Numbers 16:41

"But on the morrow all the congregation of the children of Israel murmured against Moses and against Aaron, saying, Ye have killed the people of Jehovah. And it came to pass, when the congregation was assembled against Moses and against Aaron, that they looked toward the tent of meeting: and, behold, the cloud covered it, and the glory of Jehovah appeared. And Moses and Aaron came to the front of the tent of meeting. And Jehovah spake unto Moses, saying, Get you up from among this congregation that I may consume them in a moment. And they fell upon their faces. And Moses said unto Aaron, Take thy censer and put fire therein from off the altar, and lay incense thereon, and carry it quickly unto the congregation, and make atonement for them: for there is wrath gone out from Jehovah; the plague is begun."

"All the congregation ... murmured ..." (Numbers 16:41). This shows how widespread was the discontent that Korah had taken advantage of in the organization of his revolt. God had judged and destroyed the leaders of this defection, but the people themselves who also were a definite part of the trouble, although having escaped up to this point, would now also suffer a severe judgment from the Lord.

"Ye have killed the people of Jehovah ..." Their blaming the death of the rebels upon Moses evidently came from their blaming the prayers of Moses and Aaron for causing the judgments to be sent. They referred, perhaps, not merely to the leaders, but to the two hundred and fifty also.

Since the people also were so vital a part of this rebellion, God promptly judged them also, more than 14,000 of them dying at once by means of a devastating plague that God sent among them. The choice of that penalty also permitted the people to see that it was only through the prayers and intercession, and atonement offered via Moses and Aaron that prevented all the murmuring multitude from suffering the same death penalty. The plague began immediately after the murmuring started.