Numbers
Chapter 16
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Leningrad Codex, through the Open Scriptures Westminster Leningrad Codex. The written consonants are printed. A Masoretic reading is footnoted when it differs. No Dead Sea reading was substituted unless it was read from a fragment. The Samaritan Pentateuch and the Greek, Syriac, and Latin versions are witnesses, not the default.
A dotted word is a harder one. Point at it, or tap it, for a short definition.
1Korah son of Izhar son of Kohath son of Levi took men, and Dathan and Abiram sons of Eliab, and On son of Peleth, sons of Reuben,
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On son of Peleth is named here. The later lines do not name him again. He is not dropped from this verse.
2and they rose up before Moses, with men of the sons of Israel, two hundred and fifty, chiefs of the congregation, called to the assembly, men of name.
3They assembled against Moses and against Aaron and said to them, You have too much. For the whole congregation, all of them, are holy, and God’s own name. The Hebrew writes YHWH. See the glossary. is in their midst. Why do you lift yourselves over God’s own name. The Hebrew writes YHWH. See the glossary.’s assembly?
4Moses heard, and he fell on his face.
5He spoke to Korah and to all his congregation, saying, Morning, and God’s own name. The Hebrew writes YHWH. See the glossary. will make known who is his, and who is the holy one, and he will bring him near to himself. The one he chooses he will bring near to himself.
6Do this. Take fire pans for yourselves, Korah and all his congregation,
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Machtah is a fire pan, the pan for coals and incense.
7and put fire in them and set incense on them before God’s own name. The Hebrew writes YHWH. See the glossary. tomorrow. The man whom God’s own name. The Hebrew writes YHWH. See the glossary. chooses, he is the holy one. You have too much, sons of Levi.
8Moses said to Korah, Hear, please, sons of Levi.
9Is it too small a thing for you that the God of Israel has separated you from the congregation of Israel, to bring you near to himself, to do the work of the dwelling of God’s own name. The Hebrew writes YHWH. See the glossary., and to stand before the congregation to serve them?
10He has brought you near, and all your brothers the sons of Levi with you, and you seek the priesthood as well?
11Therefore you and all your congregation who are gathered against God’s own name. The Hebrew writes YHWH. See the glossary., and Aaron, what is he that you complain against him?
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The written consonants are תלונו, with a vav. The Masoretic reading is תלינו, “you complain,” with a yod where the written form has a vav. The written consonants are printed.
12Moses sent to call Dathan and Abiram, sons of Eliab, and they said, We will not go up.
13Is it too small a thing that you brought us up from a land oozing milk and honey to put us to death in the wilderness, that you also set yourself up as ruler over us?
14What is more, you have not brought us into a land oozing milk and honey, and you have not given us an inheritance of field and vineyard. Will you gouge out the eyes of these men? We will not go up.
15Moses was very angry, and he said to God’s own name. The Hebrew writes YHWH. See the glossary., Do not turn toward their grain gift. I have not taken one donkey from them, and I have not done evil to one of them.
16Moses said to Korah, You and all your congregation, be before God’s own name. The Hebrew writes YHWH. See the glossary., you and they and Aaron, tomorrow.
17Each man take his fire pan, and you shall put incense on them, and each man shall bring his fire pan near before God’s own name. The Hebrew writes YHWH. See the glossary., two hundred and fifty fire pans, and you and Aaron, each his fire pan.
18Each man took his fire pan, and they put fire on them and set incense on them, and they stood at the door of the tent of meeting, with Moses and Aaron.
19Korah assembled the whole congregation against them at the door of the tent of meeting, and the glory of God’s own name. The Hebrew writes YHWH. See the glossary. appeared to the whole congregation.
20God’s own name. The Hebrew writes YHWH. See the glossary. spoke to Moses and to Aaron, saying,
21Separate yourselves from the midst of this congregation, and I will finish them in a moment.
22They fell on their faces and said, God, God of the spirits of all flesh, will one man sin and you be angry at the whole congregation?
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The address is El, Elohei haruchot lekhol basar: God, God of the spirits of all flesh. Elohim is God. See the glossary.
23God’s own name. The Hebrew writes YHWH. See the glossary. spoke to Moses, saying,
24Speak to the congregation, saying, Get up from around the dwelling of Korah, Dathan, and Abiram.
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The Hebrew sets the names together: the dwelling of Korah, Dathan, and Abiram. The three names are printed.
25Moses rose and went to Dathan and Abiram, and the elders of Israel went after him.
26He spoke to the congregation, saying, Turn away, please, from the tents of these wicked men, and do not touch anything that is theirs, or you will be swept away in all their offenses.
27They got up from around the dwelling of Korah, Dathan, and Abiram, from all sides. Dathan and Abiram came out and stood at the door of their tents, with their wives, their sons, and their little ones.
28Moses said, By this you shall know that God’s own name. The Hebrew writes YHWH. See the glossary. sent me to do all these works, and that it was not from my own heart.
29If these die as every human dies, and if the fate of every human is appointed over them, then God’s own name. The Hebrew writes YHWH. See the glossary. did not send me.
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Pequddat kol ha-adam is the appointment that comes on every human, an ordinary death. The sentence is an oath: if that is how they die, Yahweh did not send Moses.
30But if God’s own name. The Hebrew writes YHWH. See the glossary. creates a creation, and the ground opens its mouth and swallows them and all that is theirs, and they go down alive to The place of the dead in these books., then you shall know that these men have treated God’s own name. The Hebrew writes YHWH. See the glossary. with contempt.
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Beri’ah yivra is “creates a creation,” something made for this moment. Sheol is the place of the dead, as in Genesis.
31As he finished speaking all these words, the ground that was under them split.
32The earth opened its mouth and swallowed them and their households, and all the people who belonged to Korah, and all the property.
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The verse says the earth swallowed all the people who belonged to Korah, and their households and property. No later list is used to change this line.
33They and all that was theirs went down alive to The place of the dead in these books.. The earth covered over them, and they perished from the midst of the assembly.
34All Israel who were around them fled at their cry, for they said, Or the earth will swallow us.
35Fire came out from God’s own name. The Hebrew writes YHWH. See the glossary. and consumed the two hundred and fifty men who were bringing the incense near.
36God’s own name. The Hebrew writes YHWH. See the glossary. spoke to Moses, saying,
37Say to Eleazar son of Aaron the priest, and let him lift the fire pans from the midst of the burning, and scatter the fire yonder, for they have become holy.
38The fire pans of these who sinned against their own lives: make them into hammered sheets, a plating for the altar, for they brought them near before God’s own name. The Hebrew writes YHWH. See the glossary. and they became holy. They shall be a sign to the sons of Israel.
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Riqqu’ei pachim are sheets hammered thin. Tzippui is a plating. The pans are holy because they were brought before Yahweh. The men are still called those who sinned.
39Eleazar the priest took the bronze fire pans that the burned men had brought near, and they hammered them into a plating for the altar,
40a reminder to the sons of Israel, so that no outsider who is not of the seed of Aaron should come near to turn incense into smoke before God’s own name. The Hebrew writes YHWH. See the glossary., and so that he should not become like Korah and like his congregation, as God’s own name. The Hebrew writes YHWH. See the glossary. spoke by the hand of Moses to him.
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- Translation
Zar is an outsider, as in the Levite chapters. Hiqtir is to turn into smoke.
41The whole congregation of the sons of Israel complained against Moses and against Aaron the next day, saying, You have put God’s own name. The Hebrew writes YHWH. See the glossary.’s people to death.
42When the congregation assembled against Moses and against Aaron, they turned toward the tent of meeting, and look, the cloud covered it, and the glory of God’s own name. The Hebrew writes YHWH. See the glossary. appeared.
43Moses and Aaron came to the front of the tent of meeting.
44God’s own name. The Hebrew writes YHWH. See the glossary. spoke to Moses, saying,
45Lift yourselves out of the midst of this congregation, and I will finish them in a moment. They fell on their faces.
46Moses said to Aaron, Take the fire pan and put fire on it from the altar, set incense on it, and go quickly to the congregation and make Making someone right with God after a wrong. for them, for the wrath has gone out from before God’s own name. The Hebrew writes YHWH. See the glossary.. The striking has begun.
47Aaron took it as Moses had spoken, and he ran into the midst of the assembly, and look, the striking had begun among the people. He put on the incense and made Making someone right with God after a wrong. for the people.
48He stood between the dead and the living, and the plague was held back.
49Those who died in the plague were fourteen thousand seven hundred, besides those who died on account of Korah.
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The number is fourteen thousand and seven hundred, as written. Elef is a thousand. It is not added to the two hundred and fifty, and it is not corrected.
50Aaron returned to Moses, to the door of the tent of meeting, and the plague had been held back.