Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Numbers 16:47
And Aaron took as Moses commanded, and ran into the midst of the congregation; and, behold, the plague was begun among the people: and he put on incense, and made an atonement for the people.
A striking proof of the efficacy of that very Aaronic priesthood which the rebels had presumed to reject. The incense offering which had brought down destruction when presented by unauthorised hands, now in the hand of the true priest is the medium of instant salvation to the whole people. Aaron by his acceptable ministration and his personal self-devotion foreshadows emphatically in this transaction the perfect mediation and sacrifice of Himself made by Christ.
Fuente: Albert Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
Ran into the midst of the congregation; hazarding his own life to obey God, and to do this wicked people good.
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole
And Aaron took as Moses commanded,…. A censer with fire in it from the altar, and also incense:
and ran into the midst of the congregation: though a man in years and in so high an office, and had been so ill used by the people; yet was not only so ready to obey the divine command, but so eager to serve this ungrateful people, and save them from utter destruction, that he ran from the tabernacle into the midst of them:
and, behold, the plague was begun among the people; he saw them fall down dead instantly in great numbers:
and he put on incense; upon the fire in the censer, which though it was not in common lawful to burn but in the holy place on the altar of incense, yet, upon this extraordinary occasion, it was dispensed with by the Lord, as it had been the day before when he offered it at the door of the tabernacle with the two hundred fifty men of Korah’s company; and perhaps the reason of it now was, that the people might see Aaron perform this kind office for them, and give them a fresh convincing proof of his being invested with the office of priesthood from the Lord, or otherwise he could have done this in its proper place, the sanctuary:
and made an atonement for the people; by offering incense, which God smelt a sweet savour in, and accepted of, and his wrath was appeased and the plague stayed: in this Aaron was a type of our Lord Jesus Christ, and of his mediation, atonement, and intercession; wrath is gone forth from God for the sins of men, which is revealed in the law; and death, the effect of it, has taken place on many in every sense of it, corporeal, spiritual, and eternal: Christ, as Mediator, in pursuance of his suretyship engagements, has made atonement for the sins of his people by the sacrifice of himself; and now ever lives to make intercession for them, which is founded upon his sacrifice and satisfaction, his sufferings and death, signified by the fire in which the incense was put.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
(47) And ran into the midst of the congregation.The whole occasion was an extraordinary one. On ordinary occasions incense might only be offered on the golden altar within the holy place in which the priests ministered.
Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)
47. Aaron ran Here the spirit of forgiveness shines forth resplendently. Against these great leaders a double wrong had been done a conspiracy against their authority and a wicked slander of their fair fame. Num 16:41. Yet they both evince the most intense desire for the salvation of their enemies. The cloud of incense was a mute prayer symbolizing the priestly intercession that came between the divine wrath and the people, and by covering them arrests the plague.
Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
Here we see Aaron representing the LORD JESUS indeed! For surely there was nothing of holiness in Aaron, that could interpose between an offended GOD and perishing sinners. But beheld with an eye to JESUS, we see one of the most interesting views of the Redeemer in his priestly office putting on the incense of his merits, and running into this world from the tabernacle of glory to do away sin by the sacrifice of himself.
Fuente: Hawker’s Poor Man’s Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
Num 16:47 And Aaron took as Moses commanded, and ran into the midst of the congregation; and, behold, the plague was begun among the people: and he put on incense, and made an atonement for the people.
Ver. 47. The plague. ] Which ran as a fire in a grain field.
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
atonement
(See Scofield “Exo 29:33”)
Fuente: Scofield Reference Bible Notes
and ran: Mat 5:44, Rom 12:21
and behold: Psa 106:29
and he put: Num 16:46, Deu 33:10, Deu 33:11, Isa 53:10-12
Reciprocal: Exo 32:30 – an atonement 2Sa 24:21 – the plague 1Ch 23:13 – to burn incense 2Ch 7:13 – I send Psa 99:6 – Moses Psa 105:26 – Aaron Eze 13:5 – have not Hab 3:2 – in wrath Rev 8:3 – much
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
16:47 And Aaron took as Moses commanded, and ran into the midst of the congregation; and, behold, the {s} plague was begun among the people: and he put on incense, and made an atonement for the people.
(s) God had begun to punish the people.