Numbers 16:6
New International Version
You, Korah, and all your followers are to do this: Take censers

New Living Translation
Korah, you and all your followers must prepare your incense burners.

English Standard Version
Do this: take censers, Korah and all his company;

Berean Standard Bible
You, Korah, and all your followers are to do as follows: Take censers,

King James Bible
This do; Take you censers, Korah, and all his company;

New King James Version
Do this: Take censers, Korah and all your company;

New American Standard Bible
Do this: take censers for yourselves, Korah and your whole group,

NASB 1995
“Do this: take censers for yourselves, Korah and all your company,

NASB 1977
“Do this: take censers for yourselves, Korah and all your company,

Legacy Standard Bible
Do this: take censers for yourselves, Korah and all your congregation,

Amplified Bible
Do this: Take censers for yourselves, Korah and all your company,

Christian Standard Bible
Korah, you and all your followers are to do this: take firepans, and tomorrow

Holman Christian Standard Bible
Korah, you and all your followers are to do this: take firepans, and tomorrow

American Standard Version
This do: take you censers, Korah, and all his company;

English Revised Version
This do; take you censers, Korah, and all his company;

GOD'S WORD® Translation
Korah, you and all your followers must do this tomorrow: Take incense burners,

International Standard Version
Korah, you and your entire company are to bring censers

Majority Standard Bible
You, Korah, and all your followers are to do as follows: Take censers,

NET Bible
Do this, Korah, you and all your company: Take censers,

New Heart English Bible
Do this: take censers, Korah, and all his company;

Webster's Bible Translation
This do; Take you censers, Korah, and all his company;

World English Bible
Do this: have Korah and all his company take censers,
Literal Translations
Literal Standard Version
Do this: take censers for yourselves—Korah and all his company—

Young's Literal Translation
This do: take to yourselves censers, Korah, and all his company,

Smith's Literal Translation
This do ye: take to you censers, Korah and all his assembly:
Catholic Translations
Douay-Rheims Bible
Do this therefore: Take every man of you your censers, thou Core, and all thy company.

Catholic Public Domain Version
Therefore, do this: Each one of you, Korah and all your associates, take your censer,

New American Bible
Do this: take your censers, Korah and all his faction,

New Revised Standard Version
Do this: take censers, Korah and all your company,
Translations from Aramaic
Lamsa Bible
This do: Take for yourselves censers, you Korah, and all your company;

Peshitta Holy Bible Translated
Do thus: take for yourselves censers, you Qorakh, and all your assembly.
OT Translations
JPS Tanakh 1917
This do: take you censors, Korah, and all his company;

Brenton Septuagint Translation
This do ye: take to yourselves censers, Core and all his company;

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
Korah's Rebellion
5Then he said to Korah and all his followers, “Tomorrow morning the LORD will reveal who belongs to Him and who is holy, and He will bring that person near to Himself. The one He chooses, He will bring near to Himself. 6You, Korah, and all your followers are to do as follows: Take censers, 7and tomorrow you are to place fire and incense in them in the presence of the LORD. Then the man the LORD chooses will be the one who is holy. It is you sons of Levi who have taken too much upon yourselves!”…

Cross References
Leviticus 10:1-2
Now Aaron’s sons Nadab and Abihu took their censers, put fire in them and added incense, and offered unauthorized fire before the LORD, contrary to His command. / So fire came out from the presence of the LORD and consumed them, and they died in the presence of the LORD.

2 Chronicles 26:16-21
But when Uzziah became powerful, his arrogance led to his own destruction. He was unfaithful to the LORD his God, for he entered the temple of the LORD to burn incense on the altar of incense. / Then Azariah the priest, along with eighty brave priests of the LORD, went in after him. / They took their stand against King Uzziah and said, “Uzziah, you have no right to offer incense to the LORD. Only the priests, the descendants of Aaron, are consecrated to burn incense. Leave the sanctuary, for you have acted unfaithfully; you will not receive honor from the LORD God.” ...

Exodus 30:7-10
And Aaron is to burn fragrant incense on it every morning when he tends the lamps. / When Aaron sets up the lamps at twilight, he must burn the incense perpetually before the LORD for the generations to come. / On this altar you must not offer unauthorized incense or a burnt offering or grain offering; nor are you to pour a drink offering on it. ...

1 Kings 18:36-39
At the time of the evening sacrifice, Elijah the prophet approached the altar and said, “O LORD, God of Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, let it be known this day that You are God in Israel and that I am Your servant and have done all these things at Your command. / Answer me, O LORD! Answer me, so that this people will know that You, the LORD, are God, and that You have turned their hearts back again.” / Then the fire of the LORD fell and consumed the sacrifice, the wood, the stones, and the dust, and it licked up the water in the trench. ...

Hebrews 9:4
containing the golden altar of incense and the gold-covered ark of the covenant. Inside the ark were the gold jar of manna, Aaron’s staff that had budded, and the stone tablets of the covenant.

Revelation 8:3-5
Then another angel, who had a golden censer, came and stood at the altar. He was given much incense to offer, along with the prayers of all the saints, on the golden altar before the throne. / And the smoke of the incense, together with the prayers of the saints, rose up before God from the hand of the angel. / Then the angel took the censer, filled it with fire from the altar, and hurled it to the earth; and there were peals of thunder, rumblings, flashes of lightning, and an earthquake.

Leviticus 16:12-13
Then he must take a censer full of burning coals from the altar before the LORD, and two handfuls of finely ground fragrant incense, and take them inside the veil. / He is to put the incense on the fire before the LORD, and the cloud of incense will cover the mercy seat above the Testimony, so that he will not die.

1 Samuel 2:28
And out of all the tribes of Israel I selected your father to be My priest, to offer sacrifices on My altar, to burn incense, and to wear an ephod in My presence. I also gave to the house of your father all the food offerings of the Israelites.

1 Chronicles 23:13
The sons of Amram: Aaron and Moses. Aaron and his descendants were set apart forever to consecrate the most holy things, to burn incense before the LORD, to minister before Him, and to pronounce blessings in His name forever.

2 Corinthians 2:15-16
For we are to God the sweet aroma of Christ among those who are being saved and those who are perishing. / To the one we are an odor that brings death, to the other a fragrance that brings life. And who is qualified for such a task?

Malachi 1:11
For My name will be great among the nations, from where the sun rises to where it sets. In every place, incense and pure offerings will be presented in My name, because My name will be great among the nations,” says the LORD of Hosts.

Psalm 141:2
May my prayer be set before You like incense; my uplifted hands, like the evening offering.

Isaiah 6:6-7
Then one of the seraphim flew to me, and in his hand was a glowing coal that he had taken with tongs from the altar. / And with it he touched my mouth and said: “Now that this has touched your lips, your iniquity is removed and your sin is atoned for.”

Luke 1:9-11
he was chosen by lot, according to the custom of the priesthood, to enter the temple of the Lord and burn incense. / And at the hour of the incense offering, the whole congregation was praying outside. / Just then an angel of the Lord appeared to Zechariah, standing at the right side of the altar of incense.

Exodus 40:27
and he burned fragrant incense on it, just as the LORD had commanded him.


Treasury of Scripture

This do; Take you censers, Korah, and all his company;

Numbers 16:35-40,46-48
And there came out a fire from the LORD, and consumed the two hundred and fifty men that offered incense…

Leviticus 10:1
And Nadab and Abihu, the sons of Aaron, took either of them his censer, and put fire therein, and put incense thereon, and offered strange fire before the LORD, which he commanded them not.

Leviticus 16:12,13
And he shall take a censer full of burning coals of fire from off the altar before the LORD, and his hands full of sweet incense beaten small, and bring it within the vail: …

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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














You, Korah, and all your followers are to do this
This phrase sets the stage for a significant event in the narrative of Numbers 16. The context is a rebellion led by Korah against Moses and Aaron, challenging their God-given authority. The Hebrew root for "Korah" (קֹרַח) is associated with baldness or ice, symbolically reflecting a coldness or lack of spiritual warmth, which can be seen in Korah's rebellious actions. Historically, Korah was a Levite, and his followers included 250 leaders of the community, indicating a substantial challenge to Moses' leadership. This rebellion is not just against human authority but against God's ordained order.

Take censers
The word "censers" (מַחְתּוֹת) refers to small, portable vessels used for burning incense. In the Hebrew tradition, censers were significant in the worship practices of the Israelites, symbolizing prayer and the presence of God. The use of censers in this context is ironic and tragic, as they are being used in an act of rebellion rather than worship. The censers are a reminder of the sacred duties of the priesthood, which Korah and his followers are attempting to usurp. This act of taking censers is a direct challenge to the established priestly order, which God had ordained through Aaron.

and tomorrow
The word "tomorrow" (מָחָר) signifies a specific time set by Moses for God to reveal His will regarding the rebellion. It indicates a period of waiting and anticipation, a divine pause allowing for reflection and repentance. In the biblical narrative, "tomorrow" often signifies a moment of decision or judgment, as seen in other scriptural contexts where God acts decisively. This time frame underscores God's patience and the opportunity for Korah and his followers to reconsider their actions.

put fire and incense in them before the LORD
The act of putting "fire and incense" (אֵשׁ וּקְטֹרֶת) in the censers is a ritualistic act meant to invoke God's presence. Fire, in biblical symbolism, often represents God's holiness and judgment. Incense, on the other hand, symbolizes prayer and the ascent of the soul to God. The combination of fire and incense in this rebellious context is a perversion of their intended use, highlighting the gravity of Korah's challenge. The phrase "before the LORD" (לִפְנֵי יְהוָה) emphasizes the direct confrontation with God's holiness, as the rebels are bringing their challenge into the divine presence, where true authority resides.

The man the LORD chooses will be the one who is holy
This phrase underscores the central theme of divine election and holiness. The Hebrew word for "chooses" (יִבְחַר) conveys the idea of divine selection, emphasizing that it is God who appoints leaders, not human ambition. "Holy" (קָדוֹשׁ) refers to being set apart for God's purposes. This statement is a reminder that true holiness and leadership come from God's choice, not human assertion. It serves as a warning to Korah and his followers that their rebellion is not just against Moses and Aaron but against God's sovereign will.

You Levites have gone too far!
The phrase "gone too far" (רַב־לָכֶם) is a rebuke from Moses, highlighting the audacity and presumption of Korah and his followers. The Levites were already set apart for special service to God, yet Korah's rebellion shows a discontent with their God-given role. This phrase serves as a caution against pride and ambition, reminding believers of the importance of contentment and obedience to God's calling. It reflects the broader biblical theme of humility and submission to divine authority, which is essential for maintaining order and harmony within the community of faith.

(6) Take you censers.--The offering of incense was the peculiar prerogative and the holiest function of the priesthood. The destruction of Nadab and Abihu ought to have served as a warning to Korah and his company not to provoke a similar exhibition of the Divine displeasure.

Verse 6. - Take you censers. מַחְתּות. Septuagint, πυρεῖα. Translated "fire-pails" in Exodus 27:3. From the number required, they must have been either household utensils used for carrying fire, or else they must have been made in some simple fashion for the occasion. The offering of incense was proposed by Moses as a test because it was a typically priestly function, to which the gravest importance was attached (Leviticus 10:1; Leviticus 16:12, 13), and because it was so very simply executed.

Parallel Commentaries ...


Hebrew
You, Korah,
קֹ֖רַח (qō·raḥ)
Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 7141: Korah -- an Edomite name, also an Israelite name

and all
וְכָל־ (wə·ḵāl)
Conjunctive waw | Noun - masculine singular construct
Strong's 3605: The whole, all, any, every

your followers
עֲדָתֽוֹ׃ (‘ă·ḏā·ṯōw)
Noun - feminine singular construct | third person masculine singular
Strong's 5712: A stated assemblage

are to do
עֲשׂ֑וּ (‘ă·śū)
Verb - Qal - Imperative - masculine plural
Strong's 6213: To do, make

as follows:
זֹ֖את (zōṯ)
Pronoun - feminine singular
Strong's 2063: Hereby in it, likewise, the one other, same, she, so much, such deed, that,

Take
קְחוּ־ (qə·ḥū-)
Verb - Qal - Imperative - masculine plural
Strong's 3947: To take

censers,
מַחְתּ֔וֹת (maḥ·tō·wṯ)
Noun - feminine plural
Strong's 4289: A fireholder, censer, snuff dish


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OT Law: Numbers 16:6 This do: take you censers Korah (Nu Num.)
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