15 And Moſes was very wroth þ, and faid unto the LORD K* Reſpe& not thou their offering /, I * have not taken one aſs ys from them, neither have I hurt one
of them »,
k Not ſo much for his own ſake, for he had learnt to bear in- dignities, Numb: 12. as for Gods ſake, who was highly diſhonoured, Blaſphemed and Provoked, by theſe ſpeeches and carriages, in which caſe he ought to be angry, as Chriſt was, Mark3. 5. 1 (5.e.) Accept not their incenſe which they are now going to offer, but ſhew ſome eminent diſlike of ir. He calls it :heir offering, though it has offered by Korah and his companions, becauſe it was offered in the name and by the conſent of all the conſpiratours, for the deciſion of the preſent controverſie berween them and Moſes. » ( ;. e. ) Not any thing of the ſmalleſt value, as anaſs was. See 1 Sams. 12. 3. 1 T have never injured _ nor uſed my power to defraud or
"opprefs them, as I might have done, bur, which is here implied, I bave dene them many good offices, but no hurt : therefore their crime is inexcuſable, becauſe without any cauſe or provocation on
my part. 16 And Moſes {aid unto Korah, Be thou and all thy.
company before the LORD 0, thou, and they, and Aaron to morrow,
I ſay before it be too late, and repent.of your
NUMBERS.
Chap.”
o Not in the Tabernacle, which was not capable of fo many per-
ſons ſeverally offering Incenſe, but at the door of the Tabernacle, werſe 18: which place is oft ſaid to be before the Lord, as Exod: 29: 42: Levit: 1: 11: Ofc. where they might now lawfully offer it by. Woſes
his dire&ion upon this extraordinary occaſion and neceſſity, becguſe this work could not be done in that place, which alone was allowed for the offering up of incenſe, not only for its ſmallneſs, but alfa becauſe none but Prieſts might enter to do this work, Here alſo the people,who were to. be inſtrufted by this experiment,might ſee the proof and ſucceſs of it. : :
i7 And take every man his cenſer, and put incenſe
in them, and bring ye before the LORD every man his cenſer, two hundred and fifty cenſers : thou alſo and Aaron, each of you his cenfer.
18 And they took every man his cenſer p, and put firein them 9, and laid incenſe thereon, and {tood in the door of the tabernacle of the congregation, with
Moſes and Aaron. |
2 Which they could eafily make in a flight manner, which would ſutfice for the preſent purpoſe. 9 Taken from the Altar which ſtood in that place, Lev. 1. 3, 5. for Aaron might not uſe other fire, Lev. 10.1. Andit is likely the remembrance of the death of Nadas and 4;hu deterr'd them from offering any ſtrange fire.
.I9 And Korah gathered ali the congregation r
. againſt them, unto the door 'of the tabernacle of the
congregation : and the glory of the LORD appeared s unto all the congregation.
r That they might be witneſſes of the event, and upon their ſucceſs, which they doubred not of, might fall upon Moſes and Aaron with popular rage, and deſtroy them. And it ſeems by this that the people were generally incenſed againſt Moſes, and inclined to Korahs ſide. s In the cloud, which thenſhone with greater brightneſs and Majeſty, as a token of Gods approach and preſence. See-Exod; 16; 7, 10; Lev: 9:6, 23: Num; 20:6.
20 And the LORD ſpake unto Moſes, and unto Aaron. ſaying,
21 * Separate your ſelves from among this congrega- tion ||, that. T may conſume them in a moment,
|| To wit, Korah, and his 250 men, and the people whom he gathered againſt Moſes and Aaron.wverſe 19. :
- 22 And they fell upon their faces, and ſaid, O God, * the God of tie ſpirits e of all fleſh #, ſhall one man « ſin, and wilt thou be wroth with all the congregation ?
t (7. e. ) Of Souls, as the word Spzrit in Scripture is oft uſed, as Pſal: 31: 5: and 77: 3: Prov; 17: 22: Ecdl: 12:7: Luke 23; 46: Ats 7: 59. And this 15s no empry title here, but very empkatical and argumenta- tive, thus, Thou art the maker of ſpirits, Zach: 12: r. deſtroy not
men, and of their ſpirits : the Lord of ſpirits, Job 12: 10: who as chou mayeſt juſtly deſtroy this people, ſo thou canſt preſerve whom chou pleaſeſt : rhe father of Spirits, Heb: 12: 9. O deal mercitully with thy own children: the ſcarcher of ſpirits, thou canſt diſtinguiſh beeween thoſe who have maliciouſly raiſed this tumulr, &thoſe whoſe 1gnorance and fimple credulity harch made them a prey*to crafty ſeducers. # (i,e. ) Ofall mankind : the word fb is oft put for men, as Gen: 6: 13: Job 12: 10: Iſa: 40; 5, 6: Ezek: 20: 48:and 21: 4,5. x To wit, Korah, che ringleader of this (edition.
23 And che LORD ſpake unto Moſes, laying, 24. Speak unto the congregation y, ſaying, Get ye up
y Whom for your ſakes I will ſpare upon the condition here
lowing. 2
And On too, who is mentioned werſe 1. though ſome
25 And Moſes roſe up, and went unto Dathan and Abiram a : and the elders of Iſrael b followed him.
a Becauſe they refuſed to come to him, he goes to them, to their coſt. 6b The 70 rulers, whom he carried with him for the greater iolemnity of the athon, and for his own better vindication, becaule ae lay under ſuch calumnies, and to encourage them in their work, notwithſtanding the obſtinate and intratable nature of the people they were to govern.
26 And he ſpake unto the congregation, ſaying, De- part, I pray you, from the tents of theſe wicked men c, and touch nothing of theirs 4, leſt ye be conſumed in all their ſins e. | |
c Shew yourdiſlike of them and their wicked ways by a ſpeedy removal of your perſons and tents frem about them. d Becauſe they arfd all that was theirs was under a curſe, and therefore not to be couched. See Deur: 13: 16, 17. e Leſt being guilty of their ſins, you periſh together with them. *
27 SO they gat up from the tabernacle of Korah, Dathan, and Abiram fonevery ſide: and Dathan and Abiram came out, and ſtood in thedoor of their tents [8 and their wives, and theirſons, and theirlittle children: f Whoſe tents were not far aſunder, being both on the ſouth-fide of the Tabernacle, as appears from Num: 2: 10: and 3: 29. g An argument of their fooliſh confidence, pride and impudence, obſtinacy and 1mpenttency, whereby they declared that they neither feared God, nor reverenced Man, and made themſelves ripe for the approach- ing judgment. |
28 And Moſes ſaid, Hereby ye ſhall know that the
not done __ of mine own mind #«