The Meaning of Numbers 16:46 Explained

Numbers 16:46

KJV: And Moses said unto Aaron, Take a censer, and put fire therein from off the altar, and put on incense, and go quickly unto the congregation, and make an atonement for them: for there is wrath gone out from the LORD; the plague is begun.

YLT: and Moses saith unto Aaron, 'Take the censer, and put on it fire from off the altar, and place perfume, and go, hasten unto the company, and make atonement for them, for the wrath hath gone out from the presence of Jehovah -- the plague hath begun.'

Darby: And Moses said to Aaron, Take the censer, and put fire thereon from off the altar, and lay on incense, and carry it quickly to the assembly, and make atonement for them; for there is wrath gone out from Jehovah: the plague is begun.

ASV: And Moses said unto Aaron, Take they censer, and put fire therein from off the altar, and lay incense thereon, and carry it quickly unto the congregation, and make atonement for them: for there is wrath gone out from Jehovah; the plague is begun.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

And Moses  said  unto Aaron,  Take  a censer,  and put  fire  therein from off  the altar,  and put  on incense,  and go  quickly  unto the congregation,  and make an atonement  for them: for there is wrath  gone out  from the LORD;  the plague  is begun. 

What does Numbers 16:46 Mean?

Context Summary

Numbers 16:36-50 - "between The Dead And The Living"
The censers served as plates for the altar. Even evil men and evil things will be made to subserve the divine purposes. See Acts 2:23. What a wonderful anticipation of our Lord's eternal priesthood and intercession is furnished by this picture of Aaron waving his censer between the living and the dead, and arresting the plague! On which side do you stand? Are you among the living, or among the dead? Is Christ to you a savor of life unto life or of death unto death? Awake thou that sleepest and arise from the dead, and Christ shall enlighten thee.
The priesthood and the incense-offering had been usurped by Korah to his destruction; but as exercised by God's appointed priest, they brought life. It is an awful thing for mortal man to intrude into the sacred prerogatives of Christ. See 1 Timothy 2:5. [source]

Chapter Summary: 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

What do the individual words in Numbers 16:46 mean?

So said Moses to Aaron take - a censer and put in it fire from the altar and put [on it] incense and take quickly it to the congregation and make atonement for them for has gone out wrath from Yahweh has begun the plague
וַיֹּ֨אמֶר מֹשֶׁ֜ה אֶֽל־ אַהֲרֹ֗ן קַ֣ח אֶת־ הַ֠מַּחְתָּה וְתֶן־ עָלֶ֨יהָ אֵ֜שׁ מֵעַ֤ל הַמִּזְבֵּ֙חַ֙ וְשִׂ֣ים קְטֹ֔רֶת וְהוֹלֵ֧ךְ מְהֵרָ֛ה אֶל־ הָעֵדָ֖ה וְכַפֵּ֣ר עֲלֵיהֶ֑ם כִּֽי־ יָצָ֥א הַקֶּ֛צֶף מִלִּפְנֵ֥י יְהוָ֖ה הֵחֵ֥ל הַנָּֽגֶף

וַיֹּ֨אמֶר  So  said 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: אָמַר 
Sense: to say, speak, utter.
מֹשֶׁ֜ה  Moses 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: מֹשֶׁה  
Sense: the prophet and lawgiver, leader of the exodus.
אַהֲרֹ֗ן  Aaron 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: אַהֲרֹון  
Sense: brother of Moses, a Levite and the first high priest.
קַ֣ח  take 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperative, masculine singular
Root: יָקַח 
Sense: to take, get, fetch, lay hold of, seize, receive, acquire, buy, bring, marry, take a wife, snatch, take away.
אֶת־  - 
Parse: Direct object marker
Root: אֹות 
Sense: sign of the definite direct object, not translated in English but generally preceding and indicating the accusative.
הַ֠מַּחְתָּה  a  censer 
Parse: Article, Noun, feminine singular
Root: מַחְתָּה  
Sense: fire-holder, censer, firepan, snuff dish, tray.
וְתֶן־  and  put 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Imperative, masculine singular
Root: יָתַן 
Sense: to give, put, set.
עָלֶ֨יהָ  in  it 
Parse: Preposition, third person feminine singular
Root: עַל 
Sense: upon, on the ground of, according to, on account of, on behalf of, concerning, beside, in addition to, together with, beyond, above, over, by, on to, towards, to, against.
אֵ֜שׁ  fire 
Parse: Noun, common singular
Root: אֵשׁ  
Sense: fire.
הַמִּזְבֵּ֙חַ֙  the  altar 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: מִזְבֵּחַ  
Sense: altar.
וְשִׂ֣ים  and  put  [on  it] 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Imperative, masculine singular
Root: שׂוּמָה 
Sense: to put, place, set, appoint, make.
קְטֹ֔רֶת  incense 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular
Root: קְטֹרֶת  
Sense: incense, smoke, odour of (burning) sacrifice.
וְהוֹלֵ֧ךְ  and  take  quickly 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Hifil, Imperative, masculine singular
Root: הָלַךְ  
Sense: to go, walk, come.
הָעֵדָ֖ה  the  congregation 
Parse: Article, Noun, feminine singular
Root: עֵדָה  
Sense: congregation, gathering.
וְכַפֵּ֣ר  and  make  atonement 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Piel, Imperative, masculine singular
Root: כָּפַר 
Sense: to cover, purge, make an atonement, make reconciliation, cover over with pitch.
עֲלֵיהֶ֑ם  for  them 
Parse: Preposition, third person masculine plural
Root: עַל 
Sense: upon, on the ground of, according to, on account of, on behalf of, concerning, beside, in addition to, together with, beyond, above, over, by, on to, towards, to, against.
יָצָ֥א  has  gone  out 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, third person masculine singular
Root: יׄוצֵאת 
Sense: to go out, come out, exit, go forth.
הַקֶּ֛צֶף  wrath 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: קֶצֶף 
Sense: wrath, anger.
יְהוָ֖ה  Yahweh 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יהוה 
Sense: the proper name of the one true God.
הֵחֵ֥ל  has  begun 
Parse: Verb, Hifil, Perfect, third person masculine singular
Root: חָלַל 
Sense: to profane, defile, pollute, desecrate, begin.
הַנָּֽגֶף  the  plague 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: נֶגֶף  
Sense: blow, striking, plague.