Devarim 11:6

6 And what He did unto Datan and Aviram, the bnei Eliav ben Reuven; how ha’aretz opened her mouth, and swallowed them up, and their households, and their oholim, and every living thing in their possession, in the midst of kol Yisroel;

Devarim 11:6 Meaning and Commentary

Deuteronomy 11:6

And what he did unto Dathan and Abiram, the sons of Eliab, the
son of Reuben
When they with Korah and his company quarrelled with Moses and Aaron about the priesthood, ( Numbers 16:1 ) , how the earth opened her mouth, and swallowed them up; the history of which see in ( Numbers 16:30-33 )

and their households and their tents;
not their houses and their tents, as the Septuagint and some other versions; for though the word signifies houses, and is often used for them, yet here it must signify families, their wives, and children; since they had no houses, but dwelt in tents, all which were swallowed up with them:

and all the substance that was in their possession;
gold, silver, cattle, household goods, and whatever they were possessed of:

or was at their feet
^F3; or which followed them, their living creatures; or was for them, as Aben Ezra interprets it; for, their use, service, and necessity: and this was done

in the midst of all Israel;
openly and publicly, they beholding it, as follows; and therefore should be rendered, "before all Israel" ^F4; and, besides, the tents of Dathan and Abiram, Reubenites, were not in the midst of Israel.

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FOOTNOTES:

F3 (Mhylgrb rva) "quae erat in pedibus eorum", Pagninus, Montanus, Vatablus.
F4 (brqb) "coram omni Israele", Noldius, p. 212. No. 975.

Devarim 11:6 In-Context

4 And what He did unto the army of Mitzrayim, unto their susim, and to their chariots; how He made the mayim of Yam Suf to overflow them as they pursued after you, and how Hashem hath destroyed them unto yom hazeh;

5 And what He did unto you in the midbar, until ye came into this place;

6 And what He did unto Datan and Aviram, the bnei Eliav ben Reuven; how ha’aretz opened her mouth, and swallowed them up, and their households, and their oholim, and every living thing in their possession, in the midst of kol Yisroel;

7 But your eyes have seen kol ma’aseh Hashem which He did.

8 Therefore shall ye be shomer over all the mitzvot which I command you today, that ye may be strong, and go in and possess ha’aretz, whither ye go to possess it;