Korah, Dathan and Abiram
1 Now 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. 2 They 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. 3 They 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 Yahweh is among them! Why do you lift yourselves up above Yahweh’s assembly?” 4 When Moses heard it, he fell on his face. 5 He said to Korah and to all his company, “In the morning, Yahweh 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. 6 Do this: have Korah and all his company take censers, 7 put fire in them, and put incense on them before Yahweh tomorrow. It shall be that the man whom Yahweh chooses, he shall be holy. You have gone too far, you sons of Levi!” 8 Moses said to Korah, “Hear now, you sons of Levi! 9 Is 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 Yahweh’s tabernacle, and to stand before the congregation to minister to them; 10 and that he has brought you near, and all your brothers the sons of Levi with you? Do you seek the priesthood also? 11 Therefore you and all your company have gathered together against Yahweh! What is Aaron that you complain against him?” 12 Moses sent to call Dathan and Abiram, the sons of Eliab; and they said, “We won’t come up! 13 Is 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? 14 Moreover 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.” 15 Moses was very angry, and said to Yahweh, “Don’t respect their offering. I have not taken one donkey from them, neither have I hurt one of them.” 16 Moses said to Korah, “You and all your company go before Yahweh, you, and they, and Aaron, tomorrow. 17 Each man take his censer and put incense on it, and each man bring before Yahweh his censer, two hundred fifty censers; you also, and Aaron, each with his censer.” 18 They 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. 19 Korah assembled all the congregation opposite them to the door of the Tent of Meeting. Yahweh’s glory appeared to all the congregation. 20 Yahweh spoke to Moses and to Aaron, saying, 21 “Separate yourselves from among this congregation, that I may consume them in a moment!” 22 They 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?” 23 Yahweh spoke to Moses, saying, 24 “Speak to the congregation, saying, ‘Get away from around the tent of Korah, Dathan, and Abiram!’” 25 Moses rose up and went to Dathan and Abiram; and the elders of Israel followed him. 26 He 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!” 27 So 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. 28 Moses said, “Hereby you shall know that Yahweh has sent me to do all these works; for they are not from my own mind. 29 If these men die the common death of all men, or if they experience what all men experience, then Yahweh hasn’t sent me. 30 But if Yahweh 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 Yahweh.” 31 As he finished speaking all these words, the ground that was under them split apart. 32 The earth opened its mouth and swallowed them up with their households, all of Korah’s men, and all their goods. 33 So they, and all that belonged to them went down alive into Sheol. The earth closed on them, and they perished from among the assembly. 34 All Israel that were around them fled at their cry; for they said, “Lest the earth swallow us up!” 35 Fire came out from Yahweh, and devoured the two hundred fifty men who offered the incense.
The rebels' slogan is true and their conclusion does not follow, and Moses proposes a test he cannot arrange.
The rebellion is led by a Levite and two Reubenites, with two hundred fifty princes of the congregation, called to the assembly, men of renown Numbers 16:2. This is not a mob; it is the leadership.
Their charge is two sentences and the first is true.
They 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 Yahweh is among them! Why do you lift yourselves up above Yahweh’s assembly?”
The congregation is holy — God said so Leviticus 19:2 — and he is among them, which is what the whole camp arrangement declares. The premises are sound. What does not follow is that no distinction of office remains, and the argument has the shape of every argument since that reasons from a genuine equality to the abolition of a particular calling.
Moses' first act is to fall on his face Numbers 16:4, which is what he does at every accusation in this book.
The test he proposes puts the matter beyond human management: censers, incense, and Yahweh will show who are his, and who is holy Numbers 16:5. He is not defending his appointment; he is asking for it to be settled by somebody else.
And then he says something to Korah that goes to the root of it: is 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... and you seek the priesthood also? Numbers 16:9–10.
Korah is a Levite. He already has the position the whole nation was excluded from, and what he wants is the next one up. The complaint made in the name of universal holiness is a complaint about a promotion.
Dathan and Abiram refuse even to come, and their words are the exact inversion of the truth: they accuse Moses of bringing them out of a land flowing with milk and honey Numbers 16:13 — a description of Egypt.
Moses' defense of himself is one line and it is a fact anyone could check: I have not taken one donkey from them, neither have I hurt one of them Numbers 16:15.
Then the test he stakes his commission on: if these men die ordinarily, then Yahweh hasn't sent me Numbers 16:29. And the ground opens.
settled What this mark means