Numbers 16 · Verse 40

Numbers 16:40

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.
Numbers 16:40, King James Version

Numbers 16:40 in other translations

BSBjust as the LORD commanded him through Moses. This was to be a reminder to the Israelites that no outsider who is not a descendant of Aaron should approach to offer incense before the LORD, lest he become like Korah and his followers.
WEBto be a memorial to the children of Israel, to the end that no stranger who isn’t of the offspring of Aaron, would come near to burn incense before the LORD, that he not be as Korah and as his company; as the LORD spoke to him by Moses.
ASVto be a memorial unto the children of Israel, to the end that no stranger, that is not of the seed of Aaron, come near to burn incense before Jehovah; that he be not as Korah, and as his company: as Jehovah spake unto him by Moses.
YLTa memorial to the sons of Israel, so that a stranger who is not of the seed of Aaron doth not draw near to make a perfume before Jehovah, and is not as Korah, and as his company, --as Jehovah hath spoken by the hand of Moses to him.
DARBYas a memorial to the children of Israel, that no stranger who is not of the seed of Aaron come near to burn incense before Jehovah, that he be not as Korah, and as his band, — as Jehovah had said to him through Moses.
BBETo be a sign, kept in memory for ever by the children of Israel, that no man who is not of the seed of Aaron has the right of burning spices before the Lord, so that he may not be like Korah and his band: as the Lord said to him by the mouth of Moses.
WebsterTo be a memorial to the children of Israel, that no stranger, who is not of the seed of Aaron, should come near to offer incense before the LORD; that he may not be as Korah, and as his company: as the LORD said to him by the hand of Moses.

What does Numbers 16:40 mean?

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown on Numbers 16:37-40

37-40. Speak unto Eleazar--He was selected lest the high priest might contract defilement from going among the dead carcasses.

Read the full comment on Numbers 16:37-40 →

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on Numbers 16:35-40

A fire went out from the Lord, and consumed the two hundred and fifty men that offered incense, while Aaron, who stood with them, was preserved alive. God is jealous of the honour of his own institutions, and will not have them invaded. The sacrifice of the wicked is an abomination to the Lord. The censers are devoted, and, as all devoted things, must be made serviceable to the glory of God. This covering of the…

Read the full comment on Numbers 16:35-40 →

Numbers 16:40 in the original Hebrew

Word-by-word with transliteration, English gloss and Strong's number. Tap a number for the full definition and every place the word is used.

זִכָּר֞וֹןzi.ka.Rona reminderH2146
לִבְנֵ֣יliv.Neito [the] people ofH1121
יִשְׂרָאֵ֗לYis.ra.'ElIsraelH3478
לְ֠מַעַןLe.ma.'anso thatH4616
אֲשֶׁ֨ר'a.SherthatH834
לֹֽא\־lo'-notH3808
יִקְרַ֜בyik.Ravhe may draw nearH7126
אִ֣ישׁ'isha manH376
זָ֗רZarstrangeH2114
אֲ֠שֶׁר'a.SherwhoH834
לֹ֣אlo'notH3808
מִזֶּ֤רַעmi.Ze.ra'[is] one of [the] offspring ofH2233
אַהֲרֹן֙'a.ha.RonAaronH175
ה֔וּאHu'heH1931
לְהַקְטִ֥ירle.hak.Tirto make smokeH6999
קְטֹ֖רֶתke.To.retincenseH7004
לִפְנֵ֣יlif.Nei<to> beforeH6440
יְהוָ֑הYah.wehYahwehH3068
וְלֹֽא\־ve.lo'-and notH3808
יִהְיֶ֤הyih.Yehhe will beH1961
כְקֹ֙רַח֙khe.Ko.rachlike KorahH7141
וְכַ֣עֲדָת֔וֹve.Kha.'a.da.Toand like company hisH5712
כַּאֲשֶׁ֨רka.'a.Sherjust asH834
דִּבֶּ֧רdi.Berhe had spokenH1696
יְהוָ֛הYah.wehYahwehH3068
בְּיַד\־be.yad-by [the] hand ofH3027
מֹשֶׁ֖הmo.ShehMosesH4872
לֽוֹ\׃loto <the> him

Source: STEPBible TAHOT/TAGNT (Tyndale House, CC BY 4.0).

Cross references for Numbers 16:40

  • Numbers 3:10

    And thou shalt appoint Aaron and his sons, and they shall wait on their priest’s office: and the stranger that cometh nigh shall be put to death.

  • Numbers 18:4-7

    And they shall be joined unto thee, and keep the charge of the tabernacle of the congregation, for all the service of the tabernacle: and a stranger shall not come nigh unto you. And ye shall keep the charge of the sanctuary, and the charge of the altar: that there be no wrath any more upon the children of Israel. And I, behold, I have taken your brethren the Levites from among the children of Israel: to you they are given as a gift for the Lord, to do the service of the tabernacle of the congregation. Therefore thou and thy sons with thee shall keep your priest’s office for every thing of the altar, and within the vail; and ye shall serve: I have given your priest’s office unto you as a service of gift: and the stranger that cometh nigh shall be put to death.

  • 2 Chronicles 26:16-21

    But when he was strong, his heart was lifted up to his destruction: for he transgressed against the Lord his God, and went into the temple of the Lord to burn incense upon the altar of incense. And Azariah the priest went in after him, and with him fourscore priests of the Lord, that were valiant men: And they withstood Uzziah the king, and said unto him, It appertaineth not unto thee, Uzziah, to burn incense unto the Lord, but to the priests the sons of Aaron, that are consecrated to burn incense: go out of the sanctuary; for thou hast trespassed; neither shall it be for thine honour from the Lord God. Then Uzziah was wroth, and had a censer in his hand to burn incense: and while he was wroth with the priests, the leprosy even rose up in his forehead before the priests in the house of the Lord, from beside the incense altar. …

  • Exodus 30:7-10

    And Aaron shall burn thereon sweet incense every morning: when he dresseth the lamps, he shall burn incense upon it. And when Aaron lighteth the lamps at even, he shall burn incense upon it, a perpetual incense before the Lord throughout your generations. Ye shall offer no strange incense thereon, nor burnt sacrifice, nor meat offering; neither shall ye pour drink offering thereon. And Aaron shall make an atonement upon the horns of it once in a year with the blood of the sin offering of atonements: once in the year shall he make atonement upon it throughout your generations: it is most holy unto the Lord.

  • Numbers 3:38

    But those that encamp before the tabernacle toward the east, even before the tabernacle of the congregation eastward, shall be Moses, and Aaron and his sons, keeping the charge of the sanctuary for the charge of the children of Israel; and the stranger that cometh nigh shall be put to death.

  • Leviticus 22:10

    There shall no stranger eat of the holy thing: a sojourner of the priest, or an hired servant, shall not eat of the holy thing.

  • Jude 1:11

    Woe unto them! for they have gone in the way of Cain, and ran greedily after the error of Balaam for reward, and perished in the gainsaying of Core.

  • 1 Kings 13:1-3

    And, behold, there came a man of God out of Judah by the word of the Lord unto Beth–el: and Jeroboam stood by the altar to burn incense. And he cried against the altar in the word of the Lord, and said, O altar, altar, thus saith the Lord; Behold, a child shall be born unto the house of David, Josiah by name; and upon thee shall he offer the priests of the high places that burn incense upon thee, and men’s bones shall be burnt upon thee. And he gave a sign the same day, saying, This is the sign which the Lord hath spoken; Behold, the altar shall be rent, and the ashes that are upon it shall be poured out.

  • Numbers 1:51

    And when the tabernacle setteth forward, the Levites shall take it down: and when the tabernacle is to be pitched, the Levites shall set it up: and the stranger that cometh nigh shall be put to death.

Ranked by reader votes · OpenBible.info cross references (CC BY).

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
that no.
3:10,38; 18:4-7; Le 22:10; 2Ch 26:18-20; Jude 1:11
come near.
1Ki 13:1-3; 2Ch 26:16-21

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (Samuel Bagster, c. 1836) · public domain

Context

  • Numbers 16:39

    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:

  • Numbers 16:40

    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.

  • Numbers 16:41

    But on the morrow all the congregation of the children of Israel murmured against Moses and against Aaron, saying, Ye have killed the people of the Lord.

Read all of Numbers 16

Numbers 16:40 in other languages

Spanish
Reina-Valera 1909
En recuerdo á los hijos de Israel que ningún extraño que no sea de la simiente de Aarón, llegue á ofrecer sahumerio delante de Jehová, porque no sea como Coré, y como su séquito; según se lo dijo Jehová por mano de Moisés.
German
Elberfelder 1871
als ein Gedächtnis für die Kinder Israel, auf daß kein Fremder, der nicht vom Samen Aarons ist, herzunahe, um Räucherwerk vor Jehova zu räuchern, und es ihm nicht ergehe wie Korah und seiner Rotte, -so wie Jehova durch Mose zu ihm geredet hatte.
Latin
Clementine Vulgate
ut haberent postea filii Israël, quibus commonerentur ne quis accedat alienigena, et qui non est de semine Aaron ad offerendum incensum Domino, ne patiatur sicut passus est Core, et omnis congregatio ejus, loquente Domino ad Moysen.