Numbers 16:3

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 the son of Izhar, the son of Kohath, the son of Levi, with Dathan and Abiram, the sons of Eliab, and On the son of Peleth, sons of Reuben, took men, 2and they stood before Moses, together with some of the sons of Israel, 250 leaders of the congregation chosen in the assembly, men of renown. They assembled together against Moses and Aaron, and said to them, “You have gone far enough! For all the congregation are holy, every one of them, and the Lord is in their midst; so why do you exalt yourselves above the assembly of the Lord?” 4When Moses heard this, he fell on his face; 5and he spoke to Korah and all his group, saying, “Tomorrow morning the Lord will make known who is His, and who is holy, and will bring that one near to Himself; indeed, the one whom He will choose, He will bring near to Himself.

Numbers 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 assembledקָהַלqâhal · to gatherH6950
• againstעַל‛al · uponH5921
• Mosesמֹשֶׁהmôsheh · MosesH4872
• and Aaronאַהֲרֹן'ahărôn · AaronH175
• and saidאָמַר'âmar · to sayH559
• You have gone farרַבrab · manyH7227
• enoughרַבrab · manyH7227
• For allכֹּלkôl kôl · allH3605
• the congregationעֵדָה‛êdâh · congregationH5712
• are holyקָדוֹשׁqâdôsh qâdôsh · holyH6918
• the Lordיְהֹוָהyehôvâh · LORDH3068
• is in their midstתָּ֫וֶךְtâvek · midstH8432
• so whyמַדּוּעַmaddûa‛ maddûa‛ · why?H4069
• do you exaltנָשָׂאnâώâ' nâsâh · to lift: exaltH5375
• the assemblyקָהָלqâhâl · assemblyH6951

Cross-references for Numbers 16:3

• Numbers 16:11Therefore you and your whole group are the ones gathered together against the Lord; but as for Aaron, who is he, that you grumble against him?”
• Numbers 12:1Then Miriam and Aaron spoke against Moses because of the Cushite woman whom he had married (for he had married a Cushite woman);
• Numbers 14:1Then all the congregation raised their voices and cried out, and the people wept that night.
• Psalms 106:16When they became envious of Moses in the camp, And of Aaron, the holy one of the Lord,
• Acts 7:39Our fathers were unwilling to be obedient to him; on the contrary they rejected him and turned back to Egypt in their hearts,
• Exodus 19:6and you shall be to Me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation.’ These are the words that you shall speak to the sons of Israel.”
• Ezra 9:2For they have taken some of their daughters as wives for themselves and for their sons, so that the holy line has intermingled with the peoples of the lands; indeed, the hands of the officials and the leaders have taken the lead in this unfaithfulness.”
• Isaiah 1:11“What are your many sacrifices to Me?” Says the Lord. “I have had enough of burnt offerings of rams And the fat of fattened cattle; And I take no pleasure in the blood of bulls, lambs, or goats.
• Jeremiah 7:3This is what the Lord of armies, the God of Israel says: “Amend your ways and your deeds, and I will let you live in this place.
• Matthew 3:9and do not assume that you can say to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham as our father’; for I tell you that God is able, from these stones, to raise up children for Abraham.
• Romans 2:28For he is not a Jew who is one outwardly, nor is circumcision that which is outward in the flesh.
• Numbers 14:14and they will tell it to the inhabitants of this land. They have heard that You, Lord, are in the midst of this people, because You, Lord, are seen eye to eye, while Your cloud stands over them; and You go before them in a pillar of cloud by day, and in a pillar of fire by night.
• Numbers 35:34So you shall not defile the land in which you live, in the midst of which I dwell; for I the Lord am dwelling in the midst of the sons of Israel.’”
• Exodus 29:45And I will dwell among the sons of Israel and will be their God.
• Psalms 68:17The chariots of God are myriads, thousands upon thousands; The Lord is among them as at Sinai, in holiness.

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

• Aaron
• Accusation, False
• Ambition
• Conspiracy
• Dathan
• Envy
• Israel
• Murmuring
• Presumption
• Self-Exaltation
• Self-Righteousness
• Treason
• Usurpation

In the dictionaries

• Aaron
• Moses
• Abiram
• Choose
• Close
• Exodus
• Famous
• Korah
• Murmuring
• 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