The Meaning of Numbers 16:29 Explained

Numbers 16:29

KJV: If these men die the common death of all men, or if they be visited after the visitation of all men; then the LORD hath not sent me.

YLT: if according to the death of all men these die -- or the charge of all men is charged upon them -- Jehovah hath not sent me;

Darby: if these men die as all men die, and are visited with the visitation of all men, Jehovah has not sent me;

ASV: If these men die the common death of all men, or if they be visited after the visitation of all men; then Jehovah hath not sent me.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

If these men die  the common death  of all men,  or if they be visited  after the visitation  of all men;  [then] the LORD  hath not sent  me. 

What does Numbers 16:29 Mean?

Context Summary

Numbers 16:20-35 - Divine Judgment Upon The Rebels
It was wise of Moses not to attempt to vindicate himself, but to leave God to maintain His cause. He is not slow to undertake the vindication of those who entrust their reputation with Him. To take the sword is to perish by the sword. "Wait on the Lord and keep His way, and He will exalt thee to inherit the land."
The doom of Korah and his fellow-conspirators was very terrible; but if they had been spared, the whole camp would have been infected, and God's purposes frustrated. Those who suffer from the bubonic plague must be instantly separated from their fellows, for the sake of society! Remember, as Jude says, that the pit still devours, Judges 1:11. In these last days of the present age, and in view of the terrible records of this chapter, we may well ponder the summons of Revelation 18:4. The congregation was spared, because of the divine compassion of which Moses had a true conception. His prayer only reflected the divine thought, Numbers 16:22. [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 16:29 mean?

If like all men men die naturally these or if the common fate of all men they are visited by not [then] Yahweh has sent me
אִם־ כְּמ֤וֹת כָּל־ הָֽאָדָם֙ יְמֻת֣וּן אֵ֔לֶּה וּפְקֻדַּת֙ כָּל־ הָ֣אָדָ֔ם יִפָּקֵ֖ד עֲלֵיהֶ֑ם לֹ֥א יְהוָ֖ה שְׁלָחָֽנִי

כְּמ֤וֹת  like 
Parse: Preposition-k, Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: מָוֶת  
Sense: death, dying, Death (personified), realm of the dead.
הָֽאָדָם֙  men 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: אָדָם 
Sense: man, mankind.
יְמֻת֣וּן  men  die  naturally 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperfect, third person masculine plural, Paragogic nun
Root: מוּת  
Sense: to die, kill, have one executed.
אֵ֔לֶּה  these 
Parse: Pronoun, common plural
Root: אֵהֶל 
Sense: these.
וּפְקֻדַּת֙  or  if  the  common  fate 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Noun, feminine singular construct
Root: פְּקֻדָּה  
Sense: oversight, care, custody, mustering, visitation, store.
כָּל־  of  all 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: כֹּל  
Sense: all, the whole.
הָ֣אָדָ֔ם  men 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: אָדָם 
Sense: man, mankind.
יִפָּקֵ֖ד  they  are  visited 
Parse: Verb, Nifal, Imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: פָּקַד 
Sense: to attend to, muster, number, reckon, visit, punish, appoint, look after, care for.
יְהוָ֖ה  [then]  Yahweh 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יהוה 
Sense: the proper name of the one true God.
שְׁלָחָֽנִי  has  sent  me 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, third person masculine singular, first person common singular
Root: שָׁלַח  
Sense: to send, send away, let go, stretch out.