Numbers 16 39

Numbers 16:39 kjv

And Eleazar the priest took the brazen censers, wherewith they that were burnt had offered; and they were made broad plates for a covering of the altar:

Numbers 16:39 nkjv

So Eleazar the priest took the bronze censers, which those who were burned up had presented, and they were hammered out as a covering on the altar,

Numbers 16:39 niv

So 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,

Numbers 16:39 esv

So Eleazar the priest took the bronze censers, which those who were burned had offered, and they were hammered out as a covering for the altar,

Numbers 16:39 nlt

So Eleazar the priest collected the 250 bronze incense burners that had been used by the men who died in the fire, and the bronze was hammered into a thin sheet to overlay the altar.

Numbers 16 verses

Numbers 16 39 Meaning

Numbers 16:39 recounts Eleazar the priest's obedience to God's instruction to take the bronze censers of the 250 men who were consumed by divine fire in Korah's rebellion. These censers, originally instruments for illicit worship, were then hammered into a permanent covering for the bronze altar of burnt offering, serving as a perpetual visual warning and memorial to the Israelites about the sacredness of God's appointed priesthood and the severe consequences of unauthorized religious presumption.

Numbers 16 39 Context

Numbers chapter 16 details the severe rebellion of Korah, a Levite, and Dathan and Abiram, Reubenites, along with 250 prominent leaders from the other tribes, against the God-appointed leadership of Moses and Aaron. Their challenge questioned God's unique appointment of Aaron and his sons to the priesthood and the exclusive nature of their roles, asserting that "all the congregation are holy." In response, God demonstrated His sovereign choice by causing the earth to swallow Dathan and Abiram, while fire consumed Korah and the 250 men who presumed to offer incense before the Lord. Verse 39 describes the specific instruction given by God to Eleazar, Aaron's son, regarding the censers of the dead men, ensuring a lasting reminder of God's holy distinction and judgment. This event serves to firmly establish the sacred and exclusive nature of the Aaronic priesthood within Israel's covenant with God, countering any future challenges.

Numbers 16 39 Word analysis

• So Eleazar the priest: Eleazar (אֶלְעָזָר haKohen - El'azar ha-Kohén) means "God has helped." As Aaron's son and successor, his role here signifies the legitimate, God-appointed priesthood carrying out divine instructions, in stark contrast to the rebels. He is not just any individual but God's authorized agent.
• took: An act of immediate obedience to God's direct command given in Num 16:37. It implies handling sacred objects, albeit objects defiled by sin, with reverence according to God's specific instructions.
• the bronze censers: (מַחְתּוֹת הַנְּחֹשֶׁת - maḥtōt han-nĕḥōšeṯ). "Censers" (maḥtōt) were firepans used for burning incense. "Bronze" (nĕḥōšeṯ) is significant: it was the metal used for the altar of burnt offering and other durable, utilitarian items in the Tabernacle. While it represents strength and endurance, in this context, it takes on a symbolism of divine judgment and the wages of sin when associated with the misuse of worship. The censers themselves were not inherently defiled but became instruments of sin through their improper use by unauthorized persons.
• which those who were burned up: (אֲשֶׁר הִקְרִיבוּ הַנִּשְׂרָפִים - 'ǎšer hiqrîbū han-niśrāfîm). "Burned up" (niśrāfîm) refers directly to the immediate, visible divine judgment by fire that consumed the 250 men (Num 16:35). This emphasizes the instantaneous and undeniable consequence of their rebellion and presumption against God's holy order. The fire consumed them because they offered "strange fire," akin to Nadab and Abihu's sin.
• had offered: (הִקְרִיבוּ - hiqrîbū). Signifies "to bring near," "to offer," specifically in a sacrificial or ritual context. Here, it highlights the rebellious act of unauthorized incense offering, a sacred priestly duty they usurped.
• and they were hammered out: (וַיְרַקְּעוּם - vayrakqe'ûm). From the verb "to beat thin," "to flatten," "to spread out." This action transforms the three-dimensional censers into two-dimensional sheets of metal. It's a deliberate act of repurposing, stripping the objects of their original functional form to serve a new symbolic purpose. This act itself required effort and skill.
• as a covering: (צִפּוּי - tzippūy). An overlay or plating. This isn't just a casual placement but a deliberate re-integration into the sacred space. The objects, once instruments of rebellion, now become part of the very altar associated with atonement and legitimate worship, but as a stark warning.
• on the altar: (לַמִּזְבֵּחַ - lam-mizbēaḥ). Specifically, the great bronze altar of burnt offering, located at the entrance to the Tabernacle (Ex 27:1-8). This was the primary place where atonement was made through prescribed animal sacrifices. Placing the repurposed censers on this altar permanently links the judgment against unauthorized approach with the divinely appointed means of access to God—sacrifice and atonement. It served as a constant reminder to those approaching the sanctuary of the fatal consequences of rebellion and presumption.

Numbers 16 39 Bonus section

The specific act of "hammering out" the censers (a physical process of flattening and reshaping) demonstrates God's ability to repurpose even what was defiled by rebellion for His holy purposes. This is not simply a disposal; it is a transformation. The censers were rendered unusable for their original sinful purpose yet consecrated for a new purpose—that of a warning sign. This reflects a divine principle: even where sin leads to severe judgment, God can use the very objects associated with that judgment to communicate profound truth and uphold His glory.

Furthermore, the bronze material itself adds another layer of meaning. The bronze altar was the place of divine judgment upon the substitute sacrifice for sin. The censers were bronze; the fire that consumed the rebels was holy fire from God, signifying judgment. When these bronze censers are integrated with the bronze altar, it forms a cohesive message of holy judgment for sin, especially the sin of attempting to draw near to God in a way not appointed by Him. This tangible memorial visually preached a sermon daily to the Israelites: the path of self-will leads to destruction, but the path of divine appointment, marked by sacrifice on the bronze altar, leads to life.

Numbers 16 39 Commentary

Numbers 16:39 encapsulates a profound theological truth regarding God's holiness and His strict adherence to order in worship and service. The defiled bronze censers, once instruments of illegitimate worship that invited divine wrath upon 250 presumptuous men, were not simply destroyed. Instead, they were sanctified through judgment and repurposed by divine command, hammered into an enduring memorial on the altar of burnt offering. This act transformed instruments of rebellion into a permanent, visible warning for all generations of Israel, particularly for those who would enter the sacred space.

The choice of the bronze altar is significant; it was the site of prescribed atonement and where God's just wrath was appeased through blood sacrifice. By overlaying it with the hammered-out censers, God reinforced the lesson that approaching Him inappropriately results in death, whereas approaching through His ordained means (represented by the altar) provides life and access. It vividly illustrates that only through God's appointed channels can one draw near to His holiness. The memorial perpetually testified that legitimate priesthood is not a human right but a divine calling, warning against the spiritual pride and ambition that fueled Korah's rebellion. It ensured that the consequences of disregarding God's sacred order would not be forgotten.