Bible Strands
Numbers 16:39
So Eleazar the priest took the bronze censers brought by those who had been burned up, and he had them hammered out to overlay the altar,
Berean Standard Bible
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Study note
Setting — The narrator records Eleazar the priest acting in the immediate aftermath of the rebellion’s judgment. This occurs during the administrative cleanup phase when Moses has already issued instructions regarding the rebels’ equipment.
The words — הַ/נְּחֹ֔שֶׁת (ha./ne.Cho.shet) translates literally to "the bronze," and מַחְתּ֣וֹת (mach.Tot) means "the censers." These terms specify the exact metal vessels that belonged to the men who perished in the divine fire.
The thread — The directive to hammer the censers into altar sheets is given in Numbers 16:38. The narrative confirms this action in Numbers 16:39 and immediately ties the result to the warning in Numbers 16:40.
Why it lands — The text states that executed men’s bronze censers were physically flattened and attached to the altar surface. It requires the reader to note that the narrative uses this repurposing to establish a permanent, material boundary for priestly access.
Drafted by a language model from the text, its original words and its cross-references, then checked against them. It can still be wrong: open the verse in the app to report it.
The Hebrew words
King James Version
And Eleazar the priest took the brasen censers, wherewith they that were burnt had offered; and they were made broad plates for a covering of the altar: