1Coré hijo de Izhar hijo de Coat hijo de Leví, con Datán y Abiram hijos de Eliab, y On hijo de Pelet, descendientes de Rubén, tomaron gente 2y se levantaron contra Moisés con doscientos cincuenta hombres de los hijos de Israel, príncipes de la congregación, miembros del consejo, hombres de renombre. 3Se juntaron contra Moisés y Aarón, y les dijeron: --¡Basta ya de vosotros![1] Toda la congregación, todos ellos son santos y en medio de ellos está Jehová. ¿Por qué, pues, os encumbráis vosotros sobre la congregación de Jehová? 4Cuando oyó esto Moisés, se postró sobre su rostro. 5Luego habló a Coré y a todo su séquito, y les dijo: --Mañana mostrará Jehová quién le pertenece[2] y quién es santo, y hará que se acerque a él. Al que él escoja, lo acercará a sí. 6Haced esto: tomad los incensarios de Coré y de todo su séquito, 7poned fuego en ellos y echad en ellos incienso delante de Jehová mañana. Aquel a quien Jehová escoja, ese será el santo; esto os baste, hijos de Leví. 8Dijo Moisés a Coré: --Oíd ahora, hijos de Leví: 9¿Os es poco que el Dios de Israel os haya apartado de la congregación de Israel, acercándoos a él para que ministréis en el servicio del tabernáculo de Jehová y estéis delante de la congregación para ministrarles? 10Hizo que te acercaras, junto con todos tus hermanos, los hijos de Leví, ¿y ahora procuráis también el sacerdocio? 11Por tanto, tú y todo tu séquito sois los que os juntáis contra Jehová; porque ¿quién es Aarón para que contra él murmuréis? 12Luego Moisés mandó llamar a Datán y Abiram, hijos de Eliab. Pero ellos respondieron: --No iremos allá. 13¿Es poco que nos hayas hecho venir de una tierra que destila leche y miel,[3] para hacernos morir en el desierto, sino que también te quieres enseñorear de nosotros imperiosamente? 14Tampoco nos has metido tú en tierra que fluya leche y miel, ni nos has dado heredades de tierras y viñas. ¿Sacarás los ojos de estos hombres?[4] ¡No subiremos! 15Entonces Moisés se enojó mucho, y dijo a Jehová: --¡No aceptes su ofrenda! Ni aun un asno he tomado de ellos, ni a ninguno de ellos he hecho mal. 16Después dijo Moisés a Coré: --Tú y todo tu séquito, poneos mañana delante de Jehová; tú, ellos y Aarón. 17Que cada uno tome su incensario, le ponga incienso y se acerque a la presencia de Jehová cada uno con su incensario: doscientos cincuenta incensarios en total. Tú también, y Aarón, cada uno con su incensario. 18Tomó cada uno su incensario, pusieron en ellos el fuego, echaron en ellos incienso y se pusieron a la puerta del Tabernáculo de reunión junto con Moisés y Aarón. 19Ya Coré había reunido contra ellos a toda la congregación[5] a la puerta del Tabernáculo de reunión; entonces la gloria de Jehová se apareció a toda la congregación. 20Jehová habló a Moisés y a Aarón, y les dijo: 21--¡Apartaos de esta congregación, y los consumiré en un momento! 22Ellos se postraron sobre sus rostros y dijeron: --Dios, Dios de los espíritus de toda carne, ¿no es un solo hombre el que pecó? ¿Por qué airarte contra toda la congregación? 23Jehová habló a Moisés y le dijo: 24--Habla a la congregación y diles: Apartaos de los alrededores de la tienda de Coré, Datán y Abiram. 25Moisés se levantó y fue adonde estaban Datán y Abiram, y los ancianos de Israel lo siguieron. 26Y habló a la congregación, diciendo: --Apartaos ahora de las tiendas de estos hombres impíos, y no toquéis ninguna cosa suya, para que no perezcáis por todos sus pecados. 27Ellos se apartaron de los alrededores de las tiendas de Coré, de Datán y de Abiram; y Datán y Abiram salieron y se pusieron a la entrada de sus tiendas, con sus mujeres, sus hijos y sus pequeñuelos. 28Moisés dijo: --En esto conoceréis que Jehová me ha enviado para que hiciera todas estas cosas, y que no las hice de mi propia voluntad. 29Si como mueren todos los hombres mueren estos, o si al ser visitados ellos corren la suerte de todos los hombres, Jehová no me envió. 30Pero si Jehová hace algo nuevo, si la tierra abre su boca y se los traga con todas sus cosas, y descienden vivos al seol, entonces conoceréis que estos hombres irritaron a Jehová. 31Aconteció que cuando terminó de decir todas estas palabras, se abrió la tierra que estaba debajo de ellos. 32Abrió la tierra su boca y se los tragó a ellos, a sus casas, a todos los hombres de Coré y a todos sus bienes.[6] 33Ellos, con todo lo que tenían, descendieron vivos al seol;[7] los cubrió la tierra y desaparecieron de en medio de la congregación. 34Al oir sus gritos, todo Israel, los que estaban en derredor de ellos, huyeron, diciendo: "¡No sea que nos trague también la tierra!" 35También salió fuego de la presencia de Jehová, que consumió a los doscientos cincuenta hombres que ofrecían el incienso.[8] 36Jehová habló a Moisés y le dijo: 37"Di a Eleazar, hijo del sacerdote Aarón, que tome los incensarios de en medio del incendio y derrame más allá el fuego, porque están santificados 38los incensarios de estos que pecaron contra sus almas. Harán de ellos planchas batidas para cubrir el altar, por cuanto ofrecieron con ellos delante de Jehová y están santificados. Serán como una señal para los hijos de Israel". 39El sacerdote Eleazar tomó los incensarios de bronce con que los quemados habían ofrecido, y los convirtieron en láminas para cubrir el altar, 40como recuerdo a los hijos de Israel de que ningún extraño que no sea de la descendencia de Aarón se acerque para ofrecer incienso delante de Jehová, no sea que le ocurra como a Coré y como a su séquito, según se lo dijo Jehová por medio de Moisés. 41Al día siguiente, toda la congregación de los hijos de Israel murmuró contra Moisés y Aarón, diciendo: "Vosotros habéis dado muerte al pueblo de Jehová". 42Aconteció que cuando se juntó la congregación contra Moisés y Aarón, miraron hacia el Tabernáculo de reunión y vieron que la nube lo había cubierto, y apareció la gloria de Jehová.[9] 43Entonces fueron Moisés y Aarón delante del Tabernáculo de reunión, 44y Jehová dijo a Moisés: 45"¡Apartaos de en medio de esta congregación, y los consumiré en un momento!" Ellos se postraron sobre sus rostros. 46Y Moisés dijo a Aarón: "Toma el incensario, pon en él fuego del altar y échale incienso; vete enseguida adonde está la congregación, y haz expiación por ellos, porque el furor ha salido de la presencia de Jehová y la mortandad ha comenzado". 47Aarón tomó el incensario, como Moisés dijo, y corrió en medio de la congregación; la mortandad había comenzado ya en el pueblo. Puso el incienso e hizo expiación por el pueblo. 48Luego se puso entre los muertos y los vivos, y cesó la mortandad. 49Los que murieron en aquella mortandad fueron catorce mil setecientos, sin contar los muertos por la rebelión de Coré. 50Después, cuando la mortandad había cesado, volvió Aarón con Moisés a la puerta del Tabernáculo de reunión.
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.