Numbers 16:38
New International Version
the censers of the men who sinned at the cost of their lives. Hammer the censers into sheets to overlay the altar, for they were presented before the LORD and have become holy. Let them be a sign to the Israelites.”

New Living Translation
Take the incense burners of these men who have sinned at the cost of their lives, and hammer the metal into a thin sheet to overlay the altar. Since these burners were used in the LORD’s presence, they have become holy. Let them serve as a warning to the people of Israel.”

English Standard Version
As for the censers of these men who have sinned at the cost of their lives, let them be made into hammered plates as a covering for the altar, for they offered them before the LORD, and they became holy. Thus they shall be a sign to the people of Israel.”

Berean Standard Bible
As for the censers of those who sinned at the cost of their own lives, hammer them into sheets to overlay the altar, for these were presented before the LORD, and so have become holy. They will serve as a sign to the Israelites.”

King James Bible
The censers of these sinners against their own souls, let them make them broad plates for a covering of the altar: for they offered them before the LORD, therefore they are hallowed: and they shall be a sign unto the children of Israel.

New King James Version
The censers of these men who sinned against their own souls, let them be made into hammered plates as a covering for the altar. Because they presented them before the LORD, therefore they are holy; and they shall be a sign to the children of Israel.”

New American Standard Bible
As for the censers of these men who have sinned at the cost of their own lives, have them made into hammered sheets as plating for the altar, since they did present them before the LORD and they are holy; and they shall serve as a sign to the sons of Israel.”

NASB 1995
“As for the censers of these men who have sinned at the cost of their lives, let them be made into hammered sheets for a plating of the altar, since they did present them before the LORD and they are holy; and they shall be for a sign to the sons of Israel.”

NASB 1977
“As for the censers of these men who have sinned at the cost of their lives, let them be made into hammered sheets for a plating of the altar, since they did present them before the LORD and they are holy; and they shall be for a sign to the sons of Israel.”

Legacy Standard Bible
As for the censers of these men who have sinned at the cost of their lives, make them into hammered sheets for a plating of the altar, since they brought them near before Yahweh, and they are holy; and they shall be for a sign to the sons of Israel.”

Amplified Bible
As for the censers of these people who have sinned at the cost of their lives, have the censers made into hammered sheets as a plating for the altar [of burnt offering], for they were presented before the LORD and they are sacred. They shall be a [warning] sign to the sons of Israel.”

Christian Standard Bible
As for the firepans of those who sinned at the cost of their own lives, make them into hammered sheets as plating for the altar, for they presented them before the LORD, and the firepans are holy. They will be a sign to the Israelites.”

Holman Christian Standard Bible
As for the firepans of those who sinned at the cost of their own lives, make them into hammered sheets as plating for the altar, for they presented them before the LORD, and the firepans are holy. They will be a sign to the Israelites.”

American Standard Version
even the censers of these sinners against their own lives; and let them be made beaten plates for a covering of the altar: for they offered them before Jehovah; therefore they are holy; and they shall be a sign unto the children of Israel.

Aramaic Bible in Plain English
The censers of these sinners were among them and make them into thin plates covering the altar because they offered them before LORD JEHOVAH and they were hallowed and they shall be for a sign among the children of Israel.’”

Brenton Septuagint Translation
of these sinners against their own souls, and do thou make them beaten plates a covering to the altar, because they were brought before the Lord and hallowed; and they became a sign to the children of Israel.

Contemporary English Version
because they were used for offering incense to me. Have them hammered into a thin layer of bronze as a covering for the altar. Those men died because of their sin, and now their fire pans will become a warning for the rest of the community."

Douay-Rheims Bible
In the deaths of the sinners: and let him beat them into plates, and fasten them to the altar, because incense hath been offered in them to the Lord, and they are sanctified, that the children of Israel may see them for a sign and a memorial.

English Revised Version
even the censers of these sinners against their own lives, and let them be made beaten plates for a covering of the altar: for they offered them before the LORD, therefore they are holy: and they shall be a sign unto the children of Israel.

GOD'S WORD® Translation
The incense burners of these men who sinned and lost their lives are holy, because they were offered to the LORD. Hammer them into thin metal sheets to cover the altar. This will be a sign to the Israelites."

Good News Translation
They became holy when they were presented at the LORD's altar. So take the fire pans of these who were put to death for their sin, beat them into thin plates, and make a covering for the altar. It will be a warning to the people of Israel."

International Standard Version
As for the censers of those rebels who died, fasten them into beaten plates to line the altar. Since they brought them into the LORD's presence, they're holy. They are to become a reminder to the Israelis."

JPS Tanakh 1917
even the fire-pans of these men who have sinned at the cost of their lives, and let them be made beaten plates for a covering of the altar--for they are become holy, because they were offered before the LORD--that they may be a sign unto the children of Israel.'

Literal Standard Version
[As for] the censers of these sinners against their own souls, indeed, they have made them [into] spread-out plates [for] a covering for the altar, for they have brought them near before YHWH, and they are hallowed; and they become a sign to the sons of Israel.”

Majority Standard Bible
As for the censers of those who sinned at the cost of their own lives, hammer them into sheets to overlay the altar, for these were presented before the LORD, and so have become holy. They will serve as a sign to the Israelites.”

New American Bible
the censers of those who sinned at the cost of their lives. Have them hammered into plates to cover the altar, because in being presented before the LORD they have become holy. In this way they shall serve as a sign to the Israelites.

NET Bible
As for the censers of these men who sinned at the cost of their lives, they must be made into hammered sheets for covering the altar, because they presented them before the LORD and sanctified them. They will become a sign to the Israelites."

New Revised Standard Version
For the censers of these sinners have become holy at the cost of their lives. Make them into hammered plates as a covering for the altar, for they presented them before the LORD and they became holy. Thus they shall be a sign to the Israelites.

New Heart English Bible
even the censers of these sinners against their own lives; and let them be made beaten plates for a covering of the altar: for they offered them before the LORD; therefore they are holy; and they shall be a sign to the children of Israel."

Webster's Bible Translation
The censers of these sinners against their own souls, let them make them broad plates for a covering of the altar: for they offered them before the LORD, therefore they are hallowed: and they shall be a sign to the children of Israel.

World English Bible
even 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 Yahweh. Therefore they are holy. They shall be a sign to the children of Israel.”

Young's Literal Translation
even the censers of these sinners against their own souls; and they have made them spread-out plates, a covering for the altar, for they have brought them near before Jehovah, and they are hallowed; and they are become a sign to the sons of Israel.'

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
The Censers Reserved for Holy Use
37“Tell Eleazar son of Aaron the priest to remove the censers from the flames and to scatter the coals far away, because the censers are holy. 38 As for the censers of those who sinned at the cost of their own lives, hammer them into sheets to overlay the altar, for these were presented before the LORD, and so have become holy. They will serve as a sign to the Israelites.” 39So Eleazar the priest took the bronze censers brought by those who had been burned up, and he had them hammered out to overlay the altar,…

Cross References
2 Peter 2:6
if He condemned the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah to destruction, reducing them to ashes as an example of what is coming on the ungodly;

Numbers 16:37
"Tell Eleazar son of Aaron the priest to remove the censers from the flames and to scatter the coals far away, because the censers are holy.

Numbers 16:39
So Eleazar the priest took the bronze censers brought by those who had been burned up, and he had them hammered out to overlay the altar,

Numbers 26:10
And the earth opened its mouth and swallowed them along with Korah, whose followers died when the fire consumed 250 men. They serve as a warning sign.

Proverbs 20:2
The terror of a king is like the roar of a lion; whoever provokes him forfeits his own life.

Jeremiah 44:7
So now, this is what the LORD God of Hosts, the God of Israel, says: Why are you doing such great harm to yourselves by cutting off from Judah man and woman, child and infant, leaving yourselves without a remnant?

Ezekiel 14:8
I will set My face against that man and make him a sign and a proverb; I will cut him off from among My people. Then you will know that I am the LORD.


Treasury of Scripture

The censers of these sinners against their own souls, let them make them broad plates for a covering of the altar: for they offered them before the LORD, therefore they are hallowed: and they shall be a sign to the children of Israel.

sinners

1 Kings 2:23
Then king Solomon sware by the LORD, saying, God do so to me, and more also, if Adonijah have not spoken this word against his own life.

Proverbs 1:18
And they lay wait for their own blood; they lurk privily for their own lives.

Proverbs 8:36
But he that sinneth against me wrongeth his own soul: all they that hate me love death.

a sign

Numbers 16:40
To be a memorial unto the children of Israel, that no stranger, which is not of the seed of Aaron, come near to offer incense before the LORD; that he be not as Korah, and as his company: as the LORD said to him by the hand of Moses.

Numbers 17:10
And the LORD said unto Moses, Bring Aaron's rod again before the testimony, to be kept for a token against the rebels; and thou shalt quite take away their murmurings from me, that they die not.

Numbers 26:10
And the earth opened her mouth, and swallowed them up together with Korah, when that company died, what time the fire devoured two hundred and fifty men: and they became a sign.

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Numbers 16
1. The rebellion of Korah, Dathan, and Abiram
23. Moses separates the people from the rebels' tents
31. The earth swallows up Korah, and a fire consumes others
36. The censers are reserved to holy use
41. 14,700 are slain by a plague, for murmuring against Moses and Aaron
46. Aaron by incense stays the plague














(38) These sinners against their own souls.--i.e., men who have forfeited their lives by their sin.

Let them make them broad plates . . . --It was thus that the sacrilegious act of Korah and his company was made the occasion of a permanent warning against all similar profanation of holy things. The altar of burnt-offering had already a covering of brass; but, as the altar was made of wood, an additional covering afforded further security against the fire which was continually burning on it. The censers of Korah and his company were made of brass (Numbers 16:39). Those of Aaron and his sons are thought by some to have been made of silver, but there seems to be no sufficient authority for this supposition; and in Exodus 38:3, where the same Hebrew word is used, but which in the English version is rendered "firepans," it is said that all the vessels of the altar were made of brass. In the time of Solomon the censers were made of gold (1Kings 7:50). That used by Aaron on the great day of atonement was of gold. (Comp. Hebrews 9:4; Revelation 8:3.) . . .

Verse 38. - These sinners against their own souls, בְּנַפְשֹׁתָם, "against their own lives." The thought is not that they had ruined their souls, but that they had forfeited their lives. The Pentateuch does not contemplate any consequences of sin beyond physical death. The same phrase occurs in Proverbs 20:2. For a covering of the altar. The altar of burnt incense. The censers were no doubt brazen pans, and when beaten out would form plates which could be affixed to the boards of which the frame of the altar was composed.

Parallel Commentaries ...


Hebrew
As for the censers
מַחְתּוֹת֩ (maḥ·tō·wṯ)
Noun - feminine plural construct
Strong's 4289: A fireholder, censer, snuff dish

of those
הָאֵ֜לֶּה (hā·’êl·leh)
Article | Pronoun - common plural
Strong's 428: These, those

who sinned
הַֽחַטָּאִ֨ים (ha·ḥaṭ·ṭā·’îm)
Article | Adjective - masculine plural
Strong's 2400: A criminal, one accounted guilty

at the cost of their own lives,
בְּנַפְשֹׁתָ֗ם (bə·nap̄·šō·ṯām)
Preposition-b | Noun - feminine plural construct | third person masculine plural
Strong's 5315: A soul, living being, life, self, person, desire, passion, appetite, emotion

hammer them into
רִקֻּעֵ֤י (riq·qu·‘ê)
Noun - masculine plural construct
Strong's 7555: Beaten out, a, plate

sheets
פַחִים֙ (p̄a·ḥîm)
Noun - masculine plural
Strong's 6341: A, sheet, a spring net

to overlay
צִפּ֣וּי (ṣip·pui)
Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 6826: (metal) plating

the altar,
לַמִּזְבֵּ֔חַ (lam·miz·bê·aḥ)
Preposition-l, Article | Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 4196: An altar

for
כִּֽי־ (kî-)
Conjunction
Strong's 3588: A relative conjunction

these were presented
הִקְרִיבֻ֥ם (hiq·rî·ḇum)
Verb - Hifil - Perfect - third person common plural | third person masculine plural
Strong's 7126: To come near, approach

before
לִפְנֵֽי־ (lip̄·nê-)
Preposition-l | Noun - masculine plural construct
Strong's 6440: The face

the LORD,
יְהוָ֖ה (Yah·weh)
Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 3068: LORD -- the proper name of the God of Israel

and so have become holy.
וַיִּקְדָּ֑שׁוּ (way·yiq·dā·šū)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine plural
Strong's 6942: To be set apart or consecrated

They will serve as
וְיִֽהְי֥וּ (wə·yih·yū)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Conjunctive imperfect - third person masculine plural
Strong's 1961: To fall out, come to pass, become, be

a sign
לְא֖וֹת (lə·’ō·wṯ)
Preposition | Noun - common singular
Strong's 226: A signal, as a, flag, beacon, monument, omen, prodigy, evidence

to the Israelites.”
לִבְנֵ֥י (liḇ·nê)
Preposition-l | Noun - masculine plural construct
Strong's 1121: A son


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OT Law: Numbers 16:38 Even the censers of these sinners against (Nu Num.)
Numbers 16:37
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