Numbers 16:40

Numbers 16:40 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)To be a memorial unto the children of Israel, that no stranger, which is not of the seed of Aaron, come near to offer incense before the Lord; that he be not as Korah, and as his company: as the Lord said to him by the hand of Moses.
• English Standard Version (ESV)to be a reminder to the people of Israel, so that no outsider, who is not of the descendants of Aaron, should draw near to burn incense before the Lord, lest he become like Korah and his company—as the Lord said to him through Moses.
• New King James Version (NKJV)to be a memorial to the children of Israel that no outsider, who is not a descendant of Aaron, should come near to offer incense before the Lord, that he might not become like Korah and his companions, just as the Lord had said to him through Moses.
• New Living Translation (NLT)This would warn the Israelites that no unauthorized person—no one who was not a descendant of Aaron—should ever enter the Lord’s presence to burn incense. If anyone did, the same thing would happen to him as happened to Korah and his followers. So the Lord’s instructions to Moses were carried out.

Context of Numbers 16:40

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.” 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, as 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. 41The next day the whole Israelite community grumbled against Moses and Aaron. “You have killed the Lord’s people,” they said. 42But when the assembly gathered in opposition to Moses and Aaron and turned toward the tent of meeting, suddenly the cloud covered it and the glory of the Lord appeared.

Numbers 16:40 word by word

זִכָּר֞וֹן לִבְנֵ֣י יִשְׂרָאֵ֗ל לְ֠מַעַן אֲשֶׁ֨ר לֹֽא־יִקְרַ֜ב אִ֣ישׁ זָ֗ר אֲ֠שֶׁר לֹ֣א מִזֶּ֤רַע אַהֲרֹן֙ ה֔וּא לְהַקְטִ֥יר קְטֹ֖רֶת לִפְנֵ֣י יְהוָ֑ה וְלֹֽא־יִהְיֶ֤ה כְקֹ֙רַח֙ וְכַ֣עֲדָת֔וֹ כַּאֲשֶׁ֨ר דִּבֶּ֧ר יְהוָ֛ה בְּיַד־מֹשֶׁ֖ה לֽוֹ׃Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• a memorialזִכָּרוֹןzikrôn · memorialH2146
• unto the childrenבֵּןbên · son: descendant/peopleH1121
• of Israelיִשְׂרָאֵלyiώrâ'êl · IsraelH3478
• thatמַ֫עַןma‛an · becauseH4616
• thatאֲשֶׁר'ăsher · whichH834
• no strangerזוּרzûr · be a strangerH2114
• no strangerאִישׁ'îysh · manH376
• not of the seedזֶ֫רַעzera‛ · seed: childrenH2233
• of Aaronאַהֲרֹן'ahărôn · AaronH175
• come nearקָרַבqârab · to present: comeH7126
• to offerקָטַרqâţar · to offer: burnH6999
• incenseקְטֹ֫רֶתqeţôreth · incenseH7004
• beforeפָּנֶהpânîym · face: beforeH6440
• the Lordיְהֹוָהyehôvâh · LORDH3068
• that he be not as Korahקֹ֫רַחqôrach · KorahH7141
• and as his companyעֵדָה‛êdâh · congregationH5712
• saidדָבַרdâbar · to speak: speakH1696
• to him by the handיָדyâd · hand: byH3027
• of Mosesמֹשֶׁהmôsheh · MosesH4872

Cross-references for Numbers 16:40

• Numbers 3:10Appoint Aaron and his sons to serve as priests; anyone else who approaches the sanctuary is to be put to death.”
• Numbers 18:4They are to join you and be responsible for the care of the tent of meeting—all the work at the tent—and no one else may come near where you are.
• Leviticus 22:10“ ‘No one outside a priest’s family may eat the sacred offering, nor may the guest of a priest or his hired worker eat it.
• 2 Chronicles 26:18They confronted King Uzziah and said, “It is not right for you, Uzziah, to burn incense to the Lord. That is for the priests, the descendants of Aaron, who have been consecrated to burn incense. Leave the sanctuary, for you have been unfaithful; and you will not be honored by the Lord God.”
• Jude 1:11Woe to them! They have taken the way of Cain; they have rushed for profit into Balaam’s error; they have been destroyed in Korah’s rebellion.
• 1 Kings 13:1By the word of the Lord a man of God came from Judah to Bethel, as Jeroboam was standing by the altar to make an offering.
• 2 Chronicles 26:16But after Uzziah became powerful, his pride led to his downfall. He was unfaithful to the Lord his God, and entered the temple of the Lord to burn incense on the altar of incense.

Commentaries on Numbers 16:40

• 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 16:40

• Altar
• Incense
• Israel
• Sacrilege
• Token

In the dictionaries

• Aaron
• Israel
• Korah
• Moses
• Israel, Israelites
• Jacob, Israel
• Korah, Korahite
• Children of Israel
• Choose
• Close

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