Numbers 16 46

Numbers 16:46 kjv

And Moses said unto Aaron, Take a censer, and put fire therein from off the altar, and put on incense, and go quickly unto the congregation, and make an atonement for them: for there is wrath gone out from the LORD; the plague is begun.

Numbers 16:46 nkjv

So Moses said to Aaron, "Take a censer and put fire in it from the altar, put incense on it, and take it quickly to the congregation and make atonement for them; for wrath has gone out from the LORD. The plague has begun."

Numbers 16:46 niv

Then Moses said to Aaron, "Take your censer and put incense in it, along with burning coals from the altar, and hurry to the assembly to make atonement for them. Wrath has come out from the LORD; the plague has started."

Numbers 16:46 esv

And Moses said to Aaron, "Take your censer, and put fire on it from off the altar and lay incense on it and carry it quickly to the congregation and make atonement for them, for wrath has gone out from the LORD; the plague has begun."

Numbers 16:46 nlt

And Moses said to Aaron, "Quick, take an incense burner and place burning coals on it from the altar. Lay incense on it, and carry it out among the people to purify them and make them right with the LORD. The LORD's anger is blazing against them ? the plague has already begun."

Numbers 16 verses

Numbers 16 46 Meaning

Numbers 16:46 reveals the swift, decisive action commanded by Moses to Aaron, the High Priest, to immediately perform atonement for the Israelite community. This urgent directive was given because the Lord's wrath had manifested as a sudden plague, indicating divine judgment for their rebellion and grumbling. Aaron's immediate intercession with incense was critical to stop the destructive outbreak.

Numbers 16 46 Context

Numbers chapter 16 describes a major rebellion against Moses and Aaron's God-given authority led by Korah, Dathan, Abiram, and 250 prominent leaders. The previous verses detail God's swift and terrifying judgment: the earth swallowed Dathan and Abiram and their families, and fire consumed the 250 men offering unauthorized incense. Despite this clear demonstration of divine judgment against challenging God's appointed leadership and liturgical order, the very next day, the entire community of Israel grumbled against Moses and Aaron, accusing them of killing the Lord's people. This direct defiance provoked God's immediate and widespread wrath, leading to a deadly plague that rapidly began to consume the congregation. Verse 46 marks the critical moment when Moses, seeing the plague break out, understands the dire necessity of immediate, divinely authorized intercession to halt the devastation.

Numbers 16 46 Word analysis

• And Moses said: Denotes a direct command from the appointed leader, authorized by God.
• to Aaron: Aaron, the High Priest, is the only one consecrated and permitted to perform such a holy act of atonement for the community. This underscores the exclusivity and necessity of his priestly role.
• Take: A specific, urgent directive.
• your censer (מַחְתָּה, machtah): A firepan or shovel used for carrying coals and burning incense. It was an implement of sacred service, contrasting sharply with the unauthorized censers used by Korah's company (Num 16:17-18).
• and put incense in it (קְטֹרֶת, qetoret): This refers to the sacred, divinely prescribed incense (Exod 30:34-38). Incense symbolizes prayers ascending to God and had a strong apotropaic (averting evil) function when combined with atonement rituals. It was forbidden for common use or unauthorized persons.
• along with fire from the altar: Crucially, this fire had to be holy fire from the brazen altar of burnt offering (Exod 27:1-8), which originated from God (Lev 9:24). This distinguishes it from "strange fire" which resulted in judgment (Lev 10:1-2, Nadab and Abihu). The fire itself was a sacred medium.
• and go quickly (מַהֵר, maher): Emphasizes extreme urgency. The plague was active and rapidly spreading; there was no time for delay. Every moment counted to save lives.
• to the community (עֵדָה, edah): Refers to the whole congregation of Israel. The plague was not confined to a few but affected the entire assembly.
• and make atonement for them (כָּפַר, kaphar): To "cover" or "propitiate," implying a ceremonial covering for sin that diverts divine wrath. In this context, it is an act of expiation for the corporate sin of grumbling and rebellion. This atonement was not a once-for-all solution but a temporary measure to stem God's immediate judgment, pointing to a need for continued priestly mediation.
• for wrath (קֶצֶף, qetzef): Refers to fierce, intense divine anger and indignation. It signifies God's righteous indignation against sin and rebellion.
• has gone out from the presence of the Lord: This phrase indicates that the judgment was a direct, active emission of divine power and anger, not merely a natural consequence or indirect action. It underscores God's personal involvement.
• the plague (מַגֵּפָה, maggefah): A divinely sent calamity, typically an epidemic or pestilence causing widespread death. Its outbreak signified God's judgment and served as a stark reminder of the holiness of God and the seriousness of rebellion against Him and His chosen servants.

Numbers 16 46 Bonus section

The narrative here serves as a potent polemic against any unauthorized claim to priestly office or challenge to the Mosaic covenantal structure. Korah and his company believed themselves to be equally holy and capable of offering incense directly to God (Num 16:3). This verse, followed by Aaron's successful intercession (Num 16:47-48), directly refutes their claims. It vividly demonstrates that access to God, particularly for atonement and averting wrath, is strictly through the divinely ordained channels and by divinely prescribed means. The "quickness" of the action emphasizes that grace and mercy, while available through mediation, operate within a strict window determined by God's ongoing judgment. The scene is also a profound type of Christ, who, unlike Aaron's repeated and incomplete atonement, offers a "once-for-all" atonement (Heb 9:26, 10:10-14), perfectly and perpetually staying God's wrath for all who believe.

Numbers 16 46 Commentary

Numbers 16:46 captures a pivotal moment of crisis and divine intervention in the wilderness. Following the severe judgments upon Korah's rebellion, the grumbling of the Israelite community immediately triggers a fresh outpouring of divine wrath in the form of a deadly plague. Moses, understanding the absolute gravity and urgency, commands Aaron to take specific, prescribed elements of the Tabernacle service – his consecrated censer, holy incense, and fire from the sacred altar – and immediately perform an act of atonement. This highlights the indispensable role of the divinely appointed High Priest as a mediator between God and His people, particularly during times of corporate sin and judgment.

The act of atonement here is not merely symbolic; it is effective in literally stopping the plague. Aaron’s priestly role, his censer, the holy fire, and the incense (often associated with prayer ascending to God) are instrumental. This dramatic scene underscores several key theological truths: God's severe holiness and immediate judgment on sin, especially rebellion against His chosen authority; the absolute necessity of a consecrated priesthood for mediation and atonement in the Old Covenant; and the power of swift, authorized intercession in averting divine wrath. The incident starkly contrasts Aaron’s legitimate, life-saving atonement with the unauthorized, judgment-inducing incense of Korah’s rebellious company, thereby affirming God’s chosen order. The efficacy of Aaron’s atonement pointed forward to the perfect and eternal atonement wrought by Jesus Christ, the ultimate High Priest, who mediates for us with His own blood and sacrifice, thereby ending God's wrath against believers once for all.