, C. and our A.V. do but repeat the word God, whilst the V. and S.M. have fortissime Deus; but C. saw in S.M.’s notes, Aut sic, O Deus, Deus. — W. but, in my opinion, the name of God is rather repeated by way of adding force to the sentence. It does not, however, so clearly appear to me why all render the word flesh, in the genitive case. But, since I do not think that the ל, lamed, is superfluous here, but that it is used for ב, beth, as often elsewhere, I have accurately expressed the sense by my translation, “in all flesh.” C.’s supposition, that the preposition ל prefixed to all, is equivalent to ב or in, would not facilitate the version. Noldius, giving instances where, the ל prefixed has the effect of a genitive, cites this passage amongst: others. — W. There is no question but that Moses applies this epithet to God in connection with the present matter; as if he desired to induce God to preserve His own work, just as a potter spares the vessels formed by himself. To the same effect is the prayer of Isaiah:

“But now, O Lord, thou art our father; we are the clay, and thou our potter; and we all are the work of thy hand. Be not wroth very sore,” (Isaiah 64:8, 9:)

for hence he alleges a reason why God should relent, and be inclined to mercy. There is this difference, that Isaiah refers to that special grace wherewith God had embraced His people, whereas Moses carries his address further, viz., to the general grace of creation. It is of little importance whether we choose to expound this “Le mot de chair;” the word flesh — Fr. with reference to all animals, or only to the human race, since Moses merely prays that, since God is the Creator and Maker of the world, He should not destroy the men whom He has formed, but rather have pity upon them, as being His work. In passing, however, we may infer from this passage, Addition in Fr., “Moyennant qu’il soit prins des hommes, comme e’est le plus vray-semblable;” supposing it be taken as having reference to men, as is the more probable conjecture. that all (men) have their separate souls, for God is not said to have inspired all flesh with life, but to have created their spirits. Hence the monstrous delusion of the Manicheans is refuted, that our souls are so infused by the transmission of the Spirit of God, as that there should still be only one spirit. “Lesquels pensent que les ames procedent de la substance de Dieu;” who think that our souls proceed from the substance of God. — Fr.

This doctrine of the Manicheans is often referred to in the writings of Augustine. The Benedictine Editors, in their index to his works, point out by citations the following particulars: “Manichaeorum error circa animam. Docent animam nostram hoc esse quod Deus est; esse partem, seu particulam Dei; animas non solum hominum, sed etiam pecorum, de Dei esse substantia, et partes Dei asserunt.”

The word which I have translated transmission, is in the Latin ex traduce, a well-known metaphor in theological controversy, derived from the practice of inarching, or grafting by approach, when two neighboring branches are tied together so as to cohere and form one, whilst the parent stocks, to which they belong, continue still to possess a separate and individual vitality. Thus Prudentius, Apoth. 919-921.

Vitandus tamen error erit, ne traduce carnis Transfundi in sobolem credatur fons animarum, Sanguinis exemplo, etc.

C. makes frequent allusions to this heretical doctrine as having been resuscitated by Servetus, amongst his other pantheistic notions. See Instit. Book 1. ch. 15. Section 5. C. Soc. Edit., vol. 1, p. 223; and also on Psalm 104:30. C. Soc. Edit., vol. 4, p. 168. But if it be preferred to include the animals, we must mark the grades of distinction between the spirit of man and the spirit of a dog or an ass. It is, however, more fitting to restrict it to men.

24. Speak unto the congregation, saying. It is evident, from this answer, that Moses was heard as regarded the general preservation of the people, on condition, however, that they should give proof of their repentance, by deserting the authors of the wicked rebellion; for, when God commands them to retire from amongst them, He indirectly implies, that, if they remain mixed up with them, they shall share in the same destruction. Yet it is probable that the elders who “followed” Moses, held to his side, and continued firm in the performance of their duty. And, indeed, it is not at all consistent that Caleb and Joshua, and such like, were ever drawn away into so great a sin. We must not, therefore, take what is said of the whole congregation without exception. When Moses, in his delivery of God’s command, does not address Korah, Dathan, and Abiram by their names, but calls them “these wicked men,” it is not the reviling of anger, but an urgent mode of exhortation; for, had he not thus vehemently marked his detestation of them, there was danger lest his words should have been but coldly received by many, and lest they should have been of little avail. To the same effect also is what he immediately adds: “Lest ye be consumed in all their sins;” as if tie had said, Lest the contagion of so many and such great crimes should infect yourselves. Since they obeyed Moses, it is plain that many of the multitude had been carried away before by folly and levity, for deliberate iniquity would not have been so quickly or so easily corrected. But on the other hand, the marvelous stolidity of Dathan and Abiram is described, in that they came forth unawed, with their wives and children. Still it is not to be doubted but that they were terrified, after they saw themselves to be stripped of all aid and favor; but although the withdrawal of the people disturbed them, they nevertheless stood like maniacs; nor did fear subdue them or prevent them from proceeding in their fatal audacity to their doom. Thus This final sentence omitted in Fr. do the wicked often stand astounded, yet in their fear they by no means think of appeasing God.

28. And Moses said, Hereby ye shall know. Moses now begins more clearly to show wherefore he has brought the rebels to this open contest, viz., that God may sanction before the whole people, by a terrible exertion of His power, the system established by Himself. For it was no ordinary effort of confidence to concede the victory to His enemies, unless the earth should swallow them up alive. But, inasmuch as this was to be a most conspicuous judgment of God, he arouses their attention by the striking words he uses. If they should be cut off by a sudden death, he would have justly boasted that his cause was approved by God; but not content with this, he desires to be accounted a mere impostor, if they should die the common death of men. In order to express the strangeness of the miracle, whereby men’s senses should be ravished, he employs the word create A.V., “Make a new thing;” margin, “Create a creature.” emphatically; as much as to say, that the mode of their death would be no less unusual than as if God should add something to His creation, and change the face of the world. Thus David, when he prays that his enemies should go down alive into hell (infernos) or the grave, seems to allude to this history, (Psalm 55:23;) for although that descent be understood to mean sudden death overtaking the wicked in a moment in the midst of their happiness and security, still, he at the same time indicates by it this horrible retribution, which had occurred in times past, inasmuch as memorable punishments pass into proverbial instances of God’s wrath.

34. And all Israel that were round about them. We must suppose that the people were standing around, expecting at a distance the event that was to take place; for they had previously retired from the tents, in token of their separation (from this wicked company.) Added from Fr. That they should now fly in confusion, lest the same destruction should overwhelm themselves, is a sign of their bad conscience, which is always troubled in itself, and agitates the wicked with sore inquietude. It is needful, indeed, that even the pious should be alarmed by God’s judgments, in order that their consternation or dread should instruct them “A s’humilier devant luy;” to humble themselves before Him. — Fr. in his holy fear, and therefore they never reflect without dread on the punishments which God has inflicted upon the crimes of men. But, since hypocrites carry in their hearts a hot iron, as it were, they fall down like dead men, as if the lightning fell from God upon their own heads. Thus we shall presently see that this blind fear profited them but little.

35. And there came out a fire from the Lord. The diver-sky of the punishments had the effect of awakening more astonishment in the people, than as if all had been destroyed in the same manner, although God’s anger raged more fiercely against the original authors of the evil, so as to make it manifest that each received a recompense according to the measure of his iniquity. He says that a fire went forth from Jehovah, because it was not kindled naturally, nor accidentally, but was accompanied by conspicuous marks, which showed that it was sent by Him. Yet I do not reject the opinions of others, viz., that God thundered from heaven, since thus His power would have been more manifestly exerted.

37. Speak unto Eleazar the son of Aaron. Since there is no manifestation of God’s wrath so conspicuous as not to be forgotten too often by man’s stupidity, God was willing to anticipate this evil, and set up a monument for posterity, lest the recollection of this memorable judgment should ever be obscured. He commands, therefore, that a covering for the altar should be made of the censers, in order that none should rashly intrude himself to make the sacred offerings. When He calls them “hallowed,” some understand that it was sinful to transfer them to profane purposes, because they had once been devoted to the service of God. I am, however, rather of opinion that they were set apart (sacratas) as things accursed (anathemata.) Thus the fire which had been upon them is scattered afar, in order that the altar should be cleansed from its pollution. Although, however, there was the same pollution in the censers, yet God would have them preserved as accursed, so that all posterity might understand that none but the priests were to be admitted to the sacrifices. Nor is it superfluous for Him to speak of the rebels as having acted criminally “against their own souls;” but it was in order that the memory of their punishment might be inn manner engraved upon those brazen enclosures, in order to awaken continued dread.

40. To be a memorial unto the children of Israel. This passage again confirms what I have just said, that God’s judgments, which ought to remain in full remembrance in every age, straightway escape, and are blotted out front men’s minds, unless they are provided with certain aids to meditate upon them. This, however, does not happen so much from ignorance as neglect. Wherefore we ought to be the more attentive to the aids to memory, which may retain us in the path of duty.

41. But on the morrow all the congregation. There is something more than monstrous in this madness of theirs. The conflagration was yet smoking, wherein God had appeared as the awful avenger of pride: the chasm in which the leaders of the rebellion had been swallowed up, must still have been almost before their eyes. God had commanded the plates to be molten, which might record that severe judgment through many succeeding ages. All had confessed by their alarm and hasty flight that there was danger lest they should themselves also be exposed to similar punishments. Yet, on the next day, am if they desired deliberately to provoke God, who was still, as it were, armed, they accuse God’s holy servants of having been the authors of the destruction, though they had never lifted a finger against their enemies. Was it in the power of Moses to command the earth to open? Could he draw down the fire from heaven at his will? Since, then, both the chasm and the fire were manifest tokens of God’s wonderful power, why do not these madmen reflect that they are engaging in fatal warfare against Him? For to what purpose was this extraordinary mode of punishment, except that in their terror they might learn to humble themselves beneath God’s hand? Yet hence did they only derive greater wildness in their audacity, as if they desired to perish voluntarily with these sinners, whose punishment they had just been shuddering at. In two ways they betray their senselessness; first, by substituting Moses and Aaron as guilty of the murder, in place of God; and, secondly, by sanctifying these putrid corpses, as if in despite of God. They accuse Moses and Aaron of the slaughter, of which God had plainly shown Himself to be the author, as they themselves had been compelled to feel. But such is the blindness of the reprobate with respect to God’s works, that His glory rather stupifies them than excites their admiration. The foulest ingratitude was also added; for they do not consider that only a very few hours had elapsed since they had been preserved by the intercession of Moses from impending destruction. Thus, in their desire to avenge the death of a few, they call those the killers of the people of the Lord, to whom they ought to have been grateful for the safety of all. Again, what arrogance it is to count among the people of God, as if against His will, those reprobates, when He had not only cut them off from His Church, but had also exterminated them from the world, and from the human race! But thus do the wicked wax wanton against God under the very cover of His gifts, and especially they do not hesitate to mock Him with empty titles and outward signs, as the masks of their iniquity.

42. And it came to pass when the congregation. From the fact that Moses and Aaron were protected by the covering of the cloud, we gather how uncontrollable was the rage of the people. For, although the glory of God only stood over the tabernacle, so that Moses and Aaron were still exposed to stoning, and any other acts of violence, yet it so dazzled the eyes of these wicked men, that they could not touch the holy persons. Nor can we doubt but that they betook themselves to the sanctuary, because, in the extremity of their danger, the only hope that remained to them was in the help of God. When, therefore, they had fled to this sacred asylum, God received them under the shadow of His wings. Thus did He testify, that the prayers and hopes of His people are never in vain, but that He succors them whenever they call upon Him. For although, now-a-days, He does not appear in a visible abode, still He is nigh unto all those who cast their cares upon Him. It might, indeed, have been the case that the sign of God’s glory was seen by none but Moses and Aaron, in order that they might be fully assured that God was near to help them; but, since the expression is indefinite, it is probable that God threatened also the frantic multitude, lest they should proceed to any further acts of violence, although the light was presented in vain to them in their blindness.

45. Get you up from among this congregation. I have expounded the meaning of this expression a little above, namely, that as God regards His people with constant and peculiar love, so He defers His vengeance against the wicked, until these people are set apart, and placed in safety. For tie declares that, as soon as Moses and Aaron have secured themselves, all the rest shall perish in a moment. But incredible was the kindness of both of them, thus humbly to intercede for so ungrateful a people, who deserved to die a hundred times over; for, forgetful of their own lives, which they saw to be imperiled, they were ready to make atonement for the guilt, so as to rescue from death those abandoned wretches who were plotting their destruction. I do not, however, understand this, “Get you up,” merely with reference to place, for they were already separated, having taken refuge in the tabernacle; but it is just as if God had commanded them to sever themselves from the people, and, quitting them altogether, and casting away all care for the public welfare, to provide for their own private safety.

46. And Moses said unto Aaron. The expiation of so great a sin did not indeed depend on the incense-offering, nor are we to imagine that God is appeased by the savor of frankincense; but thus was a symbol set before this grosshearted people, whereby they might be alike aroused to repentance and faith; for however insensible they might be in their rebellion, yet the dignity of the priesthood was so conspicuous in the censer, that they ought to have been awakened by it to reverence. For who would not view his impiety with horror, when he is made conscious of having despised and violated that sanctity wherein the Divine power displays itself for life or death? The sight of the censer might have justly availed to subdue their hardness of heart, so that at last they might begin to condemn and detest their unrighteous act. The second warning which it gave them was no less profitable, i.e., that they might perceive that God was only propitiated towards them by virtue of a mediator; but., in so far as the actual state of things allowed, the visible type directed them to the absent Savior. Since, however, men corrupt and obscure the truth by their fond inventions, His majesty is asserted by the Divine institution of sacrifice. Whilst Aaron, the typical priest, stands forth, until the true, and only, and perpetual Mediator shall be revealed.

The verb כפר, caphar, properly signifies, as I have said elsewhere, to reconcile God to men through the medium of an expiation (piaculum;) but, since here it refers to the people, the sense of Moses is rightly expressed by a single word, as one may say, to purge, or lustrate from pollution.

48. And he stood between the living and the dead. If you understand that the living were everywhere mingled with the dead, you may conjecture that God’s wrath did not so fall upon one part of the camp, as to destroy all that came in its way without exception, as had been the case in the other revolt, but that He selected those who had sinned most grievously. But it is probable that Aaron proceeded so far as to leave behind those who still remained uninjured, and, in the very place where the destruction had occurred, encountered the wrath of God, and arrested its course. Hence it was that both the fervor of his zeal might be the better perceived, and his office of appeasing God was more fully confirmed by its actual success. For what more evident miracle could be required, than when the slaughter, which had both begun to rage suddenly, and then to proceed in a course no less rapid than continuous, was stopped by the arrival of Aaron, exactly as if a hedge had been set up against it? The efficacy of the priesthood in propitiating God, is therefore both clearly and briefly set before us; and hence we are taught, that though we are so dose to the reprobate when they perish, as that their destruction should reach to ourselves, still that we shall be safe from all evil, if only Christ intercede for us.

49. Now they that died in the plague. Already three hundred, or thereabouts, had been destroyed on account of the conspiracy made with Korah; now a much larger number was added. And this, forsooth, is what the wicked reap from their obstinacy, that God being more and more provoked redoubles His punishments; even as He threatens that, unless those whom He chastises shall repent, he will deal “seven times more” severely with them. (Leviticus 26:18.) Wherefore let us learn, when we are warned by His rebukes, to humble ourselves betimes beneath His mighty hand, since nothing is worse than to kick against the pricks; and let us always bear in mind what the psalm says,

“Be ye not as the horse or as the mute, whose mouth must be held with bit and bridle; (because) many sorrows shall be to the wicked.” (Psalm 32:9, 10.)

They rebelliously exclaimed that the people of the Lord were slain, when three hundred had perished; they now experience how much better it would have been to be dumb before God, and to give glory to His holy severity, than, instead of three hundred, to devote to destruction nearly fifty times as many. Let us, then, remember the admonition of Paul:

“Let us beware lest we murmur, lest perchance the destroyer should destroy us,” It will be seen that he gives the substance, and not the actual words, of St. Paul’s exhortation. (1 Corinthians 10:10;)

for nothing is less tolerable in us than that we should frowardly presume to speak evil of God, when Scripture so often exhorts us to be silent in His presence.

Numbers 17

Numbers 17:1-13

1. And the Lord spoke unto Moses, saying,

1. Et loquutus est Jehova ad Mosen, dicendo,

2. Speak unto the children of Israel, and take of every one of them a rod, according to the house of’ their fathers, of all their princes, according to the house of’ their fathers, twelve rods: write thou every man’s name upon his rod.

2. Alloquere filios Israel, et cape ab eis singulas virgas per domos patrum, a cunctis scilicet principibus eorum, juxta domos patrum suorum, duodecim virgas: et uniuscujusque nomen scribes super virgam ejus.

3. And thou shalt write Aaron’s name upon the rod of Levi: for one rod shall be for the head of the house of their fathers.

3. Nomen autem Aharon scribes super virgam Levi: quia virga una erit capiti domus patrum suorum.

4. And thou shalt lay them up in the tabernacle of the congregation before the testimony, where I will meet with you.

4. Reponesque illas in tabernaculo conventionis coram testimonio ubi conveniam vobiscum.

5. And it shall come to pass, that the man’s rod, whom I shall choose, shall blossom; and I will make to cease from me the murmurings of the children of Israel, whereby they murmur against you.

5. Et erit, vir ille quem elegero, illius virga florebit; et ita quiescere faciam a me murmurationes filiorum Israel quibus murmurant adversum vos.

6. And Moses spoke unto the children of Israel, and every one of their princes gave him a rod apiece, for each prince one, according to their fathers’ houses, even twelve rods; and the rod of Aaron was among their rods.

6. Loquutus est ergo Moses ad filios Israel, et dederunt illi onmes principes eorum virgam; singuli principes virgam per domos patrum suorum, duodecim scilicet virgas; virga autem Aharon erat in medio virgarum eorum.

7. And Moses laid up the rods before the Lord in the tabernacle of witness.

7. Et posuit Moses virgas coram Jehova in tabernaculo testimonii.

8. And it came to pass, that on the morrow Moses went into the tabernacle of witness; and, behold, the rod of Aaron, for the house of Levi, was budded, and brought forth buds, and bloomed blossoms, and yielded almonds.

8. Et fuit, postridie venit Moses ad tabernaculum testimonii, et ecce germinaverat virga Aharon e domo Levi, ac produxerat germinationem, protuleratque flores, ad maturitatemque perduxerat amygdala.

9. And Moses brought out all the rods from before the Lord unto all the children of Israel: and they looked, and took every man his rod.

9. Et protulit Moses omnes virgas illas a facie Jehovae ad onmes filios Israel: qui viderunt, et acceperunt singuli virgam suam.

10. And the Lord said unto Moses, Bring Aaron’s rod again before the testimony, to be kept for a token against the rebels; and thou shalt quite take away their murmurings from me, that they die not.

10. Dixit autem Jehova ad Mosen, Refer virgam Aharon coram testimonio in custodiam, in signum filiis rebellibus; et cessare facies murmurationes eorum apud me, ut non moriantur.

11. And Moses did so: as the Lord commanded him, so did he.

11. Et fecit Moses quemadmodum praeceperat Jehova, sic fecit.

12. And the children of Israel spoke unto Moses, saying, Behold, we die, we perish, we all perish.

12. Et dixerunt filii Israel ad Mosen, dicendo, Ecce mortui sumus, periimus, omnes nos periimus.

13. Whosoever cometh any thing near unto the tabernacle of the Lord shall die: shall we be consumed with dying?

13. Quicunque accesserit, qui accesserit, inquam, ad tabernaculum Jehovae, morietur; nunquid consumendi sumus moriendo?

CHAPTER 16

Nu 16:1-30. The Rebellion of Korah.

1-2. Now Korah, the son of Izhar--Izhar, brother of Amram (Ex 6:18), was the second son of Kohath, and for some reason unrecorded he had been supplanted by a descendant of the fourth son of Kohath, who was appointed prince or chief of the Kohathites (Nu 3:30). Discontent with the preferment over him of a younger relative was probably the originating cause of this seditious movement on the part of Korah.

Dathan and Abiram, ... and On--These were confederate leaders in the rebellion, but On seems to have afterwards withdrawn from the conspiracy [compare Nu 16:12, 24, 25, 27; 26:9; De 11:6; Psa 106:17].

took men--The latter mentioned individuals, being all sons of Reuben, the eldest of Jacob's family, had been stimulated to this insurrection on the pretext that Moses had, by an arbitrary arrangement, taken away the right of primogeniture, which had vested the hereditary dignity of the priesthood in the first-born of every family, with a view of transferring the hereditary exercise of the sacred functions to a particular branch of his own house; and that this gross instance of partiality to his own relations, to the permanent detriment of others, was a sufficient ground for refusing allegiance to his government. In addition to this grievance, another cause of jealousy and dissatisfaction that rankled in the breasts of the Reubenites was the advancement of Judah to the leadership among the tribes. These malcontents had been incited by the artful representations of Korah (Jude 11), with whom the position of their camp on the south side afforded them facilities of frequent intercourse. In addition to his feeling of personal wrongs, Korah participated in their desire (if he did not originate the attempt) to recover their lost rights of primogeniture. When the conspiracy was ripe, they openly and boldly declared its object, and at the head of two hundred fifty princes, charged Moses with an ambitious and unwarrantable usurpation of authority, especially in the appropriation of the priesthood, for they disputed the claim of Aaron also to pre-eminence [Nu 16:3].

3. they gathered themselves together against Moses and against Aaron--The assemblage seems to have been composed of the whole band of conspirators; and they grounded their complaint on the fact that the whole people, being separated to the divine service (Ex 19:6), were equally qualified to present offerings on the altar, and that God, being graciously, present among them by the tabernacle and the cloud, evinced His readiness to receive sacrifices from the hand of any others as well as from theirs.

4. when Moses heard it, he fell upon his face--This attitude of prostration indicated not only his humble and earnest desire that God would interpose to free him from the false and odious imputation, but also his strong sense of the daring sin involved in this proceeding. Whatever feelings may be entertained respecting Aaron, who had formerly headed a sedition himself [Nu 12:1], it is impossible not to sympathize with Moses in this difficult emergency. But he was a devout man, and the prudential course he adopted was probably the dictate of that heavenly wisdom with which, in answer to his prayers, he was endowed.

5-11. he spake unto Korah and unto all his company--They were first addressed, not only because they were a party headed by his own cousin and Moses might hope to have more influence in that quarter, but because they were stationed near the tabernacle; and especially because an expostulation was the more weighty coming from him who was a Levite himself, and who was excluded along with his family from the priesthood. But to bring the matter to an issue, he proposed a test which would afford a decisive evidence of the divine appointment.

Even to-morrow--literally, "in the morning," the usual time of meeting in the East for the settlement of public affairs.

the Lord will show who are his, ... even him whom he hath chosen will he cause to come near unto him--that is, will bear attestation to his ministry by some visible or miraculous token of His approval.

12-14. Moses sent to call Dathan and Abiram--in a separate interview, the ground of their mutiny being different; for while Korah murmured against the exclusive appropriation of the priesthood to Aaron and his family, they were opposed to the supremacy of Moses in civil power. They refused to obey the summons; and their refusal was grounded on the plausible pretext that their stay in the desert was prolonged for some secret and selfish purposes of the leader, who was conducting them like blind men wherever it suited him.

15. Moses was very wroth--Though the meekest of all men [Nu 12:3], he could not restrain his indignation at these unjust and groundless charges; and the highly excited state of his feeling was evinced by the utterance of a brief exclamation in the mixed form of a prayer and an impassioned assertion of his integrity. (Compare 1Sa 12:3).

and said unto the Lord, Respect not thou their offering--He calls it their offering, because, though it was to be offered by Korah and his Levitical associates, it was the united appeal of all the mutineers for deciding the contested claims of Moses and Aaron.

16-18. Moses said unto Korah, Be thou and all thy company before the Lord--that is, at "the door of the tabernacle" (Nu 16:18), that the assembled people might witness the experiment and be properly impressed by the issue.

20-21. the Lord spake unto Moses and Aaron, saying, Separate yourselves from among this congregation--Curiosity to witness the exciting spectacle attracted a vast concourse of the people, and it would seem that the popular mind had been incited to evil by the clamors of the mutineers against Moses and Aaron. There was something in their behavior very offensive to God; for after His glory had appeared--as at the installation of Aaron (Le 9:23), so now for his confirmation in the sacred office--He bade Moses and Aaron withdraw from the assembly "that He might consume them in a moment."

22. they fell upon their faces, and said, O God, the God of the spirits of all flesh--The benevolent importunity of their prayer was the more remarkable that the intercession was made for their enemies.

24-26. Speak unto the congregation, ... Get you up from about the tabernacle--Moses was attended in the execution of this mission by the elders. The united and urgent entreaties of so many dignified personages produced the desired effect of convincing the people of their crime, and of withdrawing them from the company of men who were doomed to destruction, lest, being partakers of their sins, they should perish along with them.

27. the tabernacle of Korah, Dathan, and Abiram--Korah being a Kohathite, his tent could not have been in the Reubenite camp, and it does not appear that he himself was on the spot where Dathan and Abiram stood with their families. Their attitude of defiance indicated their daring and impenitent character, equally regardless of God and man.

28-34. Moses said, Hereby ye shall know that the Lord hath sent me to do all these works--The awful catastrophe of the earthquake which, as predicted by Moses, swallowed up those impious rebels in a living tomb, gave the divine attestation to the mission of Moses and struck the spectators with solemn awe.

35. there came out a fire from the Lord--that is, from the cloud. This seems to describe the destruction of Korah and those Levites who with him aspired to the functions of the priesthood. (See Nu 26:11, 58; 1Ch 6:22, 37).

37-40. Speak unto Eleazar--He was selected lest the high priest might contract defilement from going among the dead carcasses.

41. the children of Israel murmured against Moses and against Aaron, saying, Ye have killed the people of the Lord--What a strange exhibition of popular prejudice and passion--to blame the leaders for saving the rebels! Yet Moses and Aaron interceded for the people--the high priest perilling his own life in doing good to that perverse race.

48. he stood between the living and the dead--The plague seems to have begun in the extremities of the camp. Aaron, in this remarkable act, was a type of Christ.

Now Korah - took men - Had not these been the most brutish of men, could they have possibly so soon forgotten the signal displeasure of God manifested against them so lately for their rebellion. The word men is not in the original; and the verb ויקח vaiyikkach, and he took, is not in the plural but the singular, hence it cannot be applied to the act of all these chiefs. In every part of the Scripture where this rebellion is referred to it is attributed to Korah, (see Num 26:3, and Jde 1:11), therefore the verb here belongs to him, and the whole verse should be translated thus: - Now Korah, son of Yitsar son of Kohath, son of Levi, He Took even Dathan and Abiram, the sons of Eliab, and On, son of Peleth, Son Of Reuben; and they rose up, etc. This makes a very regular and consistent sense, and spares all the learned labor of Father Houbigant, who translates יקח yikkach, by rebellionem fecerunt, they rebelled, which scarcely any rule of criticism can ever justify. Instead of בני ראובן beney Reuben, Sons of Reuben, some MSS. have בן ben, Son, in the singular; this reading, supported by the Septuagint and the Samaritan text, I have followed in the above translation. But as Eliab and Peleth were both Reubenites, the common reading, Sons, may be safely followed.

Ye take too much upon you - The original is simply רב לכם rab lachem, too much for you. The spirit of this saying appears to me to be the following: - "Holy offices are not equally distributed: you arrogate to yourselves the most important ones, as if your superior holiness entitled you alone to them; whereas all the congregation are holy, and have an equal right with you to be employed in the most holy services." Moses retorts this saying Num 16:7 : Ye take too much upon you, רב לכם rab lachem; Ye have too much already, ye sons of Levi; i.e., by your present spirit and disposition you prove yourselves to be wholly unworthy of any spiritual employment.

The Lord will show who are his - It is supposed that St. Paul refers to this place, 2Tim 2:19 : The foundation of God - the whole sacrificial system, referring to Christ Jesus, the foundation of the salvation of men; standeth sure, notwithstanding the rebellions, intrusions, and false doctrines of men; having this seal - this stamp of its Divine authenticity, The Lord knoweth them that are his; εγνω Κυριος τους οντας αυτου, a literal translation of וידע יהוה את אשר לו veyoda Yehovah eth asher lo; and both signifying, The Lord approveth of his own; or, will own that which is of his own appointment. And let every one that nameth the name of Christ depart from iniquity, alluding to the exhortation of Moses, Num 16:26 : Depart, I pray you, from the tents of these wicked men.

Respect not thou their offering - There was no danger of this: they wished to set up a priesthood and a sacrificial system of their own; and God never has blessed, and never can bless, any scheme of salvation which is not of his own appointment. Man is ever supposing that he can mend his Maker's work, or that he can make one of his own that will do in its place.

O God, the God of the spirits of all flesh - אל אלהי הרוחת לכל בשר El Elohey haruchoth lechol basar. This address sufficiently proves that these holy men believed that man is a being compounded of flesh and spirit, and that these principles are perfectly distinct. Either the materiality of the human soul is a human fable, or, if it be a true doctrine, these men did not pray under the influence of the Divine Spirit. In Num 27:16 there is a similar form of expression: Let the Lord, the God of the spirits of all flesh. And in Job 12:10 : In whose hand is the soul (נפש nephesh) of all living; and the spirit (רוח ruach) of all flesh of man. Are not these decisive proofs that the Old Testament teaches that there is an immortal spirit in man? "But does not רוח ruach signify wind or breath?" Sometimes it does, but certainly not here; for how absurd would it be to say, O God, the God of the breaths of all flesh!

If the Lord make a new thing - ואם בריאה יברא יהוה veim beriah yibra Yehovah, and if Jehovah should create a creation, i. e., do such a thing as was never done before.

And they go down quick into the pit - שאלה sheolah, a proof, among many others, that שאל sheol, signifies here a chasm or pit of the earth, and not the place called hell; for it would be absurd to suppose that their houses had gone to hell; and it would be wicked to imagine that their little innocent children had gone thither, though God was pleased to destroy their lives with those of their iniquitous fathers.

They, and all that appertained to them - Korah, Dathan, and Abiram, and all that appertained to their respective families, went down into the pit caused by this supernatural earthquake; while the fire from the Lord consumed the 250 men that bare censers. Thus there were two distinct punishments, the pit and the fire, for the two divisions of these rebels.

The censers - are hallowed - קדשו kadeshu, are consecrated, i. e., to the service of God though in this instance improperly employed.

On the morrow all the congregation - murmured - It is very likely that the people persuaded themselves that Moses and Aaron had used some cunning in this business, and that the earthquake and fire were artificial; else, had they discerned the hand of God in this punishment, could they have dared the anger of the Lord in the very face of justice?

The plague is begun - God now punished them by a secret blast, so as to put the matter beyond all dispute; his hand, and his alone, was seen, not only in the plague, but in the manner in which the mortality was arrested. It was necessary that this should be done in this way, that the whole congregation might see that those men who had perished were not the people of the Lord; and that God, not Moses and Aaron, had destroyed them.

He stood between the dead and the living; and the plague, etc. - What the plague was we know not, but it seems to have begun at one part of the camp, and to have proceeded regularly onward; and Aaron went to the quarter where it was then prevailing, and stood with his atonement where it was now making its ravages, and the plague was stayed; but not before 14,700 had fallen victims to it, Num 16:49.

If Aaron the high priest, with his censer and incense, could disarm the wrath of an insulted, angry Deity, so that a guilty people, who deserved nothing but destruction, should be spared; how much more effectual may we expect the great atonement to be which was made by the Lord Jesus Christ, of whom Aaron was only the type! The sacrifices of living animals pointed out the death of Christ on the cross; the incense, his intercession. Through his death salvation is purchased for the world; by his intercession the offending children of men are spared. Hence St. Paul, Rom 5:10, says: If, while we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, being reconciled, we shall be saved Through His Life, i. e., by the prevalence of his continual intercession. 2Cor 5:18, 2Cor 5:19 : "And all things are of God, who hath reconciled us to himself by Jesus Christ, and hath given to us the ministry of reconciliation; to wit, that God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them; and hath committed unto us the word of reconciliation." By the awful transactions recorded in this chapter, we may see how jealous God is of the sole right of appointing the way and means of salvation. Had any priesthood, and any kind of service, no matter how solemn and sincere, been equally available in the sight of Divine justice and mercy, God would not have resented in so awful a manner the attempts of Korah and his company in their new service. The way of God's own appointment, the agony and death of Christ, is the only way in which souls can be saved. His is the priesthood, and his is the only available sacrifice. All other modes and schemes of salvation are the inventions of men or devils, and will in the end prove ruinous to all those who trust in them. Reader, forget not the Lord who bought thee.

The son of Izhar - Amram's brother, Exo 6:18, therefore Moses and he were cousin germans. Moreover, Izhar was the second son of Kohath, whereas Elizaphan, whom Moses had preferred before him, and made prince or ruler of the Kohathites, Num 3:30, was the son of Uzziel, the fourth son of Kohath. This, the Jewish writers say, made him malcontent, which at last broke forth into sedition. Sons of Reuben - These are drawn into confederacy with Korah, partly because they were his next neighbours, both being encamped on the south - side, partly in hopes to recover their rights of primogeniture, in which the priesthood was comprehended, which was given away from their father.

Rose up - That is, conspired together, and put their design in execution. Before Moses - Not obscurely, but openly and boldly, not fearing nor regarding the presence of Moses.

They - Korah, Dathan and Abiram, and the rest, who were all together when Moses spake those words, Nu 16:5 - 7, but after that, Dathan and Abiram retired to their tents, and then Moses sent for Korah and the Levites, who had more colourable pretences to the priesthood, and treats with them apart, and speaks what is mentioned, Nu 16:8 - 11. Having dispatched them, he sends for Dathan and Abiram, Nu 16:12, that he might reason the case with them also apart. Against Aaron - To whom the priesthood was confined, and against Moses, both because this was done by his order, and because before Aaron's consecration Moses appropriated it to himself. For whatever they intended, they seem not now directly to strike at Moses for his supreme civil government, but only for his influence in the disposal of the priesthood. Ye take too much - By perpetuating the priesthood in yourselves and family, with the exclusion of all others from it. All are holy - A kingdom of priests, an holy nation, as they are called, Exo 19:6, a people separated to the service of God, and therefore no less fit to offer sacrifice and incense, than you are. Among them - By his tabernacle and cloud, the tokens of his gracious presence, and therefore ready to receive sacrifices from their own hands. Ye - Thou Moses, by prescribing what laws thou pleasest about the priesthood, and confining it to thy brother; and thou Aaron by usurping it as thy peculiar privilege.

On his face - Humbly begging that God would direct and vindicate him. Accordingly God answers his prayers, and strengthens him with new courage, and confidence of success.

To - morrow - Heb. In the morning, the time appointed by men for administering justice, and chosen by God for that work. Some time is allowed, partly that Korah and his company might prepare themselves and their censers, and partly to give them space for consideration and repentance. He will cause him - He will by some evident token declare his approbation of him and his ministry.

Ye sons of Levi - They were of his own tribe, nay, they were of God's tribe. It was therefore the worse in them thus to mutiny against God and against him.

To minister to them - So they were the servants both of God and of the church, which was an high dignity, though not sufficient for their ambitious minds.

Against the Lord - Whose chosen servant Aaron is. You strike at God through Aaron's sides.

Dathan and Abiram - To treat with them and give them, as he had done Korah and his company, a timely admonition. Come up - To Moses's tabernacle, whither the people used to go up for judgment. Men are said in scripture phrase to go up to places of judgment.

These men - Of all the people who are of our mind: wilt thou make them blind, or persuade them that they do not see what is visible to all that have eyes, to wit, that thou hast deceived them, and broken thy faith and promise given to them?

Respect not their offering - Accept not their incense which they are now going to offer, but shew some eminent dislike of it. He calls it their offering, though it was offered by Korah and his companions, because it was offered in the name and by the consent of all the conspirators, for the decision of the present controversy between them and Moses. I have not hurt one of them - I have never injured them, nor used my power to defraud or oppress them, as I might have done; I have done them many good offices, but no hurt: therefore their crime is without any cause or provocation.

Before the Lord - Not in the tabernacle, which was not capable of so many persons severally offering incense, but at the door of the tabernacle, where they might offer it by Moses's direction upon this extraordinary occasion. This work could not be done in that place, which alone was allowed for the offering up of incense; not only for its smallness, but also because none but priests might enter to do this work. Here also the people, who were to be instructed by this experiment, might see the proof and success of it.

Fire - Taken from the altar which stood in that place, for Aaron might not use other fire. And it is likely the rememberance of the death of Nadab and Abihu deterred them from offering any strange fire.

Against them - That they might be witnesses of the event, and, upon their success, which they doubted not of, might fall upon Moses and Aaron. And it seems by this that the people were generally incensed against Moses, and inclined to Korah's side. The glory appeared - In the cloud, which then shone with greater brightness and majesty, as a token of God's approach and presence.

The spirits - And this is no empty title here, but very emphatical. Thou art the maker of spirits, destroy not thy own workmanship! O thou who art the preserver of men, and of their spirits, the Lord of spirits, Job 12:10, who as thou mayst justly destroy this people, so thou canst preserve whom thou pleasest: the father of spirits, the souls. Deal mercifully with thy own children: the searcher of spirits, thou canst distinguish between those who have maliciously railed this tumult, and those whose ignorance and simple credulity hath made them a prey to crafty seducers. Of all flesh - Of all mankind: the word flesh is often put for men. One man - Korah, the ringleader of this sedition.

The congregation - Whom for your sakes I will spare upon the condition following.

Unto Dathan - Because they refused to come to him. The elders - The seventy rulers, whom he carried with him for the greater solemnity of the action, and to encourage them in their work, notwithstanding the obstinate and untractable nature of the people they were to govern.

Stood in the door - An argument of their foolish confidence, obstinacy and impenitency, whereby they declared that they neither feared God, nor reverenced man.

All these works - As the bringing of the people out of Egypt; the conducting of them through the wilderness; the exercising authority among them; and giving laws to them concerning the priesthood.

The death of all men - By a natural death. The visitation of all men - By plague, or sword, or some usual judgment. The Lord hath not sent me - I am content that you take me for an imposter, falsely pretending to be sent of God.

All that appertained unto Korah - That is, all his family which were there, women, children, and servants; but his sons, who were spared, Num 26:11,58 1Ch 6:22,37, were absent either upon some service of the tabernacle, or upon some other occasion, God so ordering it by his providence either because they disliked their fathers act, or upon Moses's intercession for them. This expression may intimate, that Korah himself was not here, but that he continued with his two hundred and fifty men before the Lord, where they were waiting for God's decision of the controversy. Nor is it probable that their chief captain would desert them, and leave them standing there without an head, especially, when Aaron his great adversary, abode there still, and did not go with Moses to Dathan. And Korah may seem to have been consumed with those two hundred and fifty. And so much is intimated, Nu 16:40, that no stranger come near to offer incense before the Lord, that he be not as Korah, and as his company, that is, destroyed, as they were, by fire from the Lord. And when the Psalmist relates this history, Psa 106:17 - 18, the earth's swallowing them up is confined to Dathan and Abiram, Psa 106:17, and for all the rest of that conspiracy it is added, Psa 106:18. And a fire was kindled in their company, the flame burnt up the wicked.

Into the pit - Into the earth, which first opened itself to receive them, and then shut itself to destroy them.

From the Lord - From the cloud, wherein the glory of the Lord appeared.

To Eleazer - Rather than to Aaron, partly because the troublesome part of the work was more proper for him, and partly lest Aaron should be polluted by going amongst those dead carcasses; for it is probable this fire consumed them, as lightning sometimes doth, others, by taking away their lives, and leaving their bodies dead upon the place. Out of the burning - From among the dead bodies of those men who were burnt. Yonder - Far from the altar and sanctuary, into an unclean place, where the ashes were wont to be cast: by which God shews his rejection on of their services. They are hallowed - By God's appointment, because they were presented before the Lord by his express order, Nu 16:16,17.

Their own souls - That is, their own lives: who were the authors of their own destruction. The altar - Of burnt - offerings, which was made of wood, but covered with brass before this time, Exo 27:1,2, to which this other covering was added for farther ornament, and security against the fire, continually burning upon it. A sign - A warning to all strangers to take heed of invading the priesthood.

To him - To Eleazer. These words belong to Num 16:38, the meaning is, that Eleazer did as God bade him.

On the morrow - Prodigious wickedness and madness so soon to forget such a terrible instance of Divine vengeance! The people of the Lord - So they call those wicked wretches, and rebels against God! Tho' they were but newly saved from sharing in the same punishment, and the survivors were as brands plucked out of the burning, yet they fly in the face of Moses and Aaron, to whose intercession they owe their preservation.

They - Moses and Aaron, who in all their distresses made God their refuge.

Moses and Aaron came - To hear what God, who now appeared, would say to them.

They fell upon their faces - To beg mercy for the people; thus rendering Good for Evil.

Incense - Which was a sign of intercession, and was to be accompanied with it. Go unto the congregation - He went with the incense, to stir up the people to repentance and prayer, to prevent their utter ruin. This he might do upon this extraordinary occasion, having God's command for his warrant, though ordinarily incense was to be offered only in the tabernacle.

The living - Whereby it may seem that this plague, like that fire, Nu 11:1, began in the uttermost parts of the congregation, and so proceeded destroying one after another in an orderly manner, which gave Aaron occasion and direction so to place himself, as a mediator to God on their behalf.

1 NOW 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 :

The first and chief authour of this rebellion, ver. 21. Iude ver. 11.

Amrams brother, Exod. 6. 18. therefore Moses and he were cousen germans. Moreover, Izhar was the second son of Kohath, whereas Elizaphan, whom Moses had preferred before him and made prince or ruler of the Kohathites, Numb. 3. 30. was the son of Uzziel, the fourth son of Kohath. This, the Iewish writers say, made him malecontent, which at last broke forth into sedition.

These are drawn into confederacy with Korah, partly because they were his next neighbours, both being encamped on the south-side, and therefore could easily communicate counsels, partly in hopes to recover their rights of primogeniture, in which the Priesthood was comprehended, which was given away from their father.

To wit, those 250 mentioned ver. 2. In the Hebrew there is nothing but took, and the Hebrew words are placed and may well be rendred thus, Now Korah——took both Dathan and Abiram, &c. or, took Dathan, &c. the particle Vau being here superfluous, as it is Gen. 8. 6. and elsewhere.

Marginal references: chap. 27. 3. Jude 11.

2 And 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.

(i. e.) Korah, Dathan and Abiram, last mentioned.

(i. e.) Conspired together and put their seditious design in execution.

Not privily and obscurely, but openly and boldly, not fearing nor regarding the presence of Moses, who was an eye-witness of their conspiracy.

For place and birth.

Marginal references: chap. 26. 9. Ruth 4. 11. 14.

3 And 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 your selves above the congregation of the LORD?

(i. e.) Either, Korah and the 250 Princes, which may seem probable by comparing this with ver. 12, 25, 27. where we find Dathan and Abiram in another place, even in their tents, whither it is likely they were gone by consent to form and strengthen their party there, while Korah and the rest went to Moses. Or, Korah, Dathan and Abiram and the rest, who were all together when Moses spake those words ver. 5, 6, 7. but after that Dathan and Abiram retired to their tents, and then Moses sent for Korah and the Levites, who had more special and more colourable pretences to the Priesthood and treats with them apart, and speaks what is mentioned ver. 8, 9, 10, 11. and then having dispatched them he sends for Dathan and Abiram ver. 12. that he might reason the case with them also apart.

Against Aaron, to whom the Priesthood was confined, and against Moses, both because this was done by his order, and because before Aarons consecration Moses appropriated it to himself. For whatever they intended, they seem not now directly to strike at Moses for his supreme civil government, but onely for his interest and influence in the disposal of the Priesthood, as may appear by the whole context, and particularly by ver. 5, 10, 15, &c.

By perpetuating the Priesthood in your selves and family, with the exclusion of all others from it.

A kingdom of Priests, an holy nation, as they are called, Exod. 19. 6. a people separated to the service of God, and therefore no less fit to present themselves before God, and to offer sacrifice and incense for themselves than you are.

By his Tabernacle and cloud, the tokens of his special and gracious presence, and therefore ready to receive all their sacrifices and services from their own hands.

Thou Moses by prescribing what laws thou pleasest about the Priesthood and confining it to thy brother and thou Aaron by usurping it as thy peculiar priviledge.

Marginal references: Psal. 106. 16.; Heb. it is much for you.

4 And when Moses heard it, he fell upon his [illegible: 1 word] .

Humbly begging that God would direct him and defend and vindicate him from this false and odious imputation. See Numb. 14. 5. Accordingly God answers his prayers, and inspires him with this following answer to Korah, and strengthens him with new courage and confidence of good success.

5 And 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 .

Heb. In the morning, the time appointed by men for administring justice, Psal. 101. 8. Ier. 21. 12. and chosen by God for that work, Psal. 73. 14. Isa. 47. 11. Zeph. 3. 5. Some time is allowed, partly that Korah and his company might prepare themselves and their censers; and partly to give them space for consideration and repentance.

Or, and whom he will cause.

(i. e.) To serve him in the Priesthood.

(i. e.) He will by some evident and miraculous token declare his approbation of him and his ministery.

6 This do; take ye censers , Korah, and all his company:

Since ye will be Priests, take your censers, and act as Priests, at your peril.

7 And 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.

(i. e.) Declare his choice and appointment of them for that work.

8 And Moses said unto Korah, Hear, I pray you, ye sons of Levi .

Consider what I say before it be too late, and repent of your great wickedness.

9 Seemeth 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 ?

Nearer than the other Tribes though not so near as the Priests.

(i. e.) In their stead and for their good. So they were the servants both of God and of the Church, which was an high dignity, though not sufficient for their ambitious minds.

10 And he hath brought thee near to him, and all thy brethren the sons of Levi with thee: and seek ye the priesthood also ?

There being at this time but very few Priests, and the profits and priviledges belonging to them being many and great, they thought it but fit and reasonable that they, or some of the chief of them, should be admitted to a share in their work and advantages.

11 For which cause both thou and all thy company are gathered together against the LORD and what is Aaron that ye murmure against him?

Whose minister and chosen servant Aaron is. You strike at God through Aarons sides. Compare 1 Sam. 8. 7. Luk. 10. 16. Ioh. 13. 20.

12 And Moses sent to call Dathan and Abiram the sons of Eliab: which said , We will not come up .

To treat with them and give them, as he had done Korah and his company, a timely admonition.

Unto the messengers sent to them by Moses.

To Moses his Tabernacle, whither the people used to go up for judgment. Men are said in Scripture phrase to go up to places of judgment, See Deut. 25. 7. Ruth. 4. 1. Ezra 10. 7, 8. But because they would not now go up, therefore they went down quick into the pit, ver. 33.

13 Is 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, [illegible: 1 word] make thy self altogether a prince over us?

(i. e.) Out of Egypt, a place indeed of great plenty, b[illegible: 1+ letters] to them, a place of torment and intolerable slavery. They invidiously and scoffingly use the same words wherewith God by Moses commended the land of Canaan.

14 Moreover, 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 .

(i. e.) Of those who are confederate with us and of all the people, who are of our mind. Whilst thou make them blind, or perswade them that they are blind, and that they do not see what is visible to all that have eyes, to wit, that thou hast deceived them, and broken thy faith and promise given to them? or wilst thou lead them about like blind men whither thou pleasest, one time towards Canaan, another time toward Egypt again?

We will not obey thy summons, nor own thy authority.

Marginal references: Heb. [illegible: 1+ letters]re out.

15 And 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 .

Not so much for his own sake, for he had learnt to bear indignities, Numb. 12. as for Gods sake, who was highly dishonoured, blasphemed and provoked, by these speeches and carriages, in which case he ought to be angry, as Christ was, Mark 3. 5.

(i. e.) Accept not their incense which they are now going to offer, but shew some eminent dislike of it. He calls it their offering, though it was offered by Korah and his companions, because it was offered in the name and by the consent of all the conspiratours, for the decision of the present controversie between them and Moses.

(i. e.) Not any thing of the smallest value, as an ass was. See 1 Sam. 12. 3.

I have never injured them, nor used my power to defraud or oppress them, as I might have done, but, which is here implied, I have done them many good offices, but no hurt: therefore their crime is inexcusable, because without any cause or provocation on my part.

Marginal references: Gen. 4. 4, 5.; Acts 20. 33.

16 And Moses said unto Korah, Be thou and all thy company before the LORD , thou, and they, and Aaron to morrow.

Not in the Tabernacle, which was not capable of so many person; severally offering incense, but at the door of the Tabernacle; ver. 18. which place is oft said to be before the Lord, as Exod. 29. 42. Levit. 1. 11. &c. where they might now lawfully offer it by Moses his direction upon this extraordinary occasion and necessity, because this work could not be done in that place, which alone was allowed for the offering up of incense, not onely for its smallness, but also because none but Priests might enter to do this work. Here also the people, who were to be instructed by this experiment, might see the proof and success of it.

18 And 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.

Which they could easily make in a sleight manner, which would suffice for the present purpose.

Taken from the Altar which stood in that place, Levit. 1. 3, 5. for Aaron might not use other fire, Levit. 10. 1. And it is likely the remembrance of the death of Nadab and Abihu deterred them from offering any strange fire.

19 And 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.

That they might be witnesses of the event, and, upon their success, which they doubted not of, might fall upon Moses and Aaron with popular rage and destroy them. And it seems by this that the people were generally incensed against Moses, and inclined to Korahs side.

In the cloud, which then shone with greater brightness and Majesty, as a token of Gods approach and presence. See Exod. 16. 7, 10. Levit. 9. 6, 23. Numb. 20. 6.

21 Separate your selves from among this congregation , that I may consume them in a moment.

To wit, Korah, and his 250 men, and the people whom he [illegible: 1+ letters]athered against Moses and Aaron, ver. 19.

Marginal references: Gen. 19. 1[illegible: 1+ letters] 22. Jer. [illegible: 1+ letters] ▪ [illegible: 1+ letters] Rev. 18. [illegible: 1+ letters]

22 And 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?

(i. e.) Of souls, as the word spirit in Scripture is oft used, as Psal. 31. 5. and 77. 3. Prov. 17. 22. Eccl. 12. 7. Luk. 23. 46. Act. 7. 59. And this is no empty title here, but very emphatical and argumentative, thus, Thou art the maker of spirits, Zach. 12. 1. destroy not thy own workmanship, Isa. 64. 8. O thou who art the preserver of men, and of their spirits: the Lord of spirits, Iob 12. 10. who as thou maist justly destroy this people, so thou canst preserve whom thou pleasest: the father of spirits, Heb. 12. 9. O deal mercifully with thy own children: the searcher of spirits, thou canst distinguish between those who have maliciously raised this tumult, and those whose ignorance and simple credulity hath made them a prey to crafty seducers.

(i. e.) Of all mankind: the word flesh is oft put for men, as Gen. 6. 13. Iob 12. 10. Isa. 40. 5, 6. Ezek. 20. 48. and 21. 4, 5.

To wit, Korah, the ringleader of this sedition.

Marginal references: chap. 2[illegible: 1+ letters] ▪ [illegible: 1+ letters] ▪ Job 12. 2[illegible: 1+ letters] ▪ Eccl. 12. [illegible: 1+ letters] ▪ Isa. 57. 1[illegible: 1+ letters] ▪ Zach. 12. [illegible: 1+ letters] ▪ Heb. 12. [illegible: 1+ letters]

24 Speak unto the congregation , saying, Get ye up from about the tabernacle of Korah, Dathan, and Abiram .

Whom for your sakes I will spare upon the condition here following.

And On too, who is mentioned ver. 1. though some think he desisted and repented and therefore is not now mentioned.

25 And Moses rose up, and went unto Dathan and Abiram : and the elders of Israel followed him.

Because they refused to come to him, he goes to them, to their cost.

The 70 rulers, whom he carried with him for the greater solemnity of the action, and for his own better vindication, because he lay under such calumnies, and to encourage them in their work, notwithstanding the obstinate and intractable nature of the people they were to govern.

26 And 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 .

Shew your dislike of them and their wicked ways by a speedy removal of your persons, and tents from about them.

Because they and all that was theirs was under a curse, and therefore not to be touched. See Deut. 13. 16, 17.

Least being guilty of their sins you perish together with them.

27 So 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.

Whose tents were not far asunder, being both on the southside of the Tabernacle, as appears from Numb. 2. 10. and 3. 29.

An argument of their foolish confidence, pride and impudence, obstinacy and impenitency, whereby they declared that they neither feared God, nor reverenced man; and made themselves ripe for the approaching judgment.

28 And 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 .

To wit, which I have done, and for which I am traduced by these and such like wicked men, as the bringing of the people out of Egypt; the conducting of them through and the keeping of them so long in the wilderness; the exercising of power and authority among and over them; giving of laws to them, as about other things, so concerning the Priesthood, which is the ground of the present quarrel; and, that which vexeth them most, that when they were upon the borders of Canaan and ready to enter in, I should cause them to go back into this vast howling wilderness and fix them there for forty years.

By pretending or usurping an authority which God gave me not, by feigning words or messages from God to establish my own inventions, and to comply with my own will or lust or interest, as I am now accused to have done. For this phrase see Numb. 24. 13. Ezek. 13. 2.

Marginal references: Gr. of my self. chap. 24. 13. Josh. 5. 19, 30. and 8. 28. and 12. 49.

29 If 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 .

(i. e.) By a natural death.

(i. e.) By plague, or sword, or some usual judgment.

(i. e.) I am content that you take me for an impostour, falsly pretending to be sent of God. This he might well say because he was inspired by God to say this, and infallibly assured by God that this should be done.

Marginal references: Heb. at every [illegible: 1 word] [illegible: 1 word].

30 But 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 .

(i. e.) Do such a work as was never heard before.

(i. e.) Into the grave which God thereby makes. The Hebrew word Sch[illegible: 1+ letters]ol sometimes signifies hell, and sometimes the grave, as Gen. 37. 35. Psal 55. 15.

By making his words and works to be nothing but my devices and artifices.

Marginal references: Heb. [illegible: 1 word] a [illegible: 1 word].; Heb. into [illegible: 1+ letters]ll.

32 And the earth opened her mouth, and swallowed them up, and their houses, and all the men that appertained unto Korah , and all their goods.

(i. e.) All his family which were there, women, children, and servants: but his sons, who were spared Numb. 26. 11, 58. 1 Chron. 6. 22, 37. were absent either upon some service of the Tabernacle, or upon some other occasion, God so ordering it by his providence, either because they disliked their fathers act, or upon Moses his intercession for them, or for some other reason. This expression may seem to intimate, that Korah himself was not here, but that he continued with his 250 men before the Lord, ver. 18, 19. where they were waiting for Gods decision of the controvers[illegible: 1+ letters]e, nor is it probable, that their chief captain would desert them, and leave them standing there without an head, especially, when Aaron, his great adversary, abode there still, and did not go with Moses to Dathan, &c. ver. 25. And Korah may seem to have been consumed with those 250. ver. 35. though he be not mentioned there, but is easily understood both by comparing that verse with ver. 16, 17, 18. and from the nature of the thing it self, there being no cause of doubt but that destruction which be[illegible: 1+ letters]el the accessaries did much more involve the principal. And so much is intimated ver. 40. that no stranger come near to offer incense before the Lord, that he be not as Korah, and as his company, i. e. destroyed, as they were, by fire from the Lord. And when the Psalmist relates this history, Psal. 106. the earths swallowing them up is confined to Dathan and Abiram ver. 17. and for all the rest of that conspiracy, it is added ver. 18. And a fire was kindled in their company, the flame burnt up the wicked. As for Num. 26. 10. which seems to oppose this opinion, we shall see more on that place, if God permit.

Marginal references: See ver. 17. & [illegible: 1+ letters]ap. 26. 11.

33 They, 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.

(i. e.) Into the earth, which first opened it self to receive them, and then shut it self to destroy them and transmit them to further punishments.

Marginal references: Heb. H[illegible: 1+ letters]ll.

35 And there came out a fire from the LORD , and consumed the two hundred and fifty men that offered incense.

(i. e.) From the cloud, wherein the glory of the Lord appeared ver. 19. to give sentence in this cause.

37 Speak 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 .

Rather than to Aaron, partly because the troublesome part of the work was more proper for him, and partly least Aaron should be polluted by going amongst those dead carcases; for it is probable this fire consumed them, as lightning sometimes doth others, by taking away their lives, and leaving their bodies dead upon the place.

(i. e.) From among the dead bodies of those men who were burnt. Burning put for those who are burnt, as captivity for the captives, Numb 21. 1. and poverty for the poor, 2 King. 24. 14.

(i. e.) The cinders or ashes which are left in or near their censers.

(i. e.) Far from the altar and sanctuary into an unclean place, where the ashes were wont to be [illegible: 1+ letters]ast: by which God shews his rejection of their services.

Either 1. by Gods appointment, because they were presented before the Lord by his express order, ver. 16, 17. Or 2. by Go[illegible: 1+ letters] ▪ j[illegible: 1+ letters]st judgment, because they together with the persons that used them were accursed and devoted by God, and therefore were the Lords and to be imployed in any profane or common use, as appears from Lev. 27. 28. But the first reason is the chief and is rendred by God himself, ver. 38.

38 The 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.

(i. e.) Their own lives: who were the authors of their own death and destruction, Compare 1 King. 2. 23. Prov. 20. 2. This he saith for the vindication of Gods justice and his own ministry in this severe dispensation.

To wit, of burntofferings, which was made of wood, but covered with brass before this time, Exod. 27. 1, 2. to which this other covering was added for further ornament and security against the fire which was continually burning upon it.

A monument or warning to all strangers to take heed of invading the Priesthood, as it follows, ver. 40.

40 To 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.

(i. e.) That he do not imitate them in their sin▪ and therefore bring upon himself the same plague.

(i. e.) To Eleazar. These words belong to ver. 38. the meaning is, that Eleazar did as God bad him.

41 But 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 .

Prodigious wickedness and madness so soon to forget such a terrible instance of divine vengeance.

You, who should have preserved them and interceded for them, have pulled down Gods wrath upon them, for the maintenance of your own authority and interest.

So they call those wicked wretches, and rebels against God: which shews the power of passion and prejudice to corrupt mens judgments.

42 And 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.

(i. e.) Moses and Aaron, who in all their distresses made God their refuge.

43 And Moses and Aaron came before the tabernacle of the congregation .

To hear what God, who now appeared, would say to him.

45 Get ye up from among this congregation, that I may consume them as in a moment: and they fell upon their faces .

To beg pardon and mercy for the people, as they oft did; thus rendring good to them for evil, which the people required with evil for their kindness.

46 And 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 .

Which was a sign of intercession, Psal. 141. 2. and was to be accompanied with it, Luk. 1. 9, 10.

With the incense, to stir up the people to repentance and prayer to prevent their utter ruine. This he might do upon this extraordinary occasion having Gods command for his warrant, though ordinarily incense was to be offered onely in the Tabernacle.

In cutting off the people by a sudden and miraculous stroke.

47 And Aaron took as Moses commanded, and ran into the midst of the congregation : and behold, the plague was begun amongst the people: and he put on incense, and made an atonement for the people.

Hazarding his own life to obey God and to do this wicked people good.

48 And he stood between the dead and the living , and the plague was stayed.

Whereby it may seem that this plague like that fire, Numb. 11. 1. began in the uttermost parts of the congregation, and so proceeded destroying one after another in an orderly manner, which gave Aaron occasion and direction so to place himself, as a Mediatour to God on their behalf.

Num 16:1-2

The authors of the rebellion were Korah the Levite, a descendant of the Kohathite Izhar, who was a brother of Amram, an ancestor (not the father) of Aaron and Moses (see at Exo 6:18), and three Reubenites, viz., Dathan and Abiram, sons of Eliab, of the Reubenitish family of Pallu (Num 26:8-9), and On, the son of Peleth, a Reubenite, not mentioned again. The last of these (On) is not referred to again in the further course of this event, either because he played altogether a subordinate part in the affair, or because he had drawn back before the conspiracy came to a head. The persons named took (יקּח), i.e., gained over to their plan, or persuaded to join them, 250 distinguished men of the other tribes, and rose up with them against Moses and Aaron. On the construction ויּקוּמוּ...ויּקּה (Num 16:1 and Num 16:2), Gesenius correctly observes in his Thesaurus (p. 760), “There is an anakolouthon rather than an ellipsis, and not merely a copyist’s error, in these words, 'and Korah,...and Dathan and Abiram, took and rose up against Moses with 250 men,' for they took 250 men, and rose up with them against Moses,” etc. He also points to the analogous construction in 2Sa 18:18. Consequently there is no necessity either to force a meaning upon לקח, which is altogether foreign to it, or to attempt an emendation of the text. “They rose up before Moses:” this does not mean, “they stood up in front of his tent,” as Knobel explains it, for the purpose of bringing Num 16:2 into contradiction with Num 16:3, but they created an uproar before his eyes; and with this the expression in Num 16:3, “and they gathered themselves together against Moses and Aaron,” may be very simply and easily combined. The 250 men of the children of Israel who joined the rebels no doubt belonged to the other tribes, as is indirectly implied in the statement in Num 27:3, that Zelophehad the Manassite was not in the company of Korah. These men were “princes of the congregation,” i.e., heads of the tribes, or of large divisions of the tribes, “called men of the congregation,” i.e., members of the council of the nation which administered the affairs of the congregation (cf. Num 1:16), “men of name” (שׁם אנשׁי, see Gen 6:4). The leader was Korah; and the rebels are called in consequence “Korah’s company” (Num 16:5, Num 16:6; Num 26:9; Num 27:3). He laid claim to the high-priesthood, or at least to an equality with Aaron (Num 16:17). Among his associates were the Reubenites, Dathan and Abiram, who, no doubt, were unable to get over the fact that the birthright had been taken away from their ancestor, and with it the headship of the house of Israel (i.e., of the whole nation). Apparently their present intention was to seize upon the government of the nation under a self-elected high priest, and to force Moses and Aaron out of the post assigned to them by God, - that is to say, to overthrow the constitution which God had given to His people.

Num 16:3 רב־לכם, “enough for you!” (רב, as in Gen 45:28), they said to Moses and Aaron, i.e., “let the past suffice you” (Knobel); ye have held the priesthood and the government quite long enough. It must now come to an end; “for the whole congregation, all of them (i.e., all the members of the nation), are holy, and Jehovah is in the midst of them. Wherefore lift ye yourselves above the congregation of Jehovah?” The distinction between עדה and קהל is the following: עדה signifies conventus, the congregation according to its natural organization; קהל signifies convocatio, the congregation according to its divine calling and theocratic purpose. The use of the two words in the same verse upsets the theory that יהוה עדת belongs to the style of the original work, and יהוה קהל to that of the Jehovist. The rebels appeal to the calling of all Israel to be the holy nation of Jehovah (Exo 19:5-6), and infer from this the equal right of all to hold the priesthood, “leaving entirely out of sight, as blind selfishness is accustomed to do, the transition of the universal priesthood into the special mediatorial office and priesthood of Moses and Aaron, which had their foundation in fact” (Baumgarten); or altogether overlooking the fact that God Himself had chosen Moses and Aaron, and appointed them as mediators between Himself and the congregation, to educate the sinful nation into a holy nation, and train it to the fulfilment of its proper vocation. The rebels, on the contrary, thought that they were holy already, because God had called them to be a holy nation, and in their carnal self-righteousness forgot the condition attached to their calling, “If ye will obey My voice indeed, and keep My covenant” (Exo 19:5).

Num 16:4-5

When Moses heard these words of the rebels, he fell upon his face, to complain of the matter to the Lord, as in Num 14:5. He then said to Korah and his company, “To-morrow Jehovah will show who is His and holy, and will let him come near to Him, and he whom He chooseth will draw near to Him.” The meaning of לו אשׁר is evident from בּו יבחר אשׁר. He is Jehovah’s, whom He chooses, so that He belongs to Him with his whole life. The reference is to the priestly rank, to which God had chosen Aaron and his sons out of the whole nation, and sanctified them by a special consecration (Exo 28:1; Exo 29:1; Lev 8:12, Lev 8:30), and by which they became the persons “standing near to Him” (Lev 10:3), and were qualified to appear before Him in the sanctuary, and present to Him the sacrifices of the nation.

Num 16:6-14

To leave the decision of this to the Lord, Korah and his company, who laid claim to this prerogative, were to take censers, and bring lighted incense before Jehovah. He whom the Lord should choose was to be the sanctified one. This was to satisfy them. With the expression רב־לכם in Num 16:7, Moses gives the rebels back their own words in Num 16:3. The divine decision was connected with the offering of incense, because this was the holiest function of the priestly service, which brought the priest into the immediate presence of God, and in connection with which Jehovah had already shown to the whole congregation how He sanctified Himself, by a penal judgment on those who took this office upon themselves without a divine call (Lev 10:1-3). Num 16:8. He then set before them the wickedness of their enterprise, to lead them to search themselves, and avert the judgment which threatened them. In doing this, he made a distinction between Korah the Levite, and Dathan and Abiram the Reubenites, according to the difference in the motives which prompted their rebellion, and the claims which they asserted. He first of all (Num 16:8-11) reminded Korah the Levite of the way in which God had distinguished his tribe, by separating the Levites from the rest of the congregation, to attend to the service of the sanctuary (Num 3:5., Num 8:6.), and asked him, “Is this too little for you? The God of Israel (this epithet is used emphatically for Jehovah) has brought thee near to Himself, and all thy brethren the sons of Levi with thee, and ye strive after the priesthood also. Therefore...thou and thy company, who have leagued themselves against Jehovah:...and Aaron, what is he, that he murmur against him?” These last words, as an expression of wrath, are elliptical, or rather an aposiopesis, and are to be filled up in the following manner: “Therefore,...as Jehovah has distinguished you in this manner,...what do ye want? Ye rebel against Jehovah! why do ye murmur against Aaron? He has not seized upon the priesthood of his own accord, but Jehovah has called him to it, and he is only a feeble servant of God” (cf. Exo 16:7). Moses then (Num 16:12-14) sent for Dathan and Abiram, who, as is tacitly assumed, had gone back to their tents during the warning given to Korah. But they replied, “We shall not come up.” עלה, to go up, is used either with reference to the tabernacle, as being in a spiritual sense the culminating point of the entire camp, or with reference to appearance before Moses, the head and ruler of the nation. “Is it too little that thou hast brought us out of a land flowing with milk and honey (they apply this expression in bitter irony to Egypt), to kill us in the wilderness (deliver us up to death), that thou wilt be always playing the lord over us?” The idea of continuance, which is implied in the inf. abs., השׂתּרר, from שׂרר, to exalt one’s self as ruler (Ges. §131, 36), is here still further intensified by גּם. “Moreover, thou hast not brought us into a land flowing with milk and honey, or given us fields and vineyards for an inheritance (i.e., thou hast not kept thy promise, Exo 4:30 compared with Num 3:7.). Wilt thou put out the eyes of these people?” i.e., wilt thou blind them as to thy doings and designs?

Num 16:15

Moses was so disturbed by these scornful reproaches, that he entreated the Lord, with an assertion of his own unselfishness, not to have respect to their gift, i.e., not to accept the sacrifice which they should bring (cf. Gen 4:4). “I have not taken one ass from them, nor done harm to one of them,” i.e., I have not treated them as a ruler, who demands tribute of his subjects, and oppresses them (cf. 1Sa 12:3).

Num 16:16-17

In conclusion, he summoned Korah and his associates once more, to present themselves the following day before Jehovah with censers and incense.

Num 16:18-22

The next day the rebels presented themselves with censers before the tabernacle, along with Moses and Aaron; and the whole congregation also assembled there at the instigation of Korah. The Lord then interposed in judgment. Appearing in His glory to the whole congregation (just as in Num 14:10), He said to Moses and Aaron, “Separate yourselves from this congregation; I will destroy them in a moment.” By assembling in front of the tabernacle, the whole congregation had made common cause with the rebels. God threatened them, therefore, with sudden destruction. But the two men of God, who ere so despised by the rebellious faction, fell on their faces, interceding with God, and praying, “God, Thou God of the spirits of all flesh! this one man (i.e., Korah, the author of the conspiracy) hath sinned, and wilt Thou be wrathful with all the congregation?” i.e., let Thine anger fall upon the whole congregation. The Creator and Preserver of all beings, who has given and still gives life and breath to all flesh, is God of the spirits of all flesh. As the author of the spirit of life in all perishable flesh, God cannot destroy His own creatures in wrath; this would be opposed to His own paternal love and mercy. In this epithet, as applied to God, therefore, Moses appeals “to the universal blessing of creation. It is of little consequence whether these words are to be understood as relating to all the animal kingdom, or to the human race alone; because Moses simply prayed, that as God was the creator and architect of the world, He would not destroy the men whom He had created, but rather have mercy upon the works of His own hands” (Calvin). The intercession of the prophet Isaiah, in Isa 64:8, is similar to this, though that is founded upon the special relation in which God stood to Israel.

Num 16:23-26

Jehovah then instructed Moses, that the congregation was to remove away (עלה, to get up and away) from about the dwelling-place of Korah, Dathan, and Abiram; and, as we may supply from the context, the congregation fell back from Korah’s tent, whilst Dathan and Abiram, possibly at the very first appearance of the divine glory, drew back into their tents. Moses therefore betook himself to the tents of Dathan and Abiram, with the elders following him, and there also commanded the congregation to depart from the tents of these wicked men, and not touch anything they possessed, that they might not be swept away in all their sins.

Num 16:27-30

The congregation obeyed; but Dathan and Abiram came and placed themselves in front of the tents, along with their wives and children, to see what Moses would do. Moses then announced the sentence: “By this shall he know that Jehovah hath sent me to do all these works, that not out of my own heart (i.e., that I do not act of my own accord). If these men die like all men (i.e., if these wicked men die a natural death like other men), and the oversight of all men take place over them (i.e., if the same providence watches over them as over all other men, and preserves them from sudden death), Jehovah hath not sent me. But if Jehovah create a creation (בריאה בּרא, i.e., work an extraordinary miracle), and the earth open its mouth and swallow them up, with all that belongs to them, so that they go down alive into hell, ye shall perceive that these men have despised Jehovah.”

Num 16:31-33

And immediately the earth clave asunder, and swallowed them up, with their families and all their possessions, and closed above them, so that they perished without a trace from the congregation. אתם refers to the three ringleaders. “Their houses;” i.e., their families, not their tents, as in Num 18:31; Exo 12:3. “All the men belonging to Korah” were his servants; for, according to Num 26:11, his sons did not perish with him, but perpetuated his family (Num 26:58), to which the celebrated Korahite singers of David’s time belonged (1Ch 6:18-22; 1Ch 9:19).

Num 16:34

This fearful destruction of the ringleaders, through which Jehovah glorified Moses afresh as His servant in a miraculous way, filled all the Israelites round about with such terror, that they fled לקלם, “at their noise,” i.e., at the commotion with which the wicked men went down into the abyss which opened beneath their feet, lest, as they said, the earth should swallow them up also.

Num 16:35

The other 250 rebels, who were probably still in front of the tabernacle, were then destroyed by fire which proceeded from Jehovah, as Nadab and Abihu had been before (Lev 10:2).

Num 16:36-40 (Or Hebrew_Bible_17:1-5). After the destruction of the sinners, the Lord commanded that Eleazar should take up the censers “from between the burning,” i.e., from the midst of the men that had been burned, and scatter the fire (the burning coals in the pans) far away, that it might not be used any more. “For they (the censers) are holy;” that is to say, they had become holy through being brought before Jehovah (Num 16:39); and therefore, when the men who brought them were slain, they fell as banned articles to the Lord (Lev 27:28). “The censers of these sinners against their souls” (i.e., the men who have forfeited their lives through their sin: cf. Pro 20:2; Hab 2:10), “let them make into broad plates for a covering to the altar” (of burnt-offering). Through this application of them they became a sign, or, according to Num 16:39, a memorial to all who drew near to the sanctuary, which was to remind them continually of this judgment of God, and warn the congregation of grasping at the priestly prerogatives. The words, יהיה ולא, in Num 16:40, introduce the predicate in the form of an apodosis to the subject, which is written absolutely, and consists of an entire sentence. היה with כּ signifies, “to experience the same fate as” another. (Verses 41-50 are Hebrew_Bible_17:6-15)

Num 16:41

Punishment of the Murmuring Congregation. - The judgment upon the company of Korah had filled the people round about with terror and dismay, but it had produced no change of heart in the congregation that had risen up against its leaders. The next morning the whole congregation began to murmur against Moses and Aaron, and to charge them with having slain the people of Jehovah. They referred to Korah and his company, but especially to the 250 chiefs of renown, whom they regarded as the kernel of the nation, and called “the people of Jehovah.” They would have made Moses and Aaron responsible for their death, because in their opinion it was they who had brought the judgment upon their leaders; whereas it was through the intercession of Moses (Num 16:22) that the whole congregation was saved from the destruction which threatened it. To such an extent does the folly of the proud heart of man proceed, and the obduracy of a race already exposed to the judgment of God.

Num 16:42

When the congregation assembled together, Moses and Aaron turned to the tabernacle, and saw how the cloud covered it, and the glory of the Lord appeared. As the cloud rested continually above the tabernacle during the time of encampment (Num 9:18.; Exo 40:38), we must suppose that at this time the cloud covered it in a fuller and much more conspicuous sense, just as it had done when the tabernacle was first erected (Num 9:15; Exo 40:34), and that at the same time the glory of God burst forth from the dark cloud in a miraculous splendour.

Num 16:43-50

Thereupon they both went into the court of (פּני אל, as in Lev 9:5) the tabernacle, and God commanded them to rise up (הרמּוּ, Niphal of רמם = רוּם; see Ges. §65, Anm. 5) out of this congregation, which He would immediately destroy. But they fell upon their faces in prayer, as in Num 16:21-22. This time, however, they could not avert the bursting forth of the wrathful judgment, as they had done the day before (Num 16:22). The plague had already commenced, when Moses told Aaron to take the censer quickly into the midst of the congregation, with coals and incense (הולך, imper. Hiph.), to make expiation for it with an incense-offering. And when this was done, and Aaron placed himself between the dead and the living, the plague, which had already destroyed 14,700 men, was stayed. The plague consisted apparently of a sudden death, as in the case of a pestilence raging with extreme violence, though we cannot regard it as an actual pestilence.

The means resorted to by Moses to stay the plague showed afresh how the faithful servant of God bore the rescue of his people upon his heart. All the motives which he had hitherto pleaded, in his repeated intercession that this evil congregation might be spared, were now exhausted. He could not stake his life for the nation, as at Horeb (Exo 32:32), for the nation had rejected him. He could no longer appeal to the honour of Jehovah among the heathen, seeing that the Lord, even when sentencing the rebellious race to fall in the desert, had assured him that the whole earth should be filled with His glory (Num 14:20.). Still less could he pray to God that He would not be wrathful with all for the sake of one or a few sinners, as in Num 16:22, seeing that the whole congregation had taken part with the rebels. In this condition of things there was but one way left of averting the threatened destruction of the whole nation, namely, to adopt the means which the Lord Himself had given to His congregation, in the high-priestly office, to wipe away their sins, and recover the divine grace which they had forfeited through sin, - viz., the offering of incense which embodied the high-priestly prayer, and the strength and operation of which were not dependent upon the sincerity and earnestness of subjective faith, but had a firm and immovable foundation in the objective force of the divine appointment. This was the means adopted by the faithful servant of the Lord, and the judgment of wrath was averted in its course; the plague was averted. - The effectual operation of the incense-offering of the high priest also served to furnish the people with a practical proof of the power and operation of the true and divinely appointed priesthood. “The priesthood which the company of Korah had so wickedly usurped, had brought down death and destruction upon himself, through his offering of incense; but the divinely appointed priesthood of Aaron averted death and destruction from the whole congregation when incense was offered by him, and stayed the well-merited judgment, which had broken forth upon it” (Kurtz).  (Verses 1-13 are Hebrew_Bible_17:16-28).

Confirmation of the High-Priesthood of Aaron. - Whilst the Lord had thus given a practical proof to the people, that Aaron was the high priest appointed by Him for His congregation, by allowing the high-priestly incense offered by Aaron to expiate His wrath, and by removing the plague; He also gave them a still further confirmation of His priesthood, by a miracle which was well adapted to put to silence all the murmuring of the congregation.

Korah, Dathan, and Abiram. (b. c. 1490.)

1 Now 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: 2 And 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: 3 And 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 ? 4 And when Moses heard it, he fell upon his face: 5 And he spake unto Korah and unto all his company, saying, Even to morrow the Lord will show 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. 6 This do; Take you censers, Korah, and all his company; 7 And 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. 8 And Moses said unto Korah, Hear, I pray you, ye sons of Levi: 9 Seemeth 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? 10 And he hath brought thee near to him, and all thy brethren the sons of Levi with thee: and seek ye the priesthood also? 11 For which cause both thou and all thy company are gathered together against the Lord : and what is Aaron, that ye murmur against him?

Here is, I. An account of the rebels, who and what they were, not, as formerly, the mixed multitude and the dregs of the people, who are therefore never named, but men of distinction and quality, that made a figure. Korah was the ring-leader: he formed and headed the faction; therefore it is called the gainsaying of Korah, Jude 11. He was cousin-german to Moses, they were brothers' children, yet the nearness of the relation could not restrain him from being insolent and rude to Moses. Think it not strange if a man's foes be those of his own house. With him joined Dathan and Abiram, chief men of the tribe of Reuben, the eldest son of Jacob. Probably Korah was disgusted both at the preferment of Aaron to the priesthood and the constituting of Elizaphan to the head of the Kohathites (ch. iii. 30); and perhaps the Reubenites were angry that the tribe of Judah had the first post of honour in the camp. On is mentioned (v. 1) as one of the heads of the faction, but never after in the whole story, either because, as some think, he repented and left them, or because he did not make himself so remarkable as Dathan and Abiram did. The Kohathites encamped on the same side of the tabernacle that the Reubenites did, which perhaps gave Korah an opportunity of drawing them in, whence the Jews say, Woe to the wicked man, and woe to his neighbour, who is in danger of being infected by him. And, these being themselves men of renown, they seduced into the conspiracy two hundred and fifty princes of the assembly (v. 2); probably they were first-born, or at least heads of families, who, before the elevation of Aaron, had themselves ministered in holy things. Note, The pride, ambition, and emulation, of great men, have always been the occasion of a great deal of mischief both in churches and states. God by his grace make great men humble, and so give peace in our time, O Lord! Famous men, and men of renown, as these are described to be, were the great sinners of the old world, Gen. vi. 4. The fame and renown which they had did not content them; they were high, but would be higher, and thus the famous men became infamous.

II. The rebels' remonstrance, v. 3. That which they quarrel with is the settlement of the priesthood upon Aaron and his family, which they think an honour too great for Moses to give and Aaron to accept, and so they are both charged with usurpation: You take too much upon you; or, "Let it suffice you to have domineered thus long, and now think of resigning your places to those who have as good a title to them and are as well able to manage them." 1. They proudly boast of the holiness of the congregation, and the presence of God in it. "They are holy, every one of them, and as fit to be employed in offering sacrifice as Aaron is, and as masters of families formerly were, and the Lord is among them, to direct and own them." Small reason they had to boast of the people's purity, or of God's favour, as the people had been so frequently and so lately polluted with sin, and were now under the marks of God's displeasure, which should have made them thankful for priests to mediate between them and God; but, instead of that, they envy them. 2. They unjustly charge Moses and Aaron with taking the honour they had to themselves, whereas it was evident, beyond contradiction, that they were called of God to it, Heb. v. 4. So that they would either have no priests at all, nor any government, none to preside either in civil or sacred things, none over the congregation, none above it, or they would not acquiesce in that constitution of the government which God had appointed. See here, (1.) What spirit levellers are of, and those that despise dominions, and resist the powers that God has set over them; they are proud, envious, ambitious, turbulent, wicked, and unreasonable men. (2.) What usage even the best and most useful men may expect, even from those they have been serviceable to. If those be represented as usurpers that have the best titles, and those as tyrants that govern best, let them recollect that Moses and Aaron were thus abused.

III. Moses's conduct when their remonstrance was published against him. How did he take it?

1. He fell on his face (v. 4), as before, ch. xiv. 5. Thus he showed how willing he would have been to yield to them, and how gladly he would have resigned his government, if it would have consisted with his duty to God and his fidelity to the trust reposed in him. Thus also he applied to God, by prayer, for direction what to say and to do upon this sad occasion. He would not speak to them till he had thus humbled and composed his own spirit (which could not but begin to be heated), and had received instruction from God. The heart of the wise in such a case studies to answer, and asks counsel at God's mouth.

2. He agrees to refer the case to God, and leave it to him to decide it, as one well assured of the goodness of his title, and yet well content to resign, if God thought fit, to gratify this discontented people with another nomination. An honest cause fears not a speedy trial; even to-morrow let it be brought on, v. 5-7. Let Korah and his partisans bring their censers, and offer incense before the Lord, and, if he testify his acceptance of them, well and good; Moses is now as willing that all the Lord's people should be priests, if God so pleased, as before that they should all be prophets, ch. xi. 29. But if God, upon an appeal to him, determine (as no doubt he would) for Aaron, they would find it highly dangerous to make the experiment: and therefore he puts it off till to-morrow, to try whether, when they had slept upon it, they would desist, and let fall their pretensions.

3. He argues the case fairly with them, to still the mutiny with fair reasoning, if possible, before the appeal came to God's tribunal, for then he knew it would end in the confusion of the complainants.

(1.) He calls them the sons of Levi, v. 7, and again v. 8. They were of his own tribe, nay, they were of God's tribe; it was therefore the worse in them thus to mutiny both against God and against him. It was not long since the sons of Levi had bravely appeared on God's side, in the matter of the golden calf, and got immortal honour by it; and shall those that were then the only innocents now be the leading criminals, and lose all the honour they had won? Could there be such chaff on God's floor? Levites, and yet rebels?

(2.) He retorts their charge upon themselves. They had unjustly charged Moses and Aaron with taking too much upon them, though they had done no more than what God put upon them; nay, says Moses, You take too much upon you, you sons of Levi. Note, Those that take upon them to control and contradict God's appointment take too much upon them. It is enough for us to submit; it is too much to prescribe.

(3.) He shows them the privilege they had as Levites, which was sufficient for them, they needed not to aspire to the honour of the priesthood, v. 9, 10. He reminds them how great the honour was to which they were preferred, as Levites. [1.] They were separated from the congregation of Israel, distinguished from them, dignified above them; instead of complaining that Aaron's family was advanced above theirs, they ought to have been thankful that their tribe was advanced above the rest of the tribes, though they had been in all respects upon the level with them. Note, It will help to keep us from envying those that are above us duly to consider how many there are below us. Instead of fretting that any are preferred before us in honour, power, estate, or interest, in gifts, graces, or usefulness, we have reason to bless God if we, who are less than the least, are not put among the very last. Many perhaps who deserve better are not preferred so well. [2.] They were separated to very great and valuable honours, First, To draw near to God, nearer than the common Israelites, though they also were a people near unto him; the nearer any are to God the greater is their honour. Secondly, To do the service of the tabernacle. It is honour enough to bear the vessels of the sanctuary, and to be employed in any part of the service of the tabernacle. God's service is not only perfect freedom, but high preferment. Thirdly, To stand before the congregation to minister unto them. Note, Those are truly great that serve the public, and it is the honour of God's ministers to be the church's ministers; nay, which adds to the dignity put upon them, [3.] It was the God of Israel himself that separated them. It was his act and deed to put them into their place, and therefore they ought not to have been discontented: and he it was likewise that put Aaron into his place, and therefore they ought not to have envied him.

(4.) He convicts them of the sin of undervaluing those privileges: Seemeth it a small thing unto you? As if he had said, "It ill becomes you of all men to grudge Aaron the priesthood, when at the same time that he was advanced to that honour you were designed for another honour dependent upon it, and shine with rays borrowed from him." Note, [1.] The privilege of drawing near to the God of Israel is not a small thing in itself, and therefore must not appear small to us. To those who neglect opportunities of drawing near to God, who are careless and formal in it, to whom it is a task and not a pleasure, we may properly put this question: "Seemeth it a small thing to you that God has made you a people near unto him?" [2.] Those who aspire after and usurp the honours forbidden them put a great contempt upon the honours allowed them. We have each of us as good a share of reputation as God sees fit for us, and sees us fit for, and much better than we deserve; and we ought to rest satisfied with it, and not, as these, exercise ourselves in things too high for us: Seek you the priesthood also? They would not own that they sought it, but Moses saw that they had this in their eye; the law had provided very well for those that served at the altar, and therefore they would put in for the office.

(5.) He interprets their mutiny to be a rebellion against God (v. 11); while they pretended to assert the holiness and liberty of the Israel of God, they really took up arms against the God of Israel: You are gathered together against the Lord. Note, Those that strive against God's ordinances and providences, whatever they pretend, and whether they are aware of it or no, do indeed strive with their Maker. Those resist the prince who resist those that are commissioned by him: for, alas! says Moses, What is Aaron, that you murmur against him? If murmurers and complainers would consider that the instruments they quarrel with are but instruments whom God employs, and that they are but what he makes them, and neither more nor less, better nor worse, they would not be so bold and free in their censures and reproaches as they are. Those that found the priesthood, as it was settled, a blessing, must give all the praise to God; but if any found it a burden they must not therefore quarrel with Aaron, who is but what he is made, and does but as he is bidden. Thus he interested God in the cause, and so might be sure of speeding well in his appeal.

12 And Moses sent to call Dathan and Abiram, the sons of Eliab: which said, We will not come up: 13 Is 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? 14 Moreover 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. 15 And 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. 16 And Moses said unto Korah, Be thou and all thy company before the Lord , thou, and they, and Aaron, to morrow: 17 And 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. 18 And 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. 19 And 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. 20 And the Lord spake unto Moses and unto Aaron, saying, 21 Separate yourselves from among this congregation, that I may consume them in a moment. 22 And 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?

Here is, I. The insolence of Dathan and Abiram, and their treasonable remonstrance. Moses had heard what Korah had to say, and had answered it; now he summons Dathan and Abiram to bring in their complaints (v. 12); but they would not obey his summons, either because they could not for shame say that to his face which they were resolved to say, and then it is an instance of some remains of modesty in them; or, rather, because they would not so far own his authority, and then it is an instance of the highest degree of impudence. They spoke the language of Pharaoh himself, who set Moses at defiance, but they forgot how dearly he paid for it. Had not their heads been wretchedly heated, and their hearts hardened, they might have considered that, if they regarded not these messengers, Moses could soon in God's name send messengers of death for them. But thus the God of this world blinds the minds of those that believe not. But by the same messengers they send their articles of impeachment against Moses; and the charge runs very high. 1. They charge him with having done them a great deal of wrong in bringing them out of Egypt, invidiously calling that a land flowing with milk and honey, v. 13. Onions, and garlick, and fish, they had indeed plenty of in Egypt, but it never pretended to milk and honey; only they would thus banter the promise of Canaan. Ungrateful wretches, to represent that as an injury to them which was really the greatest favour that ever was bestowed upon any people! 2. They charge him with a design upon their lives, that he intended to kill them in the wilderness, though they were so well provided for. And, if they were sentenced to die in the wilderness, they must thank themselves. Moses would have healed them, and they would not be healed. 3. They charge him with a design upon their liberties, that he meant to enslave them, by making himself a prince over them. A prince over them! Was he not a tender father to them? nay, their devoted servant for the Lord's sake? Had they not their properties secured, their order preserved, and justice impartially administered? Did they not live in ease and honour? And yet they complain as if Moses's yoke were heavier than Pharaoh's. And did Moses make himself a prince? Far from it. How gladly would he have declined the office at first! How gladly would he have resigned it many a time since! And yet he is thus put under the blackest characters of a tyrant and a usurper. 4. They charge him with cheating them, raising their expectations of a good land, and then defeating them (v. 14): Thou hast not brought us, as thou promisedst us, into a land that floweth with milk and honey; and pray whose fault was that? He had brought them to the borders of it, and was just ready, under God, to put them in possession of it; but they thrust it away from them, and shut the door against themselves; so that it was purely their own fault that they were not now in Canaan, and yet Moses must bear the blame. Thus when the foolishness of man perverteth his way his heart fretteth against the Lord, Prov. xix. 3. 5. They charge him in the general with unfair dealing, that he put out the eyes of these men, and then meant to lead them blindfold as he pleased. The design of all he did for them was to open their eyes, and yet they insinuate that he intended to put out their eyes, that they might not see themselves imposed upon. Note, The wisest and best cannot please everybody, nor gain the good word of all. Those often fall under the heaviest censures who have merited the highest applause. Many a good work Moses had shown them from the Father, and for which of these do they reproach him?

II. Moses's just resentment of their insolence, v. 15. Moses, though the meekest man, yet, finding God reproached in him, was very wroth; he could not bear to see a people ruining themselves for whose salvation he had done so much. In this discomposure,

1. He appeals to God concerning his own integrity; whereas they basely reflected upon him as ambitious, covetous, and oppressive, in making himself a prince over them, God was his witness, (1.) That he never got any thing by them: I have not taken one ass from them, not only not by way of bribery and extortion, but not by way of recompence or gratuity for all the good offices he had done them; he never took the pay of a general, or the salary of a judge, much less the tribute of a prince. He got more in his estate when he kept Jethro's flock than when he came to be king in Jeshurun. (2.) That they never lost any thing by him: Neither have I hurt any one of them, no, not the least, no, not the worst, no, not those that had been most peevish and provoking to him: he never abused his power to the support of wrong. Note, Those that have never blemished themselves need not fear being slurred by others: when men condemn us we may be easy, if our own hearts condemn us not.

2. He begs of God to plead his cause, and clear him, by showing his displeasure at the incense which Korah and his company were to offer, with whom Dathan and Abiram were in confederacy. Lord, says he, Respect not thou their offering. Herein he seems to refer to the history of Cain, lately written by his own hand, of whom it is said that to him and his offering God had not respect, Gen. iv. 5. These that followed the gainsaying of Korah walked in the way of Cain (these are put together, Jude 11), and therefore he prays that they might be frowned upon as Cain was, and put to the same confusion.

III. Issue joined between Moses and his accusers. 1. Moses challenges them to appear with Aaron next morning, at the time of offering up the morning incense, and refer the matter to God's judgment, v. 16, 17. Since he could not convince them by his calm and affectionate reasoning, he is ready to enter into bonds to stand God's award, not doubting but that God would appear, to decide the controversy. This reference he had agreed to before (v. 6, 7), and here adds only one clause, which bespeaks his great condescension to the plaintiffs, that Aaron, against whose advancement they excepted, though now advanced by the divine institution to the honour of burning incense within the tabernacle, yet, upon this trial, should put himself into the place of a probationer, and stand upon the level with Korah, at the door of the tabernacle; nay, and Moses himself would stand with them, so that the complainant shall have all the fair dealing he can desire; and thus every mouth shall be stopped. 2. Korah accepts the challenge, and makes his appearance with Moses and Aaron at the door of the tabernacle, to make good his pretensions, v. 18, 19. If he had not had a very great stock of impudence, he could not have carried on the matter thus far. Had not he lately seen Nadab and Abihu, the consecrated priests, struck dead for daring to offer incense with unhallowed fire? and could he and his accomplices expect to fare any better in offering incense with unhallowed hands? Yet, to confront Moses and Aaron, in the height of his pride he thus bids defiance to Heaven, and pretends to demand the divine acceptance without a divine warrant; thus wretchedly is the heart hardened through the deceitfulness of sin. They took every man his censer. Perhaps these were some of the censers which these heads of families had made use of at their family-altars, before this part of religious service was confined to the priesthood and the altar in the tabernacle (and they would bring them into use and reputation again); or they might be common chafing-dishes, which were for their ordinary use. Now to attend the solemn trial, and to be witness of the issue, one would have thought Moses should have gathered the congregation against the rebels, but it seems Korah gathered them against Moses (v. 19), which intimates that a great part of the congregation sided with Korah, were at his beck, and wished him success, and that Korah's hopes were very high of carrying the point against Aaron; for, had he suspected the event, he would not have coveted to make the trial thus public: but little did he think that he was now calling the congregation together to be the witnesses of his own confusion! Note, Proud and ambitious men, while they are projecting their own advancement, often prove to have been hurrying on their own shameful fall.

IV. The judgment set, and the Judge taking the tribunal, and threatening to give sentence against the whole congregation. 1. The glory of the Lord appeared, v. 19. The same glory that appeared to instal Aaron in his office at first (Lev. ix. 23) now appeared to confirm him in it, and to confound those that oppose him, and set up themselves in competition with him. The Shechinah, or divine Majesty, the glory of the eternal Word, which ordinarily dwelt between the cherubim within the veil, now was publicly seen over the door of the tabernacle, to the terror of the whole congregation; for, though they saw no manner of similitude, yet probably the appearances of the light and fire were such as plainly showed God to be angry with them; as when he appeared, ch. xiv. 10. Nothing is more terrible to those who are conscious of guilt than the appearances of divine glory; for such a glorious Being must needs be a formidable enemy. 2. God threatened to consume them all in a moment, and, in order to that, bade Moses and Aaron stand from among them, v. 21. God thus showed what their sin deserved, and how very provoking it was to him. See what a dangerous thing it is to have fellowship with sinners, and in the least to partake with them. Many of the congregation, it is likely, came only for company, following the crowd, or for curiosity, to see the issue, yet not coming, as they ought to have done, to bear their testimony against the rebels, and openly to declare for God and Moses, they had like to have been all consumed in a moment. If we follow the herd into which the devil has entered, it is at our peril.

V. The humble intercession of Moses and Aaron for the congregation, v. 22. 1. Their posture was importuning: they fell on their faces, prostrating themselves before God, as supplicants in good earnest, that they might prevail for sparing mercy. Though the people had treacherously deserted them, and struck in with those that were in arms against them, yet they approved themselves faithful to the trusts reposed in them, as shepherds of Israel, who were to stand in the breach when they saw the flock in danger. Note, If others fail in their duty to us, this does not discharge us from our duty to them, nor take off the obligations we lie under to seek their welfare. 2. Their prayer was a pleading prayer, and it proved a prevailing one. Now God would have destroyed them if Moses had not turned away his wrath (Ps. cvi. 23); yet far be it from us to imagine that Moses was more considerate or more compassionate than God in such a case as this: but God saw fit to show his just displeasure against the sin of sinners by the sentence, and at the same time to show his gracious condescension to the prayers of the saints, by the revocation of the sentence at the intercession of Moses. Observe in the prayer, (1.) The title they give to God: The God of the spirits of all flesh. See what man is; he is a spirit in flesh, a soul embodied, a creature wonderfully compounded of heaven and earth. See what God is; he is the God of the spirits of all mankind. He forms the spirit, Zech. xii. 1. He fathers it, Heb. xii. 9. He has an ability to fashion it (Ps. xxxiii. 15), and authority to dispose of it, for he has said, All souls are mine, Ezek. xviii. 4. They insinuate hereby that though, as the God of the spirits of all flesh, he might in sovereignty consume this congregation in a moment, yet it was to be hoped that he would in mercy spare them, not only because they were the work of his own hands, and he had a propriety in them, but because, being the God of spirits, he knew their frame, and could distinguish between the leaders and the led, between those who sinned maliciously and those who were drawn in by their wiles, and would make a difference accordingly in his judgments. (2.) The argument they insist on; it is much the same with that which Abraham urged in his intercession for Sodom (Gen. xviii. 23): Wilt thou destroy the righteous with the wicked? Such is the plea here: Shall one man sin and wilt thou be wroth with all the congregation? Not but that it was the sin of them all to join in this matter, but the great transgression was his that first hatched the treason. Note, Whatever God may do in sovereignty and strict justice, we have reason to hope that he will not destroy a congregation for the sin of one, but that, righteousness and peace having kissed each other in the undertaking of the Redeemer, mercy shall rejoice against judgment. Moses knew that all the congregation must perish in the wilderness by degrees, yet he is thus earnest in prayer that they might not be consumed at once, and would reckon it a favour to obtain a reprieve. Lord, let it alone this year.

23 And the Lord spake unto Moses, saying, 24 Speak unto the congregation, saying, Get you up from about the tabernacle of Korah, Dathan, and Abiram. 25 And Moses rose up and went unto Dathan and Abiram; and the elders of Israel followed him. 26 And 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. 27 So 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. 28 And 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. 29 If 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. 30 But 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 . 31 And it came to pass, as he had made an end of speaking all these words, that the ground clave asunder that was under them: 32 And the earth opened her mouth, and swallowed them up, and their houses, and all the men that appertained unto Korah, and all their goods. 33 They, 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. 34 And all Israel that were round about them fled at the cry of them: for they said, Lest the earth swallow us up also.

We have here the determining of the controversy with Dathan and Abiram, who rebelled against Moses, as in the next paragraph the determining of the controversy with Korah and his company, who would be rivals with Aaron. It should seem that Dathan and Abiram had set up a spacious tabernacle in the midst of the tents of their families, where they kept court, met in council, and hung out their flag of defiance against Moses; it is here called the tabernacle of Korah, Dathan, and Abiram, v. 24, 27. There, as in the place of rendezvous, Dathan and Abiram staid, when Korah and his friends went up to the tabernacle of the Lord, waiting the issue of their trial; but here we are told how they had their business done, before that trial was over. For God will take what method he pleases in his judgments.

I. Public warning is given to the congregation to withdraw immediately from the tents of the rebels. 1. God bids Moses speak to this purport, v. 24. This was in answer to Moses's prayer. He had begged that God would not destroy the whole congregation. "Well," says God, "I will not, provided they be so wise as to shift for their own safety, and get out of the way of danger. If they will quit the rebels, well and good, they shall not perish with them; otherwise, let them take what follows." Note, We cannot expect to reap benefit by the prayers of our friends for our salvation, unless we ourselves be diligent and faithful in making use of the means of salvation; for God never promised to save by miracles those that would not save themselves by means. Moses that had prayed for them must preach this to them, and warn them to flee from this wrath to come. 2. Moses accordingly repairs to the head-quarters of the rebels, leaving Aaron at the door of the tabernacle, v. 25. Dathan and Abiram had contumaciously refused to come up to him (v. 12), yet he humbly condescends to go down to them, to try if he could yet convince and reclaim them. Ministers must thus with meekness instruct those that oppose themselves, and not think it below them to stoop to those that are most stubborn, for their good. Christ himself stretches out his hand to a rebellious and gainsaying people. The seventy elders of Israel attend Moses and his guard, to secure him from the insolence of the rabble, and by their presence to put an honour upon him, and if possible to strike an awe upon the rebels. It is our duty to contribute all we can to the countenance and support of injured innocency and honour. 3. Proclamation is made that all manner of persons, as they tendered their own safety, should forthwith depart from the tents of these wicked men (v. 26), and thus should signify that they deserted their cause and interest, detested their crimes and counsels, and dreaded the punishment coming upon them. Note, Those that would not perish with sinners must come out from among them, and be separate. In vain do we pray, Gather not our souls with sinners, if we save not ourselves from the untoward generation. God's people are called out of Babylon, lest they share both in her sins and in her plagues, Rev. xviii. 4.

II. The congregation takes the warning, but the rebels themselves continue obstinate, v. 27. 1. God, in mercy, inclined the people to forsake the rebels: They got up from the tabernacle of Korah, Dathan, and Abiram, both those whose lot it was to pitch near them (who doubtless with themselves removed their families, and all their effects) and those also who had come from all parts of their camp to see the issue. It was in answer to the prayer of Moses that God thus stirred up the hearts of the congregation to shift for their own preservation. Note, To those whom God will save he gives repentance, that they may recover themselves out of the snare of the devil. Grace to separate from evil doers is one of the things that accompany salvation. 2. God, in justice, left the rebels to the obstinacy and hardness of their own hearts. Though they saw themselves abandoned by all their neighbours, and set up as a mark to the arrows of God's justice, yet instead of falling down and humbling themselves before God and Moses, owning their crime and begging pardon, instead of fleeing and dispersing themselves to seek for shelter in the crowd, they impudently stood in the doors of their tents, as if they would out-face God himself, and dare him to his worst. Thus were their hearts hardened to their own destruction, and they were fearless when their case was most fearful. But what a pity was it that their little children, who were not capable of guilt or fear, should by the presumption of their parents be put in this audacious posture! Happy they who are taught betimes to bow before God, and not as those unhappy little ones to stand it out against him!

III. Sentence is solemnly pronounced upon them by Moses in the name of the Lord, and the decision of the controversy is put upon the execution of that sentence by the almighty power of God. Moses, by divine instinct and direction, when the eyes of all Israel were fastened upon him, waiting the event, moved with a just and holy indignation at the impudence of the rebels, boldly puts the whole matter to a surprising issue, v. 28-30. 1. If the rebels die a common death, he will be content to be called and counted an impostor; not only if they die a natural death, but if they die by any sort of judgment that has formerly been executed on other malefactors. "If they die by the plague, or by fire from heaven, or by the sword, then say, God has disowned Moses;" but, 2. "If the earth open and swallow them up" (a punishment without precedent), "then let all the house of Israel know assuredly that I am God's servant, sent by him, and employed for him, and that those that fight against me fight against him." The judgment itself would have been proof enough of God's displeasure against the rebels, and would have given all men to understand that they had provoked the Lord; but when it was thus solemnly foretold and appealed to by Moses beforehand, when there was not the least previous indication of it from without, the convincing evidence of it was much the stronger, and it was put beyond dispute that he was not only a servant but a favourite of Heaven, who was so intimately acquainted with the divine counsels, and could obtain such extraordinary appearances of the divine power in his vindication.

IV. Execution is immediately done. It appeared that God and his servant Moses understood one another very well; for, as soon as ever Moses had spoken the word, God did the work, the earth clave asunder (v. 31), opened her mouth, and swallowed them all up, them and theirs (v. 32), and then closed upon them, v. 33. This judgment was, 1. Unparalleled. God, in it, created a new thing, did what he never did before; for he has many arrows in his quiver; and there are diversities of operations in wrath as well as mercy. Dathan and Abiram thought themselves safe because they were at a distance from the shechinah, whence the fire of the Lord had sometimes issued, qui procul à Jove (they say) procul à fulmine—he who is far from Jove is far from the thunderbolt. But God made them to know that he was not tied up to one way of punishing; the earth, when he pleases, shall serve his justice as effectually as the fire. 2. It was very terrible to the sinners themselves to go down alive into their own graves, to be dead and buried in an instant, to go down thus to the bars of the pit when they were in their full strength wholly at ease and quiet. 3. It was severe upon their poor children, who, for the greater terror of the judgment, and fuller indication of the divine wrath, perished as parts of their parents, in which, though we cannot particularly tell how bad they might be to deserve it or how good God might be otherwise to them to compensate it, yet of this we are sure in the general, that Infinite Justice did them no wrong. Far be it from God that he should do iniquity. 4. It was altogether miraculous. The cleaving of the earth was as wonderful, and as much above the power of nature, as the cleaving of the sea, and the closing of the earth again more so than the closing of the waters. God has all the creatures at his command, and can make any of them, when he pleases, instruments of his justice; nor will any of them be our friends if he be our enemy. God now confirmed to Israel what Moses had lately taught them in that prayer of his, Ps. xc. 11, Who knows the power of thy anger? He has, when he pleases, strange punishments for the workers of iniquity, Job xxxi. 3. Let us therefore conclude, Who is able to stand before this holy Lord God? 5. It was very significant. They set their mouths against the heavens, and their throat was an open sepulchre; justly therefore does the earth open her mouth upon them and swallow them up. They made a rent in the congregation; justly therefore is the earth rent under them. Presumptuous sinners, that hate to be reformed, are a burden to the earth, the whole creation groans under them, which here was signified by this, that the earth sunk under these rebels, as weary of bearing them and being under them. And, considering how the earth is still in like manner loaded with the weight of iniquity, we have reason to wonder that this was the only time it ever sunk under its load. 6. It was typical of the eternal ruin of sinners who die impenitent, who, perhaps in allusion to this, are said to sink down into the pit (Ps. ix. 15) and to go down quickly into hell, Ps. lv. 15. But David, even when he sinks in deep mire, yet prays in faith, Let not the pit shut her mouth upon me, as it does on the damned, between whom and life there is a gulf fixed, Ps. lxix. 2-15. His case was bad, but not, like this, desperate.

V. All Israel is alarmed at the judgment: They fled at the cry of them, v. 34. They cried for help when it was too late. Their doleful shrieks, instead of fetching their neighbours in to their relief, drove them so much the further off; for knowing their own guilt, and one another's, they hastened one another, saying, Lest the earth swallow us up also. Note, Others' ruins should be our warnings. Could we by faith hear the outcries of those that have gone down to the bottomless pit, we should give more diligence than we do to escape for our lives, lest we also come into that condemnation.

35 And there came out a fire from the Lord , and consumed the two hundred and fifty men that offered incense. 36 And the Lord spake unto Moses, saying, 37 Speak 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. 38 The 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. 39 And Eleazar the priest took the brazen censers, wherewith they that were burnt had offered; and they were made broad plates for a covering of the altar: 40 To 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.

We must now look back to the door of the tabernacle, where we left the pretenders to the priesthood with their censers in their hands ready to offer incense; and here we find,

I. Vengeance taken on them, v. 35. It is probable that when the earth opened in the camp to swallow up Dathan and Abiram a fire went out from the Lord and consumed the 250 men that offered incense, while Aaron that stood with them was preserved alive. This punishment was not indeed so new a thing as the former, for Nadab and Abihu thus died; but it was not less strange or dreadful, and in it it appeared, 1. That our God is a consuming fire. Is thunder a sensible indication of the terror of his voice? Lightning is also the power of his hand. We must see in this his fiery indignation which devours the adversaries, and infer from it what a fearful thing it is to fall into the hands of the living God, Heb. x. 27-31. 2. That it is at our peril if we meddle with that which does not belong to us. God is jealous of the honour of his own institutions, and will not have them invaded. It is most probable that Korah himself was consumed with those 250 that presumed to offer incense; for the priesthood was the thing he aimed at, and therefore we have reason to think that he would not quit his post at the door of the tabernacle. But, behold, those are made sacrifices to the justice of God who flattered themselves with the hopes of being priests. Had they been content with their office as Levites, which was sacred and honourable, and better than they deserved, they might have lived and died with joy and reputation; but, like the angels that sinned, leaving their first estate, and aiming at the honours that were not appointed them, they were thrust down to Hades, their censers struck out of their hands, and their breath out of their bodies, by a burning which typified the vengeance of eternal fire.

II. Care is taken to perpetuate the remembrance of this vengeance. No mention is made of the taking up of their carcases: the scripture leaves them as dung upon the face of the earth; but orders are given about their censers, 1. That they be secured, because they are hallowed. Eleazar is charged with this, v. 37. Those invaders of the priesthood had proceeded so far, by the divine patience and submission, as to kindle their incense with fire from off the altar, which they were suffered to use by way of experiment: but, as soon as they had kindled their fire, God kindled another, which put a fatal final period to their pretensions; now Eleazar is ordered to scatter the fire, with the incense that was kindled with it, in some unclean place without the camp, to signify God's abhorrence of their offering as a polluted thing: The sacrifice of the wicked is an abomination to the Lord. But he is to gather up the censers out of the mingled burning, God's fire and theirs, because they are hallowed. Having been once put to a holy use, and that by God's own order (though only for trial), they must not return to common service; so some understand it: rather, they are devoted, they are an anathema; and therefore, as all devoted things, they must be made some way or other serviceable to the glory of God. 2. That they be used in the service of the sanctuary, not as censers, which would rather have put honour upon the usurpers whose disgrace was intended; nor was there occasion for brazen censers, the golden altar was served with golden ones; but they must be beaten into broad plates for a covering of the brazen altar, v. 38-40. These pretenders thought to have ruined the altar, by laying the priesthood in common again; but to show that Aaron's office was so far from being shaken by their impotent malice that it was rather confirmed by it, their censers, which offered to rival his, were used both for the adorning and for the preserving of the altar at which he ministered. Yet this was not all; this covering of the altar must be a memorial to the children of Israel, throughout their generations, of this great event. Though there was so much in it astonishing, and though Moses was to record it in his history, yet there was danger of its being forgotten in process of time; impressions that seem deep are not always durable; therefore it was necessary to appoint this record of the judgment, that the Levites who attended this altar, and had their inferior services appointed them, might learn to keep within their bounds, and be afraid of transgressing them, lest they should be made like Korah and his company, who were Levites, and would have been priests. These censers were preserved in terrorem, that others might hear and fear, and do no more presumptuously. Thus God has provided that his wonderful works, both in mercy and judgment, should be had in everlasting remembrance, that the end of them may be answered, and they may serve for instruction and admonition to those on whom the ends of the world are come.

41 But 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 . 42 And 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. 43 And Moses and Aaron came before the tabernacle of the congregation. 44 And the Lord spake unto Moses, saying, 45 Get you up from among this congregation, that I may consume them as in a moment. And they fell upon their faces. 46 And 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. 47 And 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. 48 And he stood between the dead and the living; and the plague was stayed. 49 Now they that died in the plague were fourteen thousand and seven hundred, beside them that died about the matter of Korah. 50 And Aaron returned unto Moses unto the door of the tabernacle of the congregation: and the plague was stayed.

Here is, I. A new rebellion raised the very next day against Moses and Aaron. Be astonished, O heavens, at this, and wonder, O earth! Was there ever such an instance of the incurable corruption of sinners? On the morrow (v. 41) the body of the people mutinied. 1. Though they were so lately terrified by the sight of the punishment of the rebels. The shrieks of those sinking sinners, those sinners against their own souls, were yet sounding in their ears, the smell of the fire yet remained, and the gaping earth was scarcely thoroughly closed, and yet the same sins were re-acted and all these warnings slighted. 2. Though they were so lately saved from sharing in the same punishment, and the survivors were as brands plucked out of the burning, yet they fly in the face of Moses and Aaron, to whose intercession they owed their preservation. Their charge runs very high: You have killed the people of the Lord. Could any thing have been said more unjustly and maliciously? They canonize the rebels, calling those the people of the Lord who died in arms against him. They stigmatize divine justice itself. It was plain enough that Moses and Aaron had no hand in their death (they did what they could to save them), so that in charging them with murder they did in effect charge God himself with it. The continued obstinacy of this people, notwithstanding the terrors of God's law as it was given on Mount Sinai, and the terrors of his judgments as they were here executed on the disobedient, shows how necessary the grace of God is to the effectual change of men's hearts and lives, without which the most likely means will never attain the end. Love will do what fear could not.

II. God's speedy appearance against the rebels. When they had gathered against Moses and Aaron, perhaps with a design to depose or murder them, they looked towards the tabernacle, as if their misgiving consciences expected some frowns thence, and, behold, the glory of the Lord appeared (v. 42), for the protection of his servants, and the confusion of his and their accusers and adversaries. Moses and Aaron thereupon came before the tabernacle, partly for their own safety (there they took sanctuary from the strife of tongues, Ps. xxvii. 5; xxxi. 20), and partly for advice, to know what was the mind of God upon this occasion, v. 43. Justice hereupon declares that they deserve to be consumed in a moment, v. 45. Why should those live another day who hate to be reformed, and whose rebellions are their daily practices? Let just vengeance take place and do its work, and the trouble will soon be over; only Moses and Aaron must first be secured.

III. The intercession which Moses and Aaron made for them. Though they had as much reason, one would think, as Elias had to make intercession against Israel (Rom. xi. 2), yet they forgive and forget the indignities offered them, and are the best friends their enemies have. 1. They both fell on their faces, humbly to intercede with God for mercy, knowing how great the provocation was. This they had done several times before, upon similar occasions; and, though the people had basely requited them for it, yet, God having graciously accepted them, they still have recourse to the same method. This is praying always. 2. Moses, perceiving that the plague had begun in the congregation of the rebels (that is, that body of them which was gathered against Moses), sent Aaron by an act of his priestly office to make atonement for them, v. 46. And Aaron readily went and burned incense between the living and the dead, not to purify the infected air, but to pacify an offended God, and so stayed the progress of the judgment. By this it appeared, (1.) That Aaron was a very good man, and a man that had a true love for the children of his people, though they hated and envied him. Though God was now avenging his quarrel and pleading the cause of his priesthood, yet he interposes to turn away God's wrath. Nay, forgetting his age and gravity, he ran into the midst of the congregation to help them. He did not say, "Let them smart awhile, and then, when I come, I shall be the more welcome;" but, as one tender of the life of every Israelite, he makes all possible speed into the gap at which death was entering. Moses and Aaron, who had been charged with killing the people of the Lord, might justly have upbraided them now; could they expect those to be their saviours whom they had so invidiously called their murderers? But those good men have taught us here by their example not to be sullen towards those that are peevish with us, nor to take the advantage which men give us by their provoking language to deny them any real kindness which it is in the power of our hands to do them. We must render good for evil. (2.) That Aaron was a very bold man—bold to venture into the midst of an enraged rabble that were gathered together against him, and who, for aught he knew, might be the more exasperated by the plague that had begun—bold to venture into the midst of the infection, where the arrows of death flew thickest, and hundreds, nay thousands, were falling on the right hand and on the left. To save their lives he put his own into his hand, not counting it dear to him, so that he might but fulfil his ministry. (3.) That Aaron was a man of God, and ordained for men, in things pertaining to God. His call to the priesthood was hereby abundantly confirmed and set above all contradiction; God had not only saved his life when the intruders were cut off, but now made him an instrument for saving Israel. Compare the censer of Aaron here with the censers of those sinners against their own souls. Those provoked God's anger, this pacified it; those destroyed men's lives, this saved them; no room therefore is left to doubt of Aaron's call to the priesthood. Note, Those make out the best title to public honours that lay out themselves the most for public good and obtain mercy of the Lord to be faithful and useful. If any man will be great, let him make himself the servant of all. (4.) That Aaron was a type of Christ, who came into the world to make an atonement for sin and to turn away the wrath of God from us, and who, by his mediation and intercession, stands between the living and the dead, to secure his chosen Israel to himself, and save them out of the midst of a world infected with sin and the curse.

IV. The result and issue of the whole matter. 1. God's justice was glorified in the death of some. Great execution the sword of the Lord did in a very little time. Though Aaron made all the haste he could, yet, before he could reach his post of service, there were 14,700 men laid dead upon the spot, v. 49. There were but few comparatively that died about the matter of Korah, the ring-leaders only were made examples; but, the people not being led to repentance by the patience and forbearance of God with them, justice is not now so sparing of the blood of Israelites. They complained of the death of a few hundreds as an unmerciful slaughter made among the people of the Lord, but here God silences that complaint by the slaughter of many thousands. Note, Those that quarrel with less judgments prepare greater for themselves; for when God judges he will overcome. 2. His mercy was glorified in the preservation of the rest. God showed them what he could do by his power, and what he might do in justice, but then showed them what he would do in his love and pity: he would, notwithstanding all this, preserve them a people to himself in and by a mediator. The cloud of Aaron's incense coming from his hand stayed the plague. Note, It is much for the glory of God's goodness that many a time even in wrath he remembers mercy. And, even when judgments have been begun, prayer puts a stop to them; so ready is he to forgive, and so little pleasure does he take in the death of sinners.

CHAP. XVI.

[non-Latin text not transcribed]

ANd Korah the sonne of Izhar, the son of Kohath, the sonne of Levi, he tooke men; and Dathan and Abiram the sonnes of Eliab, and On the sonne of Peleth, sonnes of Reuben. And they rose up before Moses, and men of the sonnes of Israel, two hundred and fiftie, Princes of the congregation, the called of the assembly, men of name.

And they gathered themselves together, against Moses and against Aaron, and said unto them; Yee take too much upon you; for all the congregation, all of them are holy, and Iehovah is among them; and wherefore lift ye up your selves above the Church of Iehovah? And Moses heard it, and fell upon his face. And hee spake unto Korah, and unto all his congregation, saying; Even in the morning Iehovah will make knowne him that is his, and who is holy, and whom he will cause to come neere unto him: even him whom he hath chosen, hee will cause to come neere unto him. This doe yee: take unto you censers, Korah and all his congregation. And put ye fire in them, and put incense on them before Iehovah to morrow; and it shall be, that the man whom Iehovah doth choose, he shall be holy: ye take too much upon you, ye sons of Levi. And Moses said unto Korah, Heare I pray you, ye sons of Levi. Is it a small thing for you, that the God of Israel hath separated you, from the congregation of Israel, to bring you neere unto him, to serve the service of the Tabernacle of Iehovah, and to stand before the congregation to minister unto them? And he hath brought thee neere, and all thy brethren the sonnes of Levi with thee; and seeke yee the Priesthood also? For which cause, thou and all thy congregation are gathered together against Iehovah: and Aaron what is he, that ye murmure against him? And Moses sent to call Dathan and Abiram, the sons of Eliab: and they said, We will not come up. Is it a smal thing that thou hast brought us up out of the land that floweth with milke and honey, to kill us in the wildernesse: that thou makest thy selfe a Prince over us, even making thy selfe a Prince? Moreover, thou hast not brought us into a land that floweth with milke & honey, & givē unto vs an inheritāce of field & vineyard: wilt thou dig out the eies of these men? we will not comeup. And Moses was very wroth; and he said unto Iehovah, Respect not thou their offering; I have not taken one asse from them, neither have I hurt one of them. And Moses said unto Korah; Thou and all thy congregation, be yee before Iehovah; thou and they, and Aaron, to morrow. And take yee every man his censer, and put incense on them; and bring ye neere before Iehovah, every man his censer, two hundred and fiftie censers: and thou and Aaron, each man his censer. And they tooke every man his censer, and put fire on them, and put incense on them: and they stood at the doore of the Tent of the congregation, and Moses and Aaron. And Korah gathered against them, all the congregation, unto the doore of the Tent of the congregation, and the glory of Iehovah appeared unto all the congregation.

And Iehovah spake unto Moses, and unto Aaron, saying; Separate your selves from among this congregation, and I will consume them, as in a moment. And 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 fervently wroth with all the congregation?

And Iehovah spake unto Moses, saying; Speake unto the congregation, saying: Get you up from about the Tabernacle of Korah, Dathan, and Abiram. And Moses rose up and went unto Dathan and Abiram: and the Elders of Israel went after him. And he spake unto the congregation, saying; Depart, I pray you, from the tents of these wicked men, and touch not any thing that is theirs, lest ye be consumed in all their sinnes.

And they went up from the Tabernacle of Korah, Dathan, and Abiram, on every side; and Dathan and Abiram came out and stood in the doore of their Tents, and their wives, and their sonnes, and their little ones. And Moses said, Hereby ye shall know that Iehovah hath sent me to doe all these workes: for (I doe them) not of mine owne heart. If these men die, as all men die, and they be visited after the visitation of all men, Iehovah hath not sent me. But if Iehovah create a new thing, and the earth open her mouth, and swallow up them, and all that appertaine unto them, and they goe downe alive unto hell; then ye shall know, that these men have provoked Iehovah. And it was as he had made an end of speaking all these words, that the ground clave asunder which was under them. And the earth opened her mouth, and swallowed up them and their houses, and all the men that appertained unto Korah, and all their substance. And they, and all that appertained unto them, went downe alive unto hell: and the earth closed upon them, and they perished from among the Church. And all Israel that were round about them, fled at the voice of them: for they said, Lest the earth swallow up us. And a fire came forth from Iehovah, and devoured the two hundred and fiftie men that offered incense.

And Iehovah spake unto Moses, saying; Speake unto Eleazar the sonne of Aaron the Priest, that he take up the censers out of the burning; and scatter thou the fire yonder, for they are hallowed. The censers of these sinners against their owne soules, and let them make them broad plates, for a covering of the Altar; for they offered them before Iehovah, and they are hallowed, and they shall be for a signe unto the sonnes of Israel. And Eleazar the Priest tooke the brazen censers, which they that were burnt had offered, and they were made broad plates, for a covering of the Altar. A memoriall unto the sonnes of Israel, that not any stranger, which is not of the seed of Aaron, come neere to offer incense before Iehovah; that he be not as Korah, and as his congregation, as Iehovah spake by the hand of Moses unto him.

And on the morrow, all the congregation of the sonnes of Israel murmured against Moses, and against Aaron, saying; you have killed the people of Iehovah. And it was when the congregation was gathered against Moses, and against Aaron, that they looked towards the Tent of the congregation; and behold the cloud covered it, and the glory of Iehovah appeared. And Moses and Aaron came before the Tent of the congregation.

And Iehovah spake unto Moses, saying; Get you up frō among this congregation; & I will consume them as in a moment: and they fell upon their faces. And Moses said unto Aaron; Take the censer, and put fire thereon from off the Altar, and put on incense, and goe quickly unto the congregation, and make atonement for them: for fervent wrath is gone out from before Iehovah, the plague is begun. And Aaron tooke as Moses had spoken, and ranne into the midst of the Church, and behold the plague was begun among the people: and he put on incense, and made atonement for the people.

And he stood betweene the dead and the living, and the plague was stayed. And they that died in the plague, were fourteene thousand and seuen hundred, beside them that died about the matter of Korah. And Aaron returned unto Moses, unto the doore of the Tent of the congregation, and the plague was stayed.

Annotations. [non-Latin text not transcribed] Here beginneth the 38 Lecture of the Law, which the Hebrewes call Korah, because his rebellion is the principall thing here treated of: see Gen. 6. 9. VErse 1. Korah] or Korach; in Greeke, Kore, Iude, ver. 11. Izhar] in Greeke, Isaar. Kohath] in Greeke, Kaath. he tooke] to wit, men with him: so Korah is noted as the principall in the rebellion, which the Apostle therefore calleth the gaine-saying of Kore, Iude verse 11. and in Num. 27. 3. onely Korahs company is mentioned, where speech is of this mutinie. The Greeke translateth, he spake, to signifie that he tooke others by perswading them to his faction. The Chaldee understands it of taking, that is, withdrawing of himselfe, saying, And Korah separated himselfe. Thus Sol. Iarchi also expoundeth it, he tooke him-selfe aside to be apart from the congregation. and Dathan and Abiram] this may be understood, that they also tooke men and separated themselves: or rather, that Kore tooke these men unto him, and so to reade it, he tooke Dathan and Abiram, or he tooke both Dathan and Abiram; for the word and in Hebrew, may sometime be omitted in our English speech, as is shewed on Gen. 8. 6. or be interpreted both, as explaining the former words: see the annotations on Gen. 36. 24. And thus Chazkuni expoundeth it, And Korah tooke: it meaneth the taking of men; and whom tooke he? Dathan and Abiram, &c. AND before DATHAN is redundant here, as often elsewhere. Abiram] in Greeke, Ab[illegible: 1 letter]iron. Eliab] in Greeke, Eliam: hee was son to Phallu the sonne of Reuben, Num. 26. 7, 8, 9. Gen. 46. 9. On] in Greeke, Ann, and Aunan. Peleth] in Greeke, Phaleth. sonnes of Reuben] Dathan, Abiram, and On, were all sonnes, that is, of the posteritie of Reuben, who was the first-borne of Israel, but lost his honour by his sinne, 1 Chron. 5. 1. which his sonnes by unlawfull meanes seeke to recover. And these Reubenites camped next unto Korah and the Kohathites, on the Southside of the Tabernacie, (as is shewed in Num. 2.) and so being neighbours in situation, associated themselves in evill, which Sol. Iarchi observing, saith thereupon, Woe be to the wicked, and woe unto his neighbour. Korah being a Levite of the Kohathites, which was the chiefe familie of the Levites, as is noted on Num. 3. 28. he tooke offence (as Iarchi on this place saith;) and envied at the preferment of Elizaphan the sonne of Vzziel, whom Moses had made Prince over the sonnes of Kohath, Num. 3. 30. when he was of the youngest brother Vzziell, and Korah himselfe was of Izhar, elder than he: see Num. 3. 27. 30. But by the sequell here it appeareth, that the lift up himselfe not onely against Elizaphan, but against Moses and Aaron, and sought the Priesthood also, verse 10. Verse 2. and men] that is, Korah and men, as appeareth by verse 5. 16, 17. where these are called Korahs congregation. the called of the assembly] Senators called to the assemblie (and as the Greeke translateth it, councell) of the governours: in Chap. 1. 16. such are named the called of the congregation, and in Chap. 26. 9. Dathan and Abiram are named the called of the congregation, who strove against Moses, &c. so these were States-men, famous and renowned, whereby the conspiracie was the stronger. men of name] that is, of renowne; this title is given to the Giants before the Flood, Gen. 6. 4. Whereupon Baal hatturim here noteth, Men of name for wisedome and for wealth; and they condemned themselves, as did the generation of the Flood, which were of old, men of name. Verse 3. Ye take too much upon you] or, Let it suffice you, as this phrase is translated in Deut. 3. 26. Hebr. much to you: or, enough for you: which Sol. Iarchi expoundeth thus, yee have taken to your selves greatnesse, much more than enough. So after in verse 7. holy] and therefore may approach unto God and offer their sacrifices. This they meant, as Moses answer sheweth in verse 5. and 10. So the presumption of their owne holinesse, brought them to ambition and affectation of the Priesthood: an honour which no man should take to himselfe, but he that is called of God, as was Aaron, Hebr. 5. 4. Iehovah is] in Chaldee, the divine presence (or Majestie) of the LORD dwelleth among them. Verse 4. fell on his face] as affected with their words, humbling himselfe, and (in likelihood) praying unto God, as in verse 22. Chazkuni saith, He was abashed, and cast downe his face on the ground unto prayer: and there it was said unto him (of God) what he should say unto Korah. Like gesture he used at their former murmuring, Num. 14. 5. and after in Num. 20. 6. Verse 5. Even in the morning] or, the morning (shall come) and Iehovah will make knowne, &c. Iudgement is deferred till the morrow morning, so they had that time to consider of their fact: and the morning is usually the time of judgement, both by men, as, In the mornings I will suppresse all the wicked of the land, Psal. 101. 8. Iudge judgement in the morning, Ier. 21. 12. and by God himselfe; as, Morning by morning doth he bring his judgement to light, Zeph. 3. 5. and, my rebuke is in the mornings, Psal. 73. 14. So in the morning judgement came upon Sodome, Gen. 19. 23, 24. and the plagues or Egypt, Exod. 7. 15. and 8. 20. and 9. 13. and 10. 1[illegible: 1 letter]. and the pestilence on Israel, 2 Sam. 24. 15. and so shall evill come upon sinners, and they shall not know the morning thereof, Esai. 47. 11. Boker, the morning, is derived of Baker, he inquired, or looked out; whereupon the Greeke Interpreters reading without vowels, translated it, The Lord hath looked out and knowne those that are his: but the Chaldee saith, in the morning, thē the LORD wil make known, &c. make knowne him] or, make knowne those that are his; so the Greeke translateth, knoweth, (or hath knowne) those that are his: which very words Paul (from this history) applieth to Gods knowledge, care and love of his Elect whom he sanctifieth, and keepeth from falling away, as did certaine heretiks in those dayes, 2 Tim. 2. 17, 18, 19, 20. This therefore is a speech of faith, whereby Moses testifieth his confidence in God, who had separated Aaron unto the Priesthood, and himselfe unto the government in Israel; and would maintaine their cause and calling against all opposers. And because these two offices figured the grace given by Christ unto his Elect, whom he hath made Kings and Priests, even a kingly Priesthood, and an holy Nation, Revel. 1. 6. and 5. 10. 1 Pet. 2. 9. therefore the Apostle (in 2 Tim. 2.) fitly citeth these words for the comfort of the Saints, & faithfull ministers of Christ, against revolters: even as an other Apostle applieth also against such, the way of Kain, the errour of Balaam, and the contradiction (or rebellion) of Kore; wherein they perish, Iude verse 11. The Chaldee translateth it, and will make knowne him that is fit for him. and who is hol[illegible: 1 letter] or, and the holy one, that is, him whom hee hath sanctified and separated unto the Priests office. So David (speaking of this rebellion) calleth Aaron the holy one (or Saint) of Iehovah, Psal. 106. 16. and he wore on the golden plate, this ingraving, Holines[illegible: 1 letter]e to Iehovah, Exod. 28. 36. for he figured our high Priest Christ, who was holy, harmlesse, undefiled, separate from sinners, & made higher than the heavens, Heb. 7. 26. and who glorified not himselfe to be made an high Priest, but had the honor given him of his Father, Heb. 5. 5, 6. and Korahs rebellion against Aaron was a type of mens rebellion against Christ, as the Apostles have taught us. The Greeke translateth (as before) plurally, saying, and the holy ones he hath brought neere unto himselfe. cause to come neere] or, bring neere, to wit, to minister unto him, as the Chaldee interpreteth it. And this honor of Priesthood, given now unto all Saints, who are to offer up spirituall sacrifices, acceptable to God by Iesus Christ, 1 Pet. 2. 5. is commended by David, when he saith, Blessed is he whom thou choosest and causest to come neere unto thee, that he may dwell in thy courts, Ps. 65. 5. Which bringing neere, (or, accesse) we all have through Christ by one spirit unto the Father, with confidence by the faith of him, Ephes. 2. 18. and 3. 12. This latter part of the verse, is by the Greeke interpreted thus; And these whom hee hath not chosen to himselfe, he hath not brought neere unto himselfe. Verse 6. censers] or, fire vessels, as the Greeke translateth it, fire pans; whereof see Exod. 27. 3. called sometime incense-vessels, (because incense was burnt in them,) 2 Chron. 26. 19. Ezek. 8. 11. which name the Apostle followeth in the Greeke, Hebr. 9. 4. Verse 7. put ye fire] Hebr. give ye fire, and put incense. doth choose] or, shall choose, that is, declare by manifest signe that hee chooseth and liketh. he shall be holy] that is, shall be declared to be holy, and so to be a Priest unto God. Because the burning of incense in the censer, was the meanes of atonement and expiation before God, as after is shewed by Aarons i[illegible: 1 letter]ct, in verse 46, 47, 48. and was the peculiar worke of the Priest, Levit. 16. 12, 13. 2 Chron. 26. 18. wherein they that transgressed, were in danger of death, as the example of Nadab and Abihu sheweth, Lev. 10. and it figured in speciall manner the prayers and mediation of Christ for his Church, Psal. 141. 2. Rev. 8. 3. 1 Iohn 2. 1. therefore the triall of the Priesthood, is put upon this worke, rather than on any other sacrifice; and the holinesse whereof Korath boasted, verse 3. should either be approved or reproved of God. For no man hath right to the honour of Priesthood, unlesse it be given him of God, Hebr. 5. 4, 5. nor can without divine authoritie, that is, without the commandement and promise of God, please him, or appease his wrath towards himselfe or others. Therefore it is a great prerogative and comfort unto all Saints, that they are by Christ made Priests unto God, and through him may boldly offer up their prayers and praises unto the Father, Revel. 1. 6. 1 Pet. 2. 5. Hebr. 13. 15. 1 Iohn 5. 14—16. yee take too much upon you] or, Let it suffice you, that you have thus farre provoked the Lord, and now leave off. Thus Moses returneth the blame upon themselves, which they had unjustly laid upon him, in verse 3. So Elias doth upon Achab, 1 Kings 18. 17, 18. Verse 9. Is it a small thing] or, Seemeth it too little for you: meaning on the contrary, that it was a great thing, and that they should therewith have beene contented; for the Tribe of Levi were in the place of all the first-borne of Israel, Num. 3. 41. So here he reproveth their unthankfulnesse to God. separated you from the congregation] as Israel was separated from all other peoples, to be the Lords peculiar, Lev. 20. 26. 1 Kings 8. 53. so were the Levites separated from the sonnes of Israel, to be the Lords, Num. 8. 14. And hereupon the Scripture speaketh of the Levites, as distinct from the Israelites, 1 Chron. 9. 2. Psal. 135. 19, 20. So the M[illegible: 1 letter]nisters of Christ are said to be separated unto the Gospell of God, Rom. 1. 1. Gal. 1. 15. Acts 13. 2. the service of the Tabernacle] the workes belonging to the service of God therein, being assistants to the Priests; see Num. 8. 11, 15, 16. and 18. 21. 23. to stand before the congregation] stand[illegible: 1 letter]ng is a signe of service, and used for it; as the Scripture in one place saith, which stood before the King, Ierem. 52. 112. and in another, a servant of the King, 2 King. 25. 8. Whereupon the standing of the Levites is used for their service, in Nehem. 12. 44. and as they were to stand before the Lord, to minister unto him. Deut. 10. 8. so here it is said, to stand before the congregation, to minister unto them: thus they were servants of God, and of his Church; as Iosiah said unto them, Serve now the Lord your God, and his people Israel, 2 Chron. 35. 3. See also [illegible: 1 letter]zek. 44. 11. Verse 10. the Priesthood] in Chaldee, the high-Priesthood; in Greeke, to doe the Priests Office. That was in degree above the Levites, who were to minister unto the Priests, but not to come nigh the Altar, as did the Priests, Num. 18. 2. 3. For the Levites were appointed unto all manner of service of the Tabernacle of the house of God: but Aaron and his sonnes offered on the Altar of Burnt-offering, and on the Altar of incense, (and were) for all the worke of the most holy place, and to make atonement for Israel, 1 Chron. 6. 48, 49. And Aaron was separated, [to wit, from the other Levites] that he should sanctifie the most holy things, hee and his sonnes for ever, to burne (incense) before the Lord, to minister unto him, and to blesse in his Name for ever, 1 Chron. 23. 13. To usurpe, affect or seeked this office of Priest-hood, without the calling of God, was a great sinne against divine order and authoritie, severely punished here in Korah and his company, in King Vzziah, 2 Chron. 26. 19.—21. and others. Verse 11. against Iehovah] because it was against his ordinance and minister, it is said to be against the Lord himselfe. So when the people refused Samuels government, God said, They have not rejected thee, but they have rejected me, that I should not reigne over them, 1 Sam. 87. and Christ said to his ministers, He that heareth you, heareth me; and hee that despiseth you, despiseth me; and hee that despiseth me, despiseth him that sent me. He that receiveth whomsoever I send, receiveth me; and he that receiveth me, receiveth him that sent me, Luke 10. 16. Iohn 13. 20. Aaron, what is he? to wit, other than the Minister of God. So the Apostle saith, Who is Paul? and who is Apollo? but ministers by whom ye beleeved, 1 Cor. 3. 5. And thus had Moses said in their former murmurings, What are wee that ye murmure against us? your murmurings are not against us, but against Iehovah, Exod. 16. 7, 8. Vers. 12. We will not come up] An obstinate answer, and refusall of the meanes of their bettering, by Moses debating the matter with them; so might they have been perswaded to disist from their evill course, and have found mercie. By comming up, is meant unto the publike place of judgement, whither (in the Scripture phrase) men are said to goe up, as in Deut. 25. 7. Ruth. 4. 1. And in Ezra 10. 7. 8. whosoever would not goe to Ierusalem at the time appointed by the Princes and the Elders, all his substance should be forfeited, and himselfe separated from the Church of those that had been in captivitie. Of Dathan and Abiram, Sol. Iarchi here observeth, that Their owne mouth caused them to offend (or signified their fall:) they were not but to goe downe, to wit, alive into hell, verse 33. Vers. 13. out of the land] of Egypt, as is added in Targum Ionathan: which having beene the place of their bondage and miserie, an iron furnace unto them, Deut. 4. 20. they here call it a land flowing with milke and honey: so despising their redemption, & God their Redeemer, who laid their bring from thence, for a ground of their obedience unto him, Exod. 19, 4, 5. and 20. 2. even making] or, also making thy selfe a Prince; that is, without God, of thine own presumption advancing thy selfe onely, wholly, and continually. The doubling of the word, is to aggravate their crimination. This latter branch the Greeke translateth, Thou art a Prince: as if it were spoken in derision. Verse 14. not brought us] according to promise, Exod. 3. 8. and 33. 3. Lev. 20. 24. of field that is, as the Chaldee explaineth it, of fields and vineyards: one named generally for many, as is noted on Gen. 3. 2. dig out the eyes] that is, make them blinde, as the Chaldee expoundeth it: so in Iude. 16. 21. 1 Sam. 11. 2. of these men] or, as the Greeke translateth it, of those men; which may be meant, of the whole congregation, as if they were so blinde that they could not espie his fraud; or it may have speciall reference to Korah and his company. And thus Chazkuni here explaineth it; Thou hopest to dig out the eyes of Korah, and of all his congregation; as though they had no eyes to see and understand this offence, that thou hast brought us up from the good land of Egypt, and hast not performed unto us that which thou promisedst. to bring us into a land that floweth with milke and honey; but hast said, In this wildernesse they shall be consumed, and there they shall die, (Num. 14. 35.) Moreover, thou hast perverted judgement against us, and therefore we will not come up unto thee, for we beleeve thee not, concerning the triall of this matter. Verse 15. very wroth] or, very much grieved; see the notes on Gen. 4. 5. Respect not] or, Looke not, Turne not the face unto; which the Chaldee expoundeth, Accept not with fauour their oblation. their offering] or, their Meat-offering, their Minchab; whereof see the annotations on Levit. 2. and on Gen. 4. 3. This Sol. Iarchi expoundeth, their incense which they shall offer before thee to morrow so it hath reference to Korah & his company, 2. 7. and 17. But others (as he saith) explaine it thus; [illegible: 1 word] that they have a part in the daily sacrifices of the [illegible: 1 word] gregation, let not their part be accepted be[illegible: 2 letters]re [illegible: 1 word]. And thus some understand this imprecation to be against Dathan and Abiram onely; as Chazkum saith, The reason why Moses cursed Dathan [illegible: 1 word] Abiram, was because when Moses sent to call them they said, we will not come up. It was not their [illegible: 1 word] to convert; for though the Lord should have said, I have chosen Aaron, yet they would have m[illegible: 2 letters]ined against the Priesthood. But Korah and the 250 men which tooke upon them to take every man his ce[illegible: 1 span] because they were in hope that the Lord had not sent him concerning his brother Aaron, but that he had done it of his owne minde, he would not curse. o[illegible: 2 letters] asse] that is, not the vilest beast; the Greeke translateth it, the desire of any of them, that is, any de[illegible: 2 letters]rable thing. They mistooke and read Cham[illegible: 2 letters] for Chamur, because the Hebrew letters [non-Latin text not transcribed] Dand[illegible: 1 span] be one like another, as is also noted on Gen. 4 18. But Iosippus noteth it to be one of the 13 places which the Lxxij Interpreters changed purposely, lest Prolemie the King (at whose request they [illegible: 2 letters]rned the Law into Greeke) should say, Hee [illegible: 1 span] asse, but some other gift he did take. Verse 16. Thou and all thy congregation] The Greeke expoundeth it, Sanctifie thy congregation, and be ye ready before the Lord, &c. Because their rebellion was against God, verse 11. therefore Moses committeth the deciding of the controversie unto God. Ver. 18. at the doore] in the court-yard of the Sanctuary. and Moses and Aaron] Targum Ionathan explaineth it, they on the one side, and [illegible: 1 word] and Aaron on the other side. Verse 19. assembled against them all] not onely the 250 forementioned, but the generall mu[illegible: 1 span] tude, too ready to incline to his faction. See verse. 41. glorie of Iehovah] in the cloud over the Sanctuary, as it did at other times in the like cases, [illegible: 1 word]. 42. Num. 12. 5. and 14. 10. Verse 21. as in a moment] or, even in a moment; suddenly, and as the Greeke translateth, at once. So in verse 45. and thus God had before threatned, after they had made the [illegible: 2 letters]lfe, Exod. 33. 5. Verse 22. God of the spirits of all flesh] By all flesh, is meant, all mankinde; as in Gen. 6. 13. [illegible: 1 word]. 40. 5. 6. Ezek. 20. 48. and 21. 4, 5. Ioel. 2. 28. and so it is explained in Iob 12. 10. the spirit of [illegible: 1 word] fl[illegible: 2 letters]h of man. And the Lord is called God of the spirits o[illegible: 1 letter] men, both as he is creator of them, who [illegible: 1 letter]orm[illegible: 1 span] the spirit of man within him, Zach. 12. 1. called therefore the Father of spirits, Heb. 12. 9. and as the preservation, ordering and government [illegible: 1 word] them is in his hand, both in life and death; [illegible: 1 span] hand is the soule of all living, and the spirit of [illegible: 1 span] of man, Iob 12. 10. Therefore Moses useth the like phrase, when he prayeth that a governour might be substituted in his stead, Num. 27. 16. Targum Ionathan explaineth it, God that putt[illegible: 3 letters] the [illegible: 1 word] of the soule, in the bodies of all the sonnes of men: and Targum Ierusalemy thus; God which rulest [illegible: 1 word] the soules of all flesh; Chazkuni saith, which knowest the spirit of every one of them. The Greeke translateth, God of the Fathers, and of all flesh; understanding (as it seemeth) by spirits, such as the Apostle calleth the spirits of just men made perfect, Heb. 12. 23. the spirits of the Fathers which were returned to God who gave them; as Eccles. 12. 7. shall one man sinne] in Greeke, if one man hath sinned: as if they should say, All have not sinned, why wilt thou be wroth with all? Vpon this intercession, the Lord spareth the people, that would depart from the rebells, verse. 24. Verse 24. the tabernacle] this seemeth to bee put for tabernacles, or dwellings; the Greeke translateth it, the congregation: so in vers. 27. where the Greeke also keepeth the word Tabernacle, which in vers. 26. is called Tents. Vers. 25. the elders] the Greeke addeth, all the elders. went after him] in Greeke, went with him, that is, accompanied him. Verse 26. these wicked men] in Greeke, these hard men: the originall word properly signifieth restlesse, turbulent, and such as for their sinnes are worthy to be condemned: see the notes on Psal. 1. 1. touch not any thing] because as they themselves, so all things of theirs were uncleane and execrable, and therefore to perish with them, vers. 32. Verse 27. came out and stood] Heb. came out standing; which the Greeke explaineth, came out and stood: and these two phrases are one; as where it is said that Iesus blessed, and breaking gave to the disciples, Mat. 14. 19. the other Evangelists explaine it, he blessed, and brake, and gave, Luke 9. 16. Mark. 6. 41. so, Saying unto them, Matth. 21. 2. is, And saith unto them, Mark. 11. 2. This their standing up, argueth their boldnesse in so bad a cause: for standing up is a gesture denoting courage, Iob 33. 5. and 41. 10. 1 Sam. 17. 8. 16. Thus Pride went before destruction, and an haughty spirit before a fall; as Prov. 16. 18. Verse 28. all these workes] both the former, in appointing Aaron to the Priest-hood, and the Levites in stead of the first-borne; and these latter, in appointing Korah and his company to bring their censers with incense, &c. of mine owne heart] which the Chaldee explaineth, of mine owne will; the Greeke, of my selfe. For things devised of ones owne heart, are noted for evill, 1 King. 12. 33. Ezek. 13. 17. Vers. 29. as all men die] their ordinarie naturall death; which the Greeke translateth, after the death of all men. Verse 30. create a new thing] Hebr. create a creature, that is, doe a new and wonderfull worke, to kill them with such a death as never man died before them. Of this word create, see the notes on Gen. 1. 1. it is applied here to a strange and extraordinarie worke of judgment, as in Esai. 45. 7. God is said to create evill; and in Exod. 34. 10. to create marvels; and in Esai. 48. 6. 7. new and [illegible: 1 letter]idden things God would create. And as evill, so good things which are new and strange, are said to be created of God, Esa. 65. 18. alive] living, haile and sound; not consumed with sicknesse, as ordinarily men are before death and buriall. unto hell] into the grave, or state of death: see the notes on Gen. 37. 35. To this iudgement the Prophet hath reference, praying against his enemies, L[illegible: 1 letter]t them goe downe alive to hell, Psal. 55. 16. Verse 32. swallowed up them] to wit, Dathan and Abiram, as in Psal. 106. 17. The earth opened and swallowed up Dathan, and covered over the congregation of Abiram. So David prayed against his enemies, swallow them up o Lord, Psal. 55. 10. their houses] that is, housholds; as the Chaldee expoundeth it, the men of their houses. appertained unto Korah] The Greeke translateth, and all the men that were with Kore: and the Chaldee, the men that pertained to Korah. But the sonnes of Korah are to be excepted, for they, either not partaking with, or forsaking their Fathers sinne, died not: see Num. 26. 21. And whereas mention was made of On, the sonne of Reuben, in verse 1. but not here nor any where of his death, neither in verse 12. of his calling, or refusall to come up; it is to be thought, that either he repented upon Moses reproofe, and so was spared from destruction; or if not so, he is implied among the rest, though not named in particular. their substance] or, their goods; which the Greeke translateth, their cattell; and so the originall word implieth, as in 1 Chron. 27. 31. 2 Chron. 31. 3. and 35. 7. See the notes on Gen. 12. 5. And not their cattell onely, but all their other goods, even their tents, were swallowed into the earth, Deut. 11. 6. Here wee may behold the truth of that Proverbe, Riches profit not in the day of wrath: but iustice delivereth from death; Prov. 11. 4. Vers. 33. closed upon them] or, covered over them: so there was no hope left for their recoverie. Against such judgement David prayeth, Let not the gulse swallow me, neither let the pit shut her mouth upon me, Psal. 69. 16. Vers. 34. at the voice of them] at their crie or noise, which they made when they perished. So in Ier. 49. 21. At the voice (or noise) of their fall, the earth is moved, &c. and, I made the nations to shake, at the noise of his fall, Ezek. 31. 16. Lest the earth swallow us] an unperfect speech, through feare: such as is often used in dangers; as in Psal. 38. 17. Rom. 11. 21. Thus the present judgement terrified them; and, When the scorner is punished, the simple is made wise, Prov. 21. 11. Vers. 35. devoured] or, did eat the 250. men. They sinned in burning incense, which belonged to the Priests onely; and with burning they were punished, like the judgement on Aarons sonnes, that transgressed also therein, Levit. 10. 1, 2. Of this, David singeth, A fire burned in their congregation, a flame burnt up the wicked, Psal. 106. 18. Vers. 37. unto Eleazar] Chazkuni here observeth, that God would not have Aaron to bee defiled (by going among the dead,) because he was one of them that offered, vers. 17. out of the burning] that is, as the Greeke well explaineth it, from among those that are burnt. So in Num. 21. 1. captivitie, is for a company of captives; and in 2 King. 24. 14. Povertie, for a company of poore people; and many the like. the fire] which is in the censers, vers. 7. The Greeke saith, the strange fire; as Lev. 10. 1. yonder] in Greeke, there; which Sol. Iarchi expoundeth, on the earth, out of the censers: others, out of the court of the Sanctuarie. By casting away the fire; the Lord signifieth the rejecting of their service as profane. So in Rev. 8. 5. the Angell tooke the censer, and filled it with fire of the Altar, and cast it into the earth; and there were voices, and thunderings, &c. Which being compared with vers. 3, 4. seemeth to teach likewise a rejecting of the service of Antichristians, which abuse and despise Christs mediation; and therefore it is turned unto them to judgement. Vers. 38. sinners against their soules] Sinners are here & often used for notorious wicked persons; as, Destroy the sinners the Amalekites, 1 Sam. 15. 18. and, the men of Sodem were evill and sinners, Gen. 13. 13. And they sinned against their soules, in causing their owne death and destruction: for the soule is often used for the life, as in Gen. 19. 17. and 37. 21. So he that provoketh a King to anger, sinneth against his owne soule, Prov. 20. 2. broad plates] Hebr. out-spreadings of plates, that is, plates beaten out and spread broad, to cover the brazen altar with them. and they are hallowed] or, sanctified: & so (as Sol. Iarchi explaineth it) unlawfull for common use, because they had made them for vessels of ministerie. Or, they were now sanctified of God (before whom they sinfully offered them,) to bee an holy signe unto the people. for a signe] and a memortall to the sonnes of Israel, vers. 40. to make them remember the transgression of these sinners, and to warne them that none hereafter doe the like. So Aarons rod was kept for a signe, Num. 17. 10. and God threatneth by destroying the wicked, to make him a signe, and aproverbe, Ezek. 14. 8. Now all these things hapned unto them for ensamples: and they are written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the world are come, 1 Cor. 10. 11. Vers. 40. not any stranger] or, no man which is a stranger. seed of Aaron] that is, sons, or, posteritie of Aaron: so all Israelites or Levites (save Aarons sonnes onely,) are counted strangers in this case of priesthood. that he be not] Heb. and he be not as Korah, like him in rebellion, and in punishment. Therefore Moses afterward rehearseth this historie, to keepe the people in obedience, Deut. 11. 6, 7, 8. unto him] or, of him; having reference to Moses speech in vers. 29, 30. that the truth of the judgement denounced might be manifest. So the Apostle pronounceth woe unto such, and saith they perish in the gaine saying of Kore, Iude verse 11. Vers. 41. you have killed] or, as the Chaldee explaineth it, you have caused the death. Though they had prayed for the people, v. 32. and the strangenesse of the punishments shewed unto all that they were of God, and the judgements were still even before the eyes of the congregation; yet doe they thus breake out into a new rebellion. Vers. 42. the glorie of Iehovah] it appeared to help his servants, and to represse and punish the rebellious, now as in former times, Num. 12. 5. and 14. 10. and 16. 19. Vers. 45. Get you up] that is, Depart, or Separate your selves; as he said before, in verse 21. as in a moment] in Greeke, at o[illegible: 1 letter]ce: see the notes on verse 21. fell on their faces] to pray, as [illegible: 1 word] Ionathan addeth, and as they did before, in vers[illegible: 1 letter] 22. So did David and the Elders of [illegible: 2 letters]rael, in 1 Chron. 21. 16. Verse 46. from off the Altar] of this, Chazkuni saith, he warned him hereof, that hee might [illegible: 1 word] erre through haste, and effer strange fire a[illegible: 1 letter] [illegible: 1 word] and Abihu (Levit. 10.) and these other had [illegible: 2 letters]re incense] Incense that caused death, when it was not in the hand of the Friest, giveth li[illegible: 1 letter]e when it is in the Priests hand, saith Chazkuni on this place. Hereby the mediation of Christ for sinners was figured; who is represented by the A[illegible: 1 letter]g[illegible: 1 letter]ll standing at the Altar, having a golden cens[illegible: 2 letters], and much incense given unto him, to offer it with the [illegible: 1 word] all Saints, &c. Rev. 8. 3. goe qu[illegible: 1 letter]c[illegible: 1 letter]ly] or, [illegible: 1 word] to goe with speed; that is, as the Chaldee and Greeke translateth, carie quickly, or in [illegible: 1 word]. the [illegible: 1 word]] in Chaldee, death; the Greeke translateth, [illegible: 1 letter]e [illegible: 1 word] begunne to breake (that is, destroy) the p[illegible: 2 letters]ple. Vers. 47. he put on incense] to make atonement▪ and to appease Gods wrath; as it is said or the Priests, They shall put it cense in thy [illegible: 1 word] (or, [illegible: 1 word] thine anger) &c. and favourably accept th[illegible: 2 letters] ([illegible: 1 word] Lord) the worke of his hands; Deut. 33. 10. 11. Herein he figured Christ our Mediarcur, who ma[illegible: 2 letters] intercession for the transgressors, Esai. 53. 12. [illegible: 1 word] 23. 34. So the Hebrewes (as R. Menachem on Num. 16.) applie that prophesie of Es[illegible: 1 span]ching Christ, unto this worke of Aaron, saying, The meaning of this, And he stood betweene the l[illegible: 1 letter]ving [illegible: 2 words] dead, is like that (in Esai 53. 12.) [illegible: 1 letter]e hath [illegible: 1 word] out his soule unto death, &c. Verse 48. betweene the dead and the living] so interposing, and as it were exposing himse[illegible: 2 letters]e to the wrath of God for the people; that by the atonement which he now made, the plague might be stayed from the living wch yet remained. [illegible: 1 word] him that is joyned to all the living, there is hope, &c. but the dead know not any thing, &c. neither [illegible: 1 word] they any more a portion for ever, in any thing that is done under the Sunne, &c. There is no worke, [illegible: 2 words] vice, nor knowledge, nor wisdome, in the grave w[illegible: 2 letters] ther thou goest, Eccle. 9. 4. 5. 6. 10. The dead [illegible: 1 word] not the Lord, neither any that goe downe into [illegible: 1 word] Psal. 115. 17. They that goe downe into the [illegible: 1 span] not hope for the truth (of God) Esai. 38. 18. for after death, commeth the iudgement, Heb. 9. 27. And so by the Hebrew Doctors it is said, There is no atonement for the dead. Maimony in Misn. [illegible: 1 letter]om. 3. in Pesulei hamukdashin, chap. 15. sect. 9. And the Chaldee paraphrast on Eccles. 1. 15. hath this saying; A man whose wayes are rebellious in this [illegible: 1 word] and he dieth in them, and turneth not by repe[illegible: 1 span] he hath no power to reforme himselfe after his [illegible: 1 word] and a man that faileth of the Law and [illegible: 1 word] whiles he liveth, he hath no meanes, after his death, [illegible: 1 word] be reckoned with the just men in the gar[illegible: 1 span] [illegible: 1 word] (or Paradise of God.) And on Ecclis. 6. 6. [illegible: 1 word] Chaldee paraphraseth thus; yea though the [illegible: 1 word] of the life of a man be two thousand yeares, if he have not exercised himselfe in the Law, and hath not done judgement and justice; by the oath of the Word of the LORD which (shall be) in the day of his death, his soule goeth down to Gehenna (or Hell torments,) unto one place, whither all sinners doe goe. So there was no estimation, nor price of the dead, for any vow, in Israel, as is noted on Levit. 27. 8. the plague was stayed] This sheweth how greatly the praiers and actions of his servants doe prevaile with God, when they are faithfull, servent, and according to his will, I am. 5. 16. 1 Ioh. 5. 14. and fore-shewed the power and efficacie of Christs mediation; for God heareth him alwaies, Ioh. 11. 42. and hee is the Atonement for our sinnes, 1 Iohn. 2. 2. and for his sake, God before whom the pestilence goeth, in wrath remembreth mercie, Habak. 3. 5. 2. And as the bloud of the Paschall lamb (figuring the bloud of Christ, 1 Cor. 5. 7.) stayed the Angell which destroyed the Egyptians, from touching the Israelites, Exod. 12. 23. Heb. 11. 28. so the smoke of Aarons incense (figuring the mediation of Christ, Psal. 141. 2. Revel. 8. 4.) stayed the plague here from the Israelites which survived; that as it is written of the pestilence in Davids time, the LORD repented him of the evill, and said to the Angell that destroyed the people, It is enough, stay now thine hand, 2 Sam. 24. 16. so in this case. Some footsteps of the understanding of this mystery may be seene in the Hebrews, though superstitiously depraved: as when they say, that all hurtfull and destroying (spirits) slee away at the odour of the incense of sweet spices. Targum on Song 4. 6. Vers. 49. about the matter] or, as the Greeke explaineth it, for the cause of Kore; which the Chaldee calleth the division of Korah. Vers. 50. unto the doore of the Tent] into the court-yard of the Sanctuarie, where Moses remained; both to signifie unto Moses the effect and fruit of his action, through the mercifulnesse of God; and to give thanks unto the Lord, who had so graciously accepted the worke of his hands. As David offered Burnt-offering and Peace-offerings; after that the Lord was intreated for the land, and the plague was stayed from Israel, 2 Sam. 24. 25. 1 Chron. 21. 26, 27.