Numbers 16:10

_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._ He spake unto Korah, and unto all his company. They were first addressed, not only because, being a party headed by his own cousin, 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 TOMORROW, х_ BOQER_ (H1242)] - 'in the morning,' the usual time of meeting in the East for the settlement of public affairs. [T...

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 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 ar...

VINDICATION OF THE AARONIC PRIESTHOOD. EXPOSITION THE GAINSAYING OF KORAH (Numbers 16:1). NUMBERS 16:1 NOW KORAH … TOOK MEN. וַיִּקַּח קֹרַח. The word "took" stands alone at the head of the sentence in the singular number. This does not by itself confine its reference to Korah, because it may be taken as repeated after each of the other names; at the same time, the construction suggests that in its original form Korah alone was mentioned, and that the other names were afterwards added in order to include them in the same statement. The ellipsis after "took" (if it be one) may be filled up by

AND HE HATH BROUGHT THEE NEAR [TO HIM],.... To be in his courts, to watch in his house, and wait on his priests, for which an ample provision was made by tithes. Korah is there personally addressed: AND ALL THY BRETHREN, THE SONS OF LEVI, WITH THEE; the whole tribe of them, excepting Aaron and his family, who were advanced to be priests: AND SEEK YE THE PRIESTHOOD ALSO? the high priesthood, as the Targums of Onkelos and Jonathan; this opens the true cause of their discontent and rebellion; they could not be satisfied with being the ministers of the priests, but wanted to be priests themselves, and Korah perhaps to be high priest....

SEEK YE THE PRIESTHOOD ALSO The "gainsaying of Korah" was intrusion into the priest's office ("no man taketh this honour unto himself,") (Hebrews 5:4). It was an attempt to create a priestly order without the divine authority (Hebrews 5:10). The modern analogue is Nicolaitanism (Revelation 2:6); (Revelation 2:15) the division of an equal brotherhood (Matthew 23:8) into "clergy" and "laity"; a vastly different thing from the due recognition of ministry-gifts; ...

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 congregation (Numbers 16:41) 5. The staying of the plague (Numbers 16:44) The history is now resumed and we have the worst episode of Israel's history in the wilderness before us. We have seen and followed the steps downward and toward this fearful rebellion and the terrible punishment which followed. It s

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 (from JE) had for its instigators Dathan and Abiram, who are mentioned separately in Numbers 16:12; Numbers 16:25; Numbers 16:27; Deuteronomy 11:6, and who, as Reubenites (a tribe that once possessed the primacy, Genesis 49:3), disputed the civil authority of Moses (Numb

In these verses Korah's company, represented as Levites, claim the privileges of the priesthood (see prelim. note to the chapter)....

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, 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, sayi

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 jealousy of those under him, it served to confirm him (Numbers 16:28) and Aaron (a 17) in the position assigned to them. It is now generally agreed that this chapter is composed of two narratives interwoven with each other. The one describes a rebellion led by Dathan, Abiram, and On against the civil authority of Moses (Numbers 16:1; Numbers 16:12; Numbers 16