New International Version
Numbers 16:38
38the 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.”
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.
- 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.”
- New Living Translation (NLT)Take the incense burners of these men who have sinned at the cost of their lives, and hammer the metal into a thin sheet to overlay the altar. Since these burners were used in the Lord’s presence, they have become holy. Let them serve as a warning to the people of Israel.”
Context of Numbers 16:38
36The Lord said to Moses, 37“Tell Eleazar son of Aaron, the priest, to remove the censers from the charred remains and scatter the coals some distance away, for the censers are holy— 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.” 39So Eleazar the priest collected the bronze censers brought by those who had been burned to death, and he had them hammered out to overlay the altar, 40as the Lord directed him through Moses. This was to remind the Israelites that no one except a descendant of Aaron should come to burn incense before the Lord, or he would become like Korah and his followers.
Read all of Numbers 16Numbers 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 swore by the Lord: “May God deal with me, be it ever so severely, if Adonijah does not pay with his life for this request!
- Proverbs 1:18These men lie in wait for their own blood; they ambush only themselves!
- Proverbs 8:36But those who fail to find me harm themselves; all who hate me love death.”
- Proverbs 20:2A king’s wrath strikes terror like the roar of a lion; those who anger him forfeit their lives.
- Habakkuk 2:10You have plotted the ruin of many peoples, shaming your own house and forfeiting your life.
- Numbers 16:40as the Lord directed him through Moses. This was to remind the Israelites that no one except a descendant of Aaron should come to burn incense before the Lord, or he would become like Korah and his followers.
- Numbers 17:10The Lord said to Moses, “Put back Aaron’s staff in front of the ark of the covenant law, to be kept as a sign to the rebellious. This will put an end to their grumbling against me, so that they will not die.”
- Numbers 26:10The earth opened its mouth and swallowed them along with Korah, whose followers died when the fire devoured the 250 men. And they served as a warning sign.
- Ezekiel 14:8I will set my face against them and make them an example and a byword. I will remove them from my people. Then you will know that I am the Lord.
- 1 Corinthians 10:11These things happened to them as examples and were written down as warnings for us, on whom the culmination of the ages has come.
- 2 Peter 2:6if he condemned the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah by burning them to ashes, and made them an example of what is going to happen to the ungodly;
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
In the dictionaries
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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