And fire came forth from the LORD and consumed the 250 men who were offering the incense.
Parallel translations
- WEB Fire came out from Yahweh, and devoured the two hundred fifty men who offered the incense.
- KJV And there came out a fire from the LORD, and consumed the two hundred and fifty men that offered incense.
- NKJV And a fire came out from the Lord and consumed the two hundred and fifty men who were offering incense.
- NASB Fire also came out from the Lord and consumed the 250 men who were offering the incense.
- NLT Then fire blazed forth from the Lord and burned up the 250 men who were offering incense.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Quick answer
Fire from the LORD consumed the 250 men who had offered incense. God judged the presumptuous priestly claimants directly.
Overview
While the earth swallowed Korah's allies, fire from the LORD devours the 250 who dared to offer incense. Their destruction confirms that only God's appointed priest could approach him acceptably. The episode underscores the holiness of God's worship, fulfilled in Christ, the one mediator through whom alone we may draw near (Hebrews 12:28-29).
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 6
- Num 26:10And the earth opened its mouth and swallowed them along with Korah, whose followers died when the fire consumed 250 men. They serve as a warning sign.
- Lev 10:2So fire came out from the presence of the LORD and consumed them, and they died in the presence of the LORD.
- Ps 106:18Then fire blazed through their company; flames consumed the wicked.
- Num 11:1–3Soon the people began to complain about their hardship in the hearing of the LORD, and when He heard them, His anger was kindled, and fire from the LORD blazed among them and consumed the outskirts of the camp.
- Num 16:17Each man is to take his censer, place incense in it, and present it before the LORD—250 censers. You and Aaron are to present your censers as well.”
- Num 16:2a rebellion against Moses, along with 250 men of Israel renowned as leaders of the congregation and representatives in the assembly.
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Christ at the center
In the wilderness Christ is the water from the rock, the bronze serpent lifted up that the dying might look and live (John 3:14), and the star and scepter that Balaam saw rising out of Jacob.
How Numbers 16:35 points to him is part of the one story that runs through all Scripture — meet Jesus at the heart of the web, or follow a trail that traces him from Genesis to Revelation.
Original language
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