Numbers 16:32
in Numbers 16and the earth opened its mouth and swallowed them and their households—all Korah’s men and all their possessions.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
and the earth opened its mouth, and swallowed them up, and their households, and all the men that appertained unto Korah, and all their goods.
KJV
And the earth opened her mouth, and swallowed them up, and their houses, and all the men that appertained unto Korah, and all their goods.
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This verse in Numbers 16
Commentary
8 notes on this verseA commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
All the men ... - Not his sons (see Num 26:11), but all belonging to him who had associated themselves with him in this rebellion.
This site's exposition
As soon as Moses had finished saying all this
on Numbers 16:31-33
Whether Korah himself went down or burned with the 250 is read both ways. Verse 32 swallows all Korah’s men, while 26:10 says the earth swallowed them along with Korah. Psalm 106:17 recalls the day and names Dathan and the assembly of Abiram.
This site's exposition
swallowed them and their households
Albert Barnes reads Korah's men as his followers in the revolt, since 26:11 says the sons of Korah did not die. Households and goods went down together, so the tents that stood open at verse 27 were gone. Nothing of theirs was left to touch.
The record, by era
The Church Fathers4 voices
Then there were the miracles of the seditious among the people of God. They separated themselves from the divinely ordered community. They were swallowed alive by the earth, as a visible token of an invisible punishment.
Then there were the miracles of the seditious among the people of God. They separated themselves from the divinely ordered community. They were swallowed alive by the earth, as a visible token of an invisible punishment.
A commentator
Philoxenus of Mabbug13 Ascetic Discourses, Discourse 7 -- Second Discourse on the Fear of God · Written before 523.
proposed
And that He might increase in them this fear, immediately, by the mouth of offence, the rod of His chastisement was revealed, and after the offence the Chastiser gave them no respite, because their servitude was not worthy of His longsuffering. Above their head the …
In the Old Testament, as, for instance, in the case of Korah and the men who dared to enter the priesthood without being called to it and by the severity of the wrath which came upon them to their utter destruction, we see how grave a thing it is to do that which is unsuitable as regards the person.
The Puritans and the Awakening1 voice
And the earth opened her mouth and swallowed them up,....
The words behind it
16 Hebrew wordsEvery Hebrew word of this verse in the order it stands, with what it means and the door to its own study. The last column counts the times a word stands in the whole Bible: the rarer the word, the more the places it appears belong together.
| Hebrew | Sound | Meaning | Word study | In the Bible |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| וַתִּפְתַּ֤ח | vatiftach | and it opened | H6605 → | 144 times |
| הָאָ֙רֶץ֙ | haaretz | the earth | H776 → | 2504 times |
| אֶת־ | ʾet- | <obj.> | H853 → | 10935 times |
| פִּ֔יהָ | piha | mouth its | H6310 → | 498 times |
| וַתִּבְלַ֥ע | vativla' | and it swallowed | H1104 → | 49 times |
| אֹתָ֖ם | ʾotam | <obj.> them | H853 → | 10935 times |
| וְאֶת־ | veet | and <obj.> | H853 → | 10935 times |
| בָּתֵּיהֶ֑ם | bateihem | households their | H1004 → | 2046 times |
| וְאֵ֤ת | veet | and <obj.> | H853 → | 10935 times |
| כָּל־ | kol- | every | H3605 → | 5413 times |
| הָאָדָם֙ | haadam | <the> person | H120 → | 551 times |
| אֲשֶׁ֣ר | ʾasher | who | H834 → | 5497 times |
| לְקֹ֔רַח | lekorach | [belonged] to Korah | H7141 → | 26 times |
| וְאֵ֖ת | veet | and <obj.> | H853 → | 10935 times |
| כָּל־ | kol- | all | H3605 → | 5413 times |
| הָרֲכֽוּשׁ׃ | harakhush | the property | H7399 → |
וַתִּפְתַּ֤חand it opened
vatiftachH6605 →144 times
הָאָ֙רֶץ֙the earth
haaretzH776 →2504 times
אֶת־<obj.>
ʾet-H853 →10935 times
פִּ֔יהָmouth its
pihaH6310 →498 times
וַתִּבְלַ֥עand it swallowed
vativla'H1104 →49 times
אֹתָ֖ם<obj.> them
ʾotamH853 →10935 times
וְאֶת־and <obj.>
veetH853 →10935 times
בָּתֵּיהֶ֑םhouseholds their
bateihemH1004 →2046 times
וְאֵ֤תand <obj.>
veetH853 →10935 times
כָּל־every
kol-H3605 →5413 times
הָאָדָם֙<the> person
haadamH120 →551 times
אֲשֶׁ֣רwho
ʾasherH834 →5497 times
לְקֹ֔רַח[belonged] to Korah
lekorachH7141 →26 times
וְאֵ֖תand <obj.>
veetH853 →10935 times
כָּל־all
kol-H3605 →5413 times
הָרֲכֽוּשׁ׃the property
harakhushH7399 →
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
The walk
8 stopsEach card is a verse this one points to, and under it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it.
Through
1 Chronicles 6:22The descendants of Kohath:
it leads to
- Exodus 6:24
The sons of Korah were Assir, Elkanah, and Abiasaph. These were the clans of the Korahites.
Reached by 2 separate paths from here.
- Exodus 6:24
Through
Psalms 106:17The earth opened up and swallowed Dathan; it covered the assembly of Abiram.
it leads to
- Deuteronomy 11:6
and what He did in the midst of all the Israelites to Dathan and Abiram, the sons of Eliab the Reubenite, when the earth opened its mouth and swallowed them, their households, their tents,…
- Numbers 26:10
And the earth opened its mouth and swallowed them along with Korah, whose followers died when the fire consumed 250 men. They serve as a warning sign.
- Deuteronomy 11:6
Through
Isaiah 5:14Therefore Sheol enlarges its throat and opens wide its enormous jaws, and down go Zion’s nobles and masses, her revelers and carousers!
it leads to
- Habakkuk 2:5
and wealth indeed betrays him. He is an arrogant man never at rest. He enlarges his appetite like Sheol, and like Death, he is never satisfied. He gathers all the nations to himself and…
- Luke 21:34
But watch yourselves, or your hearts will be weighed down by dissipation, drunkenness, and the worries of life—and that day will spring upon you suddenly like a snare.
- Proverbs 30:16
Sheol, the barren womb, land never satisfied with water, and fire that never says, ‘Enough!’
- Psalms 55:15
Let death seize them by surprise; let them go down to Sheol alive, for evil is with them in their homes.
- Matthew 7:13
Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction, and many enter through it.
- Habakkuk 2:5
Where this verse is studied
On this page
Studies6
On this verse
On this chapter
About Numbers

This page draws on Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869); Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments; Augustine of Hippo, City of God 10.8; Basil of Caesarea, CONCERNING BAPTISM, QUESTION 8; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763); Keil and Delitzsch, Biblical Commentary on the Old Testament: The Pentateuch and Philoxenus of Mabbug, 13 Ascetic Discourses, Discourse 7 -- Second Discourse on the Fear of God.
