A Help for the Understanding of the Holy Scriptures, Numbers · Chapter 16
CHAP. XVI.
Verſ. 1. NOw Korah the ſonne of Izhar, the ſonne of Kohath, the ſonne of Levi, &c.]
Moſes here names the ring-leaders in a dangerous inſurrection that was made againſt him and Aaron his brother. Korah is ſet in the firſt place, as the firſt mover of this ſedition, which is therefore called the gainſaying of Core, Jude 11. and ver. 23. becauſe it was all occaſioned by him▪ ſhall one man ſinne, ſaid Moſes to the Lord, and wilt thou be wroth with all the congregation? A Levite he was, and coſen-german to Moſes and Aaron: for Amram the father of Moſes and Aaron, and Izhar the father of this Korah, were brothers, the ſonnes of Kohath, as it is evident Exod. 6. 18. And probable enough it may ſeem to be which the Hebrews ſay, that this Korah had long ſince taken offence that Elizaphan was by Moſes preferred to be Prince of the families of the Kohathites chap. 3. 30. whereas he was of the youngeſt brother Uzziel, and Korah was of Izhar …lder then he; which grudge, however it lay buried for a time, yet now it brake forth, and nothing leſſe then prieſthood will content him and his abetters. With Korah are joyned here Dathan and Abiram, the ſonnes of Eliab, and On the ſonne of Peleth, all ſonnes of Reuben, who were ring-leaders of this rebellion amongſt the people, as Korah was amongſt the Levites: and indeed becauſe the Reubenites encamped next to the Kohathites, both on the South-ſide of the tabernacl…, hereby Korah had the better opportunity to perſwade the Reubenites to joyn with them; and beſides under a pretence of Reubens birthright they were happe'y the more eaſily drawn to oppoſe Moſes, as intending to challenge that the government belonged to them alſo.
Verſ. 2. Two hundred and fifty princes of the aſſembly, famous in the congregation, men of renown.]
That is, they were magiſtrates, ſtateſmen, famous and renowned, whereby the conſpiracy was the more dangerous.
Verſ. 3. Ye take too much upon you ſeeing all the congregation are holy, &c.]
And therefore may approch to God, and offer their ſacrifices themſelves. Hereby therefore they challenge Moſes of partiality, in tying the prieſthood to his brother Aarons poſterity. It is moſt probable, which is generally held by Interpreters, that the Reubenites did intend under the pretence of Reubens birthright to wreſt the ſupreme magiſtracy from Moſes to themſelves, and therefore might here charge not Aaron onelyonly but Moſes alſo with taking too much upon them. But doubtleſſe for the preſent they made the quarrel onelyonly about the prieſthood: nor was it ſo much to make all the Levites equall with Aaron and his ſonnes (though that happely the Levites did hope would prove the iſſue of it, ſeek ye the prieſthood alſo? ſaid Moſes, ver. 10.) as that all the people might as prieſts offer their own ſacrifices; and therefore all the two hundred and fifty conſpiratours, who were of ſeverall tribes, were appointed to come with their cenſers to burn incenſe before the Lord; and concerning Dathan and Abiram, who were Reubenites, it is ſaid ver. 15. when Moſes ſent for them, and they refuſed to come to him, that Moſes was very wroth with them, and ſaid unto the Lord, Reſpect not thou their offerings, which muſt needs be meant of the incenſe they were to offer; yea and in the following chapter, the laying up of the rods of all the tribes before the Lord, that the Lord might ſhew that none but Aaron and his family might meddle with the work of the prieſthood, makes it moſt evident that the plea of theſe men was, that all the tribes might offer their ſacrifices unto the Lord.
Wherefore then lift you up your ſelves above the congregation of the Lord?]
Though at firſt they pretend nothing but an equall right to the prieſthood, yet theſe generall words of expoſtulation do in a manner intimate that they meant to wreſt the government from Moſes alſo.
Verſ. 4. And when Moſes heard it, he fell upon his face.]
See chap. 14. 5.
Verſ. 5. Even to morrow the Lord will ſhew who are his, &c.]
All this that here follows, which is appointed for deciding of the controverſie who might meddle with the work of the prieſthood, and who might not, Moſes no doubt ſpake by ſpeciall inſtinct of the ſpirit of God, who upon Moſes prayer when he fell upon his face, ver. 4. had now revealed to him what he ſhould do. Neither yet doth he preſently call them to the triall, but appoints the next day for it, both that they might have time to bethink themſelves, and repent of what they had done; and alſo that the people might …e the better prepared to obſerve and note the judgement of God.
Verſ. 8. And Moſes ſaid unto Korah, He…re I pray you ye ſonnes of Levi, &c.]
B…cauſe Korah Dathan and Abiram, with the reſt of the conſpiratours, were all together when they firſt began to quarrel with Moſes and Aaron, as it is evident, ver. 1. 2. and yet the ſame day Dathan and Abiram were gone, and Moſes therefore ſent for them, ver. 12. therefore it may be probably thought that after the firſt aſſembly was broken up, Moſes did again ſend for Korah and the Levites, that he might talk with them by themſelves, and that then he ſpake that which is here ſet down; and ſo afterwards for Dathan and Abiram by themſelves, as is expreſſed ver. 12.
Verſ. 11. And what is Aaron, that ye murmur againſt him?]
That is, he is but Gods miniſter, he did not thruſt in himſelf, but was called of God. So Moſes had ſpoken formerly, Exod. 16. 7, 8. And what are we that ye murmur againſt us?—your murmurings are not againſt us, but againſt the Lord; and ſo the Apoſtle ſpeaks, 1. Cor. …. 5. Who then is Paul? and who is Apollo? but miniſters by whom ye believe, even as the Lord gave to every man.
Verſ. 12. And Moſes ſent to call Dathan and Abiram, &c.]
Dathan and Abiram were with Korah when they were firſt gathered together againſt Moſes and Aaron, ver. 1, 2. Either therefore after that aſſembly was broken up Moſes did the ſame day ſend firſt for Korah and the Levites, and expoſtulate the matter with them, as is before noted upon ver. 8. and afterwards fo… Dathan and Abiram (as here is ſaid) that he might alſo adviſe them better; or elſe, if all hitherto related were done at the firſt aſſembly, then had Dathan and Abiram withdrawn themſelves when Moſes began to ſpeak, as diſdaining to hear any thing he ſhould ſay. In the beginning of this chapter there is mention made of On the ſonne of Peleth, who was alſo one of the tribe of Reuben, and a ring-leader in this rebellion. But becauſe he is not here named, nor any where elſe in the ſequele of the ſtory, therefore it may be thought that he gave over upon the reproof of Moſes; or elſe it muſt be held, that he alſo is implyed amongſt the reſt, though not particularly named.
Verſ. 13 Is it a ſmall thing that thou haſt brought us up out of a land that floweth with milk and hony, &c.]
Theſe men having as it ſeems heard what had paſſed betwixt Moſes and the Levites, when he counſelled them to deſiſt from this wicked attempt (of which we heard before, verſ. 8.) do not onelyonly refuſe to come to him, but return him a bitter and ſcornfull ſcoffing anſwer: for firſt, as by way of deriding thoſe words of Moſes, verſ. 9. 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, &c. they retort the ſame words upon him, Is it a ſmall thing that thou haſt brought us up out of a land that floweth with milk and hony, &c. and ſecondly, they ſcoff at his promiſe of bringing them into a land flowing with milk and hony; in ſtead thereof, they ſay, he had brought them from a land that was ſuch indeed, into a drie wilderneſſe.
Verſ. 14. Wilt thou put out the eyes of theſe men?]
That is, canſt thou hope to gull and deceive this people ſo, that they ſhould not perceive the wrongs and injurie thou haſt done them, which is ſo clear and evident that unleſſe thou canſt put out their eyes they cannot but ſee it?
Verſ. 18. And they took every man his cenſer, and put fire in them, and laid incenſe thereon, &c.]
The cenſers here ſpoken of they had either provided before, when they firſt combined together to thruſt themſelves upon the prieſtly office; or elſe they were ſome ſlight things made ſuddenly ſince. Moſes the day before had appointed this for the deciding of the controverſie betwixt them: The place where they burnt their incenſe was in the doore of the tabernacle of the congreation, as is here expreſſed, that is, in the doore of the prieſts court, whither the people uſed to bring their ſacrifices. Indeed the place for the prieſts burning of incenſe was within the tabernacle, at the altar of incenſe: but this was an extraordinary thing, enjoyned for the diſcovery of the Lords will, whether theſe men or onelyonly Aaron and his ſonnes (as formerly) ſhould enter into the tabernacle to execute the prieſts office, and therefore this was done at the doore of the tabernacle of the congregation. That Korah was amongſt the reſt with his cenſer, ſeems evident by the foregoing verſe, where he is particularly appointed to be one amongſt the reſt, thou alſo and Aaron each of you his cenſer, &c. how therefore he came to be ſwallowed up afterward with Dathan, ſee in the note upon verſ. 32.
Verſ. 19. And Korah gathered all the congregation against them unto the doore of the tabernacle of the congregation.]
Not onelyonly the two hundred and fifty forementioned, but the people in generall; not as profeſſed abetters of their attempt, but as ſpectatours of the buſineſſe in hand, Korah no doubt having perſwaded them that they ſhould ſee that God would favour their attempt, and give judgement on their ſide.
And the glory of the Lord appeared unto all the congregation.]
To wit, in the cloud, which uſually hovered over the tabernacle, but now came down lower to the doore of the tabernacle as at other times. See chap. 14. 10.
Verſ. 22. O God, the God of the ſpirits of all fleſh, &c.]
By all fleſh is meant all mankind, as Gen. 6. 12. All fleſh had corrupted his way upon the earth; and God is called the God of the ſpirits of all men, both becauſe the ſouls of all men are immediately in their firſt conception created by God, whence he is alſo called the father of ſpirits, Hebr▪ 12. 9. The Lord formeth the ſpirit of man within him, Zach. 12. 1. and alſo becauſe he ſeeth and knoweth the ſpirits and ſouls of men, and hath the power of ordering and governing the… (which men can never have) In whoſe hand is the ſoul of every living thing, and the breath of all mankind, Job 12. 10. Now this title here Moſes gives the Lord, either firſt by way of acknowledgement that it was in his power to ſave or to deſtroy this people; or ſecondly, as a forcible argument to move the Lord to have mercy on them, becauſe they were the work of his hand, and he gave them at firſt their life and being, as the prophet pleads for mercy upon the ſame ground, Eſa. 64. 8. O Lord, thou art our father, we are the clay and thou our potter, and we all are the work of thine hand; or thirdly, to intimate why the Lord ſhould not deſtroy all the co…gregation, namely, becauſe he knew the hearts and ſpirits of them, and was able therefore to diſtinguiſh betwixt thoſe that were obſtinately rebellious againſt the …o…d, an… thoſe that we…e onelyonly ſeduced by the rebels, and drawn together onelyonly to ſee wha… would be done.
Verſ. 25. And Moſes roſe up▪ and went unto Dath…n and Abiram, &c.▪
Here is no mention of Korah, becauſe he was appointed verſ. 16. to be with his cenſer amongſt the other two hundred and fiftie of his con…piracy before the tabernacle of the Lord. But Dathan and Abiram (when Moſes ſent to call them unto him verſ. 12) refuſed to come, and therefore now Moſes, accompanied with the elders of Iſrael who were not of the conſpiracy, goes to them, both to expoſtulate with them for this their rebellion, and to denounce the judgement threa…ned.
Verſ. 26. Depart, I pray you, from the tents of theſe wicked men, and touch nothing of theirs, leſt ye be conſumed in all their ſinnes.]
That is, remove your tents, and get farre away from them, and touch nothing of theirs, and ſo ſhew your faith and repentance, how certainly you believe that the… lie under the wrath of God, how throughly you deſire to clear your ſelves from having any hand in their wickedneſſe, by refuſing to touch any thing of theirs, as judging all they have unclean, execrable, and therefore to periſh with them.
Verſ. 27. So they gat up from the tabernacle of Korah, Dathan, & Abiram, on every ſide.]
The tabernacle of Korah, who was of the Levites, was not in the ſame place with Dathan and Abirams: whereby it ſeems probable that the earth opened in ſeverall places, which indeed muſt needs make the judgement of God the more evident▪
And Dathan and Abiram came out, &c.]
This is added as an expreſsion of their impudent madneſſe, when they ſaw the people …lie from their tabernacles, they come forth boldly, and ſtand in the doores of their tabernacles, as out-facing Moſes, and ſcorning the judgement which he had ſeemed to threaten.
Verſ. 28. And Moſes ſaid, Hereby ye ſhall know that the Lord hath ſent me to do all theſe works.]
That is, both the former, in undertaking the government of the people, in conferring the prieſthood upon Aaron and his ſonnes, &c. and the latter, appointing Korah and his company to bring cenſers with incenſe, &c.
Verſ. 3…. And the earth opened her mouth, and ſwallowed them up.]
That is▪ Korah, Dathan, and Abiram, the ring-leaders of the rebellion. Many Expoſitours do rather think that Korah was conſumed with thoſe two hundred and fiftie men by fire that came out from the Lord. verſ. 35. But becauſe the people fled from Korahs tabernacle▪ verſ. …7. and becauſe it is here evident that Korahs tabernacle with all that appertai…d …o him was ſwallowed up in the earth, but eſpecially becauſe chap. 26. 10. it i… ſ…id expreſſely that the earth ſwallowed up Dathan & Abiram together with Korah▪ I make no queſtion but he was ſwallowed up in the earth. It is true that Mo…es had …inted him, verſ. 26. to be with his cenſer amongſt the two hundred and fifty. But having aſſembled them before the tabernacle, and perceiving Moſes and the Elders to go to Dathan and Abiram, it ſeems he left the two hundred and fifty before the tabernacle, and went alſo to his conſederates to encourage and aſſiſt them in their confronting of Moſes, and ſo either with them, or in his own tent, was ſwallowed up.
And all the men that appertained unto Korah▪ and their goods.]
That is, all that were of his family who were at that ti…e in his ta…e nacle; for ſome of his ſonnes died not in this deſtruction, chap. 26. 11. Notwithſtanding the children of Korah died not, either becauſe they joyned not i… their fathers ſinne, or becauſe they repented and gave over, or becauſe they were not preſent in Korahs tabernacle.
Verſ. 37. Speak unto Eleazar the ſonne of Aaron the priest, that he take up the cenſers out of the burning, &c.]
Theſe mutiners had ſought to wreſt the prieſthood from the poſterity of Aaron: Eleazar therefore, whoſe cauſe God had pleaded, is imployed in making the cenſers a memoriall of Gods judgement on them.
And ſcatter thou the fire yonder.]
That is, without the court of the tabernacle, both becauſe happely it was ſtrange fire, and that this caſting away of the fire might be an expreſſion of Gods rejecting their ſervice, and abhorring their ſacrifice.
For they are hallowed.]
To wit, becauſe they had been offered before the Lord, as is expreſſed in the following verſe. Things conſecrated to God might not be turned to any other uſe in the time of the law, God therein magnifying the holineſſe of that place wherein were the viſible ſignes of his preſence; yet it follows not hence, that where things are given to ſuperſtitious uſe…, but intentionally to God, it ſhall be unlawfull for any authority to divert th…ſe things to civil uſes, no more then it follows that becauſe under the law if any man did change the tithe of the heard or of the flock, both it and the change thereof were holy to the Lord, Levit. 27. 32. therefore now where tithes, either by cuſtome or law are made due to the miniſter, if any man ſhould fraudulently change the true tenth, therefore both it and the change ſhould be the miniſters.
Verſ. 38. The cenſers of theſe ſinners against their own ſ…uls, let them make them broad plates for a covering of the altar.]
This altar muſt needs be the altar of burnt-offerings, and yet this was covered with plates of braſſe before, Exod. 27. 2. ſo that it is very queſtionable how the cenſers beaten into broad plates were a covering for this altar. Some hold that it was before made with a frame like a table, and boarded now about like a cheſt, which boards were now covered with theſe plates: others hold that it was onelyonly overlayed with braſſe before half way, down from the top even to the grate within where the fire lay, and now that the other parts were alſo plated with braſſe: others hold that theſe plates were faſtened upon the other, and that the leſſe neceſſity there was of them, the fitter they were to be memorials of their ſinne. But withall it is like they were ſo ordered, that they were both a further ornament and defence to the wood againſt the fire; yea why may not this alſo be meant of a covering for the top of the altar when it was removed? But the text reſolves us not.
Verſ. 41. But on the morrow all the congregation of the children of Iſrael murmured against Moſes, &c.]
The very men, whoſe lives Moſes had ſaved the day before by praying to the Lord for them, do now murmur againſt him; and it is expreſly noted that this they did on the morrow after they had ſeen that fearfull judgement that fell upon Korah, Dathan and Abiram, with all the men of their conſpiracy, thereby to intimate their horrible wickedneſſe, that after the ſight of ſo ſtrange and fearfull a judgement they durſt ſo immediately again make an inſurrection againſt Moſes, charging him with the death of thoſe rebells, and that under the name of the people of the Lord (ye have killed, ſay they, the people of the Lord) when it was ſo evident that they were deſtroyed by the immediate hand of God, as wretches not worthy to be numbred amongſt Gods people.
Verſ. 42. And▪ it came to paſſe, when the congregation was gathered against Moſes and againſt Aaron, that they looked toward the tabernacle of the congregation.]
That is, Moſes and Aaron looked to God, as having now no other refuge or ſhelter to fly to.
And behold the cloud covered it, and the glory of the Lord appeared.]
This ſigne of Gods having ſomewhat to ſay to them (for at ſuch times the cloud deſcended) ſtayed the rage of the people, and ſaved Moſes and Aaron.
Verſ. 46. Take a cenſer and put fire therein from off the altar, &c.]
No doubt the ſame ſpirit of God that informed him the plague was begun, directed him to this courſe of offering incenſe, which otherwiſe might onelyonly be offered in the tabernacle, for the ſtaying of it; yea and happely that Aarons offering incenſe might put the people in mind to pray unto the Lord, whereof the incenſe was a ſigne.
Verſ. 48. And he ſtood between the dead and the living, and the plague was ſtared.]
That is, as a mediatour be interpoſed himſelf by his interceſſion to ſtay the plague from paſſing any further, and to ſave thoſe from death that were not yet ſtruck with this judgement of God: yet it may be probably thought, that this plague did not ſcatter it ſelf through the whole congregation, but beginning in one place did like a fire runne along upon thoſe ſtill that were next adjoyning; and if it were thus, even literally we may underſtand this place, that Aaron ſet himſelf in that place, where he was betwixt the dead and thoſe that were not yet ſmitten, as it were expoſing himſelf to the wrath of God in the peoples behalf: whereby it muſt needs be the more evident, that thoſe who were preſerved were preſerved by virtue of that atonement which he now made for them. And herein was Aaron a type of Chriſt our Mediatour, who made interceſſion for tranſgreſſours: See Eſa. 53. 12. And he bare the ſinnes of many, and made interceſſion for the tranſgreſſours. Luke 23. 34. Father forgive them, for they know not what they do.
Verſ. 49. Now they that dyed in the plague were fourteen thouſand and ſeven hundred, &c.]
What the plague was is not expreſſed; but to this ſome apply that of the Apoſtle, 1. Cor. 10. 10. Neither murmur ye, as ſome of them alſo murmured, and were deſtroyed of the destroyer.
Verſ. 50. And Aaron returned unto Moſes unto the doore of the tabernacle of the congregation.]
Both to acquaint Moſes how he had ſped, and to return thanks unto the Lord who had ſo graciouſly accepted the work of his hands.