Numbers 16:35

_AND THERE CAME OUT A FIRE FROM THE LORD, AND CONSUMED THE TWO HUNDRED AND FIFTY MEN THAT OFFERED INCENSE._ There came out a fire from the Lord - i:e., 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 the notes at Numbers 26:11; Numbers 26:58; 1 Chronicles 6:22; 1 Chronicles 6:37)....

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....

35-40 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....

Compare the marginal references The fire came out from the sanctuary or the altar....

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 THERE CAME OUT A FIRE FROM THE LORD,.... Flashes of lightning from the cloud in which he was: AND CONSUMED THE TWO HUNDRED AND FIFTY MEN THAT OFFERED INCENSE; not that it reduced them to ashes, but took away their lives, struck them dead at once, in like manner as Nadab and Abihu were, who though said to be devoured by the fire, yet their bodies remained, Leviticus 10:2; and is often the case of persons killed by lightning; though Josephus a thinks they were so consumed as that their bodies were no more seen, and who is express for it that Korah perished with them in this manner; which is not improbable, since he took his censer and offered incense with them, and was the ringleader of them, and the person that contended with Aaron for the priesthood, which was to be determined in this way; and though he is not mentioned it may be concluded, as Aben Ezra observes, by

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

TWO HUNDRED AND FIFTY. Plus the 14,700 of Numbers 16:49...

The sin of Korah's company was the same as that of Nadab and Abihu (Leviticus 10:1-2), and their punishment was the same. -The gainsaying of Korah" is referred to as a typical sin in Judges 11. 36 40 [Heb. 17:1 15]. The fire-pans were made into a covering of the altar, as a memorial of the incident. As Numbers 16:40 shews, this section is written from the later point of view found in Numbers 16:8_; Numbers 16:16_. The writer who inserted them took the test of the fire-pans as proving the superiority of priests to Levites, not of Levites to layme