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 Yahweh! 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 and 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.
46 Moses 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 Yahweh! The plague has begun.”
47 Aaron 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.
48 He stood between the dead and the living; and the plague was stayed.
49 Now those who died by the plague were fourteen thousand and seven hundred, in addition to those who died about the matter of Korah.
50 Aaron returned to Moses to the door of the Tent of Meeting, and the plague was stopped.
KJVKing James Version
46 And Moses said unto Aaron, Take a censer, and put fire therein from off the altar, and put on incense, and go quickly unto the congregation, and make an atonement for them: for there is wrath gone out from the LORD; the plague is begun.
47 And Aaron took as Moses commanded, and ran into the midst of the congregation; and, behold, the plague was begun among the people: and he put on incense, and made an atonement for the people.
48 And he stood between the dead and the living; and the plague was stayed.
49 Now they that died in the plague were fourteen thousand and seven hundred, beside them that died about the matter of Korah.
50 And Aaron returned unto Moses unto the door of the tabernacle of the congregation: and the plague was stayed.
Show all 3 translations
JPSJPS Tanakh (1917)
46 (17-11) And Moses said unto Aaron: 'Take thy fire-pan, and put fire therein from off the altar, and lay incense thereon, and carry it quickly unto the congregation, and make atonement for them; for there is wrath gone out from the LORD: the plague is begun.'
47 (17-12) And Aaron took as Moses spoke, and ran into the midst of the assembly; and, behold, the plague was begun among the people; and he put on the incense, and made atonement for the people.
48 (17-13) And he stood between the dead and the living; and the plague was stayed.
49 (17-14) Now they that died by the plague were fourteen thousand and seven hundred, besides them that died about the matter of Korah.
50 (17-15) And Aaron returned unto Moses unto the door of the tent of meeting, and the plague was stayed.
Numbers 8:19(v46)I have given the Levites as a gift to Aaron and to his sons from among the children of Israel, to do the service of the children of Israel…
Leviticus 10:6(v46)Moses said to Aaron, and to Eleazar and to Ithamar, his sons, “Don’t let the hair of your heads go loose, and don’t tear your clothes, so…
1 Chronicles 27:24(v46)Joab the son of Zeruiah began to take a census, but didn’t finish; and wrath came on Israel for this. The number wasn’t put into the…
Psalms 106:29(vv46–47)Thus they provoked him to anger with their deeds. The plague broke in on them.
Numbers 11:33(v46)While the meat was still between their teeth, before it was chewed, Yahweh’s anger burned against the people, and Yahweh struck the people…
Show all 46 cross-references
Numbers 18:5(v46)“You shall perform the duty of the sanctuary and the duty of the altar, that there be no more wrath on the children of Israel.
Isaiah 6:6-7(v46)Then one of the seraphim flew to me, having a live coal in his hand, which he had taken with the tongs from off the altar. He touched my…
Revelation 8:3-5(v46)Another angel came and stood over the altar, having a golden censer. Much incense was given to him, that he should add it to the prayers of…
Leviticus 9:24–10:1(v46)Fire came out from before Yahweh, and consumed the burnt offering and the fat upon the altar. When all the people saw it, they shouted, and…
Numbers 16:32-35(v49)The earth opened its mouth and swallowed them up with their households, all of Korah’s men, and all their goods. So they, and all that…
Numbers 25:9(v49)Those who died by the plague were twenty-four thousand.
2 Samuel 24:25(v48)David built an altar to Yahweh there, and offered burnt offerings and peace offerings. So Yahweh was entreated for the land, and the plague…
Psalms 141:2(v46)Let my prayer be set before you like incense; the lifting up of my hands like the evening sacrifice.
Hebrews 9:25-26(v46)nor yet that he should offer himself often, as the high priest enters into the holy place year by year with blood not his own, or else he…
Exodus 30:7-10(v46)Aaron shall burn incense of sweet spices on it every morning. When he tends the lamps, he shall burn it. When Aaron lights the lamps at…
Leviticus 16:11-16(v46)“Aaron shall present the bull of the sin offering, which is for himself, and shall make atonement for himself and for his house, and shall…
Numbers 1:53(v46)But the Levites shall encamp around the Tabernacle of the Testimony, that there may be no wrath on the congregation of the children of…
Numbers 16:18(v48)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.
Numbers 16:35(v48)Fire came out from Yahweh, and devoured the two hundred fifty men who offered the incense.
Numbers 16:43(v50)Moses and Aaron came to the front of the Tent of Meeting.
Numbers 16:46(v47)Moses 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…
Numbers 25:6-8(v47)Behold, one of the children of Israel came and brought to his brothers a Midianite woman in the sight of Moses, and in the sight of all the…
Numbers 25:8-11(v48)He went after the man of Israel into the pavilion, and thrust both of them through, the man of Israel, and the woman through her body. So…
Numbers 25:13(v46)It shall be to him, and to his offspring after him, the covenant of an everlasting priesthood, because he was jealous for his God, and made…
Deuteronomy 9:22(v46)At Taberah, at Massah, and at Kibroth Hattaavah you provoked Yahweh to wrath.
Deuteronomy 33:10-11(v47)They shall teach Jacob your ordinances, and Israel your law. They shall put incense before you, and whole burnt offering on your altar.…
2 Samuel 24:16-17(v48)When the angel stretched out his hand toward Jerusalem to destroy it, Yahweh relented of the disaster, and said to the angel who destroyed…
1 Chronicles 21:14(v49)So Yahweh sent a pestilence on Israel, and seventy thousand men of Israel fell.
1 Chronicles 21:26-27(v48)David built an altar to Yahweh there, and offered burnt offerings and peace offerings, and called on Yahweh; and he answered him from the…
1 Chronicles 21:26-30(v50)David built an altar to Yahweh there, and offered burnt offerings and peace offerings, and called on Yahweh; and he answered him from the…
Psalms 106:30(v48)Then Phinehas stood up and executed judgment, so the plague was stopped.
Isaiah 53:10-12(v47)Yet it pleased Yahweh to bruise him. He has caused him to suffer. When you make his soul an offering for sin, he will see his offspring. He…
Malachi 1:11(v46)For from the rising of the sun even to its going down, my name is great among the nations, and in every place incense will be offered to my…
Matthew 5:44(v47)But I tell you, love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who mistreat you and…
John 5:14(v48)Afterward Jesus found him in the temple, and said to him, “Behold, you are made well. Sin no more, so that nothing worse happens to you.”
Romans 5:9-10(v46)Much more then, being now justified by his blood, we will be saved from God’s wrath through him. For if while we were enemies, we were…
Romans 12:21(v47)Don’t be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.
1 Thessalonians 1:10(v48)and to wait for his Son from heaven, whom he raised from the dead: Jesus, who delivers us from the wrath to come.
1 Timothy 2:5-6(v48)For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus, who gave himself as a ransom for all, the testimony in…
Hebrews 2:1-3(v49)Therefore we ought to pay greater attention to the things that were heard, lest perhaps we drift away. For if the word spoken through…
Hebrews 7:24-25(v48)But he, because he lives forever, has his priesthood unchangeable. Therefore he is also able to save to the uttermost those who draw near…
Hebrews 7:25-27(v46)Therefore he is also able to save to the uttermost those who draw near to God through him, seeing that he lives forever to make…
Hebrews 10:28-29(v49)A man who disregards Moses’ law dies without compassion on the word of two or three witnesses. How much worse punishment do you think he…
Hebrews 12:25(v49)See that you don’t refuse him who speaks. For if they didn’t escape when they refused him who warned on the earth, how much more will we…
James 5:16(v48)Confess your offenses to one another, and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The insistent prayer of a righteous person is…
1 John 2:1-2(v46)My little children, I write these things to you so that you may not sin. If anyone sins, we have a Counselor with the Father, Jesus Christ,…
46 distinct cross-references across this passage (47 total citations).
Cross-references from openbible.info (CC BY 4.0)
Explain this passage (17 sources)
Historical commentary, presented as a primary source — not an endorsement.
Geneva Bible translators1599 · Public DomainOn vv46–48For it was not lawful to take any other…
For it was not lawful to take any other fire, but of the altar of burnt offering, Lev. 10:1.
Geneva Bible (1599) marginal notes — public domain.
John Trapp1656 · Public DomainOn vv46–48Num 16:46 And Moses said unto Aaron, Take a…
Num 16:46 And Moses said unto Aaron, Take a censer, and put fire therein from off the altar, and put on incense, and go quickly unto the congregation, and make an atonement for them: for there is wrath gone out from the LORD; the plague is begun.
Ver. 46. For there is wrath.] Moses is quick sighted, and spies it at first setting out. By how much more faithful and familiar men are with God, so much earlier do they discern his wrath.
John Trapp, A Commentary or Exposition upon All the Books of the Old and New Testament (1647–1656) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
Matthew Poole1685 · Public DomainOn vv46–48Put on incense; which was a sign of intercession,…
Put on incense; which was a sign of intercession, Psa 141:2, and was to be accompanied with it, Luk 1:9,10.
Go quickly unto the congregation, with the incense, to stir up the people to repentance and prayer to prevent their utter ruin. This he might do upon this extraordinary occasion, having God’s command for his warrant, though ordinarily incense was to be offered only in the tabernacle.
Read full note →
The plague is begun, in cutting off the people by a sudden and miraculous stroke.
Matthew Poole's English Annotations on the Holy Bible (1683–1685) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.
John Gill1763 · Public DomainOn vv46–49And Aaron took as Moses commanded,.... A censer with…
And Aaron took as Moses commanded,.... A censer with fire in it from the altar, and also incense:
and ran into the midst of the congregation: though a man in years and in so high an office, and had been so ill used by the people; yet was not only so ready to obey the divine command, but so eager to serve this ungrateful people, and save them from utter destruction, that he ran from the tabernacle into the midst of them:
Read full note →
and, behold, the plague was begun among the people; he saw them fall down dead instantly in great numbers:
and he put on incense; upon the fire in the censer, which though it was not in common lawful to burn but in the holy place on the altar of incense, yet, upon this extraordinary occasion, it was dispensed with by the Lord, as it had been the day before when he offered it at the door of the tabernacle with the two hundred fifty men of Korah's company; and perhaps the reason of it now was, that the people might see Aaron perform this kind office for them, and give them a fresh convincing proof of his being invested with the office of priesthood from the Lord, or otherwise he could have done this in its proper place, the sanctuary:
and made an atonement for the people; by offering incense, which God smelt a sweet savour in, and accepted of, and his wrath was appeased and the plague stayed: in this Aaron was a type of our Lord Jesus Christ, and of his mediation, atonement, and intercession; wrath is gone forth from God for the sins of men, which is revealed in the law; and death, the effect of it, has taken place on many in every sense of it, corporeal, spiritual, and eternal: Christ, as Mediator, in pursuance of his suretyship engagements, has made atonement for the sins of his people by the sacrifice of himself; and now ever lives to make intercession for them, which is founded upon his sacrifice and satisfaction, his sufferings and death, signified by the fire in which the incense was put.
John Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible (1746–1763) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.
John Wesley1765 · Public DomainOn vv46, 48Incense - Which was a sign of intercession, and…
Incense - Which was a sign of intercession, and was to be accompanied with it. Go unto the congregation - He went with the incense, to stir up the people to repentance and prayer, to prevent their utter ruin. This he might do upon this extraordinary occasion, having God's command for his warrant, though ordinarily incense was to be offered only in the tabernacle.
John Wesley, Explanatory Notes Upon the Whole Bible (1754–1765) — public domain. Text via the GEBible commentary corpus.
Adam Clarke1810 · Public DomainOn vv46, 48Verse 46. The plague is begun.] God now punished…
Verse 46. The plague is begun.] God now punished them by a secret blast, so as to put the matter beyond all dispute; his hand, and his alone, was seen, not only in the plague, but in the manner in which the mortality was arrested. It was necessary that this should be done in this way, that the whole congregation might see that those men who had perished were not the people of the Lord; and that GOD, not Moses and Aaron, had destroyed them.
Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible (1810–1826) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.
Joseph Benson1811 · Public DomainOn v48Num 16:48. Between the dead and the living —…
Num 16:48. Between the dead and the living — Whereby it may seem that this plague, like that fire, (Num 11:1,) began in the uttermost parts of the congregation, and so proceeded destroying one after another in an orderly manner, which gave Aaron occasion and direction so to place himself as a mediator with God on their behalf. In this action Aaron was a most eminent type of Christ, and the effect of Aaron’s oblation of incense an expressive emblem of the efficacy and happy fruits of the interposition of our great High-Priest.
Joseph Benson's Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1811–1818) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
Albert Barnes1834 · Public DomainOn vv46–47A censer - Rather, the censer. i. e. that…
A censer - Rather, the censer. i. e. that of the high priest which was used by him on the great Day of Atonement: compare Lev 16:12; Heb 9:4.
Albert Barnes' Notes on the Bible (1834–1885) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.
Haydock's Catholic Bible Commentary1859 · Public DomainOn vv46, 49Take. Moses was inspired by God, on this extraordinary…
Take. Moses was inspired by God, on this extraordinary occasion, to pass over the common rules, which forbade the high priest to offer incense any where but in the tabernacle, and never to appear among the dead. (Calmet)
George Leo Haydock (1774–1849), Haydock's Catholic Family Bible and Commentary, 1859 edition — public domain. Excludes Psalms (Douay-Rheims chapter numbering differs from Protestant) and Deuterocanonical books (Catholic canon only).
Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset & David Brown1871 · Public DomainOn v48he stood between the living and the dead--The plague…
he stood between the living and the dead--The plague seems to have begun in the extremities of the camp. Aaron, in this remarkable act, was a type of Christ.
Next: Numbers Chapter 17
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown — Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.
Daniel D. Whedon1874 · Public DomainOn vv46–4846. Fire… off the altar — See Lev_6:13, note.
46. Fire… off the altar — See Lev_6:13, note.
Put on incense — The symbolism of incense is thus explained by Baehr: “Prayer among all Oriental nations signifies calling upon the name of God. The oldest prayers consisted in the mere enumeration of the several titles of God. The Scriptures place incense in close relationship to prayer, so that offering incense is synonymous with worship. Hence incense itself is a symbol of the name of God.” But to us it rather seems to be an emblem of that which makes prayer acceptable, the intercession of Christ. Rev_8:3.
Read full note →
Atonement — This is the only place where atonement is made without blood. But here the incense-offering, embodying the high priestly prayer, does not secure pardon, but only a reprieve; it shields the sinner from instant destruction and prolongs the forfeited lives of many adult Israelites. Thus the people were furnished with a practical proof of the power and operation of the true and divinely-appointed priesthood.
There is wrath gone out — Since Moses and Aaron have been accused of killing the people, an invisible destroyer is sent forth into the camp whose work cannot be ascribed to any human origin. Now the hand of Jehovah only will be seen in sending and in staying the plague. Thus Moses and Aaron are vindicated.
Daniel D. Whedon (gen. ed.), Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1874–1909) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges1878 · Public DomainOn vv46, 4946. make atonement for them] The offering of incense…
46. make atonement for them] The offering of incense was an unusual way of making atonement; the shedding of blood was generally required. But since the sin had been the burning of incense, the means for its atonement was similar. Cf. the bronze serpent (Num_21:6-9). A converse application of the same principle is seen in the laws of retaliation—‘an eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth.’
there is wrath gone out] lit. the wrath has gone out. The divine wrath is thought of almost as an emanation; it has, so to speak, an existence independent of Jehovah, as soon as it proceeds from Him. Cf. 2Ch_19:2, where, however, ‘wrath’ is without the article.
The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges (gen. ed. J. J. S. Perowne; Cambridge University Press, 1878–1918) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers1878 · Public DomainOn vv46–48(46) Take a censer.—Better, the censer. The reference appears…
(46) Take a censer.—Better, the censer. The reference appears to be to the golden censer of the high priest. Incense was an emblem of prayer, and a figure of the intercession and mediation of Christ. (See Psa_141:2; Rev_8:3-4.)
And go quickly.—Or, and carry it quickly.
A Bible Commentary for English Readers, edited by Charles John Ellicott (1878–1897) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
The Pulpit Commentary1880 · Public DomainOn vv46, 48, 49, 50Take a censer. Rather, "the censer," i.e., the proper…
Take a censer. Rather, "the censer," i.e., the proper censer of the high priest, which he used upon the great day of atonement, (Lev_16:12) and which is said in Heb_9:4 to have been of gold, and to have been kept in the most holy place. It is not, however, mentioned amongst the sacred furniture in the Levitical books. And go quickly. Rather, "take it quickly." And make an atonement for them. There was no precedent for making an incense offering alter this fashion, but it was on the analogy of the rite performed within the tabernacle on the day of atonement (Leviticus 16). Whether Moses received any intimation that the wroth might be thus averted, or whether it was the daring thought of a devoted heart when all else failed, it is impossible to say. As it had no precedent, so it never serous to have been repeated; nor is the name or idea of atonement anywhere else connected with the offering of incense apart kern the shedding of blood.
The Pulpit Commentary (1880–1919), ed. H.D.M. Spence-Jones & Joseph S. Exell — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
C. I. Scofield1917 · Public DomainOn v47(See Scofield "Exo 29:33")
atonement
(See Scofield "Exo 29:33")
The Scofield Reference Bible (1917 edition), notes by C. I. Scofield — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
unfoldingWord translationNotes2017 · CC BY-SA 4.0On vv47, 49he put in the incense
he put in the incense
Putting the incense in the censer here represents burning it. AT: "he burned the incense" (See: Metonymy)
Read full note →
the plague was stopped
This can be stated in active form. AT: "the plague stopped spreading" (See: Active or Passive)
Tyndale Open Study Notes2022 · CC BY-SA 4.0On v4616:46-50 Moses and Aaron acted quickly to rescue the…
16:46-50 Moses and Aaron acted quickly to rescue the Israelites from God’s wrath. In an unusual procedure, Aaron carried an incense burner with burning coals among the people and thus stopped the plague.
Geneva Bible translators 1599 · Public Domain On vv46–48 For it was not lawful to take any other…
For it was not lawful to take any other fire, but of the altar of burnt offering, Lev. 10:1.
Geneva Bible (1599) marginal notes — public domain.
John Trapp 1656 · Public Domain On vv46–48 Num 16:46 And Moses said unto Aaron, Take a…
Num 16:46 And Moses said unto Aaron, Take a censer, and put fire therein from off the altar, and put on incense, and go quickly unto the congregation, and make an atonement for them: for there is wrath gone out from the LORD; the plague is begun.
Ver. 46. For there is wrath.] Moses is quick sighted, and spies it at first setting out. By how much more faithful and familiar men are with God, so much earlier do they discern his wrath.
John Trapp, A Commentary or Exposition upon All the Books of the Old and New Testament (1647–1656) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
Matthew Poole 1685 · Public Domain On vv46–48 Put on incense; which was a sign of intercession,…
Put on incense; which was a sign of intercession, Psa 141:2, and was to be accompanied with it, Luk 1:9,10.
Go quickly unto the congregation, with the incense, to stir up the people to repentance and prayer to prevent their utter ruin. This he might do upon this extraordinary occasion, having God’s command for his warrant, though ordinarily incense was to be offered only in the tabernacle.
Read full note →
The plague is begun, in cutting off the people by a sudden and miraculous stroke.
Matthew Poole's English Annotations on the Holy Bible (1683–1685) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.
John Gill 1763 · Public Domain On vv46–49 And Aaron took as Moses commanded,.... A censer with…
And Aaron took as Moses commanded,.... A censer with fire in it from the altar, and also incense:
and ran into the midst of the congregation: though a man in years and in so high an office, and had been so ill used by the people; yet was not only so ready to obey the divine command, but so eager to serve this ungrateful people, and save them from utter destruction, that he ran from the tabernacle into the midst of them:
Read full note →
and, behold, the plague was begun among the people; he saw them fall down dead instantly in great numbers:
and he put on incense; upon the fire in the censer, which though it was not in common lawful to burn but in the holy place on the altar of incense, yet, upon this extraordinary occasion, it was dispensed with by the Lord, as it had been the day before when he offered it at the door of the tabernacle with the two hundred fifty men of Korah's company; and perhaps the reason of it now was, that the people might see Aaron perform this kind office for them, and give them a fresh convincing proof of his being invested with the office of priesthood from the Lord, or otherwise he could have done this in its proper place, the sanctuary:
and made an atonement for the people; by offering incense, which God smelt a sweet savour in, and accepted of, and his wrath was appeased and the plague stayed: in this Aaron was a type of our Lord Jesus Christ, and of his mediation, atonement, and intercession; wrath is gone forth from God for the sins of men, which is revealed in the law; and death, the effect of it, has taken place on many in every sense of it, corporeal, spiritual, and eternal: Christ, as Mediator, in pursuance of his suretyship engagements, has made atonement for the sins of his people by the sacrifice of himself; and now ever lives to make intercession for them, which is founded upon his sacrifice and satisfaction, his sufferings and death, signified by the fire in which the incense was put.
John Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible (1746–1763) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.
John Wesley 1765 · Public Domain On vv46, 48 Incense - Which was a sign of intercession, and…
Incense - Which was a sign of intercession, and was to be accompanied with it. Go unto the congregation - He went with the incense, to stir up the people to repentance and prayer, to prevent their utter ruin. This he might do upon this extraordinary occasion, having God's command for his warrant, though ordinarily incense was to be offered only in the tabernacle.
John Wesley, Explanatory Notes Upon the Whole Bible (1754–1765) — public domain. Text via the GEBible commentary corpus.
Adam Clarke 1810 · Public Domain On vv46, 48 Verse 46. The plague is begun.] God now punished…
Verse 46. The plague is begun.] God now punished them by a secret blast, so as to put the matter beyond all dispute; his hand, and his alone, was seen, not only in the plague, but in the manner in which the mortality was arrested. It was necessary that this should be done in this way, that the whole congregation might see that those men who had perished were not the people of the Lord; and that GOD, not Moses and Aaron, had destroyed them.
Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible (1810–1826) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.
Joseph Benson 1811 · Public Domain On v48 Num 16:48. Between the dead and the living —…
Num 16:48. Between the dead and the living — Whereby it may seem that this plague, like that fire, (Num 11:1,) began in the uttermost parts of the congregation, and so proceeded destroying one after another in an orderly manner, which gave Aaron occasion and direction so to place himself as a mediator with God on their behalf. In this action Aaron was a most eminent type of Christ, and the effect of Aaron’s oblation of incense an expressive emblem of the efficacy and happy fruits of the interposition of our great High-Priest.
Joseph Benson's Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1811–1818) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
Albert Barnes 1834 · Public Domain On vv46–47 A censer - Rather, the censer. i. e. that…
A censer - Rather, the censer. i. e. that of the high priest which was used by him on the great Day of Atonement: compare Lev 16:12; Heb 9:4.
Albert Barnes' Notes on the Bible (1834–1885) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.
Haydock's Catholic Bible Commentary 1859 · Public Domain On vv46, 49 Take. Moses was inspired by God, on this extraordinary…
Take. Moses was inspired by God, on this extraordinary occasion, to pass over the common rules, which forbade the high priest to offer incense any where but in the tabernacle, and never to appear among the dead. (Calmet)
George Leo Haydock (1774–1849), Haydock's Catholic Family Bible and Commentary, 1859 edition — public domain. Excludes Psalms (Douay-Rheims chapter numbering differs from Protestant) and Deuterocanonical books (Catholic canon only).
Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset & David Brown 1871 · Public Domain On v48 he stood between the living and the dead--The plague…
he stood between the living and the dead--The plague seems to have begun in the extremities of the camp. Aaron, in this remarkable act, was a type of Christ.
Next: Numbers Chapter 17
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown — Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.
Daniel D. Whedon 1874 · Public Domain On vv46–48 46. Fire… off the altar — See Lev_6:13, note.
46. Fire… off the altar — See Lev_6:13, note.
Put on incense — The symbolism of incense is thus explained by Baehr: “Prayer among all Oriental nations signifies calling upon the name of God. The oldest prayers consisted in the mere enumeration of the several titles of God. The Scriptures place incense in close relationship to prayer, so that offering incense is synonymous with worship. Hence incense itself is a symbol of the name of God.” But to us it rather seems to be an emblem of that which makes prayer acceptable, the intercession of Christ. Rev_8:3.
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Atonement — This is the only place where atonement is made without blood. But here the incense-offering, embodying the high priestly prayer, does not secure pardon, but only a reprieve; it shields the sinner from instant destruction and prolongs the forfeited lives of many adult Israelites. Thus the people were furnished with a practical proof of the power and operation of the true and divinely-appointed priesthood.
There is wrath gone out — Since Moses and Aaron have been accused of killing the people, an invisible destroyer is sent forth into the camp whose work cannot be ascribed to any human origin. Now the hand of Jehovah only will be seen in sending and in staying the plague. Thus Moses and Aaron are vindicated.
Daniel D. Whedon (gen. ed.), Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1874–1909) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges 1878 · Public Domain On vv46, 49 46. make atonement for them] The offering of incense…
46. make atonement for them] The offering of incense was an unusual way of making atonement; the shedding of blood was generally required. But since the sin had been the burning of incense, the means for its atonement was similar. Cf. the bronze serpent (Num_21:6-9). A converse application of the same principle is seen in the laws of retaliation—‘an eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth.’
there is wrath gone out] lit. the wrath has gone out. The divine wrath is thought of almost as an emanation; it has, so to speak, an existence independent of Jehovah, as soon as it proceeds from Him. Cf. 2Ch_19:2, where, however, ‘wrath’ is without the article.
The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges (gen. ed. J. J. S. Perowne; Cambridge University Press, 1878–1918) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers 1878 · Public Domain On vv46–48 (46) Take a censer.—Better, the censer. The reference appears…
(46) Take a censer.—Better, the censer. The reference appears to be to the golden censer of the high priest. Incense was an emblem of prayer, and a figure of the intercession and mediation of Christ. (See Psa_141:2; Rev_8:3-4.)
And go quickly.—Or, and carry it quickly.
A Bible Commentary for English Readers, edited by Charles John Ellicott (1878–1897) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
The Pulpit Commentary 1880 · Public Domain On vv46, 48, 49, 50 Take a censer. Rather, "the censer," i.e., the proper…
Take a censer. Rather, "the censer," i.e., the proper censer of the high priest, which he used upon the great day of atonement, (Lev_16:12) and which is said in Heb_9:4 to have been of gold, and to have been kept in the most holy place. It is not, however, mentioned amongst the sacred furniture in the Levitical books. And go quickly. Rather, "take it quickly." And make an atonement for them. There was no precedent for making an incense offering alter this fashion, but it was on the analogy of the rite performed within the tabernacle on the day of atonement (Leviticus 16). Whether Moses received any intimation that the wroth might be thus averted, or whether it was the daring thought of a devoted heart when all else failed, it is impossible to say. As it had no precedent, so it never serous to have been repeated; nor is the name or idea of atonement anywhere else connected with the offering of incense apart kern the shedding of blood.
The Pulpit Commentary (1880–1919), ed. H.D.M. Spence-Jones & Joseph S. Exell — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
C. I. Scofield 1917 · Public Domain On v47 (See Scofield "Exo 29:33")
atonement
(See Scofield "Exo 29:33")
The Scofield Reference Bible (1917 edition), notes by C. I. Scofield — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
unfoldingWord translationNotes 2017 · CC BY-SA 4.0 On vv47, 49 he put in the incense
he put in the incense
Putting the incense in the censer here represents burning it. AT: "he burned the incense" (See: Metonymy)
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the plague was stopped
This can be stated in active form. AT: "the plague stopped spreading" (See: Active or Passive)
translationWords
die
life
unfoldingWord translationNotes — © Distant Shores Media and the Door43 World Missions Community, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Source: git.door43.org/Door43/en_tn.
Tyndale Open Study Notes 2022 · CC BY-SA 4.0 On v46 16:46-50 Moses and Aaron acted quickly to rescue the…
16:46-50 Moses and Aaron acted quickly to rescue the Israelites from God’s wrath. In an unusual procedure, Aaron carried an incense burner with burning coals among the people and thus stopped the plague.
Tyndale Open Study Notes — © Tyndale Open Resources, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Text via the HelloAO Bible API.