Numbers 16

The Rebellion of Korah, Dathan, and Abiram

¹Now Korah, the son of Izhar, the son of Kohath, the son of Levi, with Dathan and Abiram, the sons of Eliab, and On, the son of Peleth, sons of Reuben, took some men.

²They rose up before Moses, with some of the children of Israel, two hundred fifty princes of the congregation, called to the assembly, men of renown.

³They assembled themselves together against Moses and against Aaron, and said to them, “You take too much on yourself, since all the congregation are holy, everyone of them, and the LORD is among them! Why do you lift yourselves up above the LORD’s assembly?”

⁴When Moses heard it, he fell on his face.

⁵He said to Korah and to all his company, “In the morning, the LORD will show who are his, and who is holy, and will cause him to come near to him. Even him whom he shall choose, he will cause to come near to him.

⁶Do this: have Korah and all his company take censers,

⁷put fire in them, and put incense on them before the LORD tomorrow. It shall be that the man whom the LORD chooses, he shall be holy. You have gone too far, you sons of Levi!”

⁸Moses said to Korah, “Hear now, you sons of Levi!

⁹Is it a small thing to you that the God of Israel has separated you from the congregation of Israel, to bring you near to himself, to do the service of the LORD’s tabernacle, and to stand before the congregation to minister to them;

¹⁰and that he has brought you near, and all your brothers the sons of Levi with you? Do you seek the priesthood also?

¹¹Therefore you and all your company have gathered together against the LORD! What is Aaron that you complain against him?”

¹²Moses sent to call Dathan and Abiram, the sons of Eliab; and they said, “We won’t come up!

¹³Is it a small thing that you have brought us up out of a land flowing with milk and honey, to kill us in the wilderness, but you must also make yourself a prince over us?

¹⁴Moreover you haven’t brought us into a land flowing with milk and honey, nor given us inheritance of fields and vineyards. Will you put out the eyes of these men? We won’t come up.”

¹⁵Moses was very angry, and said to the LORD, “Don’t respect their offering. I have not taken one donkey from them, neither have I hurt one of them.”

¹⁶Moses said to Korah, “You and all your company go before the LORD, you, and they, and Aaron, tomorrow.

¹⁷Each man take his censer and put incense on it, and each man bring before the LORD his censer, two hundred fifty censers; you also, and Aaron, each with his censer.”

¹⁸They each took his censer, and put fire in it, and laid incense on it, and stood at the door of the Tent of Meeting with Moses and Aaron.

¹⁹Korah assembled all the congregation opposite them to the door of the Tent of Meeting. The LORD’s glory appeared to all the congregation.

²⁰The LORD spoke to Moses and to Aaron, saying,

²¹“Separate yourselves from among this congregation, that I may consume them in a moment!”

²²They fell on their faces, and said, “God, the God of the spirits of all flesh, shall one man sin, and will you be angry with all the congregation?”

²³The LORD spoke to Moses, saying,

²⁴“Speak to the congregation, saying, ‘Get away from around the tent of Korah, Dathan, and Abiram!’”

²⁵Moses rose up and went to Dathan and Abiram; and the elders of Israel followed him.

²⁶He spoke to the congregation, saying, “Depart, please, from the tents of these wicked men, and touch nothing of theirs, lest you be consumed in all their sins!”

²⁷So they went away from the tent of Korah, Dathan, and Abiram, on every side. Dathan and Abiram came out, and stood at the door of their tents with their wives, their sons, and their little ones.

²⁸Moses said, “Hereby you shall know that the LORD has sent me to do all these works; for they are not from my own mind.

²⁹If these men die the common death of all men, or if they experience what all men experience, then the LORD hasn’t sent me.

³⁰But if the LORD makes a new thing, and the ground opens its mouth, and swallows them up with all that belong to them, and they go down alive into Sheol, then you shall understand that these men have despised the LORD.”

³¹As he finished speaking all these words, the ground that was under them split apart.

³²The earth opened its mouth and swallowed them up with their households, all of Korah’s men, and all their goods.

³³So they, and all that belonged to them went down alive into Sheol. The earth closed on them, and they perished from among the assembly.

³⁴All Israel that were around them fled at their cry; for they said, “Lest the earth swallow us up!”

³⁵Fire came out from the LORD, and devoured the two hundred fifty men who offered the incense.

³⁶The LORD spoke to Moses, saying,

³⁷“Speak to Eleazar the son of Aaron the priest, that he take up the censers out of the burning, and scatter the fire away from the camp; for they are holy,

³⁸even the censers of those who sinned against their own lives. Let them be beaten into plates for a covering of the altar, for they offered them before the LORD. Therefore they are holy. They shall be a sign to the children of Israel.”

³⁹Eleazar the priest took the bronze censers which those who were burned had offered; and they beat them out for a covering of the altar,

⁴⁰to be a memorial to the children of Israel, to the end that no stranger who isn’t of the offspring of Aaron, would come near to burn incense before the LORD, that he not be as Korah and as his company; as the LORD spoke to him by Moses.

⁴¹But on the next day all the congregation of the children of Israel complained against Moses and against Aaron, saying, “You have killed the LORD’s people!”

⁴²When the congregation was assembled against Moses and against Aaron, they looked toward the Tent of Meeting. Behold, the cloud covered it, and the LORD’s glory appeared.

⁴³Moses and Aaron came to the front of the Tent of Meeting.

⁴⁴The LORD spoke to Moses, saying,

⁴⁵“Get away from among this congregation, that I may consume them in a moment!” They fell on their faces.

⁴⁶Moses said to Aaron, “Take your censer, put fire from the altar in it, lay incense on it, carry it quickly to the congregation, and make atonement for them; for wrath has gone out from the LORD! The plague has begun.”

⁴⁷Aaron did as Moses said, and ran into the middle of the assembly. The plague had already begun among the people. He put on the incense, and made atonement for the people.

⁴⁸He stood between the dead and the living; and the plague was stayed.

⁴⁹Now those who died by the plague were fourteen thousand seven hundred, in addition to those who died about the matter of Korah.

⁵⁰Aaron returned to Moses to the door of the Tent of Meeting, and the plague was stopped.

Previous Numbers 15

Next Numbers 17

Korah, a Levite, along with Dathan, Abiram, and 250 prominent Israelites, challenge Moses and Aaron's authority, claiming that all Israel is equally holy and questioning their exclusive leadership roles. Moses proposes a test with incense censers to let God demonstrate whom He has chosen for priestly service. When God's glory appears and threatens to destroy the entire congregation for this rebellion, Moses and Aaron intercede, but divine judgment falls specifically on the rebels through supernatural means.

Context

This rebellion follows the spies' report and Israel's refusal to enter the Promised Land, representing another major challenge to Moses' leadership during the wilderness period.

Key Themes

Outline

1-3
The Challenge to Leadership Korah and 250 leaders confront Moses and Aaron, claiming they have overstepped their authority since all Israel is holy.
4-11
Moses Responds with a Test Moses proposes an incense offering test to let God show whom He has chosen, reminding the Levites of their already privileged position.
12-15
Dathan and Abiram's Refusal The Reubenite leaders refuse Moses' summons and bitterly complain about being brought out of Egypt to die in the wilderness.
16-19
The Incense Test Begins All parties gather with censers at the Tent of Meeting, and Korah assembles the whole congregation as God's glory appears.
20-22
Divine Threat and Intercession God threatens to consume the entire congregation, but Moses and Aaron intercede for the people's lives.

The Rebellion of Korah, Dathan, and Abiram

16:1–17:13

narrative narration defiant

Korah, Dathan, and Abiram lead a rebellion against Moses and Aaron's authority, challenging their leadership and priestly roles. Moses responds by calling for God to demonstrate who He has chosen to lead and serve as priests among the people.