Numbers 16:18

18 So each of these men prepared an incense burner, lit the fire, and placed incense on it. Then they all stood at the entrance of the Tabernacle with Moses and Aaron.

Numbers 16:18 Meaning and Commentary

Numbers 16:18

And they took every man his censer, and that fire in them,
&c.] That is, they came the next morning, according to order, prepared with their censers and incense; and they took fire from off the altar of burnt offering, which stood in the court of the tabernacle: and laid incense thereon:
upon the fire in their censers, and so burned it: and stood in the door of the tabernacle of the congregation;
not in the holy place, where the altar of incense was, for that would not hold them; nor indeed in the court of the tabernacle, but at the door of it, or the outside of it, that so they might be seen by all the people who came to be spectators and witnesses of this affair: and they stood with Moses and Aaron;
in a bold and presumptuous manner, as if they were their equals, disputing their authority, and putting themselves upon their trial before the Lord about it: the Targum of Jonathan says, these men stood on one side (of the door of the tabernacle), and Moses and Aaron stood on the other side of it.

Numbers 16:18 In-Context

16 And Moses said to Korah, “You and all your followers must come here tomorrow and present yourselves before the LORD . Aaron will also be here.
17 You and each of your 250 followers must prepare an incense burner and put incense on it, so you can all present them before the LORD . Aaron will also bring his incense burner.”
18 So each of these men prepared an incense burner, lit the fire, and placed incense on it. Then they all stood at the entrance of the Tabernacle with Moses and Aaron.
19 Meanwhile, Korah had stirred up the entire community against Moses and Aaron, and they all gathered at the Tabernacle entrance. Then the glorious presence of the LORD appeared to the whole community,
20 and the LORD said to Moses and Aaron,

Footnotes 1

  • [a]. Hebrew the Tent of Meeting; also in 16:19, 42, 43, 50 .
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