Revised Literal Translation
Numbers 16:40
40To 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 Yhwh; that he be not as Korah, and as his company: as Yhwh said to him by the hand of Moses.
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.
- New International Version (NIV)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.
- 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.
Context of Numbers 16:40
38The 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 Yhwh, therefore they are hallowed: and they shall be a sign unto the children of Israel. 39And Eleazar the priest took the brasen censers, wherewith they that were burnt had offered; and they were made broad plates for a covering of the altar: 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 Yhwh; that he be not as Korah, and as his company: as Yhwh said to him by the hand of Moses. 41But on the morrow all the congregation of the children of Israel murmured against Moses and against Aaron, saying, Ye have killed the people of Yhwh. 42And it came to pass, when the congregation was gathered against Moses and against Aaron, that they looked toward the tabernacle of the congregation: and, behold, the cloud covered it, and the glory of Yhwh appeared.
Read all of Numbers 16Numbers 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
- 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
- Yhwhיְהֹוָהyehôvâh · 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 3:10And thou shalt appoint Aaron and his sons, and they shall wait on their priest’s office: and the stranger that cometh nigh shall be put to death.
- Numbers 18:4And they shall be joined unto thee, and keep the charge of the tabernacle of the congregation, for all the service of the tabernacle: and a stranger shall not come nigh unto you.
- Leviticus 22:10There shall no stranger eat of the holy thing: a sojourner of the priest, or an hired servant, shall not eat of the holy thing.
- 2 Chronicles 26:18And they withstood Uzziah the king, and said unto him, It appertaineth not unto thee, Uzziah, to burn incense unto Yhwh, but to the priests the sons of Aaron, that are consecrated to burn incense: go out of the sanctuary; for thou hast trespassed; neither shall it be for thine honour from Yhwh God.
- Jude 1:11Woe unto them! for they have gone in the way of Cain, and ran greedily after the error of Balaam for reward, and perished in the gainsaying of Korah.
- 1 Kings 13:1And, behold, there came a man of God out of Judah by the word of Yhwh unto Beth–el: and Jeroboam stood by the altar to burn incense.
- 2 Chronicles 26:16But when he was strong, his heart was lifted up to his destruction: for he transgressed against Yhwh his God, and went into the temple of Yhwh to burn incense upon 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
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
Revised Literal Translation — © 2018 Michael W. Jones, Sr. — GPL
Commentaries