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Matthew Henry
From his Commentary on the Whole Bible. Henry comments on passages, not single verses — this entry covers Numbers 16:12–22. His three-level outline is real structure in the source text, so it is rendered as structure.
Here is, I. The insolence of Dathan and Abiram, and their treasonable remonstrance. Moses had heard what Korah had to say, and had answered it; now he summons Dathan and Abiram to bring in their complaints (Num 16:12); but they would not obey his summons, either because they could not for shame say that to his face which they were resolved to say, and then it is an instance of some remains of modesty in them; or, rather, because they would not so far own his authority, and then it is an instance of the highest degree of impudence. They spoke the language of Pharaoh himself, who set Moses at defiance, but they forgot how dearly he paid for it. Had not their heads been wretchedly heated, and their hearts hardened, they might have considered that, if they regarded not these messengers, Moses could soon in God's name send messengers of death for them. But thus the God of this world blinds the minds of those that believe not. But by the same messengers they send their articles of impeachment against Moses; and the charge runs very high. 1. They charge him with having done them a great deal of wrong in bringing them out of Egypt, invidiously calling that a land flowing with milk and honey, Num 16:13. Onions, and garlick, and fish, they had indeed plenty of in Egypt, but it never pretended to milk and honey; only they would thus banter the promise of Canaan. Ungrateful wretches, to represent that as an injury to them which was really the greatest favour that ever was bestowed upon any people! 2. They charge him with a design upon their lives, that he intended to kill them in the wilderness, though they were so well provided for. And, if they were sentenced to die in the wilderness, they must thank themselves. Moses would have healed them, and they would not be healed. 3. They charge him with a design upon their liberties, that he meant to enslave them, by making himself a prince over them. A prince over them! Was he not a tender father to them? nay, their devoted servant for the Lord's sake? Had they not their properties secured, their order preserved, and justice impartially administered? Did they not live in ease and honour? And yet they complain as if Moses's yoke were heavier than Pharaoh's. And did Moses make himself a prince? Far from it. How gladly would he have declined the office at first! How gladly would he have resigned it many a time since! And yet he is thus put under the blackest characters of a tyrant and a usurper. 4. They charge him with cheating them, raising their expectations of a good land, and then defeating them (Num 16:14): Thou hast not brought us, as thou promisedst us, into a land that floweth with milk and honey; and pray whose fault was that? He had brought them to the borders of it, and was just ready, under God, to put them in possession of it; but they thrust it away from them, and shut the door against themselves; so that it was purely their own fault that they were not now in Canaan, and yet Moses must bear the blame. Thus when the foolishness of man perverteth his way his heart fretteth against the Lord, Pro 19:3. 5. They charge him in the general with unfair dealing, that he put out the eyes of these men, and then meant to lead them blindfold as he pleased. The design of all he did for them was to open their eyes, and yet they insinuate that he intended to put out their eyes, that they might not see themselves imposed upon. Note, The wisest and best cannot please every body, nor gain the good word of all. Those often fall under the heaviest censures who have merited the highest applause. Many a good work Moses had shown them from the Father, and for which of these do they reproach him?
II.Moses's just resentment of their insolence, Num 16:15.
Moses, though the meekest man, yet, finding God reproached in him, was very wroth; he could not bear to see a people ruining themselves for whose salvation he had done so much. In this discomposure,
1.He appeals to God concerning his own integrity; whereas they basely reflected upon him as ambitious, covetous, and oppressive, in making himself a prince over them, God was his witness,
(1.)That he never got any thing by them: I have not taken one ass from them, not only not by way of bribery and extortion, but not by way of recompence or gratuity for all the good offices he had done them; he never took the pay of a general, or the salary of a judge, much less the tribute of a prince. He got more in his estate when he kept Jethro's flock than when he came to be king in Jeshurun.
(2.)That they never lost any thing by him: Neither have I hurt any one of them, no, not the least, no, not the worst, no, not those that had been most peevish and provoking to him: he never abused his power to the support of wrong. Note, Those that have never blemished themselves need not fear being slurred by others: when men condemn us we may be easy, if our own hearts condemn us not.
2.He begs of God to plead his cause, and clear him, by showing his displeasure at the incense which Korah and his company were to offer, with whom Dathan and Abiram were in confederacy. Lord, says he, Respect not thou their offering. Herein he seems to refer to the history of Cain, lately written by his own hand, of whom it is said that to him and his offering God had not respect, Gen 4:5. These that followed the gainsaying of Korah walked in the way of Cain (these are put together, Jde 1:11), and therefore he prays that they might be frowned upon as Cain was, and put to the same confusion.
III.Issue joined between Moses and his accusers.
1.Moses challenges them to appear with Aaron next morning, at the time of offering up the morning incense, and refer the matter to God's judgment, Num 16:16, Num 16:17. Since he could not convince them by his calm and affectionate reasoning, he is ready to enter into bonds to stand God's award, not doubting but that God would appear, to decide the controversy. This reference he had agreed to before (Num 16:6, Num 16:7), and here adds only one clause, which bespeaks his great condescension to the plaintiffs, that Aaron, against whose advancement they excepted, though now advanced by the divine institution to the honour of burning incense within the tabernacle, yet, upon this trial, should put himself into the place of a probationer, and stand upon the level with Korah, at the door of the tabernacle; nay, and Moses himself would stand with them, so that the complainant shall have all the fair dealing he can desire; and thus every mouth shall be stopped.
2.Korah accepts the challenge, and makes his appearance with Moses and Aaron at the door of the tabernacle, to make good his pretensions, Num 16:18, Num 16:19. If he had not had a very great stock of impudence, he could not have carried on the matter thus far. Had not he lately seen Nadab and Abihu, the consecrated priests, struck dead for daring to offer incense with unhallowed fire? and could he and his accomplices expect to fare any better in offering incense with unhallowed hands? Yet, to confront Moses and Aaron, in the height of his pride he thus bids defiance to Heaven, and pretends to demand the divine acceptance without a divine warrant; thus wretchedly is the heart hardened through the deceitfulness of sin. They took every man his censer. Perhaps these were some of the censers which these heads of families had made use of at their family-altars, before this part of religious service was confined to the priesthood and the altar in the tabernacle (and they would bring them into use and reputation again); or they might be common chafing-dishes, which were for their ordinary use. Now to attend the solemn trial, and to be witness of the issue, one would have thought Moses should have gathered the congregation against the rebels, but it seems Korah gathered them against Moses (Num 16:19), which intimates that a great part of the congregation sided with Korah, were at his beck, and wished him success, and that Korah's hopes were very high of carrying the point against Aaron; for, had he suspected the event, he would not have coveted to make the trial thus public: but little did he think that he was now calling the congregation together to be the witnesses of his own confusion! Note, Proud and ambitious men, while they are projecting their own advancement, often prove to have been hurrying on their own shameful fall.
IV.The judgment set, and the Judge taking the tribunal, and threatening to give sentence against the whole congregation.
1.The glory of the Lord appeared, Num 16:19. The same glory that appeared to instal Aaron in his office at first (Lev 9:23) now appeared to confirm him in it, and to confound those that oppose him, and set up themselves in competition with him. The shechinah, or divine Majesty, the glory of the eternal Word, which ordinarily dwelt between the cherubim within the veil, now was publicly seen over the door of the tabernacle, to the terror of the whole congregation; for, though they saw no manner of similitude, yet probably the appearances of the light and fire were such as plainly showed God to be angry with them; as when he appeared, Num 14:10. Nothing is more terrible to those who are conscious of guilt than the appearances of divine glory; for such a glorious Being must needs be a formidable enemy.
2.God threatened to consume them all in a moment, and, in order to that, bade Moses and Aaron stand from among them, Num 16:21. God thus showed what their sin deserved, and how very provoking it was to him. See what a dangerous thing it is to have fellowship with sinners, and in the least to partake with them. Many of the congregation, it is likely, came only for company, following the crowd, or for curiosity, to see the issue, yet not coming, as they ought to have done, to bear their testimony against the rebels, and openly to declare for God and Moses, they had like to have been all consumed in a moment. If we follow the herd into which the devil has entered, it is at our peril.
V.The humble intercession of Moses and Aaron for the congregation, Num 16:22.
1.Their posture was importuning: they fell on their faces, prostrating themselves before God, as supplicants in good earnest, that they might prevail for sparing mercy. Though the people had treacherously deserted them, and struck in with those that were in arms against them, yet they approved themselves faithful to the trusts reposed in them, as shepherds of Israel, who were to stand in the breach when they saw the flock in danger. Note, If others fail in their duty to us, this does not discharge us from our duty to them, nor take off the obligations we lie under to seek their welfare.
2.Their prayer was a pleading prayer, and it proved a prevailing one. Now God would have destroyed them if Moses had not turned away his wrath (Psa 106:23); yet far be it from us to imagine that Moses was more considerate or more compassionate than God in such a case as this: but God saw fit to show his just displeasure against the sin of sinners by the sentence, and at the same time to show his gracious condescension to the prayers of the saints, by the revocation of the sentence at the intercession of Moses. Observe in the prayer,
(1.)The title they give to God: The God of the spirits of all flesh. See what man is; he is a spirit in flesh, a soul embodied, a creature wonderfully compounded of heaven and earth. See what God is; he is the God of the spirits of all mankind. He forms the spirit, Zac 12:1. He fathers it, Heb 12:9. He has an ability to fashion it (Psa 33:15), and authority to dispose of it, for he has said, All souls are mine, Eze 18:4. They insinuate hereby that though, as the God of the spirits of all flesh, he might in sovereignty consume this congregation in a moment, yet it was to be hoped that he would in mercy spare them, not only because they were the work of his own hands, and he had a propriety in them, but because, being the God of spirits, he knew their frame, and could distinguish between the leaders and the led, between those who sinned maliciously and those who were drawn in by their wiles, and would make a difference accordingly in his judgments.
(2.)The argument they insist on; it is much the same with that which Abraham urged in his intercession for Sodom (Gen 18:23): Wilt thou destroy the righteous with the wicked? Such is the plea here: Shall one man sin and wilt thou be wroth with all the congregation? Not but that it was the sin of them all to join in this matter, but the great transgression was his that first hatched the treason. Note, Whatever God may do in sovereignty and strict justice, we have reason to hope that he will not destroy a congregation for the sin of one, but that, righteousness and peace having kissed each other in the undertaking of the Redeemer, mercy shall rejoice against judgment. Moses knew that all the congregation must perish in the wilderness by degrees, yet he is thus earnest in prayer that they might not be consumed at once, and would reckon it a favour to obtain a reprieve. Lord, let it alone this year.
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Summary
Numbers 16:17 stands as the pivotal command in the unfolding drama of Korah's rebellion, where Moses, acting under divine instruction, orchestrates a definitive test to reveal God's true chosen leadership. This verse specifically directs Korah, his 250 rebellious followers, and also Moses and Aaron, to present censers filled with incense before the LORD. This ritual act, ordinarily reserved exclusively for the consecrated Aaronic priesthood, serves as a direct, tangible challenge to the rebels' audacious claims of equal access and authority, thereby setting the stage for God's dramatic and irrefutable intervention to affirm His divinely appointed servants and uphold the sanctity of His holy offices.
Context
Literary Context
Numbers 16:17 is strategically positioned at the critical juncture of Korah's rebellion, immediately following Moses' divinely inspired challenge to the rebellious faction. The preceding verses meticulously detail the audacious claims of Korah, Dathan, and Abiram, who boldly questioned Moses and Aaron's divinely appointed authority, asserting, "all the congregation are holy, every one of them, and the LORD is among them: wherefore then lift ye up yourselves above the congregation of the LORD?" Numbers 16:3. In response, a deeply distressed Moses prostrates himself before God, then proposes a decisive test involving censers and the offering of incense—an act strictly reserved for the consecrated priests. This verse, therefore, constitutes the precise divine instruction for this impending ordeal, elevating the confrontation from mere verbal accusation to a tangible, ritualistic demonstration designed to reveal who truly possesses God's authorization. The verses that immediately follow graphically portray God's swift, terrifying, and unequivocal judgment upon the rebels, thereby confirming the inviolable sanctity of the Aaronic priesthood and Moses' divinely ordained leadership.
Historical & Cultural Context
Within ancient Israel, the Tabernacle cult was meticulously ordered by divine command, with highly specific roles, responsibilities, and rituals assigned to the Levites, and even more narrowly, to the Aaronic priesthood. The offering of incense, in particular, was a profoundly sacred act, performed daily by the high priest on the altar of incense Exodus 30:7-8. This ritual was not merely ceremonial; it symbolized the prayers of the people ascending to God and powerfully underscored the priest's unique mediatorial role. For unauthorized individuals, even fellow Levites like Korah, to attempt this ritual was regarded not merely as a breach of protocol but as a profound act of sacrilege and a blatant usurpation of a divinely ordained office. The harsh, often chaotic, wilderness setting further amplified the critical need for clear divine authority and established order, as the nascent Israelite nation struggled to define its identity and solidify its relationship with its holy God. The challenge posed by Korah was thus a direct and dangerous assault on the very theological and social structure of the Israelite community and its divinely prescribed system of worship.
Key Themes
This verse powerfully contributes to several overarching and foundational themes within the Book of Numbers and the broader Pentateuch. Firstly, it emphatically underscores the theme of Divine Authority and Appointment, highlighting that leadership, especially in spiritual and religious matters, is not a matter of human choice, self-appointment, or democratic consensus, but is solely and exclusively divinely ordained. Korah's rebellion stands as a direct and audacious challenge to God's sovereign choice of Moses and Aaron. Secondly, the passage vividly illustrates the Sacredness and Exclusivity of the Priesthood. The act of offering incense was a potent and visible symbol of the unique access and mediatorial role granted solely to the Aaronic priests; its attempted performance by unauthorized individuals was an egregious affront to God's holiness and His established order. This theme is further reinforced by the severe and immediate consequences that follow in Numbers 16. Thirdly, the passage powerfully showcases Divine Testing and Revelation. Moses proposes the test not out of a desire for personal vindication, but specifically to allow the LORD Himself to unequivocally reveal "who is holy" Numbers 16:5. The censers, therefore, become instruments of divine discernment, exposing the true nature of the rebellion and God's unwavering commitment to His established and sacred order.
Exposition and Analysis
Key Word Analysis
This term refers to a portable firepan, typically crafted from bronze, used for transporting live coals from the altar and for burning incense. Within the meticulously ordered context of the Tabernacle, censers were sacred vessels, strictly reserved for the priests for specific ritual functions, particularly the offering of incense before the LORD. Their use by Korah's company was a direct, audacious, and presumptuous claim to priestly rights and direct access to God, constituting a profound act of sacrilege and usurpation.
This refers to a specially compounded, fragrant mixture of aromatic spices, whose precise recipe was divinely prescribed in Exodus 30:34-38. Its use was strictly restricted to the Tabernacle cult. When burned on the altar of incense, it produced a fragrant smoke that ascended to God, symbolizing prayer, acceptable worship, and the very presence of the divine. The unauthorized offering of incense was considered a grave offense, as tragically demonstrated by the judgment upon Nadab and Abihu in Leviticus 10:1-2.
This is the sacred, covenant name of God (YHWH), emphasizing His personal, relational, self-existent, and unchanging nature. The command to bring the censers "before the LORD" profoundly underscores that the challenge posed by Korah and his company was not merely against Moses and Aaron, but directly against God Himself and His divinely established order and authority. It was God's honor, holiness, and sovereign authority that were being directly tested and would ultimately be vindicated through the ensuing events.
Verse Breakdown
"And take every man his censer,"
This initial command is explicitly directed at Korah and his 250 followers, instructing each of them to prepare a censer. This immediately establishes the nature of the impending test: a direct, physical act of worship normally and exclusively reserved for the consecrated priesthood, which the rebels were now audaciously and presumptuously undertaking.
"and put incense in them,"
The specific ritual element, incense, is highlighted as central to the test. This is critically important because the burning of incense was a highly sacred and strictly restricted priestly function, making the rebels' participation in this act a clear, undeniable, and direct usurpation of the divinely appointed priestly duties and privileges.
"and bring ye before the LORD every man his censer, two hundred and fifty censers;"
This clause emphasizes both the public and collective nature of the challenge. The sheer number of censers—250—dramatically illustrates the widespread nature of the rebellion and the immense scale of the affront to God's authority and holiness. The crucial phrase "before the LORD" signifies that the ultimate arbitration and judgment of this dispute would come directly from God's holy presence.
"thou also, and Aaron, each [of you] his censer."
This final segment of the verse includes Moses and Aaron in the test, though their participation is not to prove their own holiness or authority, but rather to stand as the legitimate and divinely appointed priests in stark contrast to the illegitimate claimants. Their presence allows God to visibly and unequivocally distinguish between His chosen servants and those who presumed to usurp His sacred offices.
Literary Devices
Numbers 16:17 employs several potent literary devices that profoundly enhance its dramatic tension and theological impact. Symbolism is paramount, as the censers and incense themselves are deeply resonant symbols. The censer represents the very vehicle of priestly mediation and authorized access to God, while the incense symbolizes acceptable prayer, worship, and the ascending presence of the divine. By commanding the rebels to use these highly sacred items, Moses masterfully sets up a symbolic confrontation over the very essence and exclusivity of the priesthood. There is also a powerful element of Dramatic Irony at play: Korah and his company genuinely believe they are asserting their rightful claim to approach God and share in priestly honor, but their very act of bringing the censers becomes the precise means of their swift and terrifying judgment and destruction, thereby unequivocally revealing their unholiness rather than their claimed holiness. The entire scenario functions as a Divine Test or ordeal, where the outcome is not determined by human argument, political maneuvering, or physical strength, but solely by God's direct, supernatural, and undeniable intervention, serving to unequivocally establish His chosen authority and the inviolable sanctity of His divine commands.
Theological and Thematic Connections
Numbers 16:17 profoundly illustrates the solemnity of God's divinely appointed order and the severe, often terrifying, consequences of encroaching upon sacred offices and functions not divinely granted. It underscores the fundamental truth that access to God and service in His holy presence are not matters of human right, democratic choice, or self-assertion, but rather sacred privileges granted solely by divine election and meticulously sustained by faithful obedience. The rebellion of Korah, culminating in this dramatic test, serves as a stark and enduring warning against spiritual presumption, reminding all generations that God's absolute holiness demands profound reverence and unwavering adherence to His established ways, particularly concerning worship, sacred rituals, and leadership within His covenant community. This episode powerfully reinforces the theological principle that God is utterly sovereign in His choices, and challenging His appointed servants is, in essence, tantamount to challenging God Himself directly. The sanctity and exclusivity of the Aaronic priesthood, as a divinely instituted means of mediation between a holy God and sinful humanity, are powerfully affirmed through the dramatic and decisive events that immediately follow this command.
Reflection and Application
Numbers 16:17, while deeply rooted in the unique historical and cultural context of the Old Testament Aaronic priesthood, offers timeless and profound principles for contemporary believers across all ages. It calls us to cultivate a deep and abiding respect for God's divine order, whether that order manifests in the structures of the church, in societal roles, or within the intimate sphere of our personal lives. The grave dangers of spiritual arrogance, self-promotion, and the rebellious challenging of legitimate authority—especially when that authority is perceived as divinely appointed—are vividly and tragically portrayed. While the specific Aaronic priesthood no longer functions in the same way under the New Covenant, the overarching principle remains eternally relevant: God establishes structures, calls individuals to specific roles, and ordains particular methods for the good of His people and the advancement of His kingdom. Our access to God is never by our own merit, presumption, or self-will, but solely by His boundless grace, perfectly mediated through the person and work of Jesus Christ. This passage challenges each of us to humbly examine our hearts for any subtle or overt trace of Korah's rebellious spirit—a hidden desire for honor not divinely given, a questioning of God's wisdom in His appointments, or an impatience with His timing and methods. True humility, a hallmark of genuine faith, recognizes God's absolute sovereignty in all things, including whom He chooses to lead and how He chooses to be worshipped.
Questions for Reflection
FAQ
What was the significance of bringing censers with incense in this context?
Bringing censers with incense was an act of immense significance because it constituted a ritual function exclusively reserved for the consecrated Aaronic priesthood. The incense offering, when burned on the altar of incense within the Tabernacle, symbolized the prayers of God's people ascending to Him and the very presence of divine worship. For Korah and his 250 followers, who were Levites but not of the priestly lineage of Aaron, to bring censers was a direct, audacious, and profoundly sacrilegious usurpation of the priestly office. It was a public and tangible claim to priestly rights and direct access to God, thereby challenging the divine appointment of Aaron and his sons. Moses proposed this test specifically to allow God Himself to visibly and unequivocally demonstrate whom He had chosen and to confirm the inviolable sanctity of the priesthood, as clearly articulated in Numbers 16:5-7.
What happened to the censers after the judgment on Korah's company?
After God's swift and terrifying judgment consumed Korah and his 250 followers, their bronze censers, which they had used in their act of rebellion, were not discarded as defiled objects but were divinely repurposed for a sacred and perpetual function. The LORD commanded Eleazar the priest to collect these censers, melt them down, and hammer them into thin plates to cover the altar of burnt offering Numbers 16:36-40. This act served as a perpetual memorial and a solemn warning to all the Israelites that "no stranger, which is not of the seed of Aaron, come near to offer incense before the LORD; that he be not as Korah, and as his company" Numbers 16:40. This repurposing powerfully reinforced the exclusivity of the Aaronic priesthood and the severe, unyielding consequences of violating God's divinely established and holy order.
Christ-Centered Fulfillment
Numbers 16:17, with its dramatic portrayal of unauthorized access to God and the inviolable sanctity of the priesthood, finds its ultimate and glorious Christ-centered fulfillment in the New Covenant. The Old Testament priesthood, with its exclusive rights to offer incense and mediate between a holy God and sinful humanity, served as a profound foreshadowing of the perfect, eternal, and all-sufficient priesthood of Jesus Christ. Unlike the rebellious company of Korah, who presumed to approach God through their own efforts and without divine authorization, Jesus is the divinely appointed High Priest, not of the Levitical order, but "after the order of Melchizedek" Hebrews 5:6. His singular, perfect sacrifice on the cross was the ultimate and once-for-all offering for sin, not only taking away sin but also irrevocably opening the way to God for all who believe, not just a select few. Through Christ, we are now graciously invited to "draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith" into the very presence of God, having "boldness to enter into the holiest by the blood of Jesus" Hebrews 10:19-22. The profound danger of Korah's rebellion lay in unauthorized access; the immeasurable glory of the New Covenant is that Christ Himself has provided the divinely authorized and perfect access, making us, through Him, a "royal priesthood" 1 Peter 2:9 who can now offer spiritual sacrifices of praise and worship directly to God through our great High Priest.