Psalms 106:17

17 The ground opened and swallowed Dathan, then buried Abiram's gang.

Psalms 106:17 Meaning and Commentary

Psalms 106:17

The earth opened and swallowed up Dathan
One of the heads of the conspirators against Moses and Aaron; the earth clave asunder under him and his company; opened itself, or its mouth, and devoured them at once. This was a new, marvellous, and unheard of thing, and which manifestly showed the divine displeasure and resentment at their proceedings; and served greatly to confirm the authority and office of Moses and Aaron; see ( Numbers 16:30-33 ) .

And covered the company of Abiram;
another of the heads of the confederacy. Korah is not mentioned, though the earth swallowed up him and all that belonged to him, their houses and their goods; some think the reason is because it was well known that this was his case, when Dathan and Abiram are not so expressly mentioned in the history by Moses; as also because the sons of Korah were now in esteem as singers; nor is On the son of Peleth mentioned, because, as Kimchi says, he repented, and desisted from the conspiracy.

Psalms 106:17 In-Context

15 He gave them exactly what they asked for - but along with it they got an empty heart.
16 One day in camp some grew jealous of Moses, also of Aaron, holy priest of God.
17 The ground opened and swallowed Dathan, then buried Abiram's gang.
18 Fire flared against that rebel crew and torched them to a cinder.
19 They cast in metal a bull calf at Horeb and worshiped the statue they'd made.
Published by permission. Originally published by NavPress in English as THE MESSAGE: The Bible in Contemporary Language copyright 2002 by Eugene Peterson. All rights reserved.