Berean Standard Bible
Numbers 16:3
3They 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?”
Numbers 16:3 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)And they gathered themselves together against Moses and against Aaron, and said unto them, Ye take too much upon you, seeing all the congregation are holy, every one of them, and the Lord is among them: wherefore then lift ye up yourselves above the congregation of the Lord?
- New International Version (NIV)They came as a group to oppose Moses and Aaron and said to them, “You have gone too far! The whole community is holy, every one of them, and the Lord is with them. Why then do you set yourselves above the Lord’s assembly?”
- English Standard Version (ESV)They assembled themselves together against Moses and against Aaron and said to them, "You have gone too far! For all in the congregation are holy, every one of them, and the Lord is among them. Why then do you exalt yourselves above the assembly of the Lord?"
- New King James Version (NKJV)They gathered together against Moses and Aaron, and said to them, “You take too much upon yourselves, for all the congregation is holy, every one of them, and the Lord is among them. Why then do you exalt yourselves above the assembly of the Lord?”
Context of Numbers 16:3
1Now 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 2a rebellion against Moses, along with 250 men of Israel renowned as leaders of the congregation and representatives in the assembly. They came together against Moses and Aaron and told them, “You have taken too much upon yourselves! 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?” 4When Moses heard this, he fell facedown. 5Then he said to Korah and all his followers, “Tomorrow morning the LORD will reveal who belongs to Him and who is holy, and He will bring that person near to Himself. The one He chooses He will bring near to Himself.
Read all of Numbers 16Numbers 16:3 word by word
וַיִּֽקָּהֲל֞וּ עַל־מֹשֶׁ֣ה וְעַֽל־אַהֲרֹ֗ן וַיֹּאמְר֣וּ אֲלֵהֶם֮ רַב־לָכֶם֒ כִּ֤י כָל־הָֽעֵדָה֙ כֻּלָּ֣ם קְדֹשִׁ֔ים וּבְתוֹכָ֖ם יְהוָ֑ה וּמַדּ֥וּעַ תִּֽתְנַשְּׂא֖וּ עַל־קְהַ֥ל יְהוָֽה׃Read the interlinear
- They came togetherקָהַלqâhal · to gatherH6950
- againstעַל‛al · uponH5921
- Mosesמֹשֶׁהmôsheh · MosesH4872
- Aaronאַהֲרֹן'ahărôn · AaronH175
- and told themאָמַר'âmar · to sayH559
- and told themאֶל'êl 'el · to(wards)H413
- too muchרַבrab · manyH7227
- Forכִּיkîy · forH3588
- everyoneכֹּלkôl kôl · allH3605
- congregationעֵדָה‛êdâh · congregationH5712
- is holyקָדוֹשׁqâdôsh qâdôsh · holyH6918
- and the LORDיְהֹוָהyehôvâh · LORDH3068
- is in their midstתָּ֫וֶךְtâvek · midstH8432
- Whyמַדּוּעַmaddûa‛ maddûa‛ · why?H4069
- then do you exaltנָשָׂאnâώâ' nâsâh · to lift: exaltH5375
- the assemblyקָהָלqâhâl · assemblyH6951
Cross-references for Numbers 16:3
- Numbers 16:11Therefore, 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?”
- Numbers 12:1Then Miriam and Aaron criticized Moses because of the Cushite woman he had married, for he had taken a Cushite wife.
- Numbers 14:1Then the whole congregation lifted up their voices and cried out, and that night the people wept.
- Psalms 106:16In the camp they envied Moses, as well as Aaron, the holy one of the LORD.
- Acts 7:39But our fathers refused to obey him. Instead, they rejected him and in their hearts turned back to Egypt.
- Exodus 19:6And unto Me you shall be a kingdom of priests and a holy nation.’ These are the words that you are to speak to the Israelites.”
- Ezra 9:2Indeed, the Israelites have taken some of their daughters as wives for themselves and their sons, so that the holy seed has been mixed with the people of the land. And the leaders and officials have taken the lead in this unfaithfulness!”
- Isaiah 1:11“What good to Me is your multitude of sacrifices?” says the LORD. “I am full from the burnt offerings of rams and the fat of well-fed cattle; I take no delight in the blood of bulls and lambs and goats.
- Jeremiah 7:3Thus says the LORD of Hosts, the God of Israel: Correct your ways and deeds, and I will let you live in this place.
- Matthew 3:9And do not presume to say to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham as our father.’ For I tell you that out of these stones God can raise up children for Abraham.
- Romans 2:28A man is not a Jew because he is one outwardly, nor is circumcision only outward and physical.
- Numbers 14:14And they will tell it to the inhabitants of this land. They have already heard that You, O LORD, are in the midst of this people, that You, O LORD, have been seen face to face, that Your cloud stands over them, and that You go before them in a pillar of cloud by day and a pillar of fire by night.
- Numbers 35:34Do not defile the land where you live and where I dwell. For I, the LORD, dwell among the Israelites.”
- Exodus 29:45Then I will dwell among the Israelites and be their God.
- Psalms 68:17The chariots of God are tens of thousands— thousands of thousands are they; the Lord is in His sanctuary as He was at Sinai.
Commentaries on Numbers 16:3
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 3Ye take too much upon you - The original is simply לכם רב rab lachem, too much for you. The spirit of this saying appears to me to be the following: - "Holy offices are not equally distributed: you arrogate to yourselves the most important ones, as if your superior holiness entitled you alone to them; whereas all the congregation are holy, and have an equal right with you to be employed in the most holy services." Moses retorts this saying Numbers 16:7…Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 3All the congregation are holy - Compare the marginal reference. Korah‘s object was not to abolish the distinction between the Levites and the people, but to win priestly dignity for himself and his kinsmen Numbers 16:10. This ultimate design is masked for the present in order to win support from the Reubenites by putting forward claims to spiritual equality on behalf of every Israelite.Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 3The rebels "envied Moses, as well as Aaron" (Psalm 106:16). They claimed Moses and Aaron had overstepped their authority because all Israelites were God's chosen people (Exodus 19:6). Their protest for equality against Moses and Aaron's authority probably intended to replace it with their own.Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 33. 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 (Ex 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…Read the comment
Topics related to Numbers 16:3
In the dictionaries
Notes
Commentaries on Numbers 16
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
- Tyndale Open Study Notes
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
- Rashi on Tanakh
- Calvin’s Commentaries
- Keil & Delitzsch Commentary
- John Wesley’s Notes
- Darby Translation Notes
- Geneva Bible Translation Notes
- Kingcomments
- Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
- Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
- Scofield Reference Notes, 1917 Edition
- Original Douay–Rheims Annotations
- Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
- EGW Writings
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