“Get away from this congregation so that I may consume them in an instant.” And Moses and Aaron fell facedown.
Parallel translations
- WEB “Get away from among this congregation, that I may consume them in a moment!” They fell on their faces.
- KJV Get you up from among this congregation, that I may consume them as in a moment. And they fell upon their faces.
- NKJV “Get away from among this congregation, that I may consume them in a moment.” And they fell on their faces.
- NASB “Get away from among this congregation so that I may consume them instantly.” Then they fell on their faces.
- NLT “Get away from all these people so that I can instantly destroy them!” But Moses and Aaron fell face down on the ground.
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
God told Moses and Aaron to get away so He could consume the congregation in a moment; they fell on their faces in intercession.
Overview
As at earlier rebellions, God's holiness threatens immediate destruction, yet Moses and Aaron respond not by fleeing but by falling on their faces in prayer. Their intercession mirrors Moses' earlier pleas and reveals hearts shaped by mercy. This pattern points forward to the greater Mediator who intercedes for sinners deserving wrath.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 6
- Num 16:21–22“Separate yourselves from this congregation so that I may consume them in an instant.”
- Num 16:24“Tell the congregation to move away from the dwellings of Korah, Dathan, and Abiram.”
- Num 16:26And he warned the congregation, “Move away now from the tents of these wicked men. Do not touch anything that belongs to them, or you will be swept away because of all their sins.”
- Matt 26:39Going a little farther, He fell facedown and prayed, “My Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from Me. Yet not as I will, but as You will.”
- 1 Chr 21:16When David lifted up his eyes and saw the angel of the LORD standing between heaven and earth, with a drawn sword in his hand stretched out over Jerusalem, David and the elders, clothed in sackcloth, fell facedown.
- Num 20:6Then Moses and Aaron went from the presence of the assembly to the entrance to the Tent of Meeting. They fell facedown, and the glory of the LORD appeared to them.
Themes, concepts, people & topics
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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 16:45 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
Each word below is tagged with its Strong’s number — tap one to see the underlying Hebrew word, its meaning, and every verse that uses it.