Numbers 16:47
in Numbers 16So Aaron took the censer as Moses had ordered and ran into the midst of the assembly. And seeing that the plague had begun among the people, he offered the incense and made atonement for the people.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
And Aaron took as Moses spake, and ran into the midst of the assembly; and, behold, the plague was begun among the people: and he put on the incense, and made atonement for the people.
KJV
And Aaron took as Moses commanded, and ran into the midst of the congregation; and, behold, the plague was begun among the people: and he put on incense, and made an atonement for the people.
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This verse in Numbers 16
Commentary
7 notes on this verseA man clearly worthy to be proposed that all should follow him was he, for when a terrible death on account of the rebels was spreading over the people, he offered himself between the dead and the living, that he might arrest death, and that no more should perish. A man truly of priestly mind and soul, who as a good shepherd with pious affection offered himself for the Lord's flock. And so he broke the sting of death, restrained its violence, refused it further course. Affection aided his deserts, for he offered himself for those who were resisting him.
The record, by era
The Church Fathers1 voice
Then Moses encouraged the high priest to offer incense in the camp and to pray for the people: "For the people have already begun to be destroyed." Moses saw in spirit what was happening, and therefore Aaron departed to offer incense for the people. He …
The Puritans and the Awakening2 voices
And Aaron took as Moses commanded,....
11 For which cause both thou and all thy company are gathered together against the L ORD : and what is Aaron, that ye murmur against him? An account of the rebels, who and what they were, not, as formerly, the mixed multitude and the dregs of the people, who are therefore never named, but men of distinction and quality, that made a figure.
The Nineteenth Century2 voices
A commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
A striking proof of the efficacy of that very Aaronic priesthood which the rebels had presumed to reject. The incense offering which had brought down destruction when presented by unauthorised hands, now in the hand of the true priest is the medium of instant salvation to the whole people. Aaron by his acceptable ministration and his personal self-devotion foreshadows emphatically in this transaction the perfect mediation and sacrifice of Himself made by Christ.
WE HAVE ATTENTIVELY read the passage which contains the account of this transaction. The authority of Moses and Aaron had been disputed by an ambitious man belonging to an elder branch of the family of Levi, who had craftily joined with himself certain factious spirits of the tribe of Reuben, who themselves also sought to attain to power by their supposed rights through Reuben the firstborn. By a singular judgment from heaven, God had proved that rebellion against Moses was a mortal sin.
1 more voice on this verse
The Nineteenth Century1 voice
WE HAVE ATTENTIVELY read the passage which contains the account of this transaction. The authority of Moses and Aaron had been disputed by an ambitious man belonging to an elder branch of the family of Levi, who had craftily joined with himself certain factious spirits of the tribe of Reuben, who themselves also sought to attain to power by their supposed rights through Reuben the firstborn. By a singular judgment from heaven, God had proved that rebellion against Moses was a mortal sin. He had bidden the earth open its mouth and swallow up all the traitors, and both Levites and Reubenites had disappeared, covered in a living grave. One would have imagined that from this time the murmurings of the children of Israel would have ceased, or that at least even should they have daring enough to gather in little mutinous knob, yet their traitorous spirit never would have come to so great a height as to develops itself in the whole body openly before the Lord's tabernacle. Yet so was it. On the very morrow after that solemn transaction, the whole of the people of Israel gathered themselves together, and with unholy clamours surrounded Moses and Aaron, charging them with having put to death the people of the Lord. Doubtless they hinged this accusation upon the fact, that whenever Moses prayed God heard him; then would they say, "Had he prayed upon this occasion the people would not have been destroyed; the earth would not have opened her mouth, and they would not have been swallowed up." They would thus attempt to prove the charge which they brought against these two great men of God. Can you picture the scene now in your mind's eye.
The words behind it
19 Hebrew wordsEvery Hebrew word of this verse in the order it stands, with what it means and the door to its own study. The last column counts the times a word stands in the whole Bible: the rarer the word, the more the places it appears belong together.
| Hebrew | Sound | Meaning | Word study | In the Bible |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| וַיִּקַּ֨ח | vaiyikach | and he took [it] | H3947 → | 966 times |
| אַהֲרֹ֜ן | ʾaharon | Aaron | H175 → | 347 times |
| כַּאֲשֶׁ֣ר׀ | kaasher | just as | H834 → | 5497 times |
| דִּבֶּ֣ר | diber | he had said | H1696 → | 1141 times |
| מֹשֶׁ֗ה | mosheh | Moses | H4872 → | 765 times |
| וַיָּ֙רָץ֙ | vaiyarotz | and he ran | H7323 → | |
| אֶל־ | ʾel- | into | H413 → | 5510 times |
| תּ֣וֹך | tokh | [the] middle of | H8432 → | 418 times |
| הַקָּהָ֔ל | hakahal | the assembly | H6951 → | 123 times |
| וְהִנֵּ֛ה | vehineh | and there! | H2009 → | 843 times |
| הֵחֵ֥ל | hechel | it had begun | H2490 → | 143 times |
| הַנֶּ֖גֶף | hanegef | the plague | H5063 → | 7 times |
| בָּעָ֑ם | baam | among the people | H5971 → | 1873 times |
| וַיִּתֵּן֙ | vaiyiten | and he put | H5414 → | 2011 times |
| אֶֽת־ | ʾet- | <obj.> | H853 → | 10935 times |
| הַקְּטֹ֔רֶת | haketoret | the incense | H7004 → | 60 times |
| וַיְכַפֵּ֖ר | vaykhaper | and he made atonement | H3722 → | 102 times |
| עַל־ | ʾal- | on | H5921 → | 5755 times |
| הָעָֽם׃ | haam | the people | H5971 → | 1873 times |
וַיִּקַּ֨חand he took [it]
vaiyikachH3947 →966 times
אַהֲרֹ֜ןAaron
ʾaharonH175 →347 times
כַּאֲשֶׁ֣ר׀just as
kaasherH834 →5497 times
דִּבֶּ֣רhe had said
diberH1696 →1141 times
מֹשֶׁ֗הMoses
moshehH4872 →765 times
וַיָּ֙רָץ֙and he ran
vaiyarotzH7323 →
אֶל־into
ʾel-H413 →5510 times
תּ֣וֹך[the] middle of
tokhH8432 →418 times
הַקָּהָ֔לthe assembly
hakahalH6951 →123 times
וְהִנֵּ֛הand there!
vehinehH2009 →843 times
הֵחֵ֥לit had begun
hechelH2490 →143 times
הַנֶּ֖גֶףthe plague
hanegefH5063 →7 times
בָּעָ֑םamong the people
baamH5971 →1873 times
וַיִּתֵּן֙and he put
vaiyitenH5414 →2011 times
אֶֽת־<obj.>
ʾet-H853 →10935 times
הַקְּטֹ֔רֶתthe incense
haketoretH7004 →60 times
וַיְכַפֵּ֖רand he made atonement
vaykhaperH3722 →102 times
עַל־on
ʾal-H5921 →5755 times
הָעָֽם׃the people
haamH5971 →1873 times
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
The walk
8 stopsEach card is a verse this one points to, and under it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it.
Through
Matthew 5:44But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you,
it leads to
- 1 Peter 3:9
Do not repay evil with evil or insult with insult, but with blessing, because to this you were called so that you may inherit a blessing.
Reached by 2 separate paths from here.
- Romans 12:14
Bless those who persecute you. Bless and do not curse.
- Luke 6:27–28
But to those of you who will listen, I say: Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you,
- Romans 12:20–21
On the contrary, “If your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him a drink. For in so doing, you will heap burning coals on his head.”
- Proverbs 25:21–22
If your enemy is hungry, give him food to eat, and if he is thirsty, give him water to drink.
- 1 Peter 3:9
Through
Romans 12:21Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.
it leads to
- Luke 6:27–30
But to those of you who will listen, I say: Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you,
- Proverbs 16:32
He who is slow to anger is better than a warrior, and he who controls his temper is greater than one who captures a city.
- Luke 6:27–30
Through
Psalms 106:29So they provoked the LORD to anger with their deeds, and a plague broke out among them.
it leads to
- 1 Corinthians 10:8
We should not commit sexual immorality, as some of them did, and in one day twenty-three thousand of them died.
- 1 Corinthians 10:8
Where this verse is studied
On this page
Studies3
On this verse
On this chapter
About Numbers
Who and where
2 names in this verse with a page on the site.
This page draws on Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869); Ambrose of Milan, Epistle 63; Caesarius of Arles, SERMON 110.2; Charles Spurgeon, The New Park Street Pulpit, Sermon No. 341: “The High Priest Standing Between the Dead and the Living” (lightly modernized text, CCEL edition); John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763) and Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible.