men ; then the Lord hath not sent 38 The censers of these sinners & me. against their own souls, let them 30 But if the Lord make a new make them : broad plates for a thing, and the earth open her covering of the altar: for they mouth, and swallow them up, with offered them before the LORD, all that uppertain unto them, and therefore they are hallowed : and they go down quick into the pit; they shall be a sign unto the chilthen ye shall understand that these dren of Israel, men have provoked the LORD. 39 And Eleazar the priest took 31 | And it came to pass as he the braseu censers, wherewith they had made an end of speaking all that were burnt had offered : and these words, that the ground clave they were made broad plates for asunder that was under them : a covering of the altar: 32 And the earth opened her 40 To be a memorial unto the mouth, and swallowed them up, children of Israel, that no stranger, and their houses, and all the men which is not of the seed of Aaron, that appertained unto Korah, and come near to offer incense before all their goods. the LORD; that he be not as Korah, 33 They, and all that apper- and as his company; as the LORD tained to them, went down alive said to him by the hand of Moses. into the pit, and the earth closed 41 But on the morrow, all upon them: and they perished the congregation of the children from among the congregation. of Israel murmured against Moses 34 And all Israel that were round and against Aaron, saying, Ye have about them, fled at the cry of killed the people of the Lord. them: for they said, Lest the 42 And it came to pass, when the earth swallow us up also. congregation was gathered against 35 And there came out a fire Moses and against Aaron, that from the LORD, and consumed the they looked toward the tabernacle two hundred and fifty men that of the congregation; and behold, offered incense. the cloud covered it, and the glory 36 And the LORD spake unto of the Lord appeared. Moses, saying, 43 And Moses and Aaron came 37 Speak unto Eleazar the son before the tabernacle of the conof Aaron the priest, that he take gregation. up the censers out of the burning, 44 And the LORD spake unto and scatter thou * the fire yonder, Moses, saying,' for they are hallowed. 45 Get ye up. from among this he louk a resolution to dispute with Moses; and Rasby brings an instance of this verb having that meaning, from an expression in Job, chap. v. ver. 13, viz. 7a5 gopi na “ Where duih thy heart carry thee?"-Note, Sons of Reuben-refers to Eliab and Peleth, Ver. 13. TO KILL US IN THE WILDERNESS.] If this means the Lord's sentence against the people for their murmuring on account of the report of the spies, it will carry this event to a posterior date, and all my conjectures in the first observation would fall to the ground; but I do not think it means that, for the reasons alledged. And this narrative being postponed, 'I imagine, was because it is of a private nature, and not belonging to the history of the whole nation. Ver. 14. WILT THOU PUT OUT, &c.] I think this is a figurative expression, meaning, “ Wilt “thou delude these men, that they may not see through thy schemes.” This means the words that he should tell Eleazar; for, it is not to be supposed that God would bid Moses to do it himself. ♡ This seems to explain what is observed in the preceding verse, where it says, “ Speak unto Eleazar the son of Aaron the priest, that he take up the censers," so he proceeds to remark that they were the censers of these sinners. : This may refer to Korab, meaning against or concerning bim, that he should be destroyed; or to Aaron, meaning that nobody should come to do service but his seed ; also to the people, meaning as the Lord had warned them, קרח IT ס כָּל־הָאָדָם יִפָּקֵד עֲלֵיהֶם לֹא יְהוָה שְׁלָחָנִי : 30 וְאָס־ לא בְּרִיאָה יִבְרָא יְהוָה וּפַצְתָה הָאֲדָמָה אֶת־פִיהָ וּבְלֵעָה אֹתָם וְאֶת־כָּל־אֲשֶׁר לָהֶם וְיָרְדוּ חַיִּים שְׁאֹלָה וִידַעְתֶּם כִּי נָאֲצוּ הָאֲנָשִׁים הָאֵלֶּה אֶת־יְהוָה: 31 וַיְהִי כְּכַלָּתוֹ לְדַבֵּר אֵת כָּל־הַדְּבָרִים הָאֵלֶּה וַתּבָּקַע הָאֲדָמָה אֲשֶׁר תַּחְתֵּיהֶם : 32 וַתִּפְתַּח הָאָרֶץ אֶת־פִיהָ וַתִּבְלַע אֹתָם וְאֶת־בָּתֵּיהֶם וְאֵת כָּל־הָאָדָם אֲשֶׁר לְקְרַח וְאֵת כָּל־ הָרְכוּשׁ: 33 וַיִּרְדוּ הֵם וְכָל־אֲשֶׁר לָהֶם חַיִּים שְׁאֲלָה וַתְּכַס עֲלֵיהֶם הָאָרֶץ וַיֹּאבְרָוּ מִתּוֹךְ הַקְהָל: 34 וְכָל־ יִשְׂרָאֵל אֲשֶׁר סְבִיבֹתֵיהֶם נָסוּ לְקלֶם כִּי אָמְרוּ פֶּן־־ תִּבְלָעֵנוּ הָאָרֶץ : 35 וְאֵשׁ יָצְאָה מֵאֵת יְהוָה וַתּאכַל אֵת הַחֲמִשִׁים וּמָאתַיִם אִישׁ מַקְרִיבֵי הַקְטְרֶת : 36 וַיְדַבֵּר יְהוָה אֶל-מֹשֶׁה לֵּאמֹר : 37 אֱמר אֶל־אֶלְעָזָר בֶּן־אַהרן הַכֹּהֵן וְיָרֶם אֶת־הַמַּחְתּת מִבֵּין הַשְׂרֵפָה וְאֶת־הָאֵשׁ זְרֵה הָלֵאָה כִּי קָדֵשׁוּ: 38 אֵת מַחְתּוֹת הַחַטָאִים הָאֵלֶה בְּנַפְשׁתָם וְעָשׂוּ אֹתָם רִקְעֵי פחים צפּוּי לַמִּזְבֵּחַ כִּי־הִקְרִיבם לִפְנֵי יְהוָה וַיִּקְדֶשוּ וְיִהְיוּ לְאוֹת לִבְנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל: 39 ויקח אֶלְעָזָר הַכֹּהֵן אֶת מַחְתּוֹת הַנְחֹשֶׁת אֲשֶׁר הִקְרִיבוּ הַשָׂרָפִים וַיָּרַקְעוּם צִפּוּי לַמִּזְבֵּחַ: 40 זְכָּרוֹן לִבְנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל לְמַעַן אֲשֶׁר לֹא־ יִקְרַב אִישׁ זָר אֲשֶׁר לֹא מִזֶּרַע אַהֲרן הוּא לְהַקְטִיר קְטרֶת לִפְנֵי יְהוָה וְלֹא־יִהְיֶה כְקְרַח וְכעֲדָתוֹ כַּאֲשֶׁר דִּבֶּר יְהוָה בְּיַד־מֹשֶׁה 4i וַיִּלְנוּ כָּל-עֲדַת בְּנֵי־יִשְׂרָאֵל מִמָּחֶרֶת עַל־מֹשֶׁה וְעַל־ אַהֲרֹן לֵאמֹר אַתֶּם הֲמִתֶּם אֶת־־עָם יְהוָה: 42 וַיְהִי בְּהִקְהֵל הָעֵדָה עַל-משֶׁה וְעַל־־אַהֲרֹן וַיִּפְנוּ אֶל־־אֹהֶל מוֹעֵד וְהִנֵּה כִסָּהוּ הֶעָנָן וַיַּרְא כְּבוֹד יְהיָה : 43 וַיָּבִא רביע משֶׁה וְאַהֲרֹן אֶל־פְּנֵי אֹהֶל מוֹעֵד: יְהוָה אֶל-מֹשֶׁה לֵּאמֹר: 45 הַרמוּ מִתּוֹךְ הָעֵדָה הַזֹּאת 39 1:13 פ ס 44 וַיְדַבֵּר 13 Is it a small thing that thou 20 And the Lord spake unto hast brought us up out of a Jand Moses, and unto Aaron, saying, that floweth with milk and honey, 21 Separate yourselves from to kill us in the wilderness, except among this congregation, that I thou make thyself altogether a may consume them in a moment. prince over us? 22 And they fell upon their faces, 14 Moreover, thou hast not and said, O God, the God of the brought us into a land that flow- spirits of all flesh, shall one man eth with milk and honey, or given sin, and wilt thou be wroth with us inheritance of fields and vine- all the congregation ? yards: wilt thou put out the eyes 23 And the LORD spake unto of these men ? we will not come Moses, saying, up: 24 Speak unto the congregation 15 And Moses was very wrath, saying, Get ye up from about the and said unto the LORD, 'Respect tabernacle of Korah, Dathan, and not thou their offerings: I have Abiram. not taken one ass from them, 25 And Moses rose up and went neither have I hurt one of them. unto Dathan and Abiram; and the 16 And Moses said unto Korah, elders of Israel followed him. Be thou and all thy company before 26 And he spake unto the conthe LORD, thou, and they, and gregation, saying, Depart, I pray Aaron to-morrow: you, from the tents of these wicked 17 And take every man his men, and touch nothing of theirs, censer, and put incense in them, lest ye be consumed in all their and bring ye before the LORD every sins. man his censer, two hundred and 27 So they gat up from the fifty censers; thou also, and Aaron, tabernacle of Korah, Dathan, and each of you his censer. Abiram on every side: and Dathan 18 And they took every man his and Abiram came out, and stood censer, and put fire in them, and in the door of their tents, and laid incense thereon, and stood in their wives, and their sons, and the door of the tabernacle of the their little children. congregation with Moses and 28 And Moses said, Hereby ye Aaron. shall know that the LORD hath 19 And Korah gathered all the sent me to do all these works : for congregation against them unto I have not done them of mine own the door of the tabernacle of the mind. congregation: and the glory of 29 If these men die the common the LORD 'appeared unto all the death of all men, or if they be congregation, visited after the visitation of all the son of Uziel, the chief over the family of the Kobatbite, as in chap. iii. ver. So, which he thought belonged to him, being the son of Isbar second son of Kohath, whereas Elizaphan was the son of Kohath's fourth son, as appears in Exodus, chap. vi, ver. 18. and therefore he accused Moses of partiality in his disposition of the offices, pretending that he could not have been commanded by God to do s), and therefore would not abide by it, but would dispute even the priest. hood with Aaron : and, in order to get a strong party on his side, he also disputed the exchange of the Levites for the first-burn, by which means the first-born sided with him. And it is not unlikely but that these two hundred and fifty men were delegated from the whole body of the firstborn; and we may also suppose, that it was that congregation that murmured against Moses and Aaron in verse 41, and that suffered by the plague mentioned in chap. xvii. ver. 14. And the place where these two bundred and fifty men offered their incense, perhaps, was near Moses's tent, which, in Exodus, chap. Xxxiii. ver. 7, is called, “ The tabernacle of the congregacion," where there might be a jemporary altar. Ver. 1. The Hebrew text doth not mention what he took, and I do not think the English translator justified in adding men ; for, he did not raise men to fight with Moses, but demanded a further proof that he bud made this distribution of officers by God's order. Onkelos renders it, that נַעֲלֶה : 13 הַמְעַט כִּי הֶעָלִיתָנוּ מֵאֶרֶץ זָבַת חָלָב וּדְבַשׁ לַהֲמִיתֵנוּ בַּמִּדְבָּר כִּי־תִשְׂתָּרֵר עָלֵינוּ גַּם־־הִשְׂתָּרֵר : שני 14 אַף לֹא אֶל־אֶרֶץ זָבַת חָלָב וּדְבַשׁ הֲבִיאֹתָנוּ וַתִּתֶּן־ לָנוּ נַחֲלַת שָׂדֶה וָכָרֶם הַעֵינֵי הָאֲנָשִׁים הָהֵם תְּגַקִרְ לֹא נַעֲלֶה: 15 וַיִּחַר לְמשֶׁה מְאֹד וַיֹּאמֶר אֶל־־יְהוָה אַל־תֵּפֶן אֶל־מִנְחָתָם לֹא חֲמוֹר אֶחָד מֵהֶם נָשָׂאתִי וְלֹא הֲרֵעָתִי אֶת־אַחַד מֵהֶם : 16 וַיֹּאמֶר מֹשֶׁה אֶל־־קרַח אַתָּה וְכָל־עֲרָתְךָ הִיוּ לִפְנֵי יְהוָה אַתָּה וָהֵם וְאַהֲרן מָחָר : 17 וּקָחוּי אֵישׁ מַחְתָּתוֹ וּנְתַתֶּם עֲלֵיהֶם קְרֹרֶת וְהִקְרַבְתֶּם לִפְנֵי יְהוָה אִישׁ מַחְתָּתוֹ חֲמִשִׁים וּמָאתַיִם מַחְתֵּת וְאַתָּה וְאַהֲרן אִישׁ מַחְתָּתְוֹ: 18 וַיִּקְחוּ אִישׁ מַחְתָּתוֹ וַיִּתְּנוּ עֲלֵיהֶם אֵשׁ וַיָּשְׂמוּ עֲלֵיהֶם קְטרֶת וַיַּעַמְדוּ פֶּתַח אֹהֶל מוֹעֵד וּמשֶׁה וְאַהֲרְן: 19 וַיַּקְהֵל עֲלֵיהֶם קֹרַח אֶת־כָּל־הָעֵדָה אֶל־פֶתַח אֹהֶל מוֹעֵר וַיַּרְא כְבוֹד־יְהוָה שלישי אֶל־כָּל־הָעֵדָה : 20 וַיְדַבֵּר יְהוָה אֶל־ מֹשֶׁה וְאֶל־־אַהֲרֹן לֵאמֹר: 21 הִבָּדְלוּ מִתּוֹךְ הָעֶרֶה הַזְאת וַאֲכַלֶּה אֹתָם כְּרָגַע: 22 וַיִּפְלְוּ עַל־פְּנֵיהֶם וַיֹּאמְרוּ אֶל אֱלֹהֵי הָרוּחֹת לְכָל־בָּשָׂר הָאִישׁ אֶחָד חֲטָא וְעָל כָּל־־הָעֵדָה תִּקְצְף : 28 וַיְדַבֵּר יְהוָה אֶל-משֶׁה לֵּאמֹר: 24 דִּבֶּר אֶל־־הָעֵדָה לֵאמֹר הֵעָלוּ מִסָבִיב לְמִשְׁכַּן־קְרַח דָּתָן וַאֲבִירָם: 25 וַיָּקָם מֹשֶׁה וַיֵּלֶךְ אֶל־דָּתָן וַאֲבִירֶס וַיֵּלֶכְוּ אַחֲרָיו זִקְנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל: 26 וַיְדַבֵּר אֶל־הָעֵדָה לֵאמֹר סִוּרוּ נָא מֵעַל אֶהֶלֵי הָאֲנָשִׁים הָרְשָׁעִים הָאֵלֶּה וְאַל־תִּגְעוּ בְּכָל־אֲשֶׁר לָהֶם פֶּן־תִּפָּפוּ בְּכָל־חַטאתָם: 27 וַיַּעֲלוּ מֵעָל מִשְׁכַּן־קָרַח דָּתָן וַאֲבִירָם מְסָבִיב וְדָתָן וַאֲבִירָם יָצְאוּ נִצָּבִים פֶּתַח אֶהְלֵיהֶם וּנְשֵׁיהֶם וּבְנֵיהֶם וְטַפָּם : 28 וַיֹּאמֶר משֶׁה בְּזאת תֵּדְעוּן כִּי־־יְהוָה שְׁלָחַנִי לַעֲשׂוֹת אֵת כָּל־הַמַּעֲשִׂים הָאֵלֶּה כִּי־ לֹא מִלִבִּי: 29 אִם־כְּמוֹת כָּל־הָאָדָם יְמֵתוּן אֵלֶה וּפְקְבַּת ס 20 22 ס 25: : 39 And it shall be unto you for 5 And he spake unto Korah, a fringe, that ye. may look upon and unto all his company, saying, it, and remember all the com- . Even to-morrow the LORD will mandments of the LORD, and do shew who are his, and who is holy; them; and that ye seek not after and will cause him to come near your own heart, and your own eyes, unto him, even him whom he hath after which ye use to go a whoring: chosen, will he cause to come near 40 That ye may remember and unto him. do all my commandments, and 6 This do; Take ye censers, be holy unto your God. Korah, and all his company; 41 I am the LORD your God 7 And put fire therein, and put which brought you out of the land incense in them before the LORD toof Egypt, to be your God: I am morrow: and it shall be that the the LORD your God. man whom the LORD doth choose, CHAP. XVI. he shall be holy: ye take too much 1 The rebellion of Korah, &c. 31 - upon you, ye sons of Levi. His punishment, 41 A plague. 8 And Moses said unto Korah, Now Korah * the son of Izhar, Hear, I pray you, ye sons of Levi : 9 Seemeth it but a small thing the son of Kohath, the son of Levi; unto you, that the God of Israel and Dathan and Abiram the sons hath separated you from the conof Eliab, and on the son of Peleth, gregation of Israel, to bring you sons of Reuben, took men. near to himself, to do the service 2 And they rose up before Moses, of the tabernacle of the LORD, with certain of the children of and to stand before the congreIsrael, two hundred and fifty gation, to minister unto them? princes of the assembly, famous in 10 And he hath brought thee the congregation, men of renown. near to him, and all thy brethren 3 And they gathered themselves the sons of Levi with thee: and together against Moses and against seek ye the priesthood also ? Aaron, and said unto them, Ye 11 For which cause both thou, take too much upon you, seeing and all thy company are gathered all the congregation are holy every together against the Lord: and one of them, and the LORD is what is Aaron, that ye murmur among them: wherefore then lift against him? ye up yourselves above the con- 12 And Moses sent to call gregation of the LORD? Dathan and Abiram the sons of 4 And when Moses heard it he Eliab: which said, We will not fell upon his face: come up: for otherwise they would not have apprehended him, though we cannot find it mentioned in the Pentateuch ; so that Moses must have taught it them. And, if it be included in the general charge, “Thou shalt do no manaer of work,” he must have taught them what is called so; for, if not, any other indifferent action might also be so called : and this is what the Jews call oral law. * The commotion of Korah, related in this chapter, happened, as far as I can judge, long before the tabernacle was built, and even before the right incense, which was ordered in Exodus, chap. xxx. ver. 34, was made. This I infer, first, from Moses's telling Aaron, in ver. 46, “ And put on incense,” and not the incense, which implies any, and not the particular one made on purpose. Secondly, his bidding bim go into the midst of the congregation, when that incense was to be offered only upon the golden altar; vide Exodus, chap. XXX. which induces me to think that there was no golden altar as yet. Therefore it appears to me, that, when Moses came down from the mountain finally, he ordered the making of the tabernacle, and ascertained the number of the people by the half-shekel a-head; then he appointed the rulers to take down their pedigrees; at the same time he ordered to take down the number of the Levites, and of the first-born of Israel, whom he discharged from their duty of executing the Lord's service for the people, and chuse the Lerites in their stead; and appointed governors over their three families. It is said, by, the Rabins, from tradition, that this gave rise to Korah's displeasure, namely, for his appointing Elizapban, |