and the earth opened its mouth and swallowed them and their households—all Korah’s men and all their possessions.
Parallel translations
- WEB The earth opened its mouth and swallowed them up, with their households, all of Korah’s men, and all their goods.
- KJV And the earth opened her mouth, and swallowed them up, and their houses, and all the men that appertained unto Korah, and all their goods.
- NKJV and the earth opened its mouth and swallowed them up, with their households and all the men with Korah, with all their goods.
- NASB and the earth opened its mouth and swallowed them, their households, and all the people who belonged to Korah with all their possessions.
- NLT The earth opened its mouth and swallowed the men, along with their households and all their followers who were standing with them, and everything they owned.
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
The earth opened and swallowed the rebels, their households, all Korah's men, and their goods. The judgment was thorough and terrible.
Overview
The ground engulfs the rebels along with their families and possessions, executing the unprecedented sign Moses had announced. The completeness of the judgment reveals the gravity of rebellion against God. It stands as a solemn warning of the destruction that defiance of the LORD invites.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 14
- Ps 106:17The earth opened up and swallowed Dathan; it covered the assembly of Abiram.
- Num 26:11However, the line of Korah did not die out.
- Rev 12:16But the earth helped the woman and opened its mouth to swallow up the river that had poured from the dragon’s mouth.
- 1 Chr 6:22The descendants of Kohath: Amminadab his son, Korah his son, Assir his son,
- Isa 5:14Therefore Sheol enlarges its throat and opens wide its enormous jaws, and down go Zion’s nobles and masses, her revelers and carousers!
- 1 Chr 6:37the son of Tahath, the son of Assir, the son of Ebiasaph, the son of Korah,
- 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.
- Num 16:30But if the LORD brings about something unprecedented, and the earth opens its mouth and swallows them and all that belongs to them so that they go down alive into Sheol, then you will know that these men have treated the LORD with contempt.”
- Num 16:17Each man is to take his censer, place incense in it, and present it before the LORD—250 censers. You and Aaron are to present your censers as well.”
- Ps 88:1A song. A Psalm of the sons of Korah. For the choirmaster. According to Mahalath Leannoth. A Maskil of Heman the Ezrahite. O LORD, the God of my salvation, day and night I cry out before You.
- Ps 84:1For the choirmaster. According to Gittith. A Psalm of the sons of Korah. How lovely is Your dwelling place, O LORD of Hosts!
- Ps 85:1For the choirmaster. A Psalm of the sons of Korah. You showed favor to Your land, O LORD; You restored Jacob from captivity.
- Gen 4:11Now you are cursed and banished from the ground, which has opened its mouth to receive your brother’s blood from your hand.
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 16:32 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
Each word below is tagged with its Strong’s number — tap one to see the underlying Hebrew word, its meaning, and every verse that uses it.