Numbers 16:38

Numbers 16:38 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)The censers of these sinners against their own souls, let them make them broad plates for a covering of the altar: for they offered them before the Lord, therefore they are hallowed: and they shall be a sign unto the children of Israel.
• New International Version (NIV)the censers of the men who sinned at the cost of their lives. Hammer the censers into sheets to overlay the altar, for they were presented before the Lord and have become holy. Let them be a sign to the Israelites.”
• English Standard Version (ESV)As for the censers of these men who have sinned at the cost of their lives, let them be made into hammered plates as a covering for the altar, for they offered them before the Lord, and they became holy. Thus they shall be a sign to the people of Israel."
• New King James Version (NKJV)The censers of these men who sinned against their own souls, let them be made into hammered plates as a covering for the altar. Because they presented them before the Lord, therefore they are holy; and they shall be a sign to the children of Israel.”

Context of Numbers 16:38

36The Lord said to Moses, 37‘Tell Eleazar, the son of Aaron the priest, that he must take the pots with incense out of the burning fire. That is because those pots are holy. Then you must throw away the coal over all the ground round that place. Those men died because they did a bad thing. But the pots that they were holding are holy, because they were offering the incense to the Lord. So workers must use hammers to make the pots into thin metal. Then cover the altar with the metal. That will be like a sign to warn the Israelites.’ 39So Eleazar took the 250 pots and he used the bronze metal to cover the altar. 40Then the Israelites would remember not to do what Korah and his group did. Only people from the family of Aaron could burn incense on the Lord's altar. God would punish anyone else, like he punished Korah and his men. The Lord had given this command through Moses.

Numbers 16:38 word by word

אֵ֡ת מַחְתּוֹת֩ הַֽחַטָּאִ֨ים הָאֵ֜לֶּה בְּנַפְשֹׁתָ֗ם וְעָשׂ֨וּ אֹתָ֜ם רִקֻּעֵ֤י פַחִים֙ צִפּ֣וּי לַמִּזְבֵּ֔חַ כִּֽי־הִקְרִיבֻ֥ם לִפְנֵֽי־יְהוָ֖ה וַיִּקְדָּ֑שׁוּ וְיִֽהְי֥וּ לְא֖וֹת לִבְנֵ֥י יִשְׂרָאֵֽל׃Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• The censersמַחְתָּהmachtâh · censerH4289
• of these sinnersחַטָּאchaţţâ' · sinnerH2400
• against their own soulsנֶ֫פֶשׁnephesh · soul: lifeH5315
• let them makeעָשָׂה‛âώâh · to makeH6213
• them broadרִקּוּעַriqqûa‛ · hammered outH7555
• platesפַּחpach · plateH6341
• a coveringצִפּוּיtsipûy · platingH6826
• of the altarמִזְבֵּחַmizbêach · altarH4196
• for they offeredקָרַבqârab · to present: bringH7126
• them beforeפָּנֶהpânîym · face: beforeH6440
• the Lordיְהֹוָהyehôvâh · LORDH3068
• therefore they are hallowedקָדַשׁqâdash · to consecrate: consecateH6942
• and they shall be a signאוֹת'ôth · sign: indicatorH226
• unto the childrenבֵּןbên · son: descendant/peopleH1121
• of Israelיִשְׂרָאֵלyiώrâ'êl · IsraelH3478

Cross-references for Numbers 16:38

• 1 Kings 2:23Then King Solomon made this strong promise in the Lord's name. He said, ‘Because Adonijah has asked to have Abishag as his wife, I will certainly punish him with death. If I do not do that, I pray that God will punish me instead!
• Proverbs 1:18These wicked men hide to attack someone. They are ready to kill someone, but they destroy their own lives!
• Proverbs 8:36But anyone who does not find me brings trouble on himself. Everybody who hates me loves death.’
• Proverbs 20:2When the king is angry, he is as dangerous as a lion that roars. If you make him angry, you will lose your life.
• Habakkuk 2:10But the cruel things that you have done will bring shame to your family. You decided to destroy people from many countries. Because of that, you will pay with your own life.
• Numbers 16:40Then the Israelites would remember not to do what Korah and his group did. Only people from the family of Aaron could burn incense on the Lord's altar. God would punish anyone else, like he punished Korah and his men. The Lord had given this command through Moses.
• Numbers 17:10The Lord said to Moses, ‘Put Aaron's stick in front of the Covenant Box again. The people will see it there like a sign. Then they will remember that they must not turn against me. If they continue to complain, they will die.’
• Numbers 26:10A hole opened in the ground. Korah, Dathan, Abiram and their families fell into the hole and they died. And fire killed 250 other men. So they became a sign to warn the other Israelites.
• Ezekiel 14:8I will be that person's enemy. I will punish him to make him an example to others. Other people will see that he is not good. I will not allow him to belong to my people. Then you will know that I am the Lord.
• 1 Corinthians 10:11All these things happened to our ancestors so that we would learn from them. They are written in the Bible to teach us important lessons. We are people who live at a time when all things will become complete.
• 2 Peter 2:6Later, God punished the people who lived in the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah. Because they did bad things, God decided to destroy them. He burned those cities completely, so that only ashes remained. When God did that, he showed what will happen to all people who refuse to obey him.

Commentaries on Numbers 16:38

• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 38These sinners against their own souls - That is, “against their own lives.” By their sin they had brought destruction upon themselves.Read the comment
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 35-40Verses 35-40 A fire went out from the Lord, and consumed the two hundred and fifty men that offered incense, while Aaron, who stood with them, was preserved alive. God is jealous of the honour of his own institutions, and will not have them invaded. The sacrifice of the wicked is an abomination to the Lord. The censers are devoted, and, as all devoted things, must be made serviceable to the glory of God. This covering of the altar would remind the…Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 38-40Eleazar made a bronze sheet to cover the altar, replacing or adding to the earlier one (Exodus 38:2). Like the plain blue tassels in Numbers 15:37–41, it reminded the people of Israel to obey God.Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 37-4037-40. Speak unto Eleazar--He was selected lest the high priest might contract defilement from going among the dead carcasses.Read the comment

Topics related to Numbers 16:38

• Altar
• Censer
• Israel
• Token

In the dictionaries

• Israel
• Israel, Israelites
• Jacob, Israel
• Children of Israel
• Aaron
• Choose
• Close
• Exodus
• Famous
• Renown

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