Bible Strands
Numbers 16:12
Then Moses summoned Dathan and Abiram, the sons of Eliab, but they said, “We will not come!
Berean Standard Bible
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Study note
Setting — Moses summons Dathan and Abiram, sons of Eliab, immediately after accusing them of conspiring against the Lord and grumbling against Aaron. They refuse to appear before him, marking the opening of their direct defiance.
The words — וַיִּשְלַח (va.yishlach) means "and he sent" or "he summoned," paired with לִקְרֹא (liqro') "to call/summon." Their reply begins with וַיֹּאמְרוּ (va.yomru) "and they said," delivering the blunt refusal "We will not come."
The thread — This refusal echoes the pattern of civil strife where authority is openly rejected, as seen in Isaiah 3:5 and the unresolved conflicts described in Proverbs 29:9, while contrasting with the New Testament call to submit to human authority in 1 Peter 2:13.
Why it lands — The text records a direct refusal of divine mediation, demanding the reader recognize the immediate consequences of rejecting God-ordained leadership before interpreting the broader theological implications.
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 Moses sent to call Dathan and Abiram, the sons of Eliab: which said, We will not come up:
Cross-references
- Proverbs 29:9 If a wise man goes to court with a fool, there will be raving and laughing with no resolution.
- Isaiah 3:5 The people will oppress one another, man against man, neighbor against neighbor; the young will rise up against the old, and the base against the honorable.
- 1 Peter 2:13 Submit yourselves for the Lord’s sake to every human institution, whether to the king as the supreme authority,
- Jude 1:8 Yet in the same way these dreamers defile their bodies, reject authority, and slander glorious beings.