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Numbers 16

KJV · Chapter 16/36

1Now 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:

2And they rose up before Moses, with certain of the children of Israel, two hundred and fifty princes of the assembly, famous in the congregation, men of renown:

3And 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?

4And when Moses heard it, he fell upon his face:

5And 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.

6This do; Take you censers, Korah, and all his company;

7And 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.

8And Moses said unto Korah, Hear, I pray you, ye sons of Levi:

9Seemeth 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 to do the service of the tabernacle of the Lord, and to stand before the congregation to minister unto them?

10And he hath brought thee near to him, and all thy brethren the sons of Levi with thee: and seek ye the priesthood also?

11For which cause both thou and all thy company are gathered together against the Lord: and what is Aaron, that ye murmur against him?

12And Moses sent to call Dathan and Abiram, the sons of Eliab: which said, We will not come up:

13Is it a small thing that thou hast brought us up out of a land that floweth with milk and honey, to kill us in the wilderness, except thou make thyself altogether a prince over us?

14Moreover thou hast not brought us into a land that floweth with milk and honey, or given us inheritance of fields and vineyards: wilt thou put out the eyes of these men? we will not come up.

15And 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.

16And Moses said unto Korah, Be thou and all thy company before the Lord, thou, and they, and Aaron, to morrow:

17And take every man his censer, and put incense in them, and bring ye before the Lord every man his censer, two hundred and fifty censers; thou also, and Aaron, each of you his censer.

18And they took every man his censer, and put fire in them, and laid incense thereon, and stood in the door of the tabernacle of the congregation with Moses and Aaron.

19And 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.

20And the Lord spake unto Moses and unto Aaron, saying,

21Separate yourselves from among this congregation, that I may consume them in a moment.

22And 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?

23And the Lord spake unto Moses, saying,

24Speak unto the congregation, saying, Get you up from about the tabernacle of Korah, Dathan, and Abiram.

25And Moses rose up and went unto Dathan and Abiram; and the elders of Israel followed him.

26And he spake unto the congregation, saying, Depart, I pray you, from the tents of these wicked men, and touch nothing of theirs, lest ye be consumed in all their sins.

27So 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.

28And 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.

29If these men die the common death of all men, or if they be visited after the visitation of all men; then the Lord hath not sent me.

30But if the Lord make a new thing, and the earth open her mouth, and swallow them up, with all that appertain unto them, and they go down quick into the pit; then ye shall understand that these men have provoked the Lord.

31And it came to pass, as he had made an end of speaking all these words, that the ground clave asunder that was under them:

32And the earth opened her mouth, and swallowed them up, and their houses, and all the men that appertained unto Korah, and all their goods.

33They, and all that appertained to them, went down alive into the pit, and the earth closed upon them: and they perished from among the congregation.

34And all Israel that were round about them fled at the cry of them: for they said, Lest the earth swallow us up also.

35And there came out a fire from the Lord, and consumed the two hundred and fifty men that offered incense.

36And the Lord spake unto Moses, saying,

37Speak 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.

38The 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.

39And 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:

40To be a memorial unto the children of Israel, 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: as the Lord said to him by the hand of Moses.

41But 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.

42And 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.

43And Moses and Aaron came before the tabernacle of the congregation.

44And the Lord spake unto Moses, saying,

45Get you up from among this congregation, that I may consume them as in a moment. And they fell upon their faces.

46And Moses said unto Aaron, Take a censer, and put fire therein from off the altar, and put on incense, and go quickly unto the congregation, and make an atonement for them: for there is wrath gone out from the Lord; the plague is begun.

47And 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.

48And he stood between the dead and the living; and the plague was stayed.

49Now they that died in the plague were fourteen thousand and seven hundred, beside them that died about the matter of Korah.

50And Aaron returned unto Moses unto the door of the tabernacle of the congregation: and the plague was stayed.

📖 Chapter study

Summary

Korah, together with Dathan, Abiram, and 250 leaders, rebels against the leadership of Moses and Aaron, questioning their exclusive authority. God judges dramatically: the earth opens and swallows the main rebels, and fire consumes the 250 who improperly offered incense.

Explanation

This rebellion was particularly dangerous because it came from within — Korah was a Levite, with legitimate access to sacred duties, but he also wanted Aaron's exclusive priesthood, arguing (with an appearance of piety) that 'all the congregation is holy.' The argument held a partial truth (all Israel was called to be holy, Exodus 19:6), but it ignored that God had also established specific roles and order within that collective holiness. The extraordinary judgment — the earth literally opening its mouth — was meant to remove any public doubt about whom God had truly chosen as leader, settling the dispute once and for all. The application for today: seeking more recognition or position using spiritually correct language does not make ambition legitimate, and order within a faith community is not the same as inequality of worth.

Fun facts

  • The expression 'the earth opened its mouth' (v. 32) uses a rare poetic image in biblical Hebrew, practically unique in this form, reinforcing the supernatural magnitude of the event in Israel's memory.
  • Despite Korah's destruction, his sons survived (explicitly mentioned in Numbers 26:11) and later produced an important line of singing Levites — the 'sons of Korah,' responsible for several Psalms (such as Psalms 42, 44-49), a notable biblical example of restoration across generations despite the sin of the fathers.

Verse-by-verse explanation

  1. Numbers 16:1Korah, a Kohathite Levite, joins with Dathan, Abiram, and On, three men from the tribe of Reuben — a curious alliance between two different grievances: one about the priesthood, the other about political leadership.
  2. Numbers 16:2Alongside them rise 250 recognized leaders of the congregation, men of renown and influence, forming a large group in opposition to Moses.
  3. Numbers 16:3Korah and a group of two hundred and fifty leaders rebel against Moses and Aaron, arguing that the whole people is holy and that the two of them were setting themselves above the congregation without cause. It is a dispute over who has the right to lead and serve as priest, not merely a personal criticism.
  4. Numbers 16:4On hearing the group’s accusation, Moses reacts by falling face down on the ground, a gesture of humility in the middle of the crisis.
  5. Numbers 16:5Moses proposes a decisive test: the next day, the Lord Himself would show who He had really chosen to come near Him.
  6. Numbers 16:6The practical instruction is clear: Korah and his whole group were to take censers for the next day’s test.
  7. Numbers 16:7They were to put burning incense before the Lord, and whomever God chose would be confirmed as truly holy — Moses adds that the Levites had already gone too far.
  8. Numbers 16:8Moses continues addressing specifically the Levites in Korah’s group, asking them to pay attention to what follows.
  9. Numbers 16:9He asks whether it was not enough that they had already been set apart from the rest of the people to serve in the tabernacle, a privilege God had already given them.
  10. Numbers 16:10Moses asks why, having received that place of distinction among the Levites, they still wanted the priesthood as well, which was reserved only for Aaron’s family.
  11. Numbers 16:11He makes it clear that the revolt was, at its core, against God Himself, not against Aaron, who only held the position assigned to him.
  12. Numbers 16:12Moses sends word summoning Dathan and Abiram, but the two of them refuse to come.
  13. Numbers 16:13The two of them turn the accusation around: they ask whether it was not enough to have been taken out of a fertile land only to die in the wilderness, under Moses’s command.
  14. Numbers 16:14They further complain that Moses had not fulfilled the promise of a rich land, and they refuse to go to him, a direct provocation.
  15. Numbers 16:15Angry, Moses asks God not to accept their offering, pointing out that he had never taken advantage of anyone among the people, not even a single donkey.
  16. Numbers 16:16Moses formally summons Korah and his whole group, along with Aaron, to present themselves before the Lord the next day.
  17. Numbers 16:17Each man was to bring his own censer with incense: 250 in all, plus Aaron’s and Moses’s.
  18. Numbers 16:18Each man takes his censer, lights fire and incense, and they all take their places at the entrance of the tent of the congregation together with Moses and Aaron.
  19. Numbers 16:19Korah then gathers the whole congregation against the two leaders at the entrance of the tent, and at that moment the glory of the Lord appears visibly to everyone.
  20. Numbers 16:20The Lord speaks to Moses and Aaron, beginning the divine response to this whole confrontation.
  21. Numbers 16:21God commands the two of them to separate themselves from the congregation, because He intends to destroy everyone instantly.
  22. Numbers 16:22Moses and Aaron fall face down and intercede, asking whether, because of the sin of a single man, God would be angry with the whole congregation.
  23. Numbers 16:23The Lord responds to this plea for intercession by speaking to Moses once again.
  24. Numbers 16:24The instruction changes: instead of destroying everyone, the people were simply to move away from the tents of Korah, Dathan, and Abiram.
  25. Numbers 16:25Moses gets up and goes to Dathan and Abiram, accompanied by the elders of Israel.
  26. Numbers 16:26He warns the people to move away from the tents of those rebellious men and not touch anything of theirs, so as not to be swept up in the punishment.
  27. Numbers 16:27The people obey and move away; Dathan and Abiram come out and stand at the entrance of their own tents, together with their entire families.
  28. Numbers 16:28Moses declares that what happens next will prove that he was truly sent by God, and was not acting on his own.
  29. Numbers 16:29He sets out the test’s criterion: if those men died of natural causes, that would prove Moses had not been sent by the Lord.
  30. Numbers 16:30Moses proposes a clear sign to prove whom God had truly chosen: if the ground opened up and swallowed Korah and his allies alive, it would be obvious that their rebellion was against God, not just against Moses. That is exactly what happens right after.
  31. Numbers 16:31As soon as Moses finishes speaking, the ground beneath the rebels literally splits open.
  32. Numbers 16:32The earth swallows up Korah, Dathan, Abiram, their entire families, and all their possessions, vanishing everything at once.
  33. Numbers 16:33They go down alive straight into the earth, which closes back over them, disappearing from the midst of the congregation.
  34. Numbers 16:34All the people around flee in terror at the cries, afraid that the ground would swallow them too.
  35. Numbers 16:35Besides what happened to Korah and his group, fire sent by the Lord also consumes the 250 men who were offering incense.
  36. Numbers 16:36The Lord speaks once more to Moses, now about what to do with the censers of the men killed by the fire.
  37. Numbers 16:37The order is for Eleazar to gather the censers out of the ashes and scatter the fire far away, because those objects, even though used by rebels, had become holy.
  38. Numbers 16:38The censers of these men were to be hammered into plates to cover the altar, since they had been presented before the Lord and would become a warning sign for the people.
  39. Numbers 16:39Eleazar gathers the bronze censers of the burned men and turns them into a covering for the altar, exactly as instructed.
  40. Numbers 16:40This covering was meant to serve as a permanent reminder: only descendants of Aaron could come near to burn incense before the Lord, so that no one would repeat Korah’s fate.
  41. Numbers 16:41Even after all this, the very next day the people again complain against Moses and Aaron, blaming the two of them for the death of so many people.
  42. Numbers 16:42While the people gathered against the two leaders, the cloud covers the tent of the congregation and the glory of the Lord appears again.
  43. Numbers 16:43Moses and Aaron go to the front of the tent of the congregation in the face of this new manifestation.
  44. Numbers 16:44The Lord speaks to Moses again, beginning a new threat of destruction against the people, who kept on complaining.
  45. Numbers 16:45God commands the two of them to move away from the congregation so He can destroy it instantly; Moses and Aaron fall face down at this.
  46. Numbers 16:46After the people keep complaining even after Korah’s death, a plague begins to spread. Aaron runs with lit incense into the middle of the crowd, standing literally between the living and the dead, and the plague stops — a gesture that shows the priest’s role as someone who bridged the gap between the people and God.
  47. Numbers 16:47Aaron obeys Moses at once and runs into the middle of the people; the plague had already begun, and he offers incense to make atonement.
  48. Numbers 16:48Aaron positions himself literally between the living and the dead, and at that exact point the plague stops advancing.
  49. Numbers 16:49The total number of dead from this plague reaches 14,700 people, not counting those who had already died because of Korah’s rebellion.
  50. Numbers 16:50After the plague ends, Aaron returns to Moses at the entrance of the tent of the congregation, closing out this episode.

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