1Es unternahm Korach Sohn Jizhars Sohn Khats Sohns Lewis sowie Datan und Abiram Söhne Eliabs Sohns Pallus Sohns Rubens, 2daß sie aufstanden vor Mosches Antlitz, dazu Männer von den Söhnen Jissraels, zweihundertundfünfzig, Fürsten der Gemeinschaft, Berufne der Gemeinbegegnung, Männer von Namen, 3die versammelten sich über Mosche und über Aharon, - sie sprachen zu ihnen: Zuviel euch! denn all die Gemeinschaft, alle sind sie heilig, in ihrer Mitte ist ja ER, warum erhebt ihr euch über SEIN Gesamt! 4Mosche hörte es, er fiel auf sein Antlitz. - 5Er redete zu Korach und zu all seiner Gemeinde, sprechend: Am Morgen, dann wird ER kenntlich machen, wer sein ist und wer der Heilige, daß er den sich nahen lasse: wen er erwählt, den wird er sich nahen lassen. 6Dies tut: nehmt euch Pfannen, Korach und all seine Gemeinde, 7gebt in sie Feuer, legt auf sie Räucherwerk anderntags vor IHM, es sei: der Mann, den ER erwählt, der ist der Heilige, - zuviel euch, Söhne Lewis! 8Mosche sprach zu Korach: Hört doch, Söhne Lewis! 9Ists euch zu wenig, daß Jissraels Gott euch schied aus Jissraels Gemeinschaft, euch ihm nahen zu lassen: den Dienst SEINER Wohnung zu dienen, zu stehen vor der Gemeinschaft, für sie zu amten! 10Nahen ließ er dich und all deine Brüder die Söhne Lewis mit dir, nun trachtet ihr auch nach Priestertum! 11So denn, du und all deine Gemeinde, ihr seid, die sich gemeinen IHM gegenüber: Aharon, was ist der, daß über ihn ihr murrtet! 12Mosche schickte Datan und Abiram die Söhne Eliabs zu rufen. Sie sprachen: Wir ziehen nicht hinauf! 13Ists zu wenig, daß du uns heraufgezogen hast aus einem Land, Milch und Honig träufend, uns in der Wüste zu töten, daß du auch noch selbstherrlich herrschen willst über uns! 14Nichtwahr, in ein Land, Milch und Honig träufend, hast du uns kommen lassen, gabst uns ein Erbgut von Feld und Weinberg! willst du den Leuten da die Augen aushacken? Wir ziehn nicht hinauf. 15Das entflammte Mosche sehr, er sprach zu IHM: Wende dich nicht zu ihrer Hinleite! nicht einen Esel habe ich von ihnen erhoben, nicht einem von ihnen habe ich ein Leid getan! 16Mosche sprach zu Korach: DU und all deine Gemeinde, seid anderntags vor IHM, du und sie, und Aharon, 17Nehmt jeder seine Pfanne, gebt auf sie Räucherwerk und nahet vor IHM jeder seine Pfanne, zweihundertundfünfzig Pfannen, auch du und Aharon jeder seine Pfanne. 18Sie nahmen jeder seine Pfanne, sie gaben auf sie Feuer, sie legten auf sie Räucherwerk, sie stellten sich an den Einlaß des Zelts der Begegnung, auch Mosche und Aharon. 19Korach versammelte über sie alle Gemeinschaft zum Einlaß des Zelts der Begegnung. SEINE Erscheinung ließ von aller Gemeinschaft sich sehen. 20ER redete zu Mosche und zu Aharon, sprechend: 21Scheidet euch aus der Mitte dieser Gemeinschaft, und ich will sie in einem Nu vernichten. 22Sie fielen auf ihr Angesicht, sie sprachen: Gottherr, Gott der Geister in allem Fleisch! Ein einzelner Mann sündigt, und über alle Gemeinschaft willst du ergrimmen! 23ER redete zu Mosche, sprechend: 24Rede zur Gemeinschaft, sprechend: Zieht weg rings von dem Wohnplatz Korachs, Datans und Abirams! 25Mosche stand auf und ging zu Datan und Abiram, ihm nach gingen die Ältesten Jissraels. 26Er redete zur Gemeinschaft, sprechend: Weicht doch, hinweg von den Zelten dieser frevelhaften Männer, berührt nimmer allwas ihrer ist, sonst werdet ihr mit allen ihren Sünden gerafft. 27Sie zogen hinweg rings vom Wohnplatz Korachs, Datans und Abirams. Datan und Abiram aber traten heraus, aufrecht, im Einlaß ihrer Zelte, dazu ihre Weiber, ihre Söhne, ihr Kleinvolk. 28Mosche sprach: Daran sollt ihr erkennen, daß ER mich sandte all diese Taten zu tun, daß es nicht aus meinem Herzen war: 29sterben diese, wie alle Menschheit stirbt, bleibt die Ordnung aller Menschheit über sie verordnet, dann hat ER mich nicht gesandt; 30aber schafft eine Schaffung ER, macht der Boden seinen Mund auf und verschlingt sie und alles, was ihrer ist, und lebend sinken sie nieder ins Gruftreich, dann werdet ihr erkennen, daß diese Männer IHN gehöhnt haben. 31Es geschah, wie er geendet hatte all diese Rede zu reden: der Boden, der unter ihnen war, spaltete sich, 32die Erde öffnete ihren Mund, sie verschlang sie und ihre Häuser, alle Menschen, die Korachs waren, und alle Habe. 33Lebend sanken sie und alles Ihre nieder ins Gruftreich, die Erde überhüllte sie, sie schwanden aus der Mitte der Versammlung. 34Alles Jissrael die rings um sie waren, flohen bei ihrem Schrei, denn sie sprachen: Sonst möchte uns die Erde verschlingen! 35Ein Feuer aber fuhr aus von SEINEM Antlitz her und fraß die zweihundertundfünfzig Männer, die Räucherwerk darnahten.
Jamieson Fausset Brown Bible Commentary 1 THE REBELLION OF KORAH. (Num. 16:1-30)
Now Korah, the son of Izhar--Izhar, brother of Amram (
Exod 6:18), was the second son of Kohath, and for some reason unrecorded he had been supplanted by a descendant of the fourth son of Kohath, who was appointed prince or chief of the Kohathites (
Num 3:30). Discontent with the preferment over him of a younger relative was probably the originating cause of this seditious movement on the part of Korah.
Dathan and Abiram, . . . and On--These were confederate leaders in the rebellion, but On seems to have afterwards withdrawn from the conspiracy [compare
Num 16:12,
Num 16:24-
Num 16:25,
Num 16:27;
Num 26:9;
Deut 11:6;
Ps 106:17].
took men--The latter mentioned individuals, being all sons of Reuben, the eldest of Jacob's family, had been stimulated to this insurrection on the pretext that Moses had, by an arbitrary arrangement, taken away the right of primogeniture, which had vested the hereditary dignity of the priesthood in the first-born of every family, with a view of transferring the hereditary exercise of the sacred functions to a particular branch of his own house; and that this gross instance of partiality to his own relations, to the permanent detriment of others, was a sufficient ground for refusing allegiance to his government. In addition to this grievance, another cause of jealousy and dissatisfaction that rankled in the breasts of the Reubenites was the advancement of Judah to the leadership among the tribes. These malcontents had been incited by the artful representations of Korah (
Jude 1:11), with whom the position of their camp on the south side afforded them facilities of frequent intercourse. In addition to his feeling of personal wrongs, Korah participated in their desire (if he did not originate the attempt) to recover their lost rights of primogeniture. When the conspiracy was ripe, they openly and boldly declared its object, and at the head of two hundred fifty princes, charged Moses with an ambitious and unwarrantable usurpation of authority, especially in the appropriation of the priesthood, for they disputed the claim of Aaron also to pre-eminence [
Num 16:3].
3 they gathered themselves together against Moses and against Aaron--The assemblage seems to have been composed of the whole band of conspirators; and they grounded their complaint on the fact that the whole people, being separated to the divine service (
Exod 19:6), were equally qualified to present offerings on the altar, and that God, being graciously, present among them by the tabernacle and the cloud, evinced His readiness to receive sacrifices from the hand of any others as well as from theirs.
4 when Moses heard it, he fell upon his face--This attitude of prostration indicated not only his humble and earnest desire that God would interpose to free him from the false and odious imputation, but also his strong sense of the daring sin involved in this proceeding. Whatever feelings may be entertained respecting Aaron, who had formerly headed a sedition himself [
Num 12:1], it is impossible not to sympathize with Moses in this difficult emergency. But he was a devout man, and the prudential course he adopted was probably the dictate of that heavenly wisdom with which, in answer to his prayers, he was endowed.
5 he spake unto Korah and unto all his company--They were first addressed, not only because they were a party headed by his own cousin and 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 to-morrow--literally, "in the morning," the usual time of meeting in the East for the settlement of public affairs.
the Lord will show who are his, . . . even him whom he hath chosen will he cause to come near unto him--that is, will bear attestation to his ministry by some visible or miraculous token of His approval.
6 Take your censers, Korah, and all his company, &c.--that is, since you aspire to the priesthood, then go, perform the highest function of the office--that of offering incense; and if you are accepted well. How magnanimous the conduct of Moses, who was now as willing that God's people should be priests, as formerly that they should be prophets (
Num 11:29). But he warned them that they were making a perilous experiment.
12 Moses sent to call Dathan and Abiram--in a separate interview, the ground of their mutiny being different; for while Korah murmured against the exclusive appropriation of the priesthood to Aaron and his family, they were opposed to the supremacy of Moses in civil power. They refused to obey the summons; and their refusal was grounded on the plausible pretext that their stay in the desert was prolonged for some secret and selfish purposes of the leader, who was conducting them like blind men wherever it suited him.
15 Moses was very wroth--Though the meekest of all men [
Num 12:3], he could not restrain his indignation at these unjust and groundless charges; and the highly excited state of his feeling was evinced by the utterance of a brief exclamation in the mixed form of a prayer and an impassioned assertion of his integrity. (Compare
1Sam 12:3).
and said unto the Lord, Respect not thou their offering--He calls it their offering, because, though it was to be offered by Korah and his Levitical associates, it was the united appeal of all the mutineers for deciding the contested claims of Moses and Aaron.
16 Moses said unto Korah, Be thou and all thy company before the Lord--that is, at "the door of the tabernacle" (
Num 16:18), that the assembled people might witness the experiment and be properly impressed by the issue.
17 two hundred fifty censers--probably the small platters, common in Egyptian families, where incense was offered to household deities and which had been among the precious things borrowed at their departure [
Exod 12:35-
Exod 12:36].
20 the Lord spake unto Moses and Aaron, saying, Separate yourselves from among this congregation--Curiosity to witness the exciting spectacle attracted a vast concourse of the people, and it would seem that the popular mind had been incited to evil by the clamors of the mutineers against Moses and Aaron. There was something in their behavior very offensive to God; for after His glory had appeared--as at the installation of Aaron (
Lev 9:23), so now for his confirmation in the sacred office--He bade Moses and Aaron withdraw from the assembly "that He might consume them in a moment."
22 they fell upon their faces, and said, O God, the God of the spirits of all flesh--The benevolent importunity of their prayer was the more remarkable that the intercession was made for their enemies.
24 Speak unto the congregation, . . . Get you up from about the tabernacle--Moses was attended in the execution of this mission by the elders. The united and urgent entreaties of so many dignified personages produced the desired effect of convincing the people of their crime, and of withdrawing them from the company of men who were doomed to destruction, lest, being partakers of their sins, they should perish along with them.
27 the tabernacle of Korah, Dathan, and Abiram--Korah being a Kohathite, his tent could not have been in the Reubenite camp, and it does not appear that he himself was on the spot where Dathan and Abiram stood with their families. Their attitude of defiance indicated their daring and impenitent character, equally regardless of God and man.
28 Moses said, Hereby ye shall know that the Lord hath sent me to do all these works--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.
35 there came out a fire from the Lord--that is, 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
Num 26:11,
Num 26:58;
1Chr 6:22,
1Chr 6:37).
37 Speak unto Eleazar--He was selected lest the high priest might contract defilement from going among the dead carcasses.
39 the brazen censers . . . made broad plates to be a memorial--The altar of burnt offerings, being made of wood and covered with brass, this additional covering of broad plates not only rendered it doubly secure against the fire, but served as a warning beacon to deter all from future invasions of the priesthood.
41 the children of Israel murmured against Moses and against Aaron, saying, Ye have killed the people of the Lord--What a strange exhibition of popular prejudice and passion--to blame the leaders for saving the rebels! Yet Moses and Aaron interceded for the people--the high priest perilling his own life in doing good to that perverse race.
48 he stood between the living and the dead--The plague seems to have begun in the extremities of the camp. Aaron, in this remarkable act, was a type of Christ.