Bible Strands
Numbers 16:32
and the earth opened its mouth and swallowed them and their households—all Korah’s men and all their possessions.
Berean Standard Bible
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Study note
Setting — The narrator records the immediate fulfillment of Moses’ warning as the ground beneath Korah’s followers splits open. This occurs at the climax of the Numbers 16 rebellion narrative, directly following Moses’ declaration of divine judgment.
The words — The Hebrew verbs וַתִּפְתַּח (tif.Tach, "it opened") and וַתִּבְלַע (tiv.La', "it swallowed") frame the earth’s active role in the judgment. These terms literally depict the ground opening its mouth to consume the rebels and their households.
The thread — This motif of the earth opening to swallow rebels appears in Psalms 106:17 and is echoed in Revelation 12:16 where the earth opens its mouth to swallow a river. Conversely, Numbers 26:11 notes that Korah’s own lineage survived, distinguishing his immediate followers from his descendants.
Why it lands — The text demands recognition of divine judgment’s finality against organized rebellion. Readers must acknowledge that the narrative records a historical act of consumption without softening its severity or adding moral commentary.
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The Hebrew words
King James Version
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.
Cross-references
- Numbers 26:11 However, the line of Korah did not die out.
- Psalms 106:17 The earth opened up and swallowed Dathan; it covered the assembly of Abiram.
- Revelation 12:16 But the earth helped the woman and opened its mouth to swallow up the river that the dragon had poured from his mouth.
- 1 Chronicles 6:22 The descendants of Kohath: Amminadab his son, Korah his son, Assir his son,
- Isaiah 5:14 Therefore Sheol enlarges its throat and opens wide its enormous jaws, and down go Zion’s nobles and masses, her revelers and carousers!
- Numbers 16:17 Each man is to take his censer, place incense in it, and present it before the LORD—250 censers. You and Aaron are to present your censers as well.”
- Numbers 16:30 But if the LORD brings about something unprecedented, and the earth opens its mouth and swallows them and all that belongs to them so that they go down alive into Sheol, then you will know that these men have treated the LORD with contempt.”
- Numbers 27:3 “Our father died in the wilderness, but he was not among the followers of Korah who gathered together against the LORD. Instead, he died because of his own sin, and he had no sons.
- 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, and every living thing that belonged to them.
- 1 Chronicles 6:37 the son of Tahath, the son of Assir, the son of Ebiasaph, the son of Korah,