Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Numbers 16:3

And they gathered themselves together against Moses and against Aaron, and said unto them, [Ye take] too much upon you, seeing all the congregation [are] holy, every one of them, and the LORD [is] among them: wherefore then lift ye up yourselves above the congregation of the LORD?

3. Ye take too much upon you ] lit. Enough for you! ‘Your overweening claims have gone far enough!’

Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges

All the congregation are holy – Compare the marginal reference. Korahs object was not to abolish the distinction between the Levites and the people, but to win priestly dignity for himself and his kinsmen Num 16:10. This ultimate design is masked for the present in order to win support from the Reubenites by putting forward claims to spiritual equality on behalf of every Israelite.

Fuente: Albert Barnes’ Notes on the Bible

Verse 3. Ye take too much upon you] The original is simply rab lachem, too much for you. The spirit of this saying appears to me to be the following: – “Holy offices are not equally distributed: you arrogate to yourselves the most important ones, as if your superior holiness entitled you alone to them; whereas all the congregation are holy, and have an equal right with you to be employed in the most holy services.” Moses retorts this saying Nu 16:7: Ye take too much upon you, rab lachem; Ye have too much already, ye sons of Levi; i. e., by your present spirit and disposition you prove yourselves to be wholly unworthy of any spiritual employment.

Fuente: Adam Clarke’s Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible

They, i.e. either Korah, and the two hundred and fifty princes, which may seem probable by comparing this with Num 16:12,25,27, where we find Dathan and Abiram in another place, even in their tents, whither it is likely they were gone by consent to form and strengthen their party there, while Korah and the rest went to Moses. Or, Korah, Dathan, and Abiram, and the rest, who were all together when Moses spake those words, Num 16:5-7; but after that Dathan and Abiram retired to their tents, and then Moses sent for Korah and the Levites, who had more special and more colourable pretences to the priesthood, and treats with them apart, and speaks what is mentioned Num 16:8-11; and then having dispatched them, he sends for Dathan and Abiram, Num 16:12, that he might reason the case with them also apart.

Against Aaron, to whom the priesthood was confined, and against Moses, both because this was done by his order, and because before Aarons consecration Moses appropriated it to himself. For whatever they intended, they seem not now directly to strike at Moses for his supreme civil government, but only for his interest and influence in the disposal of the priesthood, as may appear by the whole context, and particularly by Num 16:5,10,15, &c.

Ye take too much upon you, by perpetuating the priesthood in yourselves and family, with the exclusion of all others from it. Are holy; a kingdom of priests, a holy nation, as they are called Exo 19:6; a people separated to the service of God, and therefore no less fit to present themselves before God, and to offer sacrifice and incense for themselves, than you are.

The Lord is among them, by his tabernacle and cloud, the tokens of his special and gracious presence, and therefore ready to receive all their sacriiiccs and services from their own hands.

Wherefore lift ye up yourselves; thou, Moses, by prescribing what laws thou pleasest about the priesthood, and confining it to thy brother; and thou, Aaron, by usurping it as thy peculiar privilege?

Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole

3. they gathered themselves togetheragainst Moses and against AaronThe assemblage seems to havebeen composed of the whole band of conspirators; and they groundedtheir complaint on the fact that the whole people, being separated tothe divine service (Ex 19:6),were equally qualified to present offerings on the altar, and thatGod, being graciously, present among them by the tabernacle and thecloud, evinced His readiness to receive sacrifices from the hand ofany others as well as from theirs.

Fuente: Jamieson, Fausset and Brown’s Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible

And they gathered themselves together against Moses, and against Aaron,…. They met together by appointment, and went up in a body to Moses and Aaron:

and said unto them, [ye take] too much upon you; the one to be king, and the other to be priest; for they imagined that Moses took the civil government into his hands, and Aaron the priesthood, of themselves, without any call of God to either; but the contrary is most certain, Heb 3:2; the Israelites, those of the other tribes besides Levi and Reuben, thought that Moses took too much upon him of his own head, to take the Levites instead of the firstborn, and confer a dignity on his own brethren, the sons of Kohath, who were near akin to him, and on all the sons of Levi, as Aben Ezra observes; and the Levites they conspired against him, because they were given to Aaron and his sons; and Dathan and Abiram entered into a conspiracy, as the same writer thinks, because he had removed the birthright from Reuben their father, and had given it to Joseph; for it is probable they suspected him, because of Joshua his minister; and Jarchi conjectures that Korah was angry because Moses had conferred the government of the Kohathites on Elizaphan, the son of Uzziel, the youngest son of Kohath, when he himself, Korah, was the eldest son of an elder son of Kohath: or “it is”, or “let it be enough for you” m; or more than enough, as Jarchi; it is sufficient that you have had the government, both in things civil and religious, so long as you have; it is time to give it up to others, who are as well qualified as yourselves. The time past may suffice for the exercise of your despotic and arbitrary power; though it seems to be chiefly levelled against Aaron, and his priesthood, which they thought Moses had conferred on his brother of himself, any instruction from God:

seeing all the congregation [are] holy, everyone of them; having all heard the words of the Lord on Sinai, as Jarchi notes; and were all fit to be priests, and to offer sacrifice in and for their families, as they had used to do, before the separation of Aaron and his sons to the priesthood:

and the Lord [is] among them; in the tabernacle, to whom they could approach and offer their offerings without a priest to do it for them:

wherefore then lift ye up yourselves above the congregation of the Lord? since they were all upon a level, everyone holy to the Lord, and might draw nigh unto him, and officiate as priests; wherefore they represent it as great pride and vanity in them; in Moses to take upon him to dispose of the priesthood at his pleasure, and make Aaron the high priest of the people; and in Aaron to take this office upon him, and to be an high priest, and not all the sons of Levi, but over all the children of Israel.

m “sat est vel satis sit”, Pagninus, Vatablus, Drusius, Junius Tremellius, Piscator so Aben Ezra.

Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible

3. Ye take too much upon you. (89) Some explain, “Let it suffice,” as if they desired to put an end to the tyranny of Moses; but I am rather of opinion that they would thus make a charge of presumptuous and sacrilegious supremacy, as if Moses and Aaron had not only usurped more than their right, but had also robbed God of His supreme authority. They, therefore, reproach the holy men with having impiously subjected to themselves the inheritance of God. Thus we see that God’s faithful servants, whatever may be their moderation, are still not exempted from false accusations. Moses was an extraordinary example, not only of integrity, but also of humility and gentleness; yet he is called proud and violent, as if he unworthily oppressed the people of God. Observe further, that God permits His servants to be loaded with such unjust calumnies, in order to teach them that they must expect their reward elsewhere than from the world; and that the may humble them and make trial of their endurance. Let us learn, then, to harden ourselves, so as to be prepared, though we do well, to be evil spoken of. These ungodly and seditious men betray their senselessness as well as their impudence. For by what right do they seek to degrade Moses and Aaron? Because, forsooth, God dwells amongst the people, and all in the congregation are holy! But holiness is neither destructive of subordination, nor does it introduce confusion, nor release believers from the obligation to obey the laws. It is madness in them, then, to infer that those, whom God has sane-titled, are not subject to the yoke; yet they maliciously stigmatize as tyranny that care of the people which God has intrusted to His servants, as if they would purposely turn light into darkness.

(89) “Sat sit vobis;” let it be enough for you. — Lat.

Fuente: Calvin’s Complete Commentary

(3) Ye take too much upon you . . . Or, enough for you (comp. Gen. 14:28), i.e., you have held the priesthood and the government long enough; or, Let it be enough for you to be numbered amongst the holy people without usurping dominion over them. It is evident from the whole tenour of the address that Korah laid claim to a universal priesthood on behalf of the people, designing probably to secure the chief place in that priesthood for himself.

Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)

3. Against Moses and Aaron The evident intent was to seize the government under a self-constituted high priest, and thus subvert the constitution established by Jehovah, under the popular plea of equal rights and of devotion to the service of God.

Too much upon you Literally, enough for you, ye have held the reins quite long enough. Ye must now vacate.

All are holy The condition of true holiness obedience and covenant-keeping (Exo 19:5) they had forgotten, and they supposed, as many Christians have done, that they were holy already because they were called a holy nation.

Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments

Num 16:3. Ye take too much upon you, seeing all, &c. The Hebrew is very emphatical, . Moses retorts this same expression upon the rebellious Levites in the 7th verse. Dr. Beaumont observes, that the Hebrew signifies much to you, or enough for you.

Fuente: Commentary on the Holy Bible by Thomas Coke

What an awful state must that mind be given up to, that in the very moment of daring sin fancies itself holy! JESUS describes the church of Laodicea in this dreadfully deluded state, as counting herself to be rich and needing nothing, when in reality she was wretchedly poor and miserable before GOD. Oh! how exceedingly is it to be feared, that many, very many professing churches of our day are in this awful state! Rev 3:14-17 .

Fuente: Hawker’s Poor Man’s Commentary (Old and New Testaments)

Num 16:3 And they gathered themselves together against Moses and against Aaron, and said unto them, [Ye take] too much upon you, seeing all the congregation [are] holy, every one of them, and the LORD [is] among them: wherefore then lift ye up yourselves above the congregation of the LORD?

Ver. 3. Against Moses and against Aaron. ] They were against both magistracy and ministry, as our late levellers, and would have brought in anarchy, that every man might offer his own sacrifice, and do that which is good in his own eyes: Regnum Cyclopicum.

Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)