Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Psalms 106:16
They envied Moses also in the camp, [and] Aaron the saint of the LORD.
16. the saint of the Lord ] The holy one of Jehovah, specially set apart and consecrated to His service. The malcontents alleged that all the congregation were holy, and Moses answered that Jehovah would shew who were His, and who were holy (Num 16:3-7).
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
16 18. A third sin; jealousy of the authority of Moses and Aaron (Numbers 16).
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
They envied Moses also in the camp – They were envious of him, or rebelled against him, as assuming too much authority. See Num 16:1-2. The reference here is rather to the result of that envy in producing rebellion than to the envy itself. It is true, however, that the foundation of their opposition to him was envy.
And Aaron the saint of the Lord – That is, as set apart to the service of the Lord; or, as employed in holy things. The reference is to his office, not to his personal character.
Fuente: Albert Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
Psa 106:16-18
They envied Moses.
Religious envy and its doom
I. Religious envy.
1. Envy is the chief in many respects of the principalities and powers of darkness in the soul.
2. But for many reasons religious envy is the worst kind of envy.
(1) It is the most unreasonable. For in religious possessions there can be no monopoly. The man who envies another on account of his wealth may reason, Because he has so much, I have so little; but not so in spiritual riches.
(2) It is the most impious. The more true religion a man has in him, the more he pleases and honours his Maker. To envy a man on this account, therefore, implies hostility to Heaven.
II. Its doom (verses 17, 18). It is here suggested–
1. That the evil passions of mankind are offensive to the Almighty
2. That nature is every moment at the disposal of its Maker.
3. That material events symbolize spiritual realities. Envy is a ruinous passion. It is like a whirlpool; it draws down into ruinous abysses all the faculties and powers of human nature. (Homilist.)
Fuente: Biblical Illustrator Edited by Joseph S. Exell
Verse 16. They envied Moses] A reference to the case of Korah and his company.
Aaron the saint.] The anointed, the high priest of the Lord.
Fuente: Adam Clarke’s Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible
So called here, not so much for his inherent holiness, whereof Moses had a greater share, but because he was consecrated or set apart by God for that sacred office of the priesthood, in which respect all the priests are said to be holy, Lev 21:6-8. Hereby he intimates that their envy and rebellion was not only against Aaron, but against God himself.
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole
16-18. All the congregation tookpart with Dathan, Korah, c., and their accomplices (Nu16:41).
Aaron the saintliterally,”the holy one,” as consecrated priest not a moralattribute, but one designating his office as holy to the Lord.The rebellion was followed by a double punishment: (1) of thenon-Levitical rebels, the Reubenites, Dathan and Abiram, c.(Deu 11:6 Num 26:10);these were swallowed up by the earth.
Fuente: Jamieson, Fausset and Brown’s Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
They envied Moses also in the camp,…. That he should be generalissimo there, have the sole command of the people, and be their leader and chief magistrate. Gifts qualifying men for civil government are from the Lord, and these commonly draw the envy of others upon them; who, though they pretend patriotism and the good of their country, yet seek themselves; and would be in the places of those they envy and speak against; which was the case of Dathan and Abiram, the sons of Reuben, who thought themselves as fit, and had a better right, as being the sons of Jacob’s firstborn, to command, than Moses.
And Aaron the saint of the Lord; who was not only a holy good man, but was separated from his brethren, sanctified, and put into the priest’s office, and this drew upon him the envy of many of the Levites, at the head of whom was Korah, a Levite; these envied that he should be the high priest, and that this office should be restrained to his family; now the envy to each of these is ascribed to the whole body of the people, though discovered only in some, because it was not opposed by them; see Nu 16:1.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
16. And they envied He refers here very shortly to another transgression, and that, too, in such a way as to furnish both to himself and others ample grounds for deep consideration. For, as the people, in devising from time to time new modes of sinning, displayed so much cunning in their attempts to provoke God’s anger, so we ought the more to be filled with fear on that account. Moreover, when he says that they envied Moses and Aaron, his meaning is, that, acting under the influence of diabolic pride, they had risen up against God, and were endeavoring to throw off the yoke which he had laid upon them; according as Moses also said,
“
What am I, and what is Aaron, that ye murmur against us?” (Num 16:11)
As it was the will of God to rule the people by means of Moses and Aaron, not to submit to their rule was virtually to set themselves obstinately to resist the authority of God himself. There is therefore great importance attached to the term, envy, namely, that at the very time when God was treating the children of Israel with the utmost kindness and care, they yet were discontented with their lot, and rebelled against him. Could such madness serve any other purpose than to show, that, casting off all farther dependence upon the providence of God for their support, they aspire to rise above the very heavens? In this sense Aaron is called the saint of Jehovah, (247) in order that we might know that both he and Moses were equally identified with God; for under the person of the one, the designation is applied to both, and in this way the prophet shows that they had been Divinely invested with that authority which they were exercising. In renouncing their authority, therefore, and, to the utmost of their power, dishonoring these saints, Dathan and Abiram were rebelling not against men, but against God.
(247) “The saint, i.e. , a man consecrated with holy oil to the office of the priesthood, and wearing on his mitre a plate inscribed, ‘Holiness to the Lord,’ (Exo 28:36)” — Cresswell. קדוש יהוה , holy of the Lord. Aaron is thus called, because he was separated from the whole congregation of Israel, and appointed to direct the public worship, and to offer the sacrifices. In reference to this, Moses said to Korah, ‘The Lord will show who are His, and who is holy,’ (Num 16:5) — Phillips.
Fuente: Calvin’s Complete Commentary
(16) Saint.The holy one. The complaint of the disaffected party was that Moses and Aaron usurped this title, which belonged to all the congregation (Num. 16:3-5).
Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)
(16-18) The poet has Numbers 16, 17 in his mind.
Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)
16. Envied Moses and Aaron The allusion is to the conspiracy of Korah and his company. Numbers 16. Korah was a Levite, and Dathan and Abiram Reubenites. Psa 106:1. These, with two hundred and fifty princes of various tribes, aspired to the high priesthood and leadership of the nation, demanding that these offices should be elective, and all be alike eligible to them. It is not certain whether the affair took place while at Kadesh the first time, or during the thirty-seven years of wandering. It was a fundamental rebellion against the whole organization of the nation by Jehovah, and punished as such.
Aaron the saint of the Lord Or, holy one of Jehovah. This was the point at issue, whether Aaron and Moses were the sanctified ones for their offices, exclusive of the common people.
Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
Psa 106:16 They envied Moses also in the camp, [and] Aaron the saint of the LORD.
Ver. 16. They envied Moses also ] Korah and his complices did; and because the people punished them not, they are all accused as guilty of that conspiracy, and looked upon as a rabble of rebels against heaven.
And Aaron the saint of the Lord
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
NASB (UPDATED) TEXT: Psa 106:16-18
16When they became envious of Moses in the camp,
And of Aaron, the holy one of the Lord,
17The earth opened and swallowed up Dathan,
And engulfed the company of Abiram.
18And a fire blazed up in their company;
The flame consumed the wicked.
Psa 106:16-18 This strophe reflects Numbers 16, the wilderness wandering period.
Psa 106:16 the holy one of the Lord This refers to Aaron as the High Priest. There was a controversy in Numbers 16 over who was the true leader of Israel (cf. Num 16:1-7). Aaron’s special holiness connected to being the High Priest is seen in his clothing as described in Exodus 28, especially Psa 106:36.
Psa 106:18 fire There are several places in Numbers where fire is used for judgment.
1. Nadab and Abihu – killed by fire for offering strange fire, Num 3:4; Num 26:61
2. YHWH’s fire on the complaining Israelites – Num 11:1-3
3. Korah’s rebellion – Num 16:35; Num 26:10
In Exo 24:17 and Deu 4:24, the glory of the Lord is described as a devouring fire (see SPECIAL TOPIC: FIRE ). This denotes the Shekinah cloud of glory that led and protected the Israelites.
Fuente: You Can Understand the Bible: Study Guide Commentary Series by Bob Utley
saint = separated one. See note on Exo 3:5.
Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics
Psa 106:16-18
Psa 106:16-18
SIN NO. 3
This sin was the insurrection against Moses and Aaron by Korah and others, recorded in Numbers 16.
“They envied Moses also in the camp,
And Aaron the saint of Jehovah.
The earth opened and swallowed up Dathan,
And covered the company of Abiram.
And a fire was kindled in their company;
The flame burned up the wicked.”
There were three leaders of this insurrection, namely, Korah, Dathan and Abiram. The omission of Korah’s name is not significant. “This was probably due to the fact of Korah’s name being omitted in Deu 11:6, or because his sons were not destroyed (Num 26:11).
“Earth opened … covered the company of Abiram. And a fire was kindled in their company” (Psa 106:17-18). Abiram’s company was in two divisions, those that were swallowed up into the earth, and the two hundred fifty men who unlawfully usurped the office of the Levites and offered censors of incense contrary to God’s law. Those 250 men were destroyed by fire. Of course, critics, ever searching for what they might be able to label a contradiction, did not overlook the ambiguity here. Addis declared that, “There was no need of the fire if the rebels had already been swallowed up by the earthquake”!
E.M. Zerr
Psa 106:16. This verse takes us down to the time when Korah and his confederates rebelled against Moses and Aaron on account of their authority. (Num 16:1.)
Psa 106:17. This fact is recorded in Num 16:30-34.
Psa 106:18. Following up the history as it was in the making, this verse will refer to Num 16:35 which records the miraculous fire that destroyed these princes.
Fuente: Old and New Testaments Restoration Commentary
Judgment Restrained by Intercession
Psa 106:16-33
The strife between the ungodly and the servants of God has characterized all the centuries. These verses record some of its phases. Moses is called Gods chosen, Aaron his saint, while Phinehas is held in honor as one to whom his noble deed was counted for righteousness. But such men are always envied, refused, resisted. Men hate them, but God loves and vindicates them for their loyalty and uncompromising righteousness.
It is beautiful to notice how, so far from human hatred inducing such leaders to turn from their persecutors, it seems to drive them to more intense and ceaseless intercession for them. They stand in the breach, to turn away deserved wrath. From the days of Abraham, who prayed for Sodom, right down the stream of time, the people of God have been his remembrancers, giving Him no rest. Let us cultivate the great art of intercession; and if there is need, let us, like Phinehas, not hesitate to strike strongly in the interests of purity. But while thus standing before men, we must cultivate the grace of humility. We are only servants at the most and must not arrogate more to ourselves. Our authority is only delegated. This is where Moses failed, Num 20:2-13.
Fuente: F.B. Meyer’s Through the Bible Commentary
envied: Num 16:1, 3-50
the saint: Exo 28:36, Lev 21:6-8, Lev 21:10-12, Num 16:7
Reciprocal: Gen 30:1 – Rachel envied Gen 37:11 – envied Num 16:3 – gathered Deu 33:8 – with thy 1Ch 23:13 – separated Job 5:1 – the saints Eze 2:3 – rebelled Mat 27:18 – he Luk 23:34 – Father Joh 9:29 – know Act 7:39 – whom Jam 4:5 – The spirit
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
Psa 106:16-18. They envied Moses also His authority; in the camp As generalissimo of the armies of Israel, and chief justice in all their courts; and Aaron They envied him his power, as high-priest, on account of his consecration to which office he is here termed the saint of the Lord, and not on account of his inherent holiness, of which, undoubtedly, Moses had a greater share. Hereby the psalmist intimates, that their envy and rebellion were not only against Aaron, but against God himself. The earth swallowed up Dathan With his company, Numbers 16. A fire was kindled in their company Among their associates or confederates, those wicked men, as he calls them in the next clause, namely, Korah and his company, who were consumed by a fire from the Lord, Num 16:35.