Numbers 16:10 kjv
And he hath brought thee near to him, and all thy brethren the sons of Levi with thee: and seek ye the priesthood also?
Numbers 16:10 nkjv
and that He has brought you near to Himself, you and all your brethren, the sons of Levi, with you? And are you seeking the priesthood also?
Numbers 16:10 niv
He has brought you and all your fellow Levites near himself, but now you are trying to get the priesthood too.
Numbers 16:10 esv
and that he has brought you near him, and all your brothers the sons of Levi with you? And would you seek the priesthood also?
Numbers 16:10 nlt
Korah, he has already given this special ministry to you and your fellow Levites. Are you now demanding the priesthood as well?
Numbers 16 10 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Num 3:6-7 | "Bring the tribe of Levi near and set them before Aaron the priest, that they may minister to him." | Levites designated to serve Aaron in tabernacle duties. |
| Num 3:10 | "You shall appoint Aaron and his sons, and they shall keep their priesthood..." | God's specific ordination of Aaron's line for the priestly office. |
| Num 8:6 | "Take the Levites from among the people of Israel and cleanse them." | Levites consecrated and set apart for their specific service. |
| Num 8:14 | "Thus you shall separate the Levites from among the people of Israel..." | Emphasizes the Levites' distinct separation and dedicated purpose. |
| Num 18:2 | "And let your relatives, the tribe of Levi, your ancestral tribe, come near with you and join you..." | Reinforces the Levites' role as assistants to the priests. |
| Num 18:6 | "Behold, I have taken your brothers the Levites from among the people of Israel..." | God Himself designated the Levites for the service of the Tabernacle. |
| Deut 10:8 | "At that time the Lord set apart the tribe of Levi to carry the ark of the covenant..." | Specific functions of the Levites in relation to the Ark. |
| Josh 3:3 | "...when you see the ark of the covenant of the Lord your God being carried by the Levitical priests..." | Levites' role in sacred duties, even extending to the Ark's transport. |
| 1 Sam 2:28 | "Did I not choose him out of all the tribes of Israel to be My priest, to go up to My altar..." | God's prerogative to choose priests and assign specific roles. |
| 2 Chr 26:16-19 | King Uzziah attempts to burn incense in the temple and is struck with leprosy. | Illustration of the severe consequences of usurping priestly functions. |
| Heb 5:4 | "And no one takes this honor for himself, but only when called by God, just as Aaron was." | High priestly office is by divine call, not human ambition. |
| John 3:27 | "A person cannot receive even one thing unless it is given him from heaven." | All authority and roles ultimately come from God. |
| Rom 12:3 | "...not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think..." | Warning against pride and overstepping one's assigned spiritual measure. |
| Rom 12:6 | "Having gifts that differ according to the grace given to us, let us use them..." | Emphasis on distinct gifts and functions within the body. |
| 1 Cor 12:4-7 | "Now there are varieties of gifts, but the same Spirit..." | Diversity of spiritual gifts and offices, all empowered by God. |
| Phil 2:3 | "Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit..." | Condemnation of the core motive behind Korah's rebellion. |
| 1 Tim 3:1 | "The saying is trustworthy: If anyone aspires to the office of overseer, he desires a noble task." | Aspiring to leadership must be for noble service, not personal gain. |
| Jude 1:11 | "Woe to them! For they walk in the way of Cain and abandon themselves for the sake of gain to Balaam's error and perish in Korah's rebellion." | Korah's rebellion as a perennial warning against insubordination and spiritual presumption. |
| 2 Pet 2:10 | "They scoff at authority and revile the glorious ones." | Describes characteristics of those who reject divine authority, like Korah. |
| Jer 1:5 | "Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, and before you were born I consecrated you..." | God's sovereign choice and consecration for service from the beginning. |
| Num 17:5 | "And the rod of the man whom I choose shall sprout..." | God's divine confirmation of His chosen leadership (Aaron's rod). |
| Num 18:7 | "But you and your sons with you shall keep your priesthood for all that concerns the altar..." | Clear demarcation between priests and Levites. |
Numbers 16 verses
Numbers 16 10 Meaning
Numbers 16:10 conveys Moses' stern question to Korah, reminding him and his company of Levites about the immense privilege God had already granted them by "bringing them near to Himself." This highlights their ungratefulness and the audacity of their rebellion. Despite their consecrated status and proximity to divine service in the Tabernacle, they craved the unique priesthood reserved for Aaron and his sons, demonstrating dissatisfaction with God's distinct callings and boundaries. The verse exposes their desire not just for service, but for ultimate authority and usurpation of divinely ordained roles.
Numbers 16 10 Context
Numbers chapter 16 details the rebellion led by Korah, Dathan, and Abiram against Moses and Aaron. Korah, a Levite from the clan of Kohath (responsible for carrying sacred tabernacle objects), joined forces with Reubenites (Dathan and Abiram) and 250 respected leaders. They challenged Moses and Aaron's leadership, specifically Aaron's priesthood, claiming that "all the congregation are holy, and the LORD is among them," implying no special distinction was needed for religious leadership. Moses, deeply distressed, proposes a test of God's intervention. This verse is Moses' direct accusation, reminding Korah that his clan already possessed a significant privilege, and thus his discontent stemmed from audacious covetousness, not true grievance. The broader historical context is Israel's murmuring during their wilderness journey, consistently challenging God's appointed authorities, reflecting a deep-seated resistance to divine order and seeking to usurp the sacred. This event served as a polemic against the notion that all individuals are equally entitled to perform sacred duties reserved by divine appointment, reinforcing God's sovereign choice in selecting spiritual leaders and defining their specific roles.
Numbers 16 10 Word analysis
- וַיַּקְרֵב֙ (vayyaqrev): "and that He might bring near" / "He caused to approach."
- Root: קָרַב (qarab) - "to draw near, to approach."
- Significance: This is a Hiphil imperfect form, indicating active causation. God Himself initiated the act of bringing them near. It emphasizes divine grace and sovereign action, not human effort or selection.
- Meaning in context: Cultic proximity, consecrated access to the holy service of the Tabernacle. It denotes a position of privilege and intimate service to God, distinct from the common Israelite.
- אֵלָיו (elav): "to Himself" / "unto Him."
- Significance: The preposition "to" combined with the pronominal suffix "Him" points to God as the ultimate recipient of their service and the source of their privilege. Their nearness was for God's service and presence, not for their own glory or to serve human purposes.
- אֶת־כׇּל־בְּנֵי לֵוִי֙ (et-kol-b'nei Levi): "all the sons of Levi."
- Significance: "Sons of Levi" refers to the entire tribe, indicating that this privilege was tribal, not merely for Korah or a select few. It underlines the collective blessings and responsibilities bestowed upon the Levites.
- אִתָּךְ (ittakh): "with you" / "along with you."
- Significance: Direct address to Korah, highlighting his personal involvement in this already esteemed status. Moses includes Korah within the group already immensely privileged, emphasizing the ingratitude and pride fueling the rebellion.
Words-group by words-group analysis:
- "that He might bring you near to Himself, all the sons of Levi with you?": This phrase underscores the divine initiative and the object of the nearness. It was God's decision to designate the Levites for special, intimate service to Him in the Tabernacle. This was a unique honor, setting them apart from the rest of Israel, but distinct from the priesthood. This grouping points to God's careful design in assigning different levels and types of sacred service, where not everyone is called to the highest office. It's a rhetorical question posed by Moses to shame Korah by highlighting the divine grace they had already received.
Numbers 16 10 Bonus section
The Levites' role, though distinct from the priests, still brought them closer to the Holy One of Israel than any other tribe, excluding Aaron's lineage. Their nearness was primarily in their cultic service in the Tabernacle (carrying the sanctuary furnishings, assisting the priests in their duties), differentiating them from the Aaronic priests who alone could enter the Holy Place and offer sacrifices. Korah, being a Kohathite, had the specific sacred duty of carrying the Ark and other holy vessels, a profoundly privileged task (Num 4). The rebellion, stemming from discontent with this existing profound privilege, highlights a profound misunderstanding of God's tiered approach to holiness and service, where specific roles contribute to the overall worship and order rather than implying inequality of value. This rebellion set a precedent throughout biblical history for what it means to be rebellious against divinely-ordained authority, a type of rebellion described later as "Korah's rebellion" (Jude 1:11).
Numbers 16 10 Commentary
Numbers 16:10 encapsulates the core grievance that motivated Korah's rebellion: a profound dissatisfaction with the substantial privilege God had already bestowed upon the Levites. Moses uses a rhetorical question to expose the insatiable ambition and spiritual pride within Korah and his company. They had been "brought near to Himself," meaning consecrated for exclusive, vital service to God within the Tabernacle structure—handling holy things, maintaining the sacred space, assisting the priests. This was no small honor, granting them proximity to the divine presence unparalleled by other tribes. Yet, instead of gratitude, they coveted the specific and highest office of the Aaronic priesthood, seeking to usurp roles that God had meticulously and sovereignly ordained. This verse, therefore, serves as a powerful reminder that spiritual office is granted by divine call and appointment, not seized by human ambition or popular demand. It highlights the dangers of comparing oneself to others, despising one's God-given place, and attempting to dictate terms to the Almighty. The lesson persists: faithfully serving where God has placed one, even in roles deemed lesser by human standards, is superior to coveting higher positions that are not divinely appointed. This teaches humility, contentment, and respect for established spiritual order.