Bible Strands
Numbers 16:42
But when the congregation gathered against them, Moses and Aaron turned toward the Tent of Meeting, and suddenly the cloud covered it and the glory of the LORD appeared.
Berean Standard Bible
Follow its threads on the canvas →
Study note
Setting — Moses and Aaron respond to the grumbling congregation of Israel by turning toward the Tent of Meeting. This occurs immediately after the assembly accuses them of killing the LORD’s people.
The words — בְּ/הִקָּהֵ֤ל (be./hi.ka.Hel) = "when assembled" marks the gathering of the hostile group, while וַ/יִּפְנוּ֙ (va/i.yif.Nu) = "and they turned" describes the leaders' physical movement toward the sanctuary.
The thread — The pattern of Moses and Aaron approaching the Tent of Meeting in response to divine manifestation or communal crisis appears in Leviticus 9:23 and Numbers 20:6. These passages similarly place the leaders at the Tent's threshold when the glory of the LORD is revealed or when the assembly gathers.
Why it lands — The text records the leaders withdrawing to the Tent of Meeting when confronted by a hostile crowd, followed by an immediate manifestation of the cloud and the glory of the LORD. Readers are asked to observe that divine presence responds to the sanctuary's threshold rather than to human negotiation or defense.
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 it came to pass, when the congregation was gathered against Moses and against Aaron, that they looked toward the tabernacle of the congregation: and, behold, the cloud covered it, and the glory of the Lord appeared.
Cross-references
- Numbers 16:19 When Korah had gathered his whole assembly against them at the entrance to the Tent of Meeting, the glory of the LORD appeared to the whole congregation.
- Leviticus 9:23 Moses and Aaron then entered the Tent of Meeting. When they came out, they blessed the people, and the glory of the LORD appeared to all the people.
- Numbers 20:6 Then Moses and Aaron went from the presence of the assembly to the entrance to the Tent of Meeting. They fell facedown, and the glory of the LORD appeared to them.
- Exodus 16:7 and in the morning you will see the LORD’s glory, because He has heard your grumbling against Him. For who are we, that you should grumble against us?”
- Exodus 16:10 And as Aaron was speaking to the whole congregation of Israel, they looked toward the desert, and there in a cloud the glory of the LORD appeared.
- Exodus 24:16 and the glory of the LORD settled on Mount Sinai. For six days the cloud covered it, and on the seventh day the LORD called to Moses from within the cloud.
- Exodus 40:34 Then the cloud covered the Tent of Meeting, and the glory of the LORD filled the tabernacle.
- Numbers 14:10 But the whole congregation threatened to stone Joshua and Caleb. Then the glory of the LORD appeared to all the Israelites at the Tent of Meeting.