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The ESV Global Study Bible's Study Notes

Numbers 16:3

NUMBERS—NOTE ON Numbers 16:3 The claim that all... are holy could be based on the repeated call in the law to be holy (e.g., Leviticus 11:45; Leviticus 19:2; Numbers 15:40). But this ethical holiness is not identical with priestly holiness, which gives the priest the right to approach God in the offering of sacrifice and incense. When the Kohathites claim that Moses and Aaron exalt themselves, they show that they do not understand that the priesthood is a matter of God’s choosing (see Hebrews 5:4).

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See also Numbers 16:3 in other biblical comments:

  • Adam Clarke Bible Commentary

    Verse Numbers 16:3. _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 e...

  • Albert Barnes' Bible Commentary

    ALL THE CONGREGATION ARE HOLY - Compare the marginal reference. Korah’s object was not to abolish the distinction between the Levites and the people, but to win priestly dignity for himself and his ki...

  • Annotated Bible by A.C. Gaebelein

    6. THE REBELLION OF KORAH CHAPTER 16 _ 1. The rebellion of Korah (Numbers 16:1)_ 2. The punishment (Numbers 16:20) 3. Eleazar and his work (Numbers 16:36) 4. The murmuring of the whole

  • Arthur Peake's Commentary on the Bible

    NUMBERS 16. THE REBELLION OF KORAH, DATHAN, AND ABIRAM (JE and P). The narrative fuses together accounts of distinct revolts led by different individuals and inspired by different motives. The first ...

  • Bullinger's Companion Bible Notes

    CONGREGATION. appointed assembly. Hebrew. _'edah._ HOLY. See note on Exodus 3:5. THE LORD. Hebrew. _Jehovah._ App-4. CONGREGATION. assembly....

  • Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges

    _Ye take too much upon you_ lit. Enough for you! -Your overweening claims have gone far enough!...

  • Coke's Commentary on the Holy Bible

    YE TAKE TOO MUCH UPON YOU, SEEING ALL, &C.— The Hebrew is very emphatical, רבאּלכם. Moses retorts this same expression upon the rebellious Levites in the 7th verse. Dr. Beaumont observes, that the Heb...

  • College Press Bible Study Textbook Series

    D. REVOLT AND PUNISHMENT OF KORAH, DATHAN AND ABIRAM (NUMBERS 16:1-40) TEXT Numbers 16:1. Now Korah, the son if Izhar, the son of Kohath, the son of Levi, and Dathan and Abiram, the sons of Eliab, an...

  • Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible

    _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 TH...

  • Dummelow's Commentary on the Bible

    THE REBELLION OF KOKAH, DATHAN, ABIBAM, AND ON This incident is similar to that recorded in Numbers 12, and while it illustrates the difficulties Moses encountered in his leadership, owing to the jeal...

  • EasyEnglish Bible Commentaries

    THE OLD TESTAMENT BOOK OF NUMBERS IN THE DESERT NUMBERS _MARION ADAMS_ CHAPTER 16 KORAH, DATHAN AND ABIRAM OPPOSE MOSES – NUMBERS 16:1-35 V1-2 Korah, Izhar’s son, belonged to Levi’s *tri

  • Ellicott's Commentary On The Whole Bible

    YE TAKE TOO MUCH UPON YOU... — Or, _enough for you_ (comp. Gen. 14:28), _i.e.,_ you have held the priesthood and the government long enough; or, _Let it be enough for you to be numbered amongst the ho...

  • ETCBC data on Hebrew bible

    וַ יִּֽקָּהֲל֞וּ עַל ־מֹשֶׁ֣ה וְ עַֽל ־אַהֲרֹ

  • Expositor's Bible Commentary (Nicoll)

    KORAH, DATHAN, AND ABIRAM Numbers 16:1; Numbers 17:1 BEHIND what appears in the history, there must have been many movements of thought and causes of discontent which gradually led to the events we n...

  • Frederick Brotherton Meyer's Commentary

    THE REBELLION OF KORAN Numbers 16:1 This was a very serious revolt, because so many princes associated themselves with the Levites. Jealousy was at the root of the entire movement. “All the congregat...

  • G. Campbell Morgan's Exposition on the Whole Bible

    Here begins the story of perhaps the strangest and most fully organized opposition that Moses had to encounter. Two elements were at work. The first was ambition and the second was dissatisfaction. Th...

  • Geneva Study Bible Commentary

    And they gathered themselves together against Moses and against Aaron, and said unto them, (a) [Ye take] too much upon you, seeing all the congregation [are] holy, (b) every one of them, and the LORD...

  • George Haydock's Catholic Bible Commentary

    Let it be enough. Hebrew rab, "too much you take upon you;" or "suffice it for you," Septuagint. --- Holy ones, as deserving of the priesthood as yourselves, ver. 10. Why then would you treat them as...

  • Hawker's Poor man's commentary

    What an awful state must that mind be given up to, that in the very moment of daring sin fancies itself holy! JESUS describes the church of Laodicea in this dreadfully deluded state, as counting herse...

  • Introductory Lectures - Commentary by William Kelly

    The previous portion of the Book of Numbers, viewed as a history, has evidently a prefatory character, however important and divinely wise. It is in a great measure preparatory for that which we have...

  • James Nisbet's Church Pulpit Commentary

    _THE PRIESTHOOD_ ‘Ye take too much upon you, seeing all the congregation are holy, every one of them, and the Lord is among them: where fore then lift ye up yourselves above the congregation of the L...

  • John Calvin's Bible Commentary

    3._Ye take too much upon you. _(89) 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 presumptu...

  • John Darby's Synopsis

    Chapter 16 contains the open rebellion against Moses of Dathan and Abiram, but especially the pretension of the ministry in Israel to arrogate priesthood to itself. Some of the chiefs of the people we...

  • John Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible

    AND THEY GATHERED THEMSELVES TOGETHER AGAINST MOSES, AND AGAINST AARON,.... They met together by appointment, and went up in a body to Moses and Aaron: AND SAID UNTO THEM, [YE TAKE] TOO MUCH UPON YOU...

  • John Trapp Complete Commentary

    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] amo...

  • Joseph Benson’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments

    _They_ Korah, Dathan, and Abiram, and the rest, who were all together when Moses spake these words, (Numbers 16:5,) but after that, Dathan and Abiram retired to their tents, and then Moses sent for Ko...

  • KJV Original Language Details

    1 The rebellion of Korah, Dathan and Abiram, 23 Moses separateth the people from the rebels tents, 31 The earth swalloweth vp Korah, and a fire consumeth others. 36 The censers are reserued to holy...

  • Kretzmann's Popular Commentary of the Bible

    and they gathered themselves together against Moses and against Aaron, in a formal organization, with the intention of ousting the leaders instituted by God, AND SAID UNTO THEM, YE TAKE TOO MUCH UPON...

  • Kretzmann's Popular Commentary of the Bible

    The Challenge of Korah and His Companions...

  • Leslie M. Grant's Commentary on the Bible

    THE REBELLION OF KORAH (vs.1-15) The rebellion of Korah and a large company with him is significant of a dreadful revulsion against Christ both as Lord and High Priest of His people, and the awesome...

  • Marginal Notes in the King James Version (1611)

    YE TAKE TOO MUCH UPON YOU: _ Heb._ it is much for you...

  • Matthew Henry Commentary on the Whole Bible

    1-11 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 boa...

  • Matthew Poole's Concise Commentary On The Bible

    THEY, i.e. either Korah, and the two hundred and fifty princes, which may seem probable by comparing this with NUMBERS 16:12,25,27, where we find Dathan and Abiram in another place, even in their tent...

  • Notes on the Pentateuch by Charles Henry Mackintosh

    The chapter on which we have just been dwelling, is what may be called a digression from the history of Israel's wilderness life, except indeed the short paragraph respecting the Sabbath-breaker, It l...

  • Patchworkid's Personal Study Bible Notes

    Numbers 16:3 together H6950 (H8735) Moses H4872 Aaron H175 said H559 (H8799) much H7227 congregation H5712 holy...

  • Peter Pett's Commentary on the Bible

    KORAH AND HIS CO-CONSPIRATORS DISPUTE THE POSITIONS OF MOSES AND AARON (NUMBERS 16:1). Numbers 16:1 ‘Now Korah, the son of Izhar, the son of Kohath, the son of Levi, with Dathan and Abiram, the sons...

  • Sermon Bible Commentary

    Numbers 16:3 I. Strictly speaking, the tribe of Levi was not more appointed or called by God than the tribe of Reuben or Judah. The family of Aaron was not more called by God than any Israelitish fami...

  • Summarized Bible Commentary

    CONTENTS: The gainsaying of Korah. CHARACTERS: God, Moses, Aaron, Korah, Dathan, Abriam. CONCLUSION: Proud and ambitious men projecting their own advancement by thrusting themselves into a place to...

  • Sutcliffe's Commentary on the Old and New Testaments

    Numbers 16:1. _Korah._ One of the firstborn, a very old man, and grandson of Levi by his father Jahar. _Dathan_ and _Abiram_ were descendants of Reuben, the firstborn of Israel; these according to the...

  • The Biblical Illustrator

    _Korah. .. Dathan, and Abiram. .. gathered themselves together against Moses and against Aaron._ KORAH, DATHAN, AND ABIRAM I. The rebels. 1. Influential. 2. Numerous, 3. Deluded-- (1) Concerning...

  • The Preacher's Complete Homiletical Commentary

    CRITICAL AND EXPLANATORY NOTES In this chapter we have the history of the rebellion of Korah and his company. The time and place of this event are not recorded. It is probable that it occurred in one...

  • The Pulpit Commentaries

    VINDICATION OF THE AARONIC PRIESTHOOD. EXPOSITION THE GAINSAYING OF KORAH (Numbers 16:1). NUMBERS 16:1 Now K

  • Through The Bible C2000 Serie by Chuck Smith

    Now we get to chapter sixteen and this guy Korah, who is brought into mention in the book of Jude, has gotten the conspiracy together. He is of the tribe of Levi and he said, "Hey Moses, you take too...

  • Treasury of Scripture Knowledge

    Acts 7:39; Acts 7:51; Exodus 19:6; Exodus 29:45; Exodus 29:46;...

  • Wesley's Explanatory Notes

    They — Korah, Dathan and Abiram, and the rest, who were all together when Moses spake those words, Numbers 16:5, but after that, Dathan and Abiram retired to their tents, and then Moses sent for Korah...

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