Numbers 16:34

_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._ Hereby ye shall know that the Lord hath sent me. 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. Verse 30. THEY GO DOWN QUICK INTO THE PIT. "Quick" is an old English word, which has lost the meaning attached to it at the time our translation was made. The import of the clause in which it stands here is, 'they go down alive into the pit' х_ SHª'OLAAH_ (H7585), to Sheol, rendered "pit" here; also in Job 17:16; but most commonly in our version, 'the grave,' or 'hell;' Septuagint, katabeesontai zoontes eis hadou (cf....

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.) (100) 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 (101) 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

23-34 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...

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 ALL ISRAEL THAT WERE ROUND ABOUT THEM FLED AT THE CRY OF THEM,.... Or because of it, as Aben Ezra; their cry was so loud, their shrieks so dreadful and piercing, that the Israelites about them fled to get out of the sound of them, as well as for their own safety. The Targum of Jonathan not only represents their cry as terrible, but gives the words they expressed at it; "and all Israel that were round about them fled, because of the terror of their voice, when they cried and said, the Lord is righteous and his judgments truth, and truth are the words of Moses his servant, but we are wicked who have rebelled against him:'' FOR THEY SAID, LEST THE EARTH SWALLOW US UP [ALSO]; which they might fear, since they had provoked the Lord, by associating with these men, and countenancing them by their presence, as they had done; who would have consumed them in a moment at first, had it not bee...

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

25 34. The destruction of Dathan and Abiram....

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