1Na ka tango tangata a Koraha tama a Itihara, tama a Kohata, tama a Riwai, ratou ko Ratana, ko Apirama, tama a Eriapa, ko Ono hoki, tama a Perete, he tama na Reupena; 2A ka whakatika ratou kite aroaro o Mohi, me etahi o nga tama a Iharaira, e rua rau e rima tekau, he rangatira no te whakaminenga, e rangona ana i roto i te huihui, he hunga whai ingoa: 3Ka whakahuihui ratou i a ratou ki a Mohi raua ko Arona, ka mea ki a raua, He kaha rawa ta korua tango tikanga, he tapu kau nei te whakaminenga katoa, kei waenganui ano hoki a Ihowa i a ratou: he aha ra korua i whakanui aia i a korua ki runga ake i te whakaminenga a Ihowa? 4A, no te rongonga o Mohi, ka hinga tapapa iho ia: 5A ka korero ki a Koraha ratou ko tana hui katoa, ka mea, A te ata ka whakaaturia mai e Ihowa ko wai tana, ko wai te mea tapu; ka meinga ano e ia kia whakatata ki a ia: ko tana i whiriwhiri ai, ko ia tana e mea ai kia whakatata ki a ia. 6Ko tenei ta koutou e mea ai, Tikina etahi tahu kakara ma koutou, e Koraha ratou ko tana hui katoa; 7Ka maka hoki he ahi ki roto, ka mea ai i te whakakakara ki runga, ki te aroaro o Ihowa apopo, a, ko te tangata e whiriwhiri ai a Ihowa, ko ia te mea tapu: kati ta koutou, e nga tama a Riwai. 8I mea ano a Mohi ki a Koraha, Na, whakarongo mai, e nga tama a Riwai: 9He mea iti ianei ki ta koutou kia wehea koutou e te Atua o Iharaira i roto i te huihui o Iharaira, kia meinga kia whakatata ki a ia, kia mahi i te mahi o te tapenakara o Ihowa, kia tu hoki ki te aroaro o te hui, hei minita ma ratou? 10Kua meinga ano koe e ia kia tata, koutou tahi ko ou teina katoa, ko nga tama a Riwai: na, me whai ano hoki e koutou te tohungatanga? 11Koia koutou ko tau hui katoa ka huihui nei ki a Ihowa: ko Arona hoki, he ha ia, i amauamu ai koutou ki a ia? 12Na ka tono tangata a Mohi hei karanga i a Ratana raua ko Apirama, i nga tama a Eriapa: a ka mea raua, E kore maua e hare atu: 13He mea iti ianei tau kawe mai i a matou i te whenua e rerengia ana e te waiu, e te honi kia mate ai matou ki te koraha, a ka mea rawa hoki koe i a koe. hei rangatira ki runga i a matou? 14Kahore ano hoki koe i kawe i a matou i te whenua e rerengia ana e te waiu, e tona honi, i homai ranei i nga mara, i nga kari, hei kainga: ka pokaia ranei e koe nga kanohi o nga tangata nei: e kore matou e haere atu. 15Na ko te tino riringa o Mohi, ka mea ki a Ihowa, Kaua e tahuri ki ta ratou whakahere: kahore ano kia kotahi te kaihe i tangohia e ahau i a ratou, kahore ano ahau i kino noa ki tetahi o ratou. 16Na ka mea a Mohi ki a Koraha, Puta mai koutou ko tau hui katoa ki te aroaro o Ihowa apopo, a koe, me ratou ko Arona, apopo: 17A me mau e tenei, e tenei o koutou tana tahu kakara, ka mea he whakakakara ki runga, ka kawe ai tena i tana tahu kakara, i tana ki te aroaro o Ihowa, kia rua rau kia rima tekau nga tahu kakara: a koe me tau tahu kakara, a Arona hoki me tana. 18Na ka mau ratou ki tana tahu kakara, ki tana tahu kakara, a hoatu ana he ahi ki roto, meatia ana hoki he whakakakara ki runga, a ka tu tahi me Mohi raua ko Arona ki te whatitoka o te tapenakara o te whakaminenga. 19Na ka tawhiua e Koraha te whakaminenga katoa ki a raua ki te whatitoka o te tapenakara o te whakaminenga: a ka puta mai te kororia o Ihowa ki te whakaminenga katoa. 20Na ka korero a Ihowa ki a Mohi raua ko Arona, ka mea, 21Wehea atu korua i roto i tenei whakaminenga, e kore hoki e aha ka pau ratou i ahau. 22Na ka tapapa raua, ka mea, E te Atua, e te Atua o nga wairua o nga kikokiko katoa, kia hara ranei te tangata kotahi, a ka riri koe ki te whakaminenga katoa? 23Na ka korero a Ihowa ki a Mohi, ka mea, 24Korero ki te whakaminenga, mea atu, Whakatika i te tapenakara o Koraha, o Ratana, o Apirama. 25Na ka whakatika a Mohi, ka haere ki a Ratana raua ko Apirama: me te whai tahi ano nga kaumatua o Iharaira i a ia. 26Na ka korero ia ki te whakaminenga, ka mea, Tena, mawehe mai i nga teneti o enei tangata kikino, kaua hoki e pa ki te tahi mea a ratou, kei ngaro koutou i roto i o ratou hara katoa. 27Na ka whakatika ratou i nga taha katoa o te tapenakara o Koraha, o Ratana, o Apirama: a ka puta a Ratana raua ko Apirama, ka tu ki nga whatitoka o o raua teneti, ratou ko a ratou wahine, ko a ratou tama, ko a ratou kohungahunga hoki. 28Na ka mea a Mohi, Ma tenei e mohio ai koutou na Ihowa ahau i unga mai ki te mahi i enei mahi katoa; a ehara i te mea whakaaro noa ake naku. 29Ki te mea ko te mate o nga tangata katoa te mate mo enei, ko te whiu ranei o nga tangata katoa te whiu mo ratou, kahore ahau i unga mai e Ihowa. 30Tena ko tenei, ka pokaia houtia e Ihowa he mahi hou, a ka hamama te waha o te oneone, a ka horomia ratou me a ratou me katoa, a ka heke ora ratou ki te rua; katahi koutou ka mohio i whakahawea enei tangata ki a Ihowa. 31A mutu kau tana korero i enei korero katoa, ko te tino kowheratanga o te oneone i raro i a ratou: 32Na hamama ana te waha o te whenua, horomia ake hoki ratou me o ratou whare, me nga tangata katoa o Koraha, me o ratou rawa katoa. 33A heke ora ana ratou me a ratou mea katoa ki te rua, na ka taupokina iho ratou i te whenua: a ngaro iho ratou i roto i te whakaminenga. 34Na rere ana a Iharaira katoa i nga taha katoa o ratou i to ratou aue; i mea hoki, Kei horomia hoki tatou e te whenua. 35Na a puta mai he ahi i a Ihowa, a pau ake nga tangata e rua rau e rima tekau i whakahere nei i te whakakakara. 36Na ka korero a Ihowa ki a Mohi, ka mea, 37Mea atu ki a Eratara tama a te tohunga, a Arona, kia tangohia ake e ia nga tahu kakara i roto i te tahunga, a rukerukea atu hoki e koe te ahi ki ko; he tapu hoki ena; 38Ko nga tahu kakara ano a taua hunga i hara ra ki o ratou wairua, me hanga hei papa paraharaha, hei kopaki mo te aata: i tapaea hoki ki te aroaro o Ihowa, koia i tapu ai: a ka waiho hei tohu ki nga tama a Iharaira. 39Na tikina atu ana e te tohunga, e Ereatara, nga tahu kakara parahi i tapaea e te hunga i tahuna ra, a ka hanga hei papa paraharaha, hei kopaki mo te aata: 40Hei whakamahara mo nga tama a Iharaira, kei whakatata he tangata ke, ehara nei i te uri no Arona, ki te tahu whakakakara ki te aroaro o Ihowa: kei rite ki a Koraha ratou ko tana hui: ko ta Ihowa tenei i korerotia e Mohi ki a ia. 41Otiia i te aonga ake ka amuamu te whakaminenga katoa o nga tama a Iharaira ki a Mohi raua ko Arona, ka mea, Na korua i mate ai te iwi a Ihowa. 42A, i te huihuinga o te whakaminenga katoa ki a Mohi raua ko Arona, i to ratou tahuritanga ake ki te tapenakara o te whakaminenga, e! kua taupokina e te kapua, a ka kitea te kororia o Ihowa. 43Na ka haere a Mohi raua ko Arona ki mua i te tapenakara o te whakaminenga. 44A ka korero a Ihowa ki a Mohi, ka mea, 45Whakatika atu korua i roto i tenei whakaminenga, e kore e aha ka pau ratou i ahau. Na ka tapapa iho raua. 46Na ka mea a Mohi ki a Arona, E mau ki te tahu kakara, meatia iho hoki he ahi i te aata, ka hoatu ai i te whakakakara ki runga, a kia hohoro te haere ki te whakaminenga, te whakamarie mo ratou: kua puta he riri i te aroaro o Ihowa; kua timata te whiu. 47Na tikina ana e Arona, peratia ana me ta Mohi i ki ai, a rere ana ia ki waenganui o te whakaminenga; na kua timata tena te whiu i roto i te iwi: na ka maka iho e ia he whakakakara, a ka whakamarie mo te iwi. 48Na tu ana ia i waenganui o te hunga mate, o te hunga ora; a ka mutu te whiu. 49Na ko nga tangata i mate i te whiu, kotahi tekau ma wha mano e whitu rau, haunga era i mate i to Koraha ra. 50Na hoki ana a Arona ki a Mohi, ki te whatitoka o te tapenakara o te whakaminenga, a mutu iho te whiu.
Jamieson Fausset Brown Bible Commentary 1 THE REBELLION OF KORAH. (Num. 16:1-30)
Now Korah, the son of Izhar--Izhar, brother of Amram (
Exod 6:18), was the second son of Kohath, and for some reason unrecorded he had been supplanted by a descendant of the fourth son of Kohath, who was appointed prince or chief of the Kohathites (
Num 3:30). Discontent with the preferment over him of a younger relative was probably the originating cause of this seditious movement on the part of Korah.
Dathan and Abiram, . . . and On--These were confederate leaders in the rebellion, but On seems to have afterwards withdrawn from the conspiracy [compare
Num 16:12,
Num 16:24-
Num 16:25,
Num 16:27;
Num 26:9;
Deut 11:6;
Ps 106:17].
took men--The latter mentioned individuals, being all sons of Reuben, the eldest of Jacob's family, had been stimulated to this insurrection on the pretext that Moses had, by an arbitrary arrangement, taken away the right of primogeniture, which had vested the hereditary dignity of the priesthood in the first-born of every family, with a view of transferring the hereditary exercise of the sacred functions to a particular branch of his own house; and that this gross instance of partiality to his own relations, to the permanent detriment of others, was a sufficient ground for refusing allegiance to his government. In addition to this grievance, another cause of jealousy and dissatisfaction that rankled in the breasts of the Reubenites was the advancement of Judah to the leadership among the tribes. These malcontents had been incited by the artful representations of Korah (
Jude 1:11), with whom the position of their camp on the south side afforded them facilities of frequent intercourse. In addition to his feeling of personal wrongs, Korah participated in their desire (if he did not originate the attempt) to recover their lost rights of primogeniture. When the conspiracy was ripe, they openly and boldly declared its object, and at the head of two hundred fifty princes, charged Moses with an ambitious and unwarrantable usurpation of authority, especially in the appropriation of the priesthood, for they disputed the claim of Aaron also to pre-eminence [
Num 16:3].
3 they gathered themselves together against Moses and against Aaron--The assemblage seems to have been composed of the whole band of conspirators; and they grounded their complaint on the fact that the whole people, being separated to the divine service (
Exod 19:6), were equally qualified to present offerings on the altar, and that God, being graciously, present among them by the tabernacle and the cloud, evinced His readiness to receive sacrifices from the hand of any others as well as from theirs.
4 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 also his strong sense of the daring sin involved in this proceeding. Whatever feelings may be entertained respecting Aaron, who had formerly headed a sedition himself [
Num 12:1], it is impossible not to sympathize with Moses in this difficult emergency. But he was a devout man, and the prudential course he adopted was probably the dictate of that heavenly wisdom with which, in answer to his prayers, he was endowed.
5 he spake unto Korah and unto all his company--They were first addressed, not only because they were a party headed by his own cousin and Moses might hope to have more influence in that quarter, but because they were stationed near the tabernacle; and especially because an expostulation was the more weighty coming from him who was a Levite himself, and who was excluded along with his family from the priesthood. But to bring the matter to an issue, he proposed a test which would afford a decisive evidence of the divine appointment.
Even to-morrow--literally, "in the morning," the usual time of meeting in the East for the settlement of public affairs.
the Lord will show who are his, . . . even him whom he hath chosen will he cause to come near unto him--that is, will bear attestation to his ministry by some visible or miraculous token of His approval.
6 Take your censers, Korah, and all his company, &c.--that is, since you aspire to the priesthood, then go, perform the highest function of the office--that of offering incense; and if you are accepted well. How magnanimous the conduct of Moses, who was now as willing that God's people should be priests, as formerly that they should be prophets (
Num 11:29). But he warned them that they were making a perilous experiment.
12 Moses sent to call Dathan and Abiram--in a separate interview, the ground of their mutiny being different; for while Korah murmured against the exclusive appropriation of the priesthood to Aaron and his family, they were opposed to the supremacy of Moses in civil power. They refused to obey the summons; and their refusal was grounded on the plausible pretext that their stay in the desert was prolonged for some secret and selfish purposes of the leader, who was conducting them like blind men wherever it suited him.
15 Moses was very wroth--Though the meekest of all men [
Num 12:3], he could not restrain his indignation at these unjust and groundless charges; and the highly excited state of his feeling was evinced by the utterance of a brief exclamation in the mixed form of a prayer and an impassioned assertion of his integrity. (Compare
1Sam 12:3).
and said unto the Lord, Respect not thou their offering--He calls it their offering, because, though it was to be offered by Korah and his Levitical associates, it was the united appeal of all the mutineers for deciding the contested claims of Moses and Aaron.
16 Moses said unto Korah, Be thou and all thy company before the Lord--that is, at "the door of the tabernacle" (
Num 16:18), that the assembled people might witness the experiment and be properly impressed by the issue.
17 two hundred fifty censers--probably the small platters, common in Egyptian families, where incense was offered to household deities and which had been among the precious things borrowed at their departure [
Exod 12:35-
Exod 12:36].
20 the Lord spake unto Moses and Aaron, saying, 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 clamors of the mutineers against Moses and Aaron. There was something in their behavior very offensive to God; for after His glory had appeared--as at the installation of Aaron (
Lev 9:23), so now for his confirmation in the sacred office--He bade Moses and Aaron withdraw from the assembly "that He might consume them in a moment."
22 they fell upon their faces, and said, 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 for their enemies.
24 Speak unto the congregation, . . . Get you up from about the tabernacle--Moses was attended in the execution of this mission by the elders. The united and urgent entreaties of so many dignified personages produced the desired effect of convincing the people of their crime, and of withdrawing them from the company of men who were doomed to destruction, lest, being partakers of their sins, they should perish along with them.
27 the tabernacle of Korah, Dathan, and Abiram--Korah being a Kohathite, his tent could not have been in the Reubenite camp, and it does not appear that he himself was on the spot where Dathan and Abiram stood with their families. Their attitude of defiance indicated their daring and impenitent character, equally regardless of God and man.
28 Moses said, Hereby ye shall know that the Lord hath sent me to do all these works--The awful catastrophe of the earthquake which, as predicted by Moses, swallowed up those impious rebels in a living tomb, gave the divine attestation to the mission of Moses and struck the spectators with solemn awe.
35 there came out a fire from the Lord--that is, 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
Num 26:11,
Num 26:58;
1Chr 6:22,
1Chr 6:37).
37 Speak unto Eleazar--He was selected lest the high priest might contract defilement from going among the dead carcasses.
39 the brazen censers . . . made broad plates to be a memorial--The altar of burnt offerings, being made of wood and covered with brass, this additional covering of broad plates not only rendered it doubly secure against the fire, but served as a warning beacon to deter all from future invasions of the priesthood.
41 the children of Israel murmured against Moses and against Aaron, saying, 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! Yet Moses and Aaron interceded for the people--the high priest perilling his own life in doing good to that perverse race.
48 he stood between the living and the dead--The plague seems to have begun in the extremities of the camp. Aaron, in this remarkable act, was a type of Christ.