And Moses sent to call Dathan and Abiram, the sons of Eliab: which said, We will not come up:
Parallel translations
- WEB Moses sent to call Dathan and Abiram, the sons of Eliab; and they said, “We won’t come up!
- BSB Then Moses summoned Dathan and Abiram, the sons of Eliab, but they said, “We will not come!
- NKJV And Moses sent to call Dathan and Abiram the sons of Eliab, but they said, “We will not come up!
- NASB Then Moses sent a summons to Dathan and Abiram, the sons of Eliab; but they said, “We will not come up.
- NLT Then Moses summoned Dathan and Abiram, the sons of Eliab, but they replied, “We refuse to come before you!
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Quick answer
Moses summoned Dathan and Abiram, but they refused to come. Their open defiance showed hardened rebellion.
Overview
Dathan and Abiram brazenly refuse Moses' call, displaying contempt for his God-given authority. Their refusal to even appear marks a deepening of the rebellion into outright insolence. Such hardness of heart against God's word is a warning against the stubborn refusal to heed God's call to repentance.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 4
- Isa 3:5And the people shall be oppressed, every one by another, and every one by his neighbour: the child shall behave himself proudly against the ancient, and the base against the honourable.
- Jude 1:8Likewise also these filthy dreamers defile the flesh, despise dominion, and speak evil of dignities.
- Prov 29:9If a wise man contendeth with a foolish man, whether he rage or laugh, there is no rest.
- 1 Pet 2:13–14Submit yourselves to every ordinance of man for the Lord’s sake: whether it be to the king, as supreme;
Themes, concepts, people & topics
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Christ at the center
In the wilderness Christ is the water from the rock, the bronze serpent lifted up that the dying might look and live (John 3:14), and the star and scepter that Balaam saw rising out of Jacob.
How Numbers 16:12 points to him is part of the one story that runs through all Scripture — meet Jesus at the heart of the web, or follow a trail that traces him from Genesis to Revelation.
Original language
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