Everyone who keeps approaching Yahweh’s tabernacle, dies! Will we all perish?”
Parallel Translations
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Everyone who keeps approaching Yahweh’s tabernacle, dies! Will we all perish?”
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Whosoever cometh any thing near unto the tabernacle of the LORD shall die: shall we be consumed with dying?
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(17-28) Every one that cometh near, that cometh near unto the tabernacle of the LORD, is to die; shall we wholly perish?'
Cross-references (18)
Passages linked to Numbers 17:13 in the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge, ordered by reader-vote popularity; verse text shown in World English Bible.
- Genesis 3:3 but not the fruit of the tree which is in the middle of the garden. God has said, ‘You shall not eat of it. You shall not touch it, lest you die.’ ”
- Numbers 1:51-53 When the tabernacle is to move, the Levites shall take it down; and when the tabernacle is to be set up, the Levites shall set it up. The stranger who comes near shall be put to death. The children of Israel shall pitch their tents, every man by his own camp, and every man by his own standard, according to their divisions. But the Levites shall encamp around the Tabernacle of the Testimony, that there may be no wrath on the congregation of the children of Israel. The Levites shall be responsible for the Tabernacle of the Testimony.”
- Numbers 16:26 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!”
- Numbers 18:4-7 They shall be joined to you and keep the responsibility of the Tent of Meeting, for all the service of the Tent. A stranger shall not come near to you. “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. Behold, I myself have taken your brothers the Levites from among the children of Israel. They are a gift to you, dedicated to Yahweh, to do the service of the Tent of Meeting. You and your sons with you shall keep your priesthood for everything of the altar, and for that within the veil. You shall serve. I give you the service of the priesthood as a gift. The stranger who comes near shall be put to death.”
- Numbers 32:13 Yahweh’s anger burned against Israel, and he made them wander back and forth in the wilderness forty years, until all the generation who had done evil in Yahweh’s sight was consumed.
- Deuteronomy 2:16 So, when all the men of war were consumed and dead from among the people,
- 1 Samuel 6:19-21 He struck of the men of Beth Shemesh, because they had looked into Yahweh’s ark, he struck fifty thousand seventy of the men. Then the people mourned, because Yahweh had struck the people with a great slaughter. The men of Beth Shemesh said, “Who is able to stand before Yahweh, this holy God? To whom shall he go up from us?” They sent messengers to the inhabitants of Kiriath Jearim, saying, “The Philistines have brought back Yahweh’s ark. Come down and bring it up to yourselves.”
- 2 Samuel 6:6-12 When they came to the threshing floor of Nacon, Uzzah reached for God’s ark, and took hold of it; for the cattle stumbled. Yahweh’s anger burned against Uzzah; and God struck him there for his error; and he died there by God’s ark. David was displeased, because Yahweh had broken out against Uzzah; and he called that place Perez Uzzah, to this day. David was afraid of Yahweh that day; and he said, “How could Yahweh’s ark come to me?” So David would not move Yahweh’s ark to be with him in David’s city; but David carried it aside into Obed-Edom the Gittite’s house. Yahweh’s ark remained in Obed-Edom the Gittite’s house three months; and Yahweh blessed Obed-Edom and all his house. King David was told, “Yahweh has blessed the house of Obed-Edom, and all that belongs to him, because of God’s ark.” So David went and brought up God’s ark from the house of Obed-Edom into David’s city with joy.
- 1 Chronicles 13:11-13 David was displeased, because Yahweh had broken out against Uzza. He called that place Perez Uzza, to this day. David was afraid of God that day, saying, “How can I bring God’s ark home to me?” So David didn’t move the ark with him into David’s city, but carried it aside into Obed-Edom the Gittite’s house.
- 1 Chronicles 15:13 For because you didn’t carry it at first, Yahweh our God broke out in anger against us, because we didn’t seek him according to the ordinance.”
- Job 34:14-15 If he set his heart on himself, if he gathered to himself his spirit and his breath, all flesh would perish together, and man would turn again to dust.
- Psalms 90:7 For we are consumed in your anger. We are troubled in your wrath.
- Psalms 130:3-4 If you, Yah, kept a record of sins, Lord, who could stand? But there is forgiveness with you, therefore you are feared.
- Isaiah 28:22 Now therefore don’t be scoffers, lest your bonds be made strong; for I have heard a decree of destruction from the Lord, Yahweh of Armies, on the whole earth.
- Acts 5:5 Ananias, hearing these words, fell down and died. Great fear came on all who heard these things.
- Acts 5:11-14 Great fear came on the whole assembly, and on all who heard these things. By the hands of the apostles many signs and wonders were done among the people. They were all with one accord in Solomon’s porch. None of the rest dared to join them, however the people honored them. More believers were added to the Lord, multitudes of both men and women.
- Ephesians 2:13 But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off are made near in the blood of Christ.
- Hebrews 10:19-22 Having therefore, brothers, boldness to enter into the holy place by the blood of Jesus, by the way which he dedicated for us, a new and living way, through the veil, that is to say, his flesh, and having a great priest over God’s house, let’s draw near with a true heart in fullness of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience, and having our body washed with pure water,
Cross-references from openbible.info (CC BY 4.0)
Explain this verse (8 sources)
Historical commentary, presented as a primary source — not an endorsement.
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John Trapp 1656 · Public Domain Num 17:13 Whosoever cometh any thing near unto the…
Num 17:13 Whosoever cometh any thing near unto the tabernacle of the LORD shall die: shall we be consumed with dying?
Ver. 13. Whosoever cometh anything near.] Let them keep further off then who have no sufficient warrant. Why should they meddle with that belongs not to them? Why should they touch the tabernacle? as the Greek here hath it. The fingers of many triflers itch at this day, to be tampering with that tremendous function, the ministry: which if they forbear to touch, it is but as once Mercury is fain to spare Jupiter’s thunderbolts, which he durst not steal, lest they should roar too loud, or at least burn his fingers.
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 Any thing near, i.e. nearer than he should do;…
Any thing near, i.e. nearer than he should do; an error which we may easily commit.
Shall we be consumed? will God proceed with us in these severe courses, according to his strict justice? will he show us no mercy nor pity, till all the people be cut off and destroyed with dying one after another.
Matthew Poole's English Annotations on the Holy Bible (1683–1685) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.
John Wesley 1765 · Public Domain Near - Nearer than he should do; an error…
Near - Nearer than he should do; an error which we may easily commit. Will God proceed with us according to his strict justice, till all the people be cut off?
John Wesley, Explanatory Notes Upon the Whole Bible (1754–1765) — public domain. Text via the GEBible commentary corpus.
Haydock's Catholic Bible Commentary 1859 · Public Domain Destroyed. They betray the sentiments of their hearts; though…
Destroyed. They betray the sentiments of their hearts; though some believe that they were now entering into themselves, and desirous to know what they must do to escape the fate of their brethren. God gives them an answer in the following chapter, teaching them that they must refrain from approaching to the tabernacle, unless they be authorized; and provide such things as are requisite for the maintenance of those, whom he has chosen for his ministers. (Calmet) --- Afterwards, he passes over the transactions of about 35 years, in profound silence, that the memory of those who had so often murmured, might perish. (Salien, A.C. 1505. [1505 B.C.])
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 cometh any thing near--that is, nearer than he ought…
cometh any thing near--that is, nearer than he ought to do; an error into which many may fall. Will the stern justice of God overtake every slight offense? We shall all be destroyed. Some, however, regard this exclamation as the symptom or a new discontent, rather than the indication of a reverential and submissive spirit. Let us fear and sin not.
Next: Numbers Chapter 18
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 13. Shall we be consumed — Where God cannot…
13. Shall we be consumed — Where God cannot awaken genuine faith and obedience, as he could not in this rejected generation, he inspires a salutary dread as a preventive of renewed rebellion. Terror must restrain those whom love fails to win. Yet at this point lay the chief danger to faith in the theocracy, the difficulty of realizing the invisible presence of God, and of conceiving a communion with him which should not crush or absorb the finite creature. This shrinking back from joyful communion by reason of the divine majesty appears very often in thoughtful Hebrews, as in Deu_5:24-27; Num_17:12-13; Isa_45:15. See also Job_9:32-35; Job_13:21-22. Hence arose idolatry, which is an attempt to commune with superior powers by visible symbols or images. The incarnation of the Godhead in one true and visible man has removed all excuse for idolatry arising from the inconceivable infinity and awfulness of Jehovah.
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 13. shall we perish all of us?] The exact…
13. shall we perish all of us?] The exact force of the words is doubtful. They may mean ‘Shall we completely come to an end by expiring?’ of which R.V. is a correct paraphrase: or ‘Shall we ever finish expiring?’ i.e. ‘can we ever be free from the danger of death’ if we approach the Tent?
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.
The Pulpit Commentary 1880 · Public Domain Shall we be consumed with dying? It was a…
Shall we be consumed with dying? It was a natural question, considering all that had happened; and indeed it could only be answered in the affirmative, for their sentence was, "In this wilderness they shall be consumed". (Num_14:35) But it was not in human nature that they should calmly accept their fate.
The Pulpit Commentary (1880–1919), ed. H.D.M. Spence-Jones & Joseph S. Exell — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.