Matthew Henry Commentary Numbers 16
Matthew Henry Commentary
Numbers 16
Matthew Henry Commentary
Numbers 16
"Now Korah, the son of Izhar, the son of Kohath, the son of Levi, with Dathan and Abiram, the sons of Eliab, and On, the son of Peleth, sons of Reuben, took [men]: and they rose up before Moses, with certain of the children of Israel, two hundred and fifty princes of the congregation, called to the assembly, men of renown; and they assembled 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 Jehovah is among them: wherefore then lift ye up yourselves above the assembly of Jehovah? And when Moses heard it, he fell upon his face: and he spake unto Korah and unto all his company, saying, In the morning Jehovah will show who are his, and who is holy, and will cause him to come near unto him: even him whom he shall choose will he cause to come near unto him. This do: take you censers, Korah, and all his company; and put fire in them, and put incense upon them before Jehovah to-morrow: and it shall be that the man whom Jehovah doth choose, he [shall be] holy: ye take too much upon you, ye sons of Levi. And Moses said unto Korah, Hear now, ye sons of Levi: [seemeth it but] a small thing unto you, that the God of Israel hath separated you from the congregation of Israel, to bring you near to himself, to do the service of the tabernacle of Jehovah, and to stand before the congregation to minister unto them; and that he hath brought thee near, and all thy brethren the sons of Levi with thee? and seek ye the priesthood also? Therefore thou and all thy company are gathered together against Jehovah: and Aaron, what is he that ye murmur against him?" — Numbers 16:1-11 (ASV)
Pride and ambition cause a great deal of trouble both in churches and states. The rebels quarrel with the establishment of the priesthood upon Aaron and his family. They had little reason to boast of the people's purity or of God's favour, since the people had so often and so recently been polluted with sin and were now under the marks of God's displeasure. They unjustly charge Moses and Aaron with taking honour to themselves, when in fact they were called by God to it. See here:
- The spirit of 'levellers'—that is, those who resist the authorities God has established over them.
- The purpose they served.
Moses sought instruction from God.
The heart of the wise studies how to answer and asks counsel from God. Moses shows them their privileges as Levites and convicts them of the sin of undervaluing these privileges. Properly considering how many there are below us will help to keep us from envying those above us.
"And Moses sent to call Dathan and Abiram, the sons of Eliab; and they said, We will not come up: is it a small thing that thou hast brought us up out of a land flowing with milk and honey, to kill us in the wilderness, but thou must needs make thyself also a prince over us? Moreover thou hast not brought us into a land flowing with milk and honey, nor given us inheritance of fields and vineyards: wilt thou put out the eyes of these men? we will not come up. And Moses was very wroth, and said unto Jehovah, Respect not thou their offering: I have not taken one ass from them, neither have I hurt one of them." — Numbers 16:12-15 (ASV)
Moses summoned Dathan and Abiram to bring their complaints; but they would not obey. They bring very false charges against Moses. Those often fall under the heaviest censures, who in truth deserve the highest praise.
Moses, though the meekest man, yet, finding God reproached in him, was greatly angered; he could not bear to see the people ruining themselves. He appeals to God concerning his own integrity.
He commanded them to appear with Aaron the next morning, at the time of offering the morning incense. Korah undertook to appear accordingly. Proud ambitious men, while projecting their own advancement, often hasten their own shameful fall.
"And Moses said unto Korah, Be thou and all thy company before Jehovah, thou, and they, and Aaron, to-morrow: and take ye every man his censer, and put incense upon them, and bring ye before Jehovah every man his censer, two hundred and fifty censers; thou also, and Aaron, each his censer. And they took every man his censer, and put fire in them, and laid incense thereon, and stood at the door of the tent of meeting with Moses and Aaron. And Korah assembled all the congregation against them unto the door of the tent of meeting: and the glory of Jehovah appeared unto all the congregation. And Jehovah spake unto Moses and unto Aaron, saying, Separate yourselves from among this congregation, that I may consume them in a moment. And they fell upon their faces, and said, O God, the God of the spirits of all flesh, shall one man sin, and wilt thou be wroth with all the congregation?" — Numbers 16:16-22 (ASV)
The same glory of the Lord that appeared to place Aaron in his office at first (Leviticus 9:23) now appeared to confirm him in it, and to confound those who set up against him. Nothing is more terrible to those who are conscious of guilt than the appearance of the Divine glory. See how dangerous it is to have fellowship with sinners, and to join with them.
Though the people had treacherously deserted them, yet Moses and Aaron proved themselves faithful shepherds of Israel. If others fail in their duty to us, that does not remove our obligation to seek their welfare. Their prayer was a pleading prayer, and it proved a prevailing one.
"And Jehovah spake unto Moses, saying, Speak unto the congregation, saying, Get you up from about the tabernacle of Korah, Dathan, and Abiram. And Moses rose up and went unto Dathan and Abiram; and the elders of Israel followed him. And he spake unto the congregation, saying, Depart, I pray you, from the tents of these wicked men, and touch nothing of theirs, lest ye be consumed in all their sins. So they gat them up from the tabernacle of Korah, Dathan, and Abiram, on every side: and Dathan and Abiram came out, and stood at the door of their tents, and their wives, and their sons, and their little ones. And Moses said, Hereby ye shall know that Jehovah hath sent me to do all these works; for [I have] not [done them] of mine own mind. If these men die the common death of all men, or if they be visited after the visitation of all men; then Jehovah hath not sent me. But if Jehovah make a new thing, and the ground open its mouth, and swallow them up, with all that appertain unto them, and they go down alive into Sheol; then ye shall understand that these men have despised Jehovah. And it came to pass, as he made an end of speaking all these words, that the ground clave asunder that was under them; and the earth opened its mouth, and swallowed them up, and their households, and all the men that appertained unto Korah, and all their goods. So they, and all that appertained to them, went down alive into Sheol: and the earth closed upon them, and they perished from among the assembly. And all Israel that were round about them fled at the cry of them; for they said, Lest the earth swallow us up." — Numbers 16:23-34 (ASV)
The seventy elders of Israel attend Moses. It is our duty to do what we can to uphold 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 withdraw 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 awaiting the outcome, declares that if the rebels die a common death, he will be content to be called and counted an impostor. 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 this, though we cannot tell how bad they might have been to deserve it, or how God might otherwise have been good to them, yet we are sure of this: Infinite Justice did them no wrong. It was altogether miraculous. God has, when He pleases, unusual punishments for the workers of iniquity.
It was very significant. Considering how the earth is still in the same way loaded with the weight of man's sins, we have reason to wonder why it does not now sink under its load. The ruin of others should be our warning. If we could, by faith, hear the outcries of those who have gone down to the bottomless pit, we would be more diligent than we are to escape for our lives, lest we also come into their condemnation.
"And fire came forth from Jehovah, and devoured the two hundred and fifty men that offered the incense. And Jehovah spake unto Moses, saying, Speak unto Eleazar the son of Aaron the priest, that he take up the censers out of the burning, and scatter thou the fire yonder; for they are holy, even the censers of these sinners against their own lives; and let them be made beaten plates for a covering of the altar: for they offered them before Jehovah; therefore they are holy; and they shall be a sign unto the children of Israel. And Eleazar the priest took the brazen censers, which they that were burnt had offered; and they beat them out for a covering of the altar, to be a memorial unto the children of Israel, to the end that no stranger, that is not of the seed of Aaron, come near to burn incense before Jehovah; that he be not as Korah, and as his company: as Jehovah spake unto him by Moses." — Numbers 16:35-40 (ASV)
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, so that others might hear and fear, and no longer act 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.
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