Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Numbers 16:4
And when Moses heard [it], he fell upon his face:
Humbly begging that God would direct him, and defend and vindicate him from this false and odious imputation. See Num 14:5. Accordingly God answers his prayers, and inspires him with this following answer to Korah, and strengthens him with new courage, and confidence of good success.
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole
4. when Moses heard it, he fell uponhis faceThis attitude of prostration indicated not only hishumble and earnest desire that God would interpose to free him fromthe false and odious imputation, but also his strong sense of thedaring sin involved in this proceeding. Whatever feelings may beentertained respecting Aaron, who had formerly headed a seditionhimself [Nu 12:1], it isimpossible not to sympathize with Moses in this difficult emergency.But he was a devout man, and the prudential course he adopted wasprobably the dictate of that heavenly wisdom with which, in answer tohis prayers, he was endowed.
Fuente: Jamieson, Fausset and Brown’s Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
And when Moses heard [it],…. What they said, their complaint against him, for setting up Aaron for an high priest, and against Aaron for taking this honour to himself:
he fell upon his face; through shame, as the Targum of Jonathan, blushing at their sin, in opposing the ordinance of God; and through fear of the divine displeasure, and of the wrath of God coming upon them for such wickedness; and in order to pray to God for them to make them sensible of their sin, and give them repentance for it, and pardon of it, and avert his judgments from them such a conduct called aloud for.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
When Moses heard these words of the rebels, he fell upon his face, to complain of the matter to the Lord, as in Num 14:5. He then said to Korah and his company, “ To-morrow Jehovah will show who is His and holy, and will let him come near to Him, and he whom He chooseth will draw near to Him.” The meaning of is evident from . He is Jehovah’s, whom He chooses, so that He belongs to Him with his whole life. The reference is to the priestly rank, to which God had chosen Aaron and his sons out of the whole nation, and sanctified them by a special consecration (Exo 28:1; Exo 29:1; Lev 8:12, Lev 8:30), and by which they became the persons “standing near to Him” (Lev 10:3), and were qualified to appear before Him in the sanctuary, and present to Him the sacrifices of the nation.
Fuente: Keil & Delitzsch Commentary on the Old Testament
Verses 4-11:
Korah’s position as a Levite and his kinship with Moses and Aaron likely gave him considerable influence. He attracted a large and powerful following.
Moses addressed Korah directly. He committed the entire matter to God, affirming that He would show conclusively who was His choice for leadership.
The test proposed involved the use of “censers,” fire-pans, such as were used in priestly functions.
Moses then addressed all the “sons of Levi.” This implies that there may have been a considerable amount of public opinion which favored Korah, although no mention is made of any other Levites who joined his conspiracy.
Moses reminded the Levites of the considerable honor given to them, to be chosen as the exclusive ministers of Jehovah and the custodians of the priesthood. He solemnly warned that the conspiracy was not against Aaron, but against Jehovah Himself.
This incident affirms that rebellion against God’s appointed leaders is in reality rebellion against Him.
Fuente: Garner-Howes Baptist Commentary
4. And when Moses heard it, he fell upon his face. There is no doubt but that he had recourse to prayer in his perplexity, since he knew that the remedy for so great an evil was only in the hand of God. It is in this respect that the magnanimity of the ungodly differs from the firmness of believers; for it often happens that unbelievers also labor in the defense of a good cause, voluntarily expose themselves to the hatred of many, undergo severe contests, and encounter of their own accord great perils; but with them obstinacy stands in the place of virtue. But those who look to God, since they know that the prosperous or unhappy events of all things are in His power, thus rely upon His providence; and when any adversity occurs, implore His faithfulness and assistance. When, therefore, Moses cast himself upon the earth, this (90) supplication was of more: value than all those heroic virtues in which unbelievers have ever seemed to excel.
(90) “Telle humilite a prier;” such humility in prayer. — Fr.
Fuente: Calvin’s Complete Commentary
The Challenge of the Censers ( Num 16:4-7 ).
Num 16:4
‘And when Moses heard it, he fell on his face,’
It is unlikely that this means in the assembly, and as at this point Dathan and Abiram with their Reubenite followers withdrew (Num 16:12) it suggests that he went into the tent of meeting in order to do so. Falling on the face was an act of total submission. We are left to recognise that Yahweh spoke to him, for the next we hear is of the message that he brought back to them.
Num 16:5
‘And he spoke to Korah and to all his company, saying, “In the morning Yahweh will show who are his, and who is holy, and will cause him to come near to him, even he whom he will choose will he cause to come near to him.” ’
He came back and gave his reply to Korah and the two hundred and fifty princes, for apparently Dathan and Abiram had retired to their tents in the camp of Reuben. They were willing to leave the first positive action in Korah’s hands.
In his reply he assured them that on the very next day Yahweh would demonstrate who were His, and who were holy, ‘and will cause the ones whom He chose to come near to him’. That should have given them pause for thought, but they were too taken up with their ambitions to consider the possible consequences. They coveted the position of the Aaronic priests.
Num 16:6-7
“ Do this. Take for yourselves censers, Korah, and all his company, and put fire in them, and put incense on them before Yahweh tomorrow, and it shall be that the man whom Yahweh chooses, he shall be holy. You take too much on you, you sons of Levi.”
The test would be simple. Korah and his two hundred and fifty were to take censers for themselves next day, and put fire in them, and then put incense on it to burn ‘before Yahweh’, that is, in the courtyard to the Dwellingplace. Then they would discover whom Yahweh saw as holy. Those chosen by Yahweh would be seen to be holy. And all knew from past experience what happened to those who acted in this way when they were not chosen, and were not holy enough.
“You take too much on you, you sons of Levi.” Compare the charge made against him in Num 16:3. He warned the Levites quite firmly of the danger of what they were doing, and that it was they who were taking too much on themselves. They ought to recognise the danger of what they were doing. After all it was not for nothing that they had been appointed guardians of the Dwellingplace. The stress that the writer is seeking to get over comes over quite clearly.
The choice of the censer was a sensible one. It meant that none of the furniture in the Dwellingplace would be tampered with. But it was also the means of the most intimate approach to God. He was challenging these men to recognise what they were doing. Approaching Yahweh in this way was no light matter.
“Sons of Levi” may refer to all the two hundred and fifty, either because they were so, or sarcastically because that was what they were attempting to become. Or it may refer to a group of Levites who were leaders, with Korah, in the attempt to promulgate the participation of the two hundred and fifty.
Fuente: Commentary Series on the Bible by Peter Pett
What a convincing view at once was this of Moses’ mind! So LORD, let me fall before thy throne of grace, whenever Satan accuseth or the reproaches of the ungodly make me afraid. If the Reader would improve this subject, he may learn under the divine teachings, a sweet lesson suited in Psa 31 .
Fuente: Hawker’s Poor Man’s Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
Num 16:4 And when Moses heard [it], he fell upon his face:
Ver. 4. He fell upon his face. ] As a suppliant to them, not to proceed in their rebellion; or rather to God, not to proceed against them for their sin.
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
Num 16:45, Num 14:5, Num 20:6, Jos 7:6
Reciprocal: Num 16:22 – they fell Eze 9:8 – that I
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
Num 16:4. Moses fell upon his face Humbly begging that God would direct and vindicate him. Accordingly God answers his prayers, and strengthens him with new courage, and confidence of success.
Fuente: Joseph Bensons Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
Moses fell on his face (Num 16:4) in great distress and took the matter to God in prayer (cf. Num 14:5).
The test involved offering incense because this was the most holy responsibility of the priests that brought them closest to God. God had already shown how He felt about those who took this privilege on themselves in the case of Nadab and Abihu (Num 10:1-3).