The Meaning of Numbers 16:48 Explained

Numbers 16:48

KJV: And he stood between the dead and the living; and the plague was stayed.

YLT: and standeth between the dead and the living, and the plague is restrained;

Darby: And he stood between the dead and the living; and the plague was stayed.

ASV: And he stood between the dead and the living; and the plague was stayed.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

And he stood  between the dead  and the living;  and the plague  was stayed. 

What does Numbers 16:48 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 16:48 mean?

And he stood between the dead and the living so was stopped the plague
וַיַּעֲמֹ֥ד בֵּֽין־ הַמֵּתִ֖ים וּבֵ֣ין הַֽחַיִּ֑ים וַתֵּעָצַ֖ר הַמַּגֵּפָֽה

וַיַּעֲמֹ֥ד  And  he  stood 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: עָמַד  
Sense: to stand, remain, endure, take one’s stand.
בֵּֽין־  between 
Parse: Preposition
Root: בַּיִן 
Sense: between, among, in the midst of (with other preps), from between.
הַמֵּתִ֖ים  the  dead 
Parse: Article, Verb, Qal, Participle, masculine plural
Root: מוּת  
Sense: to die, kill, have one executed.
הַֽחַיִּ֑ים  the  living 
Parse: Article, Adjective, masculine plural
Root: חַי 
Sense: living, alive.
וַתֵּעָצַ֖ר  so  was  stopped 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Nifal, Consecutive imperfect, third person feminine singular
Root: עָצַר  
Sense: to restrain, retain, close up, shut, withhold, refrain, stay, detain.
הַמַּגֵּפָֽה  the  plague 
Parse: Article, Noun, feminine singular
Root: מַגֵּפָה  
Sense: blow, slaughter, plague, pestilence, strike, smite.