Numbers 16:9

Seemeth it but a small thing unto you, that the God of Israel hath separated you from the congregation of Israel, to bring you near to himself to do the service of the tabernacle of the LORD, and to stand before the congregation to minister unto them?

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Word by word — the Hebrew

Word	Hebrew	Strong’s	Meaning
thing	הַמְעַ֣ט ham.'At	H4592	a little or few (often adverbial or compar.) · interrogative particle + noun, common masculine singular absolute
God	אֱלֹהֵ֨י 'e.lo.Hei	H430	gods in the ordinary sense · noun, common masculine plural construct
Israel	יִשְׂרָאֵ֤ל Yis.ra.'El	H3478	Jisrael · proper noun, a place name
separated	הִבְדִּיל֩ hiv.Dil	H914	to divide (in variation senses literally or figuratively · verb, hiphil perfect, 3rd person masculine singular
congregation	מֵעֲדַ֣ת me.'a.Dat	H5712	a stated assemblage (specifically · preposition + noun, common feminine singular construct
Israel	יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל Yis.ra.'El	H3478	Jisrael · proper noun, a place name
near	לְהַקְרִ֥יב le.hak.Riv	H7126	to approach (causatively · preposition + verb, hiphil infinitive construct
do	לַעֲבֹ֗ד la.'a.Vod	H5647	to work (in any sense) · preposition + verb, qal infinitive construct
service	עֲבֹדַת֙ 'a.vo.Dat	H5656	work of any kind · noun, common feminine singular construct
tabernacle	מִשְׁכַּ֣ן mish.Kan	H4908	a residence (including a shepherd's hut · noun, common masculine singular construct
LORD	יְהוָ֔ה Yah.weh	H3068	Jehovah · proper noun, a title
stand	וְלַעֲמֹ֛ד ve.la.'a.Mod	H5975	to stand · conjunction + preposition + verb, qal infinitive construct
before	לִפְנֵ֥י lif.Nei	H6440	the face (as the part that turns) · preposition + noun, common masculine plural construct
congregation	הָעֵדָ֖ה ha.'e.Dah	H5712	a stated assemblage (specifically · definite article + noun, common feminine singular absolute
minister	לְשָׁרְתָֽם le.sha.re.Tam	H8334	to attend as a menial or worshipper · preposition + verb, piel infinitive construct + pronominal suffix, 3rd person masculine plural

Strong's Exhaustive Concordance (James Strong, 1890/1894), public domain; digitized by Open Scriptures (CC BY-SA). KJV word tagging: eBible.org (public domain). Original-language text, parsing and brief lexicon: STEPBible.org data from Tyndale House, Cambridge (CC BY 4.0).

Cross-references

Deuteronomy 10:8 At that time the LORD separated the tribe of Levi, to bear the ark of the covenant of the LORD, to stand before the LORD to minister unto hi…
Isaiah 7:13 And he said, Hear ye now, O house of David; Is it a small thing for you to weary men, but will ye weary my God also?
Ezekiel 44:10-11 And the Levites that are gone away far from me, when Israel went astray, which went astray away from me after their idols; they shall even b…
Numbers 1:53 But the Levites shall pitch round about the tabernacle of testimony, that there be no wrath upon the congregation of the children of Israel:…
Numbers 3:6 Bring the tribe of Levi near, and present them before Aaron the priest, that they may minister unto him.
Numbers 16:13 Is it a small thing that thou hast brought us up out of a land that floweth with milk and honey, to kill us in the wilderness, except thou m…
1 Samuel 18:23 And Saul’s servants spake those words in the ears of David. And David said, Seemeth it to you a light thing to be a king’s son in law, seein…
Nehemiah 12:44 And at that time were some appointed over the chambers for the treasures, for the offerings, for the firstfruits, and for the tithes, to gat…

Cross-references from OpenBible.info (CC BY), in the lineage of the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (public domain).

Commentary

Matthew Henry on Numbers 16:1-11

Here is, I. An account of the rebels, who and what they were, not, as formerly, the mixed multitude and the dregs of the people, who are therefore never named, but men of distinction and quality, that made a figure. Korah was the ring-leader: he formed and headed the faction; therefore it is called the gainsaying of Korah, Jde 1:11. He was cousin-german to Moses, they were brothers' children, yet the nearness of the relation could not restrain him from being insolent and rude to Moses. Think it not strange if a man's foes be those of his own house. With him joined Dathan and Abiram, chief men of the tribe of Reuben, the eldest son of Jacob. Probably Korah was disgusted both at the preferment…

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Jamieson-Fausset-Brown on Numbers 16:6

Take your censers, Korah, and all his company, &c.--that is, since you aspire to the priesthood, then go, perform the highest function of the office--that of offering incense; and if you are accepted well. How magnanimous the conduct of Moses, who was now as willing that God's people should be priests, as formerly that they should be prophets (Num 11:29). But he warned them that they were making a perilous experiment.

John Gill on Numbers 16:9

Seemeth it but a small thing unto you,.... It should not; for it was a great thing which the Lord had done for them, and with which they should have been satisfied, and for it thankful: that the God of Israel hath separated you from the congregation of Israel: this was a special favour, and ought to have been esteemed such, that God, who was the God of the whole people of Israel in common, should separate the tribe of Levi from all the rest of the tribes of Israel: to bring you near to himself; next to the priests their brethren of the same tribe, to be joined to them, and assist them in their service, and officiate in the court of the tabernacle, where the divine Majesty dwelt: to do the…

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John Calvin on Numbers 16:8-10

Dictionary and topics

Aaron — The eldest son of Amram and Jochebed, a daughter of Levi (Ex. 6:20). Some explain the name as meaning mountaineer, others mountain of strength, illuminator. He was born in Egypt three years before…
Abiram — Father of height; i.e., “proud.” (1.) One of the sons of Eliab, who joined Korah in the conspiracy against Moses and Aaron. He and all the conspirators, with their families and possessions (except…
Korah — Ice, hail. (1.) The third son of Esau, by Aholibamah (Gen. 36:14; 1 Chr. 1:35). (2.) A Levite, the son of Izhar, the brother of Amram, the father of Moses and Aaron (Ex. 6:21). The institution of the…
Aaron · Murmured against, by the people — Murmured against, by the people
Ambition · .Korah and his co-conspirators — .Korah and his co-conspirators
Dathan · A conspirator against Moses — A conspirator against Moses
Desert, Journey Of Israel Through The · Rebellion of Korah — Rebellion of Korah
Ingratitude · OF MAN TO GOD — OF MAN TO GOD
Levites · Set apart as ministers of religion — Set apart as ministers of religion
Levites, The · Punishment of Korah and others of, for offering incense — Punishment of Korah and others of, for offering incense
Meekness · .Moses — .Moses
Murmuring · .Korah — .Korah

Numbers 16:9

Word by word — the Hebrew

Cross-references

Commentary

Matthew Henry on Numbers 16:1-11

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown on Numbers 16:6

John Gill on Numbers 16:9

John Calvin on Numbers 16:8-10

Dictionary and topics

Numbers 16:9

Word by word — the Hebrew

Cross-references

Commentary

Matthew Henry on Numbers 16:1-11

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown on Numbers 16:6

John Gill on Numbers 16:9

John Calvin on Numbers 16:8-10

Dictionary and topics

Keil & Delitzsch on Numbers 16:6-14

Tyndale Open Study Notes on Numbers 16:6

Rashi on Numbers 16:9