The Skeptics Annotated Bible (146 page)

17 And take every man his censer, and put incense in them, and bring ye before the LORD every man his censer, two hundred and fifty censers; thou also, and Aaron, each of you his censer.

18 And
they took every man his censer, and put fire
in them,
and laid incense thereon, and stood in the door of the tabernacle of the congregation with Moses and Aaron.

(16.18)
“They took every man his censer, and put fire … and laid incense thereon, and stood in the door of the tabernacle of the congregation with Moses and Aaron.”

19
And Korah gathered all the congregation against them
unto the door of the tabernacle of the congregation:
and the glory of the LORD appeared unto all the congregation.

(16.19)
“And Korah gathered all the congregation against them … and the glory of the LORD appeared unto all the congregation.”

20
And the LORD spake unto Moses and unto Aaron, saying,

21
Separate yourselves from among this congregation, that I may consume them in a moment.

(16.20-21)
“And the LORD spake unto Moses and unto Aaron, saying, Separate yourselves from among this congregation, that I may consume them in a moment.”
God warns everyone to get away; he’s going to kill some more people.

22
And they fell upon their faces, and said
, O God, the God of the spirits of all flesh,
shall one man sin, and wilt thou be wroth with all the congregation?

(16.22)
“And they fell upon their faces, and said … shall one man sin, and wilt thou be wroth with all the congregation?”

23
And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying
,

24 Speak unto the congregation, saying,
Get you up from about the tabernacle of Korah, Dathan, and Abiram.

(16.23-24)
“And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying … Get you up from about the tabernacle of Korah, Dathan, and Abiram.”

25 And Moses rose up and went unto Dathan and Abiram; and the elders of Israel followed him.

26 And he spake unto the congregation, saying, Depart, I pray you, from the tents of these wicked men, and touch nothing of their’s, lest ye be consumed in all their sins.

27
So they gat up from the tabernacle of Korah, Dathan, and Abiram
, on every side:
and Dathan and Abiram came out, and stood in the door of their tents, and their wives, and their sons, and their little children.

(16.27)
“So they gat up from the tabernacle of Korah, Dathan, and Abiram … and Dathan and Abiram came out, and stood in the door of their tents, and their wives, and their sons, and their little children.”

28 And Moses said,
Hereby ye shall know that the LORD hath sent me
to do all these works; for I have not done them of mine own mind.

(16.28)
“Hereby ye shall know that the LORD hath sent me.”

29 If these men die the common death of all men, or if they be visited after the visitation of all men; then the LORD hath not sent me.

30 But
if the LORD make
a new thing, and
the earth open her mouth, and swallow them up, with all that appertain unto them, and they go down quick into the pit
; then ye shall understand that these men have provoked the LORD.

(16.30)
“If the LORD make … the earth open her mouth, and swallow them up, with all that appertain unto them, and they go down quick into the pit.”
Moses tells the people that if the ground opens up and swallows the rebels and their families, then you’ll know that God’s on his side.

31 And it came to pass, as he had made an end of speaking all these words, that the ground clave asunder that was under them:

32 And
the earth opened her mouth, and swallowed them up, and their houses, and all the men that appertained unto Korah
, and all their goods.

(16.32)
“The earth opened her mouth, and swallowed them up, and their houses, and all the men that appertained unto Korah.”

33
They
, and all that appertained to them,
went down alive into the pit, and the earth closed upon them:
and they perished from among the congregation.

(16:33)
“They … went down alive into the pit, and the earth closed upon them.”
137 Did God burn all of Korah’s children to death?

34 And all Israel that were round about them fled at the cry of them: for they said, Lest the earth swallow us up also.

35 And
there came out a fire from the LORD, and consumed the two hundred and fifty men that offered incense.

(16.35)
“There came out a fire from the LORD, and consumed the two hundred and fifty men that offered incense.”
God’s 21st Killing

(16.36-37) After burning the 250 guys that offered incense, God tells Moses to keep their censers (because they are holy) to remind everyone not to offer incense without a license.

36
And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying,

(16.36)
“And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying,”

37 Speak unto Eleazar the son of Aaron the priest, that he
take up the censers out of the burning
, and scatter thou the fire yonder;
for they are hallowed.

(16.37)
“Take up the censers out of the burning … for they are hallowed.”

38 The censers of these sinners against their own souls, let them make them broad plates for a covering of the altar: for they offered them before the LORD, therefore they are hallowed: and they shall be a sign unto the children of Israel.

39 And Eleazar the priest took the brasen censers, wherewith they that were burnt had offered; and they were made broad plates for a covering of the altar:

40 To be a memorial unto the children of Israel, that no stranger, which is not of the seed of Aaron, come near to offer incense before the LORD; that he be not as Korah, and as his company: as the LORD said to him by the hand of Moses.

(16.41-49) After God killed Korah, his companions, their families, and 250 incense burners, the people complained saying, “ye have killed the people of the Lord.” So God, who doesn’t take kindly to criticism, sends a plague on the people. And “they that died in the plague were 14,700.”
God’s 22nd Killing