Do this: take censers, Korah and all his company …: The Hebrew imperative verbs in verses 6-7 (rendered Do, take, put, and put) are all plural, since Moses is addressing Korah and his followers. Good News Translation renders Korah and all his company as “you and your followers,” as if only Korah is addressed. De Nieuwe Bijbelvertaling provides a better model by beginning verse 6 with “Listen what you have to do, Korah, and you, his followers, as well….” Company renders the Hebrew word ʿedah again (see verse 5). Moses seems to use it to express sarcasm and criticism. Korah’s “community” was in rebellion against the true “community” of God, as led by Moses and Aaron. For the Hebrew word rendered censers (machtah), see the comments on 4.14, where it is translated “firepans.” Here the censers will be used as containers for embers or coals used to ignite an offering of incense. This is a key term in chapter 16 since it is also used symbolically to represent the priests, those who are authorized to burn incense for worship in the Tabernacle.

Put fire in them means they must put smouldering pieces of coal in the censers. Good News Translation renders fire as “live coals” to make this clear.

And put incense upon them before the LORD tomorrow: Incense is a sweet-smelling substance that is burned to worship God (see 4.16). In a number of languages incense will be expressed as “spices for burning.” Other languages may have a well-known loanword to convey the intended meaning in a manner that reflects the original religious setting. However, this loanword should not be specific to a particular church body that happens to use such “incense” during its worship. Before the LORD probably means “in front of the Tabernacle,” not “in front of the altar” (so Good News Translation) in this context (see verses 16-19; compare 5.16).

And the man whom the LORD chooses shall be the holy one: See the comments on verse 5. New Living Translation renders this clause as “Then we will see whom the LORD chooses as his holy one.” Contemporary English Version also provides a helpful model with “And the man the LORD chooses will be his priest.”

You have gone too far, sons of Levi!: For You have gone too far, see verse 3. Moses turns the initial accusation of Korah’s crowd back at them, and the translation should clearly indicate this. Here Moses addresses Korah and his followers as sons of Levi (“You Levites” in Good News Translation), which is puzzling since so far only Korah has been referred to as a Levite. At this point in the text the rebellion is described as coming from other Levites as well. The whole tribe was probably not involved, but some Levites were apparently not content with being chosen for religious service; rather, they sought the priesthood as well (so Sherwood, page 164). Perhaps the 250 leaders mentioned in verse 2 as followers of Korah are figuratively (perhaps also sarcastically) referred to here as “Levites” along with Korah. How many actual Levites were among the rebels is not stated. In any case, all these men illegally sought to carry out the sacred duties of the priesthood. However, the three Reubenites named in verse 1 are not in view here.

Quoted with permission from de Regt, Lénart J. and Wendland, Ernst R. A Handbook on Numbers. (UBS Helps for Translators). Miami: UBS, 2016. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .