Numbers 16:35
New International Version
And fire came out from the LORD and consumed the 250 men who were offering the incense.

New Living Translation
Then fire blazed forth from the LORD and burned up the 250 men who were offering incense.

English Standard Version
And fire came out from the LORD and consumed the 250 men offering the incense.

Berean Standard Bible
And fire came forth from the LORD and consumed the 250 men who were offering the incense.

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

New King James Version
And a fire came out from the LORD and consumed the two hundred and fifty men who were offering incense.

New American Standard Bible
Fire also came out from the LORD and consumed the 250 men who were offering the incense.

NASB 1995
Fire also came forth from the LORD and consumed the two hundred and fifty men who were offering the incense.

NASB 1977
Fire also came forth from the LORD and consumed the two hundred and fifty men who were offering the incense.

Legacy Standard Bible
Fire also came forth from Yahweh and consumed the 250 men who were bringing near the incense.

Amplified Bible
Fire also came forth from the LORD and consumed the two hundred and fifty men who were offering the incense.

Christian Standard Bible
Fire also came out from the LORD and consumed the 250 men who were presenting the incense.

Holman Christian Standard Bible
Fire also came out from the LORD and consumed the 250 men who were presenting the incense.

American Standard Version
And fire came forth from Jehovah, and devoured the two hundred and fifty men that offered the incense.

Contemporary English Version
Suddenly the LORD sent a fire that burned up the 250 men who had offered incense to him.

English Revised Version
And fire came forth from the LORD, and devoured the two hundred and fifty men that offered the incense.

GOD'S WORD® Translation
Fire came from the LORD and consumed the 250 men who were offering incense.

Good News Translation
Then the LORD sent a fire that blazed out and burned up the 250 men who had presented the incense.

International Standard Version
After this, fire came from the LORD and incinerated the 250 men who offered the incense.

Majority Standard Bible
And fire came forth from the LORD and consumed the 250 men who were offering the incense.

NET Bible
Then a fire went out from the LORD and devoured the 250 men who offered incense.

New Heart English Bible
Fire came forth from the LORD, and devoured the two hundred fifty men who offered the incense.

Webster's Bible Translation
And there came out a fire from the LORD, and consumed the two hundred and fifty men that offered incense.

World English Bible
Fire came out from Yahweh, and devoured the two hundred fifty men who offered the incense.
Literal Translations
Literal Standard Version
and fire has come out from YHWH and consumes the two hundred and fifty men bringing the incense near.

Young's Literal Translation
and fire hath come out from Jehovah, and consumeth the two hundred and fifty men bringing near the perfume.

Smith's Literal Translation
And a fire will come forth from Jehovah and will consume the fifty and two hundred men bringing the incense.
Catholic Translations
Douay-Rheims Bible
And a fire coming out from the Lord, destroyed the two hundred and fifty men that offered the incense.

Catholic Public Domain Version
Then, too, a fire, going forth from the Lord, put to death the two hundred fifty men who were offering the incense.

New American Bible
And fire from the LORD came forth which consumed the two hundred and fifty men who were offering the incense.

New Revised Standard Version
And fire came out from the LORD and consumed the two hundred fifty men offering the incense.
Translations from Aramaic
Lamsa Bible
And there came out a fire from before the LORD and consumed the two hundred and fifty men that offered incense.

Peshitta Holy Bible Translated
And fire came out from before LORD JEHOVAH and consumed the two hundred and fifty men who were bringing incense.
OT Translations
JPS Tanakh 1917
And fire came forth from the LORD, and devoured the two hundred and fifty men that offered the incense.

Brenton Septuagint Translation
And fire went forth from the Lord, and devoured the two hundred and fifty men that offered incense.

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
The Earth Swallows Korah
34At their cries, all the people of Israel who were around them fled, saying, “The earth may swallow us too!” 35And fire came forth from the LORD and consumed the 250 men who were offering the incense.

Cross References
Leviticus 10:1-2
Now Aaron’s sons Nadab and Abihu took their censers, put fire in them and added incense, and offered unauthorized fire before the LORD, contrary to His command. / So fire came out from the presence of the LORD and consumed them, and they died in the presence of the LORD.

2 Kings 1:10-12
Elijah answered the captain, “If I am a man of God, may fire come down from heaven and consume you and your fifty men.” And fire came down from heaven and consumed the captain and his fifty men. / So the king sent to Elijah another captain with his fifty men. And the captain said to Elijah, “Man of God, the king declares, ‘Come down at once!’” / Again Elijah replied, “If I am a man of God, may fire come down from heaven and consume you and your fifty men.” And the fire of God came down from heaven and consumed the captain and his fifty men.

Revelation 11:5
If anyone wants to harm them, fire proceeds from their mouths and devours their enemies. In this way, anyone who wants to harm them must be killed.

Psalm 106:18
Then fire blazed through their company; flames consumed the wicked.

Jude 1:11
Woe to them! They have traveled the path of Cain; they have rushed headlong into the error of Balaam; they have perished in Korah’s rebellion.

Hebrews 12:29
“For our God is a consuming fire.”

1 Corinthians 10:10
And do not complain, as some of them did, and were killed by the destroying angel.

Deuteronomy 11:6
and what He did in the midst of all the Israelites to Dathan and Abiram, the sons of Eliab the Reubenite, when the earth opened its mouth and swallowed them, their households, their tents, and every living thing that belonged to them.

2 Peter 2:6
if He condemned the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah to destruction, reducing them to ashes as an example of what is coming on the ungodly;

Luke 9:54
When the disciples James and John saw this, they asked, “Lord, do You want us to call down fire from heaven to consume them?”

Genesis 19:24
Then the LORD rained down sulfur and fire on Sodom and Gomorrah—from the LORD out of the heavens.

Matthew 13:40-42
As the weeds are collected and burned in the fire, so will it be at the end of the age. / The Son of Man will send out His angels, and they will weed out of His kingdom every cause of sin and all who practice lawlessness. / And they will throw them into the fiery furnace, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.

Isaiah 66:15-16
For behold, the LORD will come with fire—His chariots are like a whirlwind—to execute His anger with fury and His rebuke with flames of fire. / For by fire and by His sword, the LORD will execute judgment on all flesh, and many will be slain by the LORD.

Ezekiel 20:47-48
Say to the forest of the Negev: Hear the word of the LORD! This is what the Lord GOD says: I am about to ignite in you a fire, and it will devour all your trees, both green and dry. The blazing flame will not be quenched, and by it every face from south to north will be scorched. / Then all people will see that I, the LORD, have kindled it; it will not be quenched.”

Malachi 4:1
“For behold, the day is coming, burning like a furnace, when all the arrogant and every evildoer will be stubble; the day is coming when I will set them ablaze,” says the LORD of Hosts. “Not a root or branch will be left to them.”


Treasury of Scripture

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

and there

Numbers 11:1
And when the people complained, it displeased the LORD: and the LORD heard it; and his anger was kindled; and the fire of the LORD burnt among them, and consumed them that were in the uttermost parts of the camp.

Numbers 26:10
And the earth opened her mouth, and swallowed them up together with Korah, when that company died, what time the fire devoured two hundred and fifty men: and they became a sign.

Leviticus 10:2
And there went out fire from the LORD, and devoured them, and they died before the LORD.

two hundred

Numbers 16:2,17
And they rose up before Moses, with certain of the children of Israel, two hundred and fifty princes of the assembly, famous in the congregation, men of renown: …

Jump to Previous
Burning Consumed Consumeth Devoured Hundred Incense Offered Offering Perfume Presented
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Burning Consumed Consumeth Devoured Hundred Incense Offered Offering Perfume Presented
Numbers 16
1. The rebellion of Korah, Dathan, and Abiram
23. Moses separates the people from the rebels' tents
31. The earth swallows up Korah, and a fire consumes others
36. The censers are reserved to holy use
41. 14,700 are slain by a plague, for murmuring against Moses and Aaron
46. Aaron by incense stays the plague














And fire came forth from the LORD
The phrase "fire came forth from the LORD" is a powerful depiction of divine judgment and holiness. In Hebrew, the word for "fire" is "אֵשׁ" (esh), which often symbolizes God's presence, purity, and judgment throughout the Old Testament. This fire is not a natural occurrence but a supernatural act of God, emphasizing His sovereignty and the seriousness of the rebellion against His appointed leaders, Moses and Aaron. Historically, fire as a divine tool is seen in other instances, such as the burning bush (Exodus 3:2) and the fire on Mount Sinai (Exodus 19:18), reinforcing the idea that God is a consuming fire (Deuteronomy 4:24).

and consumed
The Hebrew word for "consumed" is "אָכַל" (akal), which means to eat or devour. This term indicates total destruction, leaving nothing behind. The use of this word underscores the completeness of God's judgment against those who defied His established order. It serves as a sobering reminder of the consequences of sin and rebellion against God. The consuming fire is a metaphor for God's holiness, which cannot coexist with sin, and thus, it eradicates impurity.

the 250 men
These "250 men" were leaders within the community, men of renown (Numbers 16:2). Their involvement in the rebellion led by Korah highlights the widespread nature of the dissent and the challenge to God's chosen leadership. The number 250 signifies a significant faction within the Israelite camp, indicating that the rebellion was not a minor incident but a substantial threat to the unity and spiritual direction of the people. This serves as a cautionary tale about the dangers of pride and ambition when they lead to opposition against God's will.

who were offering the incense
Offering incense was a priestly duty, symbolizing prayers and worship ascending to God (Psalm 141:2). The act of these men offering incense was a direct challenge to the Aaronic priesthood, which God had established. In the Hebrew context, incense (קְטֹרֶת, ketoret) was sacred, and unauthorized offering was a grave offense, as seen in the deaths of Nadab and Abihu (Leviticus 10:1-2). This phrase highlights the presumption and arrogance of the rebels, who sought to usurp a holy office not appointed to them. It serves as a warning against self-exaltation and the importance of respecting God's ordained structures and roles within the community of faith.

(35) And there came out a fire from the Lord . . . --It was thus, as Bishop Wordsworth has observed, that "Korah and his company were punished by the same element as that by which they had sinned."

Verse 35. - There came out a fire from the Lord. The fire probably flashed out from the sanctuary with the destructive force of lightning. The two hundred and fifty men. These had remained swinging their censers before the gate of the tabernacle while Moses and (presumably) Korah himself had gone to the camp of Reuben.

Parallel Commentaries ...


Hebrew
And fire
וְאֵ֥שׁ (wə·’êš)
Conjunctive waw | Noun - common singular
Strong's 784: A fire

came forth
יָצְאָ֖ה (yā·ṣə·’āh)
Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person feminine singular
Strong's 3318: To go, bring, out, direct and proxim

from the LORD
יְהוָ֑ה (Yah·weh)
Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 3068: LORD -- the proper name of the God of Israel

and consumed
וַתֹּ֗אכַל (wat·tō·ḵal)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person feminine singular
Strong's 398: To eat

the 250
הַחֲמִשִּׁ֤ים (ha·ḥă·miš·šîm)
Article | Number - common plural
Strong's 2572: Fifty

men
אִ֔ישׁ (’îš)
Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 376: A man as an individual, a male person

who were offering
מַקְרִיבֵ֖י (maq·rî·ḇê)
Verb - Hifil - Participle - masculine plural construct
Strong's 7126: To come near, approach

the incense.
הַקְּטֹֽרֶת׃ (haq·qə·ṭō·reṯ)
Article | Noun - feminine singular
Strong's 7004: Smoke, odor of (burning) sacrifice, incense


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OT Law: Numbers 16:35 Fire came forth from Yahweh and devoured (Nu Num.)
Numbers 16:34
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