As soon as Moses had finished saying all this, the ground beneath them split open,
Parallel translations
- WEB As he finished speaking all these words, the ground that was under them split apart.
- KJV And it came to pass, as he had made an end of speaking all these words, that the ground clave asunder that was under them:
- NKJV Now it came to pass, as he finished speaking all these words, that the ground split apart under them,
- NASB And as he finished speaking all these words, the ground that was under them split open;
- NLT He had hardly finished speaking the words when the ground suddenly split open beneath them.
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
As Moses finished speaking, the ground beneath the rebels split apart. God's judgment came swiftly and exactly as foretold.
Overview
The very moment Moses concludes, the earth ruptures, confirming his word with immediate divine action. The precise timing displays God's direct intervention and Moses' true authority. This swift fulfillment shows that God's word does not fail and that judgment, when it comes, is certain (Numbers 23:19).
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 4
- Num 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.
- Deut 11:6and 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.
- Ps 106:17–18The earth opened up and swallowed Dathan; it covered the assembly of Abiram.
- Num 26:10–11And the earth opened its mouth and swallowed them along with Korah, whose followers died when the fire consumed 250 men. They serve as a warning sign.
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 16:31 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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