Numbers 16:7
in Numbers 16and tomorrow you are to place fire and incense in them in the presence of the LORD. Then the man the LORD chooses will be the one who is holy. It is you sons of Levi who have taken too much upon yourselves!”
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
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.
KJV
And put fire therein, and put incense in them before the Lord to morrow: and it shall be that the man whom the Lord doth choose, he shall be holy: ye take too much upon you, ye sons of Levi.
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This verse in Numbers 16
Commentary
4 notes on this verseThis site's exposition
Take censers
on Numbers 16:6-7
The test is the act that killed the sons of Aaron. At Leviticus 10:1-2 Nadab and Abihu took their censers, and fire came out from the presence of the LORD and consumed them.
This site's exposition
Then the man the LORD chooses will be the one who is holy.
Korah said the whole congregation is holy, and Moses answers that holiness belongs to the one the LORD chooses. Jamieson, Fausset and Brown praise his readiness, as willing for the people to be priests as he was at 11:29 for them to be prophets. The choice is left with God.
The record, by era
The Puritans and the Awakening2 voices
And put fire therein,....
Let Korah and his partisans bring their censers, and offer incense before the Lord, and, if he testify his acceptance of them, well and good; Moses is now as willing that all the Lord's people should be priests, if God so pleased, as before that they should all be prophets, ch. xi.
The words behind it
20 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| וּתְנ֣וּ | utenu | and put | H5414 → | 2011 times |
| בָהֵ֣ן׀ | vahen | in <the> them | ||
| אֵ֡שׁ | ʾesh | fire | H784 → | 378 times |
| וְשִׂימוּ֩ | vesimu | and set | H7760 → | 584 times |
| עֲלֵיהֶ֨ן | ʾaleihen | on them | H5921 → | 5755 times |
| קְטֹ֜רֶת | ketoret | incense | H7004 → | 60 times |
| לִפְנֵ֤י | lifnei | <to> before | H6440 → | 2123 times |
| יְהוָה֙ | yahweh | Yahweh | H3068 → | 6520 times |
| מָחָ֔ר | machar | tomorrow | H4279 → | 52 times |
| וְהָיָ֗ה | vehayah | and it will be | H1961 → | 3559 times |
| הָאִ֛ישׁ | haish | the man | H376 → | 1663 times |
| אֲשֶׁר־ | ʾasher- | whom | H834 → | 5497 times |
| יִבְחַ֥ר | yivchar | he will choose | H977 → | 171 times |
| יְהוָ֖ה | yahweh | Yahweh | H3068 → | 6520 times |
| ה֣וּא | hu' | he | H1931 → | 1879 times |
| הַקָּד֑וֹשׁ | hakadoosh | [will be] the holy [person] | H6918 → | 116 times |
| רַב־ | rav- | enough | H7227 → | 454 times |
| לָכֶ֖ם | lakhem | for <the> you | ||
| בְּנֵ֥י | benei | O descendants of | H1121 → | 4930 times |
| לֵוִֽי׃ | levi | Levi | H3878 → | 59 times |
וּתְנ֣וּand put
utenuH5414 →2011 times
בָהֵ֣ן׀in <the> them
vahen
אֵ֡שׁfire
ʾeshH784 →378 times
וְשִׂימוּ֩and set
vesimuH7760 →584 times
עֲלֵיהֶ֨ןon them
ʾaleihenH5921 →5755 times
קְטֹ֜רֶתincense
ketoretH7004 →60 times
לִפְנֵ֤י<to> before
lifneiH6440 →2123 times
יְהוָה֙Yahweh
yahwehH3068 →6520 times
מָחָ֔רtomorrow
macharH4279 →52 times
וְהָיָ֗הand it will be
vehayahH1961 →3559 times
הָאִ֛ישׁthe man
haishH376 →1663 times
אֲשֶׁר־whom
ʾasher-H834 →5497 times
יִבְחַ֥רhe will choose
yivcharH977 →171 times
יְהוָ֖הYahweh
yahwehH3068 →6520 times
ה֣וּאhe
hu'H1931 →1879 times
הַקָּד֑וֹשׁ[will be] the holy [person]
hakadooshH6918 →116 times
רַב־enough
rav-H7227 →454 times
לָכֶ֖םfor <the> you
lakhem
בְּנֵ֥יO descendants of
beneiH1121 →4930 times
לֵוִֽי׃Levi
leviH3878 →59 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
Ephesians 1:4For He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world to be holy and blameless in His presence. In love
it leads to
- 2 Timothy 1:9
He has saved us and called us to a holy calling, not because of our works, but by His own purpose and by the grace He granted us in Christ Jesus before time began.
- Romans 8:28–30
And we know that God works all things together for the good of those who love Him, who are called according to His purpose.
- Ephesians 2:10
For we are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance as our way of life.
- Matthew 25:34
Then the King will say to those on His right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world.
- 1 Peter 2:9
But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for God’s own possession, to proclaim the virtues of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light.
- 2 Timothy 1:9
Through
Numbers 16:3They came together against Moses and Aaron and told them, “You have taken too much upon yourselves! For everyone in the entire congregation is holy, and the LORD is in their midst. Why then…
it leads to
- Psalms 106:16
In the camp they envied Moses, as well as Aaron, the holy one of the LORD.
- Psalms 106:16
Through
Numbers 16:5Then he said to Korah and all his followers, “Tomorrow morning the LORD will reveal who belongs to Him and who is holy, and He will bring that person near to Himself. The one…
it leads to
- Psalms 65:4
Blessed is the one You choose and bring near to dwell in Your courts! We are filled with the goodness of Your house, the holiness of Your temple.
- Numbers 17:5
The staff belonging to the man I choose will sprout, and I will rid Myself of the constant grumbling of the Israelites against you.”
- Psalms 65:4
Where this verse is studied
On this page
Studies6
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About Numbers

This page draws on Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763); Keil and Delitzsch, Biblical Commentary on the Old Testament: The Pentateuch and Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible.
