1MAS Coré hijo de Izar, hijo de Coat, hijo de Leví, con Datán y Abiram, hijos de Eliab, y On hijo de Pelet, hijos de Rubén, tomaron gente, 2y levantáronse en presencia de Moisés y Aarón, con doscientos cincuenta hombres de los hijos de Israel, príncipes de la Congregación, personas escogidas de la Asamblea, varones de renombre; 3y juntándose contra Moisés y Aarón, les dijeron: ¡Mucho os arrogáis, ya que toda la Congregación, cada individuo de ella, es santo, y Jehová está en medio de ellos! ¿por qué pues os ensalzáis sobre la Asamblea de Jehová? 4Y cuando Moisés lo oyó, cayó sobre su rostro. 5Y habló a Coré y a todo su séquito, diciendo: Esperad hasta mañana; entonces Jehová mismo hará saber quién sea suyo, y quién sea el santo, y a quién él quiera dar entrada a sí; pues al que escogiere, a éste hará llegar a sí. 6Haced esto: Tomad incensarios, Coré y todos los de su séquito, 7y echad fuego en ellos, y poned sobre ellos incienso delante de Jehová, mañana: y será que el hombre a quien Jehová escogiere, éste será el santo. ¡Os arrogáis mucho, oh hijos de Leví! 8¶Moisés dijo además a Coré: Oíd, os ruego, hijos de Leví: 9¿Os parece acaso poca cosa el que el Dios de Israel os haya separado de entre la Congregación de Israel, a fin de haceros llegar a sí, para hacer el servicio de la Habitación de Jehová, y para estar delante de la Congregación, ministrando por ellos; 10y el que a ti, Coré, y a todos tus hermanos, los hijos de Leví contigo, os haya hecho acercar a sí, para que pretendáis al sacerdocio también? 11Por eso es que tú, y todo tu séquito os habéis juntado contra Jehová; pues Aarón, ¿qué es, para que murmuréis contra él? 12¶En seguida, envió Moisés a llamar a Datán y a Abiram, hijos de Eliab; mas ellos respondieron: ¡No iremos! 13¿Por ventura te parece poca cosa el que nos hayas hecho subir de una tierra que mana leche y miel, para hacernos morir en este desierto, para que quieras también hacerte señor absoluto de nosotros? 14Ni tampoco nos has traído a una tierra que mana leche y miel; ni nos has dado posesiones de campos y de viñas. ¿Acaso quieres sacar los ojos a estos hombres? ¡No iremos! 15¶Entonces se le encendió la ira a Moisés en gran manera, y dijo a Jehová: ¡No mires su ofrenda! Yo no he tomado ni un asno suyo, y no he hecho mal a ninguno de ellos. 16Luego dijo Moisés a Coré: Presentaos tú y todo tu séquito delante de Jehová; es decir, tú y ellos y Aarón, mañana. 17Y tomad cada cual su incensario, y poned incienso en ellos; y traed delante de Jehová cada uno su incensario, doscientos cincuenta incensarios; tú también y Aarón, traed cada cual su incensario. 18En efecto, tomaron cada uno su incensario, y echaron en ellos fuego, y pusieron sobre ellos incienso, y estuvieron en pie a la entrada del Tabernáculo de Reunión, juntamente con Moisés y Aarón. 19Y Coré juntó contra ellos toda la Congregación, a la entrada del Tabernáculo de Reunión. Entonces apareció la gloria de Jehová a toda la Congregación. 20¶Y Jehová habló a Moisés y Aarón, diciendo: 21¡Separaos de en medio de esta Congregación, para que yo los consuma en un momento! 22Mas ellos cayeron sobre sus rostros, y dijeron: Oh Dios, el Dios de los espíritus de toda carne, ¿ha de ser que pecando un solo hombre, tú estalles en ira contra toda la Congregación? 23¶Entonces Jehová habló a Moisés, diciendo: 24Habla a la Congregación y diles: ¡Retiraos de en derredor de las habitaciones de Coré, Datán y Abiram! 25Levantóse pues Moisés y fué hacia Datán y Abiram; y en pos de él siguieron los ancianos de Israel. 26Y habló Moisés a la Congregación, diciendo: Ruégoos que os alejéis de las tiendas de esos malos hombres, y no toquéis ninguna cosa de lo suyo, para que no seáis arrebatados con ellos en todos sus pecados. 27Ellos pues se retiraron de las habitaciones de Coré, Datán y Abiram, por todos lados; y Datán y Abiram salieron y estuvieron en pie a la entrada de sus tiendas, con sus mujeres y sus hijos y sus pequeñuelos. 28Entonces dijo Moisés: En esto conoceréis que Jehová me ha enviado a hacer todas estas obras, y que no las he inventado de mi propio corazón. 29Si de la muerte común de todos los hombres murieren éstos, y si con la visitación común de todos los hombres fuere visitado sobre ellos su pecado, no me ha enviado Jehová. 30Empero si Jehová hiciere una cosa nueva, de modo que la tierra abriere con violencia su boca y los tragare a ellos con todo lo que les pertenece, y descendieren vivos al abismo, entonces entenderéis que estos hombres han tratado con desprecio a Jehová. 31¶Y aconteció que como acabase de hablar todas estas palabras, partióse el suelo que estaba debajo de ellos; 32y la tierra abriendo su boca, tragólos a ellos con sus familias, y a todos los hombres que eran de la facción de Coré, con todos sus haberes: 33y ellos, con todo lo que tenían, descendieron vivos al abismo; y cubriólos la tierra. Así perecieron de en medio de Israel. 34Y todo Israel, es decir, los que estaban en derredor de ellos, huyeron al grito de ellos; porque decían: ¡No sea que la tierra nos trague a nosotros también! 35Y de la presencia de Jehová salió fuego que devoró a los doscientos cincuenta hombres que presentaron el incienso. 36¶Entonces Jehová habló a Moisés, diciendo: 37Habla a Eleazar hijo de Aarón, el sumo sacerdote, para que recoja los incensarios de en medio del incendio, y esparza allá el fuego; porque son santos. 38En cuanto a los incensarios de aquellos pecadores contra sus mismas almas, háganse de ellos láminas extendidas, para cubierta del altar, (porque los han presentado delante de Jehová, por tanto son santificados), para que sirvan de escarmiento a los hijos de Israel. 39Tomó pues el sacerdote Eleazar los incensarios de bronce que habían presentado los que fueron quemados, y los extendieron a martillo para cubierta del altar; 40como memorial a los hijos de Israel, a fin de que ningún hombre extraño, que no sea del linaje de Aarón, se acerque para quemar incienso delante de Jehová; a fin de que no sea como Coré y su séquito: como había dicho Jehová, por conducto de Moisés. 41¶Mas aconteció que al día siguiente toda la Congregación de los hijos de Israel murmuró contra Moisés y Aarón, diciendo: ¡Vosotros habéis muerto al pueblo de Jehová! 42Y sucedió que como iba juntándose la Congregación contra Moisés y Aarón, volvieron el rostro hacia el Tabernáculo de Reunión; y, he aquí, la nube lo había cubierto, y apareció la gloria de Jehová. 43Y acudieron Moisés y Aarón al frente del Tabernáculo. 44Entonces Jehová habló a Moisés, diciendo: 45¡Retiraos de en medio de esta Congregación, para que yo la consuma en un momento! Mas ellos cayeron sobre sus rostros. 46Luego dijo Moisés a Aarón ¡Toma tu incensario, y echa en él fuego de encima del altar, y pon incienso, y vé prontamente a la Congregación, y ponlos a cubierto; porque de la presencia de Jehová ha salido explosión de ira; ha comenzado ya la mortandad! 47Tomólo entonces Aarón, como Moisés le había dicho, y corrió en medio de la Asamblea: y, he aquí, la mortandad había en efecto comenzado entre el pueblo: y echó incienso, y puso a cubierto al pueblo. 48Pues se colocó entre los muertos y los vivos; y así se detuvo la mortandad. 49Y fueron los muertos por la plaga catorce mil setecientos; sin contar los que murieron por el asunto de Coré. 50Y Aarón se volvió a Moisés, a la entrada del Tabernáculo de Reunión, cuando se hubo detenido la mortandad.
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.
