Numbers 16:32

32 It opened its mouth. It swallowed up those men. In fact, it swallowed up everyone who lived in their houses. It swallowed all of Korah's men. And it swallowed up everything they owned.

Numbers 16:32 Meaning and Commentary

Numbers 16:32

And the earth opened her mouth and swallowed them up
Dathan and Abiram, their wives, sons, and little ones, that stood at the door of their tents with them, and all their goods, as follows: the earth, as if it was a living creature or a beast of prey, opened its mouth and swallowed them up, as such a creature does its prey:

and their houses;
which may be meant both of their families or households, and of the tents they dwelt in, which were their houses; see ( Deuteronomy 1:6 ) ;

and all the men that [appertained] unto Korah:
not Korah himself, for he was with the two hundred fifty men that had censers, and with Aaron at the door of the tabernacle of the congregation offering incense, and thereby making trial to whom the priesthood belonged; and who, it is highly probable, perished by fire with the two hundred fifty men, as Josephus, Aben Ezra, and others are of opinion; but the family of Korah, and not all of them, for his sons died not at that time, ( Numbers 26:11 ) ; and there were of his posterity in the times of David, to whom several of the psalms are inscribed, ( Psalms 42:1 ) ( 44:1 ) ( 45:1 ) ( 46:1 ) ( 47:1 ) ( Psalms 48:1 ) ( 49:1 ) ( 84:1 ) ( 85:1 ) ( 87:1 ) ( 88:1 ) ; these were either out of the way upon business, the providence of God so ordering it for their safety; or they disliked the proceedings of their father, and joined not with him; or if they did at first, repented of it and forsook him, as it is probable on of the tribe of Reuben also did, since no mention is made of him in the destruction:

and all [their] goods:
their household goods, their substance and riches, their gold, silver, cattle, and whatever they were possessed of: a very extraordinary case this and which perhaps gave rise to some fabulous things among the Heathens; however, if they can be credited, this ought not to be thought incredible; as Amphiaraus, who with his chariot and its rider are said to be swallowed up in the earth, struck by a thunderbolt from Jupiter, and were never seen more ^F23; and other stories are told of persons praying to their deities for secrecy and shelter, and the earth has opened and hid them; as Althemenes, when he had slain his father ^F24; and the nymph Thalia pregnant by Jupiter, who, for fear of Juno, wished the earth might open and take her in, and it accordingly did, as is reported ^F25.

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FOOTNOTES:

F23 Apollodorus de Deorum Origine, l. 3. p. 157.
F24 lb. p. 134.
F25 Macrob. Saturnal. l. 5. c. 19.

Numbers 16:32 In-Context

30 "But the LORD will make something totally new happen. The ground will open its mouth and swallow them up. It will swallow up everything that belongs to them. They will go down into the grave alive. When that happens, you will know that those men have made fun of the Lord."

31 As soon as Moses finished speaking all of those words, what he had said came true. The ground under them broke open.

32 It opened its mouth. It swallowed up those men. In fact, it swallowed up everyone who lived in their houses. It swallowed all of Korah's men. And it swallowed up everything they owned.

33 They went down into the grave alive. Everything they owned went down with them. The ground closed over them. They died. And so they disappeared from the community.

34 All of the people of Israel who were around them heard their cries. They ran away from them. They shouted, "The ground is going to swallow us up too!"