What is the meaning of Numbers 16:24?

Tell the congregation

The Lord speaks through Moses, commanding a public announcement: “Tell the congregation…” (Numbers 16:24).

• God does not whisper warnings; He proclaims them so everyone can respond (Deuteronomy 31:12; Ezekiel 33:3).

• The whole assembly had watched Korah’s uprising (Numbers 16:3), so the whole assembly must now hear God’s verdict.

• Leaders bear responsibility to relay God’s word faithfully, just as later Peter urged, “Be saved from this corrupt generation” (Acts 2:40).

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to move away

The instruction is urgent: “move away.”

• Separation is a recurring safeguard—“Come out from among them and be separate” (2 Corinthians 6:17).

• God’s people must distance themselves from sin to avoid shared judgment (Revelation 18:4; Isaiah 52:11).

• Delayed obedience would prove deadly; the earth was about to open (Numbers 16:32).

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from the dwellings

They are told to step back “from the dwellings,” the tents that housed the rebels’ families and possessions.

• Sin’s impact radiates outward, touching households (Joshua 7:24).

• Physical nearness can imply approval (2 John 10-11); leaving the area signals rejection of rebellion.

• The boundary is clear: stand with God or stand with the insurgents (Psalm 1:1).

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of Korah, Dathan, and Abiram

Naming the ringleaders pinpoints the issue—rebellion against God-ordained authority (Numbers 16:1-2).

• Jude 11 warns of “the rebellion of Korah,” echoing the gravity of their defiance.

• Psalm 106:16-18 recalls that “the earth opened and swallowed Dathan and covered the assembly of Abiram.”

• Their prominence made their fall a cautionary tale: spiritual position never exempts one from accountability (Numbers 26:10).

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summary

Numbers 16:24 is a merciful warning wrapped in a command. God publicly instructs His people to separate from blatant rebellion so they will not be swept into its judgment. The verse reminds us to heed God’s messengers, practice prompt separation from sin, guard our households, and refuse any alliance with those who oppose the Lord.