Korah’s Rebellion
Now Korah son of Izhar, the son of Kohath son of Levi, along with some Reubenites—Dathan and Abiram, sons of Eliab, and On son of Peleth—conducted Jud 1:11Deu 11:6Exo 6:21Exo 6:18Gen 49:3-4Num 26:9-10Num 27:31Ch 5:1-2 a rebellion against Moses, along with 250 men of Israel renowned as leaders of the congregation and representatives in the assembly. Num 26:9Ezk 23:101Ch 5:24Gen 6:4Num 1:161Ch 12:30Ezk 16:14 They came together against Moses and Aaron and told them, “You have taken too much upon yourselves! 1 For everyone in the entire congregation is holy, and the LORD is in their midst. Why then do you exalt yourselves above the assembly of the LORD?” Psa 106:16Exo 19:6Num 14:14Act 7:51Num 16:7Act 7:39Exo 29:45-46Ezr 9:2
When Moses heard this, he fell facedown. Num 14:5Num 20:6Jos 7:6Num 16:45 Then he said to Korah and all his followers, “Tomorrow morning the LORD will reveal who belongs to Him 2and who is holy, and He will bring that person near to Himself. The one He chooses, He will bring near to Himself. Psa 65:4Num 17:52Ti 2:19Lev 10:3Num 16:31Pe 2:5-91Sa 2:282Ti 2:3-4 You, Korah, and all your followers are to do as follows: Take censers, Lev 10:11Ki 18:21-23Lev 16:12-13Num 16:35-40Num 16:46-48 and tomorrow you are to place fire and incense in them in the presence of the LORD. Then the man the LORD chooses will be the one who is holy. It is you sons of Levi who have taken too much upon yourselves!” Num 16:31Ki 18:17-181Pe 2:92Th 2:13Eph 1:4Mat 21:23-27Num 16:5
Moses also said to Korah, “Now listen, you sons of Levi! Is it not enough for you that the God of Israel has separated you from the congregation of Israel and brought you near to Himself to perform the work at the LORD’s tabernacle, and to stand before the congregation to minister to them? Deu 10:8Isa 7:13Ezk 44:10-111Sa 18:23Neh 12:44Num 1:53Num 16:13Num 3:6 He has brought you near, you and all your fellow Levites, but you are seeking the priesthood as well. 3Jn 1:9Luk 22:24Mat 20:21-22Num 18:7Num 3:10Php 2:3Pro 13:10Rom 12:10 Therefore, it is you and all your followers who have conspired against the LORD! As for Aaron, who is he that you should grumble against him?” Exo 16:7-8Exo 17:21Co 3:5Num 16:31Sa 8:7Act 5:4Jhn 13:20Luk 10:16
Then Moses summoned Dathan and Abiram, the sons of Eliab, but they said, “We will not come! 1Pe 2:13-14Isa 3:5Jud 1:8Pro 29:9 Is it not enough that you have brought us up out of a land flowing with milk and honey to kill us in the wilderness? Must you also appoint yourself as ruler over us? Act 7:35Exo 16:3Exo 2:14Num 11:5Act 7:25-27Exo 1:11Exo 1:22Exo 17:3 Moreover, you have not brought us into a land flowing with milk and honey or given us an inheritance of fields and vineyards. Will you gouge out the eyes of these men? No, we will not come!” 1Sa 11:2Jdg 16:21Lev 20:24Num 36:8-10Exo 22:5Exo 23:11Exo 3:17Exo 3:8
Then Moses became very angry and said to the LORD, “Do not regard their offering. I have not taken one donkey from them or mistreated a single one of them.” Gen 4:4-52Co 7:21Co 9:151Sa 12:3-41Th 2:102Co 1:122Co 12:14-17Act 20:33-34
And Moses said to Korah, “You and all your followers are to appear before the LORD tomorrow—you and they and Aaron. 1Sa 12:31Sa 12:72Ti 2:14Num 16:6-7 Each man is to take his censer, place incense in it, and present it before the LORD—250 censers. You and Aaron are to present your censers as well.” 1Sa 12:7
So each man took his censer, put fire and incense in it, and stood with Moses and Aaron at the entrance to the Tent of Meeting. When Korah had gathered his whole assembly against them at the entrance to the Tent of Meeting, the glory of the LORD appeared to the whole congregation. Num 14:10Num 16:42Exo 16:7Lev 9:23Exo 16:10Lev 9:6Num 12:5Num 16:1-2
And the LORD said to Moses and Aaron, “Separate yourselves from this congregation so that I may consume them in an instant.” Exo 32:10Num 16:45Exo 33:5Psa 73:19Rev 18:42Co 6:17Act 2:40Eph 5:6-7
But Moses and Aaron fell facedown and said, “O God, the God of the spirits of all flesh, when one man sins, will You be angry with the whole congregation?” Num 27:16Job 12:10Zec 12:1Ecc 12:7Heb 12:9Gen 18:23-25Rom 5:182Sa 24:17
Moses Separates the People
Then the LORD said to Moses, “Tell the congregation to move away from the dwellings of Korah, Dathan, and Abiram.” Num 16:21
So Moses got up and went to Dathan and Abiram, and the elders of Israel followed him. Num 11:16-17Num 11:25Num 11:30 And he warned the congregation, “Move away now from the tents of these wicked men. Do not touch anything that belongs to them, or you will be swept away because of all their sins.” Isa 52:112Co 6:17Rev 18:41Ti 5:22Act 13:51Act 8:20Deu 13:17Gen 19:12-15
So they moved away from the dwellings of Korah, Dathan, and Abiram. Meanwhile, Dathan and Abiram had come out and stood at the entrances to their tents with their wives and children and infants. 2Ki 9:30-31Isa 28:14Job 40:10-11Job 9:4Pro 16:18Pro 18:12
The Earth Swallows Korah
Then Moses said, “This is how you will know that the LORD has sent me to do all these things, for it was not my own doing: Exo 3:12Jhn 6:38Ezk 13:17Jer 23:16Jhn 14:11Jhn 5:361Ki 18:36Deu 18:22 If these men die a natural death, or if they suffer the fate of all men, then the LORD has not sent me. 1Ki 22:28Lam 4:222Ch 18:27Ecc 3:19Exo 32:34Isa 10:3Jer 5:9Job 35:15 But if the LORD brings about something unprecedented, and the earth opens its mouth and swallows them and all that belongs to them so that they go down alive into Sheol, then you will know that these men have treated the LORD with contempt.” Psa 55:15Num 16:33Job 31:3Isa 28:21Isa 43:19Isa 45:12Isa 45:7Jer 31:22
As soon as Moses had finished saying all this, the ground beneath them split open, Deu 11:6Num 27:3Psa 106:17-18Num 26:10-11 and the earth opened its mouth and swallowed them and their households—all Korah’s men and all their possessions. Num 26:11Psa 106:17Rev 12:161Ch 6:22Isa 5:141Ch 6:37Deu 11:6Num 16:17 They went down alive into Sheol with all they owned. The earth closed over them, and they vanished from the assembly. Ezk 32:18Ezk 32:30Isa 14:15Isa 14:9Jud 1:11Psa 143:7Psa 55:23Psa 69:15
At their cries, all the people of Israel who were around them fled, saying, “The earth may swallow us too!” Isa 33:3Num 17:12-13Rev 6:15-17Zec 14:5 And fire came forth from the LORD and consumed the 250 men who were offering the incense. Lev 10:2Num 26:10Psa 106:18Num 11:1-3Num 16:17Num 16:2
The Censers Reserved for Holy Use
Then the LORD said to Moses, “Tell Eleazar son of Aaron the priest to remove the censers from the flames and to scatter the coals far away, because the censers are holy. Lev 27:28Num 16:18Num 16:7 As for the censers of those who sinned at the cost of their own lives, hammer them into sheets to overlay the altar, for these were presented before the LORD, and so have become holy. They will serve as a sign to the Israelites.” 2Pe 2:6Ezk 14:8Num 26:10Pro 20:21Ki 2:23Hab 2:10Num 17:101Co 10:11
So Eleazar the priest took the bronze censers brought by those who had been burned up, and he had them hammered out to overlay the altar, just as the LORD commanded him through Moses. This was to be a reminder to the Israelites that no outsider who is not a descendant of Aaron should approach to offer incense before the LORD, lest he become like Korah and his followers. Num 3:102Ch 26:16-21Num 18:4-71Ki 13:1-3Exo 30:7-10Jud 1:11Lev 22:10Num 1:51
Murmuring and Plague
(1 Corinthians 10:1–13)
The next day the whole congregation of Israel grumbled against Moses and Aaron, saying, “You have killed the LORD’s people!” Num 16:1-7Num 14:2Psa 106:23Psa 106:25-481Ki 18:172Sa 16:7-8Act 21:28Act 5:28 But when the congregation gathered against them, Moses and Aaron turned toward the Tent of Meeting, and suddenly the cloud covered it and the glory of the LORD appeared. Num 16:19Lev 9:23Num 20:6Exo 16:10Exo 16:7Exo 24:16Exo 40:34-35Num 14:10
Then Moses and Aaron went to the front of the Tent of Meeting, and the LORD said to Moses, “Get away from this congregation so that I may consume them in an instant.” And Moses and Aaron fell facedown. Num 16:21-22Num 16:241Ch 21:16Mat 26:39Num 16:26Num 20:6
Moses said to Aaron, “Take your censer, place fire from the altar in it, and add incense. Go quickly to the congregation and make atonement for them, because wrath has come out from the LORD; the plague has begun.” Num 8:191Ch 27:24Lev 10:6Num 11:33Isa 6:6-7Num 18:5Psa 106:29Rev 8:3-5
So Aaron took the censer as Moses had ordered and ran into the midst of the assembly. And seeing that the plague had begun among the people, he offered the incense and made atonement for the people. Deu 33:10-11Isa 53:10-12Mat 5:44Num 16:46Num 25:6-8Psa 106:29Rom 12:21 He stood between the living and the dead, and the plague was halted. 2Sa 24:25Num 25:8-11Psa 106:301Ch 21:26-271Th 1:101Ti 2:5-62Sa 24:16-17Heb 7:24-25 But those who died from the plague numbered 14,700, in addition to those who had died on account of Korah. Num 16:32-35Num 25:91Ch 21:14Heb 10:28-29Heb 12:25Heb 2:1-3
Then Aaron returned to Moses at the entrance to the Tent of Meeting, since the plague had been halted. 1Ch 21:26-30Num 16:43