Psalm 106:16 kjv
They envied Moses also in the camp, and Aaron the saint of the LORD.
Psalm 106:16 nkjv
When they envied Moses in the camp, And Aaron the saint of the LORD,
Psalm 106:16 niv
In the camp they grew envious of Moses and of Aaron, who was consecrated to the LORD.
Psalm 106:16 esv
When men in the camp were jealous of Moses and Aaron, the holy one of the LORD,
Psalm 106:16 nlt
The people in the camp were jealous of Moses
and envious of Aaron, the LORD's holy priest.
Psalm 106 16 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference Note |
|---|---|---|
| Num 16:1-3 | Now Korah... and two hundred and fifty... took men; and they rose up before Moses with some of the children of Israel... and they gathered together against Moses and Aaron... | Korah's direct challenge to Moses & Aaron. |
| Num 16:7-10 | Are you not content that the God of Israel has separated you... to bring you near to Himself... Is it a small thing to you that you have brought us to a land flowing with milk and honey, and not given us inheritance of fields and vineyards? | Moses confronts their discontent and envy. |
| Num 16:16-17 | Therefore Korah, you and all your company, be present before the LORD tomorrow, you and they, and Aaron... | God’s judgment setup for authority. |
| Num 16:31-33 | Now it came to pass... that the ground split apart under them, and the earth opened its mouth and swallowed them up... | Earth swallows Korah's company. |
| Num 16:35 | And a fire came out from the LORD and consumed the two hundred and fifty men who offered incense. | Fire consumes rebellious incense-offerers. |
| Num 16:40 | 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... | Warning against unauthorized priesthood. |
| Num 17:1-11 | Aaron's rod budded, by which He put an end to the complaints of the children of Israel. | God confirms Aaron's priesthood. |
| Ex 28:1-3 | Now take Aaron your brother, and his sons with him, from among the children of Israel, that he may minister to Me as priest... | God appoints Aaron as high priest. |
| Lev 10:1-2 | Then Nadab and Abihu... offered strange fire before the LORD, which He had not commanded them... and fire went out from the LORD and devoured them. | Rebellion against priestly regulations. |
| Num 12:1-2 | Then Miriam and Aaron spoke against Moses because of the Ethiopian woman whom he had married... Has the LORD indeed spoken only through Moses? | Miriam & Aaron's envy/challenge to Moses. |
| Isa 5:8-9 | Woe to those who add house to house... lest you dwell alone in the midst of the land! | Covetousness leading to judgment. |
| Hab 2:9-11 | Woe to him who covets evil gain for his house... For the stone will cry out from the wall... | Woe against unjust gain from coveting. |
| Psa 105:26 | He sent Moses His servant, and Aaron whom He had chosen. | God's explicit choice of Moses and Aaron. |
| Psa 78:40-41 | How often they rebelled against Him in the wilderness... They tempted God in their heart... | Israel's general rebellion in wilderness. |
| Deut 1:26 | Nevertheless you would not go up, but rebelled against the command of the LORD your God. | Example of Israel's general rebellion. |
| 1 Cor 10:9-10 | Nor let us tempt Christ, as some of them also tempted, and were destroyed by serpents; nor complain, as some of them also complained, and were destroyed by the destroyer. | NT warning against Old Testament rebellion. |
| Jude 1:11 | Woe to them! For they have gone in the way of Cain, have run greedily in the error of Balaam for profit, and perished in the rebellion of Korah. | Korah's rebellion as an example of false teachers. |
| Heb 3:7-19 | Today, if you will hear His voice, do not harden your hearts as in the rebellion... whose corpses fell in the wilderness. | Warning against hardening hearts & unbelief. |
| Jas 3:14-16 | But if you have bitter envy and self-seeking in your hearts, do not boast and lie against the truth... this is earthly, sensual, demonic. For where envy and self-seeking exist, confusion and every evil thing are there. | Nature of bitter envy and its consequences. |
| Rom 1:28-29 | ...being filled with all unrighteousness, sexual immorality, wickedness, covetousness, maliciousness; full of envy, murder... | Envy as part of a list of evil desires. |
| Gal 5:19-21 | Now the works of the flesh are evident, which are: adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lewdness, idolatry, sorcery, hatred, contentions, jealousies, outbursts of wrath, selfish ambitions, dissensions, heresies, envy... | Envy listed as a work of the flesh. |
| Phil 2:3 | Let nothing be done through selfish ambition or conceit, but in lowliness of mind let each esteem others better than himself. | Counteracting selfish ambition and envy. |
Psalm 106 verses
Psalm 106 16 Meaning
Psalm 106:16 states that the Israelites "envied Moses in the camp, and Aaron the holy one of the LORD." This verse recounts a specific incident from their wilderness journey where a group, led by Korah, rebelled against the divinely appointed leadership of Moses and Aaron. Their envy stemmed from a desire to usurp the unique roles God had bestowed upon these individuals, specifically the spiritual authority of the priesthood held by Aaron, viewing their own common Levitical status as insufficient. This act of envy was fundamentally a challenge to God’s own selection and divine order within the community of Israel.
Psalm 106 16 Context
Psalm 106 is a penitential psalm, a corporate confession of the historical sins of Israel against God, accompanied by an appeal for God's merciful remembrance and deliverance. The psalm recounts Israel's repeated rebellion and idolatry from the Exodus to their current captivity, interspersed with acknowledgments of God's steadfast love and forgiveness. Verse 16 specifically highlights one of these wilderness rebellions, namely the defiance led by Korah, Dathan, and Abiram, as detailed in Numbers 16. This event, occurring "in the camp" of the Israelites during their forty years of wandering, directly challenged Moses' prophetic authority and Aaron's divinely appointed priesthood, revealing a profound lack of trust in God's chosen leaders and, by extension, in God Himself. It serves as a stark example of the severe consequences of spiritual pride, discontent, and envy within the community.
Psalm 106 16 Word analysis
- When they envied: The Hebrew word is
קִנּאוּ(qin'u), derived from the rootקָנָא(qana'). This term encompasses zeal, jealousy, and envy. Here, it denotes a resentful, often malicious, discontentment arising from seeing another possess something desirable, leading to a desire to usurp it or degrade the person. In this context, it was an unholy jealousy, contrasting sharply with God's holy zeal for His people or glory. This envy directly challenged God's divine appointments. - Moses:
מֹשֶׁה(Moshe). The leader and lawgiver chosen by God to bring Israel out of slavery in Egypt and guide them through the wilderness. His unique status involved direct communication with God, as seen in Exodus 33:11, making rebellion against him an affront to God Himself. - in the camp:
בַּמַּחֲנֶה(bammachaneh). Refers to the collective assembly of Israel during their wilderness journey, implying a structured, divinely ordered community. The phrase highlights that this rebellion was not a private act but a public and direct challenge to authority within the sacred confines of the LORD's people, where divine order was paramount. - And Aaron:
אַהֲרֹן(Aharon). Moses' elder brother, divinely appointed as the first High Priest of Israel. His role involved mediating between God and the people, performing sacrifices, and maintaining the sanctuary's holiness (Exo 28). He was sanctified for this sacred office. - the holy one of the LORD:
קְדוֹשׁ יְהוָה(qedosh YHWH). This designation for Aaron underscores his consecration and sanctification for the priesthood by God's direct choice and ordination. It means he was set apart for divine service, emphasizing that his priestly authority was not self-assumed but divinely bestowed. To envy or challenge Aaron was therefore to attack the sacred institution and God's own holiness and authority directly. This phrase points to the unique and untouchable nature of God's chosen servants in their designated roles.
Psalm 106 16 Bonus section
The concept of "holy one of the LORD" (קְדוֹשׁ יְהוָה) is notably applied to God Himself in many passages, emphasizing His unique and absolute holiness (e.g., Isa 5:19, 30:15). Its application to Aaron highlights the shared holiness he possessed by virtue of his unique office and divine consecration, making the challenge against him a sacrilege. Furthermore, the rebellion mentioned in this verse involved not just envy but also a form of pride, where those of common lineage felt themselves equal or superior to those set apart by God (Num 16:3). The dramatic judgment that followed, with the earth swallowing the rebels and fire consuming their supporters, served as a profound testament to God's zealous defense of His divine appointments and the severity of envy combined with rebellion. This historical account warns against both subtle murmuring and overt defiance against the authority God places in specific individuals, underscoring the spiritual danger of not accepting God's sovereignty in how He chooses to operate.
Psalm 106 16 Commentary
Psalm 106:16 pinpoints a deep-seated spiritual issue within the ancient Israelites: the destructive sin of envy, specifically directed at God's chosen leaders, Moses and Aaron. This envy was not merely dissatisfaction but a profound resentment and desire to usurp the divinely ordained roles of prophecy and priesthood, exemplified by Korah's rebellion (Num 16). The Israelites failed to trust God's wisdom in His appointments, substituting divine order with human ambition and discontent. Aaron is specifically called "the holy one of the LORD," emphasizing that his authority stemmed directly from God's sacred choice and consecration, rendering the challenge to him a direct affront to God Himself. This verse serves as a sober reminder of the perilous nature of envy and rebellion against God-appointed authority, demonstrating its potential to destabilize community and incur divine judgment. It underscores that challenging legitimate spiritual leadership, out of covetousness or pride, is an act against God's established order.
- Examples: Envy often manifests today as criticizing spiritual leaders or gifts, seeking positions for personal gain rather than divine calling, or undermining others' ministry out of jealousy.