Numbers 16:16 kjv
And Moses said unto Korah, Be thou and all thy company before the LORD, thou, and they, and Aaron, to morrow:
Numbers 16:16 nkjv
And Moses said to Korah, "Tomorrow, you and all your company be present before the LORD?you and they, as well as Aaron.
Numbers 16:16 niv
Moses said to Korah, "You and all your followers are to appear before the LORD tomorrow?you and they and Aaron.
Numbers 16:16 esv
And Moses said to Korah, "Be present, you and all your company, before the LORD, you and they, and Aaron, tomorrow.
Numbers 16:16 nlt
And Moses said to Korah, "You and all your followers must come here tomorrow and present yourselves before the LORD. Aaron will also be here.
Numbers 16 16 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Num 3:10 | "You shall appoint Aaron and his sons, and they shall keep their priesthood; but the outsider who comes near shall be put to death." | Restricts priestly functions to Aaron's line. |
| Num 17:5 | "And it shall be that the rod of the man whom I choose shall blossom..." | God's chosen leader confirmed by miraculous sign. |
| Lev 10:1-2 | "Now Nadab and Abihu... offered unauthorized fire before the LORD... and fire came out from before the LORD and consumed them..." | Consequence of offering unauthorized service to God. |
| Exod 28:1 | "You shall bring near to yourself Aaron your brother, and his sons with him, from among the people of Israel to be priests to me..." | God's specific call for Aaronic priesthood. |
| Heb 5:4 | "And no one takes this honor for himself, but only when called by God, just as Aaron was." | Authority must be divinely conferred, not assumed. |
| Jude 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 warning against spiritual rebellion. |
| 2 Pet 2:10 | "and especially those who indulge in the lust of defiling passion and despise authority. Bold and willful, they do not tremble as they blaspheme the glorious ones..." | Denounces despising authority, reminiscent of Korah's pride. |
| Psa 106:16-18 | "They made envying Moses in the camp, and Aaron the saint of the Lord. The earth opened and swallowed Dathan, and covered the company of Abiram. And a fire was kindled in their company..." | Describes Korah's rebellion and its divine judgment. |
| Rom 13:1-2 | "Let every person be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God... Therefore whoever resists the authorities resists what God has appointed..." | Establishes principle of divine appointment of authority. |
| 1 Cor 10:10-11 | "nor grumble, as some of them did, and were destroyed by the destroyer. Now these things happened to them as an example, but they were written for our instruction..." | Wilderness events, including Korah, as lessons for believers. |
| Prov 11:2 | "When pride comes, then comes disgrace, but with the humble is wisdom." | Addresses the sin of pride, evident in Korah. |
| Deut 18:20 | "But the prophet who presumes to speak a word in my name that I have not commanded him to speak... that prophet shall die." | Warning against unauthorized proclamation of divine will. |
| 2 Chr 26:16-21 | King Uzziah presumptuously entered the temple to burn incense, and was struck with leprosy. | Example of consequences for non-priests usurping priestly duties. |
| John 15:16 | "You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you..." | Emphasizes God's sovereign choice in calling people to service. |
| Eph 4:11-12 | "And he gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the shepherds and teachers, to equip the saints for the work of ministry..." | God distributes specific roles and gifts in the church. |
| 1 Sam 15:23 | "For rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft, and stubbornness is as iniquity and idolatry." | Highlights the severe nature of rebellion against God's command. |
| Num 4:15 | "And when Aaron and his sons have finished covering the holy objects and all the furnishings of the sanctuary, as the camp is to set out, then the sons of Kohath shall come to carry them, but they shall not touch the holy things, lest they die." | Emphasizes strict guidelines for Levites to prevent unauthorized handling of holy things. |
| Heb 12:29 | "for our God is a consuming fire." | God's holiness and fiery judgment against sin and rebellion. |
| 1 Pet 2:9 | "But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession..." | New Testament application of "priesthood" to all believers, but not individual authority for usurpation. |
| 1 Tim 3:1 | "The saying is trustworthy: If anyone aspires to the office of overseer, he desires a noble task." | Aspiring to leadership is fine, but divine appointment/qualification is key. |
| Zech 14:21 | "...and there shall no longer be a Canaanite in the house of the LORD of hosts on that day." | Foreshadows future purification of the Lord's presence from unauthorized elements. |
Numbers 16 verses
Numbers 16 16 Meaning
Numbers 16:16 describes Moses' command to Korah and his rebellious company to present themselves, along with Aaron, before the Lord the following day. This instruction sets the stage for a divinely ordained test to determine who the Lord has truly chosen for the sacred ministry of the priesthood, confronting the challenge to Aaron's divinely appointed authority and the very structure of God's covenant order.
Numbers 16 16 Context
Numbers chapter 16 records one of the most severe challenges to Moses' and Aaron's God-given leadership during Israel's wilderness wanderings. Korah, a Levite from the clan of Kohath (whose role was to carry the holy things but not touch them, Num 4:15), along with Dathan, Abiram (Reubenites), and 250 prominent men, challenged Moses and Aaron's authority, claiming "all the congregation are holy, every one of them, and the Lord is among them" (Num 16:3). They accused Moses and Aaron of exalting themselves above the assembly of the Lord.
Moses responds to this direct accusation and usurpation by proposing a divine test: a demonstration before the Lord. This specific verse (Num 16:16) details the terms of this immediate, direct confrontation, inviting Korah and his followers, who sought the priesthood, to act as priests (offering incense), thus laying bare their true intentions and God's true appointment. It sets the scene for God Himself to intervene and validate His chosen ones.
Numbers 16 16 Word analysis
- And Moses said (וַיֹּאמֶר מֹשֶׁה, vayomer Moshe): Signifies Moses acting in his established role as God's mediator and spokesperson. His words here are not merely his own but carry divine authority, initiating a direct confrontation based on God's principles.
- to Korah (אֶל־קֹרַח, el Korah): Explicitly names the primary instigator and leader of the rebellion, singling him out for the divine challenge.
- "Be present" (אֶתָּה, attah): The Hebrew here literally means "You..." but within the construct "be present," it serves as an imperative. Moses commands Korah and his company to assemble themselves. It implies standing ready for divine judgment or confirmation.
- "you and all your company" (אַתָּה וְכָל־עֲדָתֶךָ, attah ve'chol adatecha):
- company (עֲדָתֶךָ, 'adatecha): Derived from 'adah, meaning "assembly" or "congregation." It highlights that Korah had rallied a significant body of people to his cause, making it a communal rebellion against established order. This includes the 250 chiefs mentioned in verse 2, along with other followers. The issue is not just individual discontent but a widespread challenge to divine structure.
- "before the Lord" (לִפְנֵי יְהוָה, lifnei YHWH):
- Lord (יְהוָה, YHWH): The covenant name of God, emphasizing that this matter is not merely a human dispute with Moses and Aaron, but an affront to God Himself. The showdown is explicitly divine, appealing to the ultimate authority for arbitration and judgment. The place "before the Lord" implies the Tent of Meeting where God's presence was manifested.
- "tomorrow" (מָחָר, machar): Specifies the time, giving a short window for the rebels to reconsider or for preparations, but more importantly, indicating Moses' complete confidence in God's immediate and unequivocal response. It also emphasizes the urgency and imminent nature of the divine judgment.
- "you and they, and Aaron" (אַתָּה וָהֵם וְאַהֲרֹן, attah vahem ve'Aharon): This listing is crucial.
- you and they: Refers to Korah and his entire company, the ones challenging the priesthood and aspiring to priestly duties.
- and Aaron: Aaron, the High Priest, divinely chosen and consecrated, stands as the representative of the established, legitimate priesthood. This explicitly sets up a direct contrast and comparison between the usurpers and God's true minister, where divine affirmation will be clear for all to see. The test of the incense (implied from the broader context of Num 16) involves each group bringing their censers, an act specifically reserved for priests.
Numbers 16 16 Bonus section
- The challenge involving "censers" and "incense" (mentioned in subsequent verses but directly implied by the context of "be present...before the Lord" concerning a challenge to priesthood) connects to the broader theme of "unauthorized fire" or "strange fire" found in Lev 10:1-2. It highlights the sacrosanct nature of priestly duties and the danger of presuming access or privilege in God's presence.
- Korah's rebellion, unlike Dathan and Abiram's (who rebelled against Moses' civil authority), focused on the spiritual authority of the priesthood. This verse directly addresses that core spiritual contention by demanding a demonstration of priestly capacity "before the Lord."
- This event served as a permanent deterrent and teaching moment for Israel, reinforcing the distinct roles within the covenant community and the seriousness of challenging God's ordained leadership, applicable to all times. It is cited in the New Testament as a severe warning for those who despise authority within the church.
Numbers 16 16 Commentary
Numbers 16:16 is a pivotal command by Moses that transforms a challenge to human authority into a direct divine test. By commanding Korah and his followers, alongside Aaron, to appear before the Lord with incense the next day, Moses places the entire dispute into God's hands. This immediate, public confrontation underpins fundamental principles of God's order: legitimate spiritual authority is divinely bestowed, not self-assumed. The severity of usurping a God-given office, particularly the sacred priesthood, is underscored by the forthcoming judgment. The choice of incense as the test is deliberate, as it was a core priestly function strictly limited to Aaron's line. The verse reveals Moses' confidence in God's righteousness and foreshadows the swift divine vindication of His appointed leaders, serving as a solemn warning against pride and rebellion against divine institution.