The Meaning of Numbers 16:47 Explained

Numbers 16:47

KJV: And Aaron took as Moses commanded, and ran into the midst of the congregation; and, behold, the plague was begun among the people: and he put on incense, and made an atonement for the people.

YLT: And Aaron taketh as Moses hath spoken, and runneth unto the midst of the assembly, and lo, the plague hath begun among the people; and he giveth the perfume, and maketh atonement for the people,

Darby: And Aaron took as Moses had said, and ran into the midst of the congregation; and behold, the plague had begun among the people; and he put on incense, and made atonement for the people.

ASV: And Aaron took as Moses spake, and ran into the midst of the assembly; and, behold, the plague was begun among the people: and he put on the incense, and made atonement for the people.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

And Aaron  took  as Moses  commanded,  and ran  into the midst  of the congregation;  and, behold, the plague  was begun  among the people:  and he put  on incense,  and made an atonement  for the people. 

What does Numbers 16:47 Mean?

Study Notes

atonement
Heb. kaphar, "to cover." The English word "atonement" (at-one-ment) is not a translation of the Heb. kaphar, but a translator's interpretation. According to Scripture the legal sacrifice "covered" the offerer's sin and secured the divine forgiveness; according to the translators it made God and the sinner at- one. But the O.T. sacrifices did not at-one the sinner and God. "It is not possible that the blood of bulls and goats should take away sins." Hebrews 10:4 . The Israelite's offering implied confession of sin and of its due desert, death; and God "covered" (passed over," Romans 3:25 his sin, in anticipation of Christ's sacrifice, which did, finally, "put away" the sins "done aforetime in the forbearance of God."; Romans 3:25 ; Hebrews 9:15 . (See Scofield " Romans 3:25 ") . The word "atonement" does not occur in the N.T.; Romans 5:11 meaning reconciliation, and so rendered in the R.V.
See "Sacrifice," Genesis 4:4 , and refs. (See Scofield " Genesis 4:4 ")
(See Scofield " Leviticus 16:5 ")

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 16:47 mean?

And took [it] Aaron as commanded Moses and ran into the midst of the assembly and already had begun the plague the among people So he put in - the incense and made atonement for the people
וַיִּקַּ֨ח אַהֲרֹ֜ן כַּאֲשֶׁ֣ר ׀ דִּבֶּ֣ר מֹשֶׁ֗ה וַיָּ֙רָץ֙ אֶל־ תּ֣וֹך‪‬ הַקָּהָ֔ל וְהִנֵּ֛ה הֵחֵ֥ל הַנֶּ֖גֶף בָּעָ֑ם וַיִּתֵּן֙ אֶֽת־ הַקְּטֹ֔רֶת וַיְכַפֵּ֖ר עַל־ הָעָֽם

וַיִּקַּ֨ח  And  took  [it] 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: יָקַח 
Sense: to take, get, fetch, lay hold of, seize, receive, acquire, buy, bring, marry, take a wife, snatch, take away.
אַהֲרֹ֜ן  Aaron 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: אַהֲרֹון  
Sense: brother of Moses, a Levite and the first high priest.
דִּבֶּ֣ר  commanded 
Parse: Verb, Piel, Perfect, third person masculine singular
Root: דָּבַר 
Sense: to speak, declare, converse, command, promise, warn, threaten, sing.
מֹשֶׁ֗ה  Moses 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: מֹשֶׁה  
Sense: the prophet and lawgiver, leader of the exodus.
וַיָּ֙רָץ֙  and  ran 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: רוּץ 
Sense: to run.
אֶל־  into 
Parse: Preposition
Root: אֶל  
Sense: to, toward, unto (of motion).
תּ֣וֹך‪‬  the  midst 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: תָּוֶךְ  
Sense: midst, middle.
הַקָּהָ֔ל  of  the  assembly 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: קָהָל  
Sense: assembly, company, congregation, convocation.
וְהִנֵּ֛ה  and  already 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Interjection
Root: הִנֵּה  
Sense: behold, lo, see, if.
הֵחֵ֥ל  had  begun 
Parse: Verb, Hifil, Perfect, third person masculine singular
Root: חָלַל 
Sense: to profane, defile, pollute, desecrate, begin.
הַנֶּ֖גֶף  the  plague 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: נֶגֶף  
Sense: blow, striking, plague.
בָּעָ֑ם  the  among  people 
Parse: Preposition-b, Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: עַם 
Sense: nation, people.
וַיִּתֵּן֙  So  he  put  in 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: יָתַן 
Sense: to give, put, set.
אֶֽת־  - 
Parse: Direct object marker
Root: אֹות 
Sense: sign of the definite direct object, not translated in English but generally preceding and indicating the accusative.
הַקְּטֹ֔רֶת  the  incense 
Parse: Article, Noun, feminine singular
Root: קְטֹרֶת  
Sense: incense, smoke, odour of (burning) sacrifice.
וַיְכַפֵּ֖ר  and  made  atonement 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Piel, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: כָּפַר 
Sense: to cover, purge, make an atonement, make reconciliation, cover over with pitch.
הָעָֽם  the  people 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: עַם 
Sense: nation, people.