Numbers 16:3
And when they had stood up against Moses and Aaron, they said: Let it be enough for you, that all the multitude consisteth of holy ones, and the Lord is among them: Why lift you up yourselves above the people of the Lord?
Open Numbers 16:3 in the Motif Searcher, word by word across all five texts →Show on the spiral →In the palace
The verse in its languages
- Vulgate (Clementine)
- Cumque stetissent adversum Moysen et Aaron, dixerunt : Sufficiat vobis, quia omnis multitudo sanctorum est, et in ipsis est Dominus : cur elevamini super populum Domini ?
- Septuagint (Swete)
- συνέστησαν ὀπίσω Μωυσῆ καὶ Ἀαρὼν καὶ εἶπαν Ἐχέτω ὑμῖν, ὅτι πᾶσα ἡ συναγωγὴ πάντες ἅγιοι, καὶ ἐν αὐτοῖς Κύριος· καὶ διὰ τί κατανίστασθε ἐπὶ τὴν συναγωγὴν Κυρίου;
- Hebrew (WLC)
- וַיִּֽקָּהֲל֞וּ עַל מֹשֶׁ֣ה וְעַֽל אַהֲרֹ֗ן וַיֹּאמְר֣וּ אֲלֵהֶם֮ רַב לָכֶם֒ כִּ֤י כָל הָֽעֵדָה֙ כֻּלָּ֣ם קְדֹשִׁ֔ים וּבְתוֹכָ֖ם יְהוָ֑ה וּמַדּ֥וּעַ תִּֽתְנַשְּׂא֖וּ עַל קְהַ֥ל יְהוָֽה
Haydock's commentary
Let it be enough. Hebrew rab, "too much you take upon you;" or "suffice it for you," Septuagint.
Holy ones, as deserving of the priesthood as yourselves, ver. 10. Why then would you treat them as your inferiors? We will throw off the yoke, and assert our just rights. (Calmet)
On the same plea, Luther (de abrog. Missa,) rejects all ecclesiastical hierarchy, and will have no distinct priesthood, because all Christians are called priests, (Apocalypse i.) and a holy priesthood, 1 Peter ii. 5. (Worthington)
But they do not take notice that the apostle immediately explains himself, by saying, to offer up spiritual sacrifices, and to declare the virtues of Christ; in which sense, they are also styled a kingly priesthood, 1 Peter ii. 9. (Haydock)
From Haydock's Catholic Bible Commentary, 1859, in the transcription made by Todd Easton and kept online by John Paul Wohlschied at johnblood.gitlab.io/haydock.
The Fathers on this verse
The Apostolic Constitutions Book VI, Sec. I. On Heresies
II . Let us therefore, beloved, consider what sort of glory that of the seditious is, and what their condemnation. For if he that rises up against kings is worthy of punishment, even though he be a son or a friend, how much more he that rises up against the priests! For by how much the priesthood is more noble than the royal power, as having its concern about the soul, so much has he a greater punishment who ventures to oppose the priesthood, than he who ventures to oppose the royal power, although neither of them goes unpunished. For neither did Absalom nor Abdadan escape without punishment; nor Corah and Dathan . The former rose against David , and strove concerning the kingdom; the latter against Moses , concerning pre-eminence. …
St John Chrysostom The Commentary and Homilies of St. John Chrysostom on Galatians and Ephesians, Ephesians 4:4-7
I mean these remarks for those who give themselves up indiscriminately to the men who are dividing the Church. For if on the one hand those men have doctrines also contrary to ours, then on that account further it is not right to mix with them: if, on the other hand, they hold the same opinions, the reason for not mixing with them is greater still. And why so? Because then the disease is from lust of authority. Know ye not what was the fate of Korah, Dathan, and Abiram? ( Num. xvi. 1-35 .) Of them only did I say? Was it not also of them that were with them? What wilt thou say? Shall it be said, “Their faith is the same, they are orthodox as well as we”? If so, why then are they not with us? There is “one Lord, one faith, one baptism.” If their cause is right, then is ours wrong; if ours is right, then is theirs wrong. …
St Ambrose Epistle LXIII: To the Church at Vercellæ
52. Let those then who dissent learn to fear to rouse up the Lord, and to appease His priests. What! did not the earthquake swallow up Dathan, Abiron, and Korah because of their dissension? For when Korah, Dathan, and Abiron had stirred up two hundred and fifty men against Moses and Aaron to separate themselves from them, they rose up against them and said: “Let it suffice you that all the congregation are holy, every one, and the Lord is amongst them.”