_NOW KORAH, THE SON OF IZHAR, THE SON OF KOHATH, THE SON OF LEVI, AND
DATHAN AND ABIRAM, THE SONS OF ELIAB, AND ON, THE SON OF PELETH, SONS
OF REUBEN, TOOK MEN:_
Now Korah, the son of Izhar. Izhar, brother of Amram (Exodus 6:18),
was the second son of Kohath, and for some reason unrecorded he had
b... [ Continue Reading ]
_AND THEY GATHERED 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 THE LORD IS AMONG THEM:
WHEREFORE THEN LIFT YE UP YOURSELVES ABOVE THE CONGREGATION OF THE
LORD?_
They gathered themsel... [ Continue Reading ]
_AND WHEN MOSES HEARD IT, HE FELL UPON HIS FACE:_
When Moses heard it, he fell upon his face. This attitude of
prostration indicated not only his humble and earnest desire that God
would interpose to free him from the false and odious imputation, but
his strong sense of the daring sin involved in t... [ Continue Reading ]
_AND HE SPAKE UNTO KORAH AND UNTO ALL HIS COMPANY, SAYING, EVEN TO
MORROW THE LORD WILL SHEW WHO ARE HIS, AND WHO IS HOLY; AND WILL CAUSE
HIM TO COME NEAR UNTO HIM: EVEN HIM WHOM HE HATH CHOSEN WILL HE CAUSE
TO COME NEAR UNTO HIM._
He spake unto Korah, and unto all his company. They were first
addr... [ Continue Reading ]
_AND MOSES SENT TO CALL DATHAN AND ABIRAM, THE SONS OF ELIAB: WHICH
SAID, WE WILL NOT COME UP:_ MOSES SENT TO CALL DATHAN AND ABIRAM - in
a separate interview, the ground of their mutiny being different;
because while Korah complained against the exclusive appropriation of
the priesthood to Aaron an... [ Continue Reading ]
_AND MOSES WAS VERY WROTH, AND SAID UNTO THE LORD, RESPECT NOT THOU
THEIR OFFERING: I HAVE NOT TAKEN ONE ASS FROM THEM, NEITHER HAVE I
HURT ONE OF THEM._
Moses was very wroth. Though the meekest of all men, he could not
restrain his indignation at these unjust and groundless charges; and
the highly... [ Continue Reading ]
_AND MOSES SAID UNTO KORAH, BE THOU AND ALL THY COMPANY BEFORE THE
LORD, THOU, AND THEY, AND AARON, TO MORROW:_
Korah, Be thou and all thy company before the Lord - i:e., at "the
door of the tabernacle" (Numbers 16:18), that the assembled people
might witness the experiment, and be properly impress... [ Continue Reading ]
_AND KORAH GATHERED ALL THE CONGREGATION AGAINST THEM UNTO THE DOOR OF
THE TABERNACLE OF THE CONGREGATION: AND THE GLORY OF THE LORD APPEARED
UNTO ALL THE CONGREGATION._
No JFB commentary on this verse.... [ Continue Reading ]
_AND THE LORD SPAKE UNTO MOSES AND UNTO AARON, SAYING,_
The Lord spake ... Separate yourselves from among this congregation.
Curiosity to witness the exciting spectacle attracted a vast concourse
of the people; and it would seem that the popular mind had been
incited to evil by the clamours of the... [ Continue Reading ]
_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?_
O God, the God of the spirits of all flesh. The benevolent importunity
of their prayer was the more remarkable that the intercession was made... [ Continue Reading ]
_AND THE LORD SPAKE UNTO MOSES, SAYING,_
No JFB commentary on this verse.... [ Continue Reading ]
_SPEAK UNTO THE CONGREGATION, SAYING, GET YOU UP FROM ABOUT THE
TABERNACLE OF KORAH, DATHAN, AND ABIRAM._
Speak unto the congregation ... Get you up from about the tabernacle.
Moses was attended in the execution of this mission by the elders -
i:e., in all probability, the council of seventy (see t... [ Continue Reading ]
_AND MOSES ROSE UP AND WENT UNTO DATHAN AND ABIRAM; AND THE ELDERS OF
ISRAEL FOLLOWED HIM._
No JFB commentary on these verses.... [ Continue Reading ]
_SO THEY GAT UP FROM THE TABERNACLE OF KORAH, DATHAN, AND ABIRAM, ON
EVERY SIDE: AND DATHAN AND ABIRAM CAME OUT, AND STOOD IN THE DOOR OF
THEIR TENTS, AND THEIR WIVES, AND THEIR SONS, AND THEIR LITTLE
CHILDREN._
The tabernacle of Korah, Dathan, and Abiram. Korah being a Kohathite,
his tent could no... [ Continue Reading ]
_AND MOSES SAID, HEREBY YE SHALL KNOW THAT THE LORD HATH SENT ME TO DO
ALL THESE WORKS; FOR I HAVE NOT DONE THEM OF MINE OWN MIND._
Hereby ye shall know that the Lord hath sent me. The awful catastrophe
of the earthquake which, as predicted by Moses, swallowed up those
impious rebels in a living to... [ Continue Reading ]
_AND THERE CAME OUT A FIRE FROM THE LORD, AND CONSUMED THE TWO HUNDRED
AND FIFTY MEN THAT OFFERED INCENSE._
There came out a fire from the Lord - i:e., from the cloud. This seems
to describe the destruction of Korah and those Levites who with him
aspired to the functions of the priesthood (see the... [ Continue Reading ]
_AND THE LORD SPAKE UNTO MOSES, SAYING,_
No JFB commentary on this verse.... [ Continue Reading ]
_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 HALLOWED._
Speak unto Eleazar. He was selected lest the high priest might
contract defilement from going among the dead carcasses.... [ Continue Reading ]
_THE CENSERS OF THESE SINNERS AGAINST THEIR OWN SOULS, LET THEM MAKE
THEM BROAD PLATES FOR A COVERING OF THE ALTAR: FOR THEY OFFERED THEM
BEFORE THE LORD, THEREFORE THEY ARE HALLOWED: AND THEY SHALL BE A SIGN
UNTO THE CHILDREN OF ISRAEL._
No JFB commentary on this verse.... [ Continue Reading ]
_AND ELEAZAR THE PRIEST TOOK THE BRASEN CENSERS, WHEREWITH THEY THAT
WERE BURNT HAD OFFERED; AND THEY WERE MADE BROAD PLATES FOR A COVERING
OF THE ALTAR:_
The brasen censers ... made broad plates ... To be a memorial. The
altar of burnt offerings being made of wood, and covered with brass,
this add... [ Continue Reading ]
_BUT ON THE MORROW ALL THE CONGREGATION OF THE CHILDREN OF ISRAEL
MURMURED AGAINST MOSES AND AGAINST AARON, SAYING, YE HAVE KILLED THE
PEOPLE OF THE LORD._
Ye have killed the people of the Lord. What a strange exhibition of
popular prejudice and passion, to blame the leaders for saving the
rebels!... [ Continue Reading ]
_AND IT CAME TO PASS, WHEN THE CONGREGATION WAS GATHERED AGAINST MOSES
AND AGAINST AARON, THAT THEY LOOKED TOWARD THE TABERNACLE OF THE
CONGREGATION: AND, BEHOLD, THE CLOUD COVERED IT, AND THE GLORY OF THE
LORD APPEARED._
No JFB commentary on these verses.... [ Continue Reading ]
_AND HE STOOD BETWEEN THE DEAD AND THE LIVING; AND THE PLAGUE WAS
STAYED._
Stood between the dead and the living. The plague seems to have begun
in the extremities of the camp. Aaron, in this remarkable act, was a
type of Christ. This memorable incident was followed by permanent
effects; because it... [ Continue Reading ]