🔢WEB · Numbers 16:47
What does Numbers 16:47 mean?
"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."
— Numbers 16:47 (World English Bible)
Surrounding context
Yahweh spoke to Moses, saying,
“Get away from among this congregation, that I may consume them in a moment!” They fell on their faces.
Moses said to Aaron, “Take your censer, and put fire from off the altar in it, and lay incense on it, and carry it quickly to the congregation, and make atonement for them; for wrath has gone out from Yahweh! The plague has begun.”
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.
He stood between the dead and the living; and the plague was stayed.
Now those who died by the plague were fourteen thousand and seven hundred, besides those who died about the matter of Korah.
Aaron returned to Moses to the door of the Tent of Meeting, and the plague was stopped.
Explanation
Numbers 16:47 falls near the end of a dramatic and deadly episode in Israel's wilderness history. Korah, along with Dathan and Abiram, had led a rebellion against the leadership of Moses and Aaron, challenging their unique authority as God's chosen leaders and priests. God dramatically vindicated Moses and Aaron by causing the earth to swallow the r
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