Numbers 16:37
New International Version
“Tell Eleazar son of Aaron, the priest, to remove the censers from the charred remains and scatter the coals some distance away, for the censers are holy—

New Living Translation
“Tell Eleazar son of Aaron the priest to pull all the incense burners from the fire, for they are holy. Also tell him to scatter the burning coals.

English Standard Version
“Tell Eleazar the son of Aaron the priest to take up the censers out of the blaze. Then scatter the fire far and wide, for they have become holy.

Berean Standard Bible
“Tell Eleazar son of Aaron the priest to remove the censers from the flames and to scatter the coals far away, because the censers are holy.

King James Bible
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.

New King James Version
“Tell Eleazar, the son of Aaron the priest, to pick up the censers out of the blaze, for they are holy, and scatter the fire some distance away.

New American Standard Bible
“Tell Eleazar, the son of Aaron the priest, that he shall pick up the censers from the midst of the burned area, because they are holy; and you are to scatter the burning coals further away.

NASB 1995
“Say to Eleazar, the son of Aaron the priest, that he shall take up the censers out of the midst of the blaze, for they are holy; and you scatter the burning coals abroad.

NASB 1977
“Say to Eleazar, the son of Aaron the priest, that he shall take up the censers out of the midst of the blaze, for they are holy; and you scatter the burning coals abroad.

Legacy Standard Bible
“Say to Eleazar, the son of Aaron the priest, that he shall take up the censers out of the midst of the blaze, and you scatter the burning coals abroad; for they are holy.

Amplified Bible
“Tell Eleazar the son of Aaron, the priest, that he is to pick up the censers from the midst of the blaze for they are holy; and you scatter the burning coals abroad.

Christian Standard Bible
“Tell Eleazar son of Aaron the priest to remove the firepans from the burning debris, because they are holy, and scatter the fire far away.

Holman Christian Standard Bible
Tell Eleazar son of Aaron the priest to remove the firepans from the burning debris, because they are holy, and scatter the fire far away.

American Standard Version
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 holy,

Contemporary English Version
"Tell Aaron's son Eleazar to take the fire pans from the smoldering fire and scatter the coals. The pans are now sacred,

English Revised Version
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 holy;

GOD'S WORD® Translation
"Tell Eleazar, son of the priest Aaron, to take the incense burners out of the fire and scatter the coals and incense somewhere else, because the incense burners have become holy.

Good News Translation
"Tell Eleazar son of Aaron the priest to remove the bronze fire pans from the remains of those who have been burned, and scatter the coals from the fire pans somewhere else, because the fire pans are holy.

International Standard Version
"Tell Aaron's son Eleazar the priest to take out the censers out of the flames and scatter the coals far away, since they are holy.

Majority Standard Bible
“Tell Eleazar son of Aaron the priest to remove the censers from the flames and to scatter the coals far away, because the censers are holy.

NET Bible
"Tell Eleazar son of Aaron the priest to pick up the censers out of the flame, for they are holy, and then scatter the coals of fire at a distance.

New Heart English Bible
"Speak to Eleazar the son of Aaron the priest, that he take up the censers out of the burning, and scatter the fire yonder; for they are holy,

Webster's Bible Translation
Speak to 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.

World English Bible
“Speak to Eleazar the son of Aaron the priest, that he take up the censers out of the burning, and scatter the fire away from the camp; for they are holy,
Literal Translations
Literal Standard Version
“Say to Eleazar son of Aaron the priest to lift up the censers from the midst of the burning and scatter the fire away, for they have been hallowed.

Young's Literal Translation
'Say unto Eleazar son of Aaron the priest, and he lifteth up the censers from the midst of the burning, and the fire scatter thou yonder, for they have been hallowed,

Smith's Literal Translation
Say to Eleazar, son of Aaron the priest, and he shall take up the censers from the midst of the burning, and scatter the fire afar off; for they were consecrated.
Catholic Translations
Douay-Rheims Bible
Command Eleazar the son of Aaron the priest to take up the censers that lie in the burning, and to scatter the fire of one side and the other: because they are sanctified

Catholic Public Domain Version
“Instruct Eleazar, the son of Aaron the priest, to take up the censers which lie in the burning, and to scatter the fire to one side and another, because they were sanctified

New American Bible
Tell Eleazar, son of Aaron the priest, to remove the censers from the embers; and scatter the fire some distance away, for they have become holy—

New Revised Standard Version
Tell Eleazar son of Aaron the priest to take the censers out of the blaze; then scatter the fire far and wide.
Translations from Aramaic
Lamsa Bible
Speak to Eleazar the son of Aaron the priest, to take up the censers from among the burned men and scatter the fire yonder; for they are sanctified.

Peshitta Holy Bible Translated
“Say to Eliazer, son of Ahron the Priest, ‘Take the censers from among the burned up ones and cast fire there because they were made holy.
OT Translations
JPS Tanakh 1917
Speak unto Eleazar the son of Aaron the priest, that he take up the fire-pans out of the burning, and scatter thou the fire yonder; for they are become holy;

Brenton Septuagint Translation
and to Eleazar the son of Aaron the priest, Take up the brazen censers out of the midst of the men that have been burnt, and scatter the strange fire yonder, for they have sanctified the censers

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
The Censers Reserved for Holy Use
36Then the LORD said to Moses, 37“Tell Eleazar son of Aaron the priest to remove the censers from the flames and to scatter the coals far away, because the censers are holy. 38As for the censers of those who sinned at the cost of their own lives, hammer them into sheets to overlay the altar, for these were presented before the LORD, and so have become holy. They will serve as a sign to the Israelites.”…

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.

1 Kings 13:1-5
Suddenly, as Jeroboam was standing beside the altar to burn incense, there came a man of God from Judah to Bethel by the word of the LORD. / And he cried out against the altar by the word of the LORD, “O altar, O altar, this is what the LORD says: ‘A son named Josiah will be born to the house of David, and upon you he will sacrifice the priests of the high places who burn incense upon you, and human bones will be burned upon you.’” / That day the man of God gave a sign, saying, “The LORD has spoken this sign: ‘Surely the altar will be split apart, and the ashes upon it will be poured out.’” ...

2 Chronicles 26:16-21
But when Uzziah became powerful, his arrogance led to his own destruction. He was unfaithful to the LORD his God, for he entered the temple of the LORD to burn incense on the altar of incense. / Then Azariah the priest, along with eighty brave priests of the LORD, went in after him. / They took their stand against King Uzziah and said, “Uzziah, you have no right to offer incense to the LORD. Only the priests, the descendants of Aaron, are consecrated to burn incense. Leave the sanctuary, for you have acted unfaithfully; you will not receive honor from the LORD God.” ...

Exodus 30:9
On this altar you must not offer unauthorized incense or a burnt offering or grain offering; nor are you to pour a drink offering on it.

Leviticus 16:12-13
Then he must take a censer full of burning coals from the altar before the LORD, and two handfuls of finely ground fragrant incense, and take them inside the veil. / He is to put the incense on the fire before the LORD, and the cloud of incense will cover the mercy seat above the Testimony, so that he will not die.

1 Samuel 2:28
And out of all the tribes of Israel I selected your father to be My priest, to offer sacrifices on My altar, to burn incense, and to wear an ephod in My presence. I also gave to the house of your father all the food offerings of the Israelites.

2 Kings 19:15-19
And Hezekiah prayed before the LORD: “O LORD, God of Israel, enthroned between the cherubim, You alone are God over all the kingdoms of the earth. You made the heavens and the earth. / Incline Your ear, O LORD, and hear; open Your eyes, O LORD, and see. Listen to the words that Sennacherib has sent to defy the living God. / Truly, O LORD, the kings of Assyria have laid waste these nations and their lands. ...

Isaiah 6:6-7
Then one of the seraphim flew to me, and in his hand was a glowing coal that he had taken with tongs from the altar. / And with it he touched my mouth and said: “Now that this has touched your lips, your iniquity is removed and your sin is atoned for.”

Ezekiel 10:2
And the LORD said to the man clothed in linen, “Go inside the wheelwork beneath the cherubim. Fill your hands with burning coals from among the cherubim and scatter them over the city.” And as I watched, he went in.

Revelation 8:3-5
Then another angel, who had a golden censer, came and stood at the altar. He was given much incense to offer, along with the prayers of all the saints, on the golden altar before the throne. / And the smoke of the incense, together with the prayers of the saints, rose up before God from the hand of the angel. / Then the angel took the censer, filled it with fire from the altar, and hurled it to the earth; and there were peals of thunder, rumblings, flashes of lightning, and an earthquake.

Hebrews 9:4
containing the golden altar of incense and the gold-covered ark of the covenant. Inside the ark were the gold jar of manna, Aaron’s staff that had budded, and the stone tablets of the covenant.

1 Corinthians 10:6-11
These things took place as examples to keep us from craving evil things as they did. / Do not be idolaters, as some of them were. As it is written: “The people sat down to eat and drink and got up to indulge in revelry.” / We should not commit sexual immorality, as some of them did, and in one day twenty-three thousand of them died. ...

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.

Matthew 23:2-3
“The scribes and Pharisees sit in Moses’ seat. / So practice and observe everything they tell you. But do not do what they do, for they do not practice what they preach.

Acts 5:1-11
Now a man named Ananias, together with his wife Sapphira, also sold a piece of property. / With his wife’s full knowledge, he kept back some of the proceeds for himself, but brought a portion and laid it at the apostles’ feet. / Then Peter said, “Ananias, how is it that Satan has filled your heart to lie to the Holy Spirit and withhold some of the proceeds from the land? ...


Treasury of Scripture

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

the censers

Numbers 16:7,18
And put fire therein, and put incense in them before the LORD to morrow: and it shall be that the man whom the LORD doth choose, he shall be holy: ye take too much upon you, ye sons of Levi…

Leviticus 27:1
And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying,

Jump to Previous
Aaron Abroad Afar Blaze Burning Censers Coals Distance Eleazar Elea'zar Hallowed Holy Lifteth Midst Perfumes Priest Scatter Smoldering Speak Vessels Yonder
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Aaron Abroad Afar Blaze Burning Censers Coals Distance Eleazar Elea'zar Hallowed Holy Lifteth Midst Perfumes Priest Scatter Smoldering Speak Vessels Yonder
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














Tell Eleazar son of Aaron the priest
This phrase identifies Eleazar, the son of Aaron, as the one chosen for a specific task. Eleazar, whose name means "God has helped" in Hebrew, was a significant figure in the priestly lineage. As the son of Aaron, the first high priest, Eleazar's role underscores the continuity and sanctity of the priesthood. This highlights the importance of maintaining divine order and obedience within the priestly duties, as Eleazar is entrusted with a sacred task following a divine judgment.

to remove the censers from the flames
The censers, or firepans, were used by Korah and his followers in their rebellion against Moses and Aaron. The Hebrew word for censer, "machtah," refers to a vessel for burning incense. Despite the rebellion, the censers themselves were considered holy because they were offered before the LORD. This act of removing them from the flames signifies a separation of the holy from the profane, a recurring theme in the Old Testament where God distinguishes between what is consecrated and what is defiled.

for they are holy
The declaration that the censers are holy, despite their use in rebellion, speaks to the concept of holiness in the Hebrew Bible. The Hebrew word "qadosh" means set apart or sacred. This indicates that objects dedicated to God retain their sanctity, regardless of the intentions of those who misuse them. It serves as a reminder of God's sovereignty and the enduring nature of His holiness, which cannot be tainted by human sin.

and scatter the coals far away
The instruction to scatter the coals far away is a symbolic act of purging and cleansing. In the ancient Near Eastern context, fire often represented judgment and purification. By scattering the coals, Eleazar is performing a ritual act that removes the remnants of rebellion and restores purity to the camp. This action reflects the broader biblical principle of removing sin and its consequences from the community, ensuring that the people remain in right standing with God.

(37) Speak unto Eleazar the son of Aaron . . . --Aaron was shortly to be employed in an act of sacerdotal ministration and intercession, for which he would have become disqualified had he been ceremonially defiled by contact with things pertaining to the dead.

Verse 37. - Speak unto Eleazar. This is the first time that any special duty is assigned to Eleazar, who was destined to succeed to the high-priesthood. We may suppose that he was sent instead of his father because the duty of gathering up the censers could hardly have been carried out without incurring legal defilement by contact with the dead. Out of the burning. Or, "out of the burnt." Septuagint, ἐκ μέσου τῶν κατακεκαυμένων. From amongst the charred and smouldering corpses. Scatter thou the fire yonder; for they are hallowed. The censers had been made holy even by that sacrilegious dedication, and must never revert to any common uses; for the same reason the live coals which still remained in them were to be emptied out in a separate place.

Parallel Commentaries ...


Hebrew
“Tell
אֱמֹ֨ר (’ĕ·mōr)
Verb - Qal - Imperative - masculine singular
Strong's 559: To utter, say

Eleazar
אֶלְעָזָ֜ר (’el·‘ā·zār)
Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 499: Eleazar -- 'God has helped', six Israelites

son
בֶּן־ (ben-)
Noun - masculine singular construct
Strong's 1121: A son

of Aaron
אַהֲרֹ֣ן (’a·hă·rōn)
Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 175: Aaron -- an elder brother of Moses

the priest
הַכֹּהֵ֗ן (hak·kō·hên)
Article | Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 3548: Priest

to remove
וְיָרֵ֤ם (wə·yā·rêm)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Hifil - Conjunctive imperfect Jussive - third person masculine singular
Strong's 7311: To be high actively, to rise, raise

the censers
הַמַּחְתֹּת֙ (ham·maḥ·tōṯ)
Article | Noun - feminine plural
Strong's 4289: A fireholder, censer, snuff dish

from
מִבֵּ֣ין (mib·bên)
Preposition-m
Strong's 996: An interval, space between

the flames,
הַשְּׂרֵפָ֔ה (haś·śə·rê·p̄āh)
Article | Noun - feminine singular
Strong's 8316: Cremation

because
כִּ֖י (kî)
Conjunction
Strong's 3588: A relative conjunction

they are holy,
קָדֵֽשׁוּ׃ (qā·ḏê·šū)
Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person common plural
Strong's 6942: To be set apart or consecrated

and to scatter
זְרֵה־ (zə·rêh-)
Verb - Qal - Imperative - masculine singular
Strong's 2219: To toss about, to diffuse, winnow

the coals
הָאֵ֖שׁ (hā·’êš)
Article | Noun - common singular
Strong's 784: A fire

far away.
הָ֑לְאָה (hā·lə·’āh)
Adverb
Strong's 1973: To the distance, far away, thus far


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OT Law: Numbers 16:37 Speak to Eleazar the son of Aaron (Nu Num.)
Numbers 16:36
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