Deuteronomy 11:6 kjv
And what he did unto Dathan and Abiram, the sons of Eliab, the son of Reuben: how the earth opened her mouth, and swallowed them up, and their households, and their tents, and all the substance that was in their possession, in the midst of all Israel:
Deuteronomy 11:6 nkjv
and what He did to Dathan and Abiram the sons of Eliab, the son of Reuben: how the earth opened its mouth and swallowed them up, their households, their tents, and all the substance that was in their possession, in the midst of all Israel?
Deuteronomy 11:6 niv
and what he did to Dathan and Abiram, sons of Eliab the Reubenite, when the earth opened its mouth right in the middle of all Israel and swallowed them up with their households, their tents and every living thing that belonged to them.
Deuteronomy 11:6 esv
and what he did to Dathan and Abiram the sons of Eliab, son of Reuben, how the earth opened its mouth and swallowed them up, with their households, their tents, and every living thing that followed them, in the midst of all Israel.
Deuteronomy 11:6 nlt
They didn't see what he did to Dathan and Abiram (the sons of Eliab, a descendant of Reuben) when the earth opened its mouth in the Israelite camp and swallowed them, along with their households and tents and every living thing that belonged to them.
Deuteronomy 11 6 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Num 16:1-35 | Now Korah... with Dathan and Abiram... took men... and rose up before Moses with some of the children of Israel, two hundred and fifty leaders... and they gathered themselves together against Moses and against Aaron, and said to them, "You take too much upon yourselves..." | Details of Korah-Dathan-Abiram rebellion |
| Num 16:31-33 | Now it came to pass... that the ground split apart... and the earth opened its mouth and swallowed them up, with their households and all the men who belonged to Korah, with their goods. So they and all those with them went down alive into the pit... | Direct account of the judgment |
| Num 26:9-10 | The sons of Eliab were Nemuel, Dathan, and Abiram. These are the Dathan and Abiram who were chosen from the congregation, who contended against Moses and Aaron in the company of Korah when they contended against the Lord; and the earth opened its mouth and swallowed them up along with Korah... | Recap of the event, reinforcing their fate |
| Ps 106:16-18 | They also angered Him at the waters of Meribah, and it went ill with Moses... They provoked Moses in the camp... The earth opened and swallowed Dathan, and covered the company of Abiram. A fire was kindled in their company... | Poetic remembrance of their rebellion and judgment |
| Jude 1:11 | Woe to them! For they have gone in the way of Cain, have run greedily in the error of Balaam for profit, and perished in the rebellion of Korah. | Warning against false teachers using Korah's rebellion as an example |
| Heb 3:12 | Beware, brethren, lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief in departing from the living God; | Warning against apostasy, echoing the spirit of rebellion |
| Heb 3:17-19 | Now with whom was He angry forty years? Was it not with those who sinned, whose corpses fell in the wilderness? And to whom did He swear that they would not enter His rest, but to those who did not obey? So we see that they could not enter because of unbelief. | Consequences of disobedience and unbelief from the Exodus generation |
| 1 Cor 10:6 | Now these things became our examples, to the intent that we should not lust after evil things as they also lusted. | OT events as warnings against rebellion and lusts |
| 1 Cor 10:11 | Now all these things happened to them as examples, and they were written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the ages have come. | OT events are written for our warning and instruction |
| Deut 11:3-4 | ...and His signs and His acts which He did in the midst of Egypt, to Pharaoh and to all his land; what He did to the army of Egypt... | Immediate context, earlier deeds of God mentioned |
| Exod 15:12 | You stretched out Your right hand; The earth swallowed them. | God's power over earth used to destroy enemies (Pharaoh's army in a different context) |
| Prov 16:18 | Pride goes before destruction, and a haughty spirit before a fall. | Principle of divine judgment against rebellion/pride |
| Rom 1:18 | For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men... | God's righteous wrath against disobedience |
| Heb 10:26-27 | For if we sin willfully after we have received the knowledge of the truth, there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins, but a certain fearful expectation of judgment... | Warning against intentional, rebellious sin |
| 2 Pet 2:10 | ...and especially those who walk according to the flesh in the lust of uncleanness and despise authority. Presumptuous are they, self-willed... | Speaking of those who despise authority, reminiscent of Dathan/Abiram |
| Num 16:35 | And a fire came out from the Lord and consumed the two hundred and fifty men who were offering incense. | Another part of Korah's judgment (fire for the incense burners), illustrating varied divine judgments. |
| Deut 32:35 | Vengeance is Mine, and recompense; In due time their foot shall slip; For the day of their calamity is at hand, And the things to come hasten upon them. | God's prerogative in administering justice and vengeance |
| Isa 28:21 | For the Lord will rise up as at Mount Perazim, He will be angry as in the Valley of Gibeon—That He may do His work, His unusual work, And bring to pass His act, His strange act. | God's unexpected and powerful acts of judgment. |
| Amos 9:2-3 | “Though they dig into hell, from there My hand shall take them; Though they climb up to heaven, from there I will bring them down... Though they hide themselves on top of Carmel, I will search and take them from there..." | God's inescapable judgment |
| Ps 9:16 | The Lord is known by the judgment He executes; The wicked is snared in the work of his own hands. | God's character revealed through His judgments |
| Num 17:10 | "Bring Aaron's rod back before the Testimony, to be kept as a sign against the rebels, that you may put an end to their complaints against Me." | The follow-up sign confirming God's choice and silencing rebellion. |
| Luke 12:47-48 | And that servant who knew his master’s will, and did not prepare himself or do according to his will, shall be beaten with many stripes... For everyone to whom much is given, from him much will be required... | Principle of accountability for those who know God's will and disobey. |
Deuteronomy 11 verses
Deuteronomy 11 6 Meaning
Deuteronomy 11:6 serves as a powerful reminder to Israel of God's immediate and dramatic judgment against rebellion. It specifically recalls the supernatural swallowing of Dathan and Abiram, along with their entire households and possessions, by the earth. This catastrophic event was a public display of God's wrath and His unwavering demand for obedience and respect for His appointed authorities, emphasizing that the Lord punishes those who challenge His sovereignty and reject His chosen leaders. The verse highlights God's justice, power over creation, and the severe consequences of defying Him, providing a direct warning to the new generation entering the Promised Land.
Deuteronomy 11 6 Context
Deuteronomy chapter 11 is part of Moses' second great discourse to the generation of Israelites poised to enter the Promised Land. This generation did not experience the Exodus firsthand as adults, nor did they directly witness many of the wilderness events described. Moses therefore emphatically calls them to remember "what their eyes have seen" (Deut 11:7) regarding God's deeds. He strategically recounts the foundational acts of divine power and judgment, starting from the plagues in Egypt (Deut 11:3-4) and culminating in the dramatic judgment on Dathan and Abiram.
The historical context of Dathan and Abiram's rebellion (Numbers 16) highlights their defiance against Moses' and Aaron's God-appointed leadership, seeing it as self-exaltation rather than divine ordination. They specifically belonged to the tribe of Reuben, historically significant as Jacob's firstborn, yet now led a challenge against Moses and Aaron. Their refusal to ascend to Moses when summoned and their accusation that Moses failed to bring them to a land flowing with milk and honey demonstrates their deep-seated rebellion against God Himself and His chosen means of leadership. This act was not merely civil disobedience but a direct challenge to the Lord's authority. By publicly obliterating them and their families through a supernatural act of the earth opening, God emphatically affirmed His sovereignty, Moses' legitimacy, and the grave consequences of challenging divine order. This served as an unparalleled warning against presumption and rebellion to all Israel, particularly to the generation being taught the stipulations of the covenant they were about to ratify upon entering Canaan. This also implicitly acts as a polemic against any notion that other deities or spiritual forces in Canaan could offer any safety from the powerful Yahweh who could make the very earth swallow His foes.
Deuteronomy 11 6 Word analysis
- what He did: This phrase immediately draws attention to God's direct, personal action. It highlights His active involvement in Israel's history and His manifestation of power. It signifies a divine judgment, not a natural disaster or human action.
- to Dathan and Abiram: These are specific individuals, key figures in a major rebellion against Moses and Aaron, and by extension, against God's appointed order (Num 16). Their names carry a notorious reputation within Israel's history for grave defiance and its swift, dreadful consequences. They were from the tribe of Reuben, giving their rebellion a unique dimension due to their prominent tribal lineage.
- the sons of Eliab, the son of Reuben: Providing their genealogy underlines their specific identity and significance within the tribal structure. Eliab was an elder in Reuben, making Dathan and Abiram leaders in their own right, increasing the severity of their rebellion and the impact of their public downfall. It was not just random individuals but established leaders who dared to defy God's chosen.
- how the earth opened its mouth:
- earth: Hebrew erets (אֶרֶץ). Refers to the ground, land, or even the whole earth. Here, it refers to the very ground beneath them.
- opened its mouth: Hebrew pekhah (פִּיָהּ), literally "her mouth" (the earth's mouth). This is vivid personification, depicting the ground as a living entity capable of acting decisively and swallowing. This is not merely a crack or chasm, but an active, conscious, and terrifying act of consumption, emphasizing the direct, supernatural intervention of God, who commands creation itself. This underscores His ultimate authority over all things.
- and swallowed them up: Hebrew vativaale (וַתִּבְלָעֵם). The verb balaa (בָּלַע) means "to swallow," "to engulf," "to consume." It indicates a complete, swift, and inescapable disappearance. There was no escape or partial judgment; it was total and irreversible, signifying the finality of divine judgment.
- with their households, their tents, and every living thing that followed them:
- their households: Hebrew bateihem (בָּתֵּיהֶם), refers to their extended families, including wives, children, and perhaps dependent relatives.
- their tents: Hebrew oholeihem (אֹהֳלֵיהֶם), signifying all their dwelling places and immediate possessions.
- every living thing that followed them: Hebrew v'khol hayekum asher b'ragleihem (וְכָל הַיְקוּם אֲשֶׁר בְּרַגְלֵיהֶם). This phrase expands the scope of judgment to include all their personal property, wealth, and anything associated with them, including possibly servants or animals directly dependent on them. This emphasizes the comprehensive and absolute nature of the judgment; all that identified with the rebels perished with them. It served as a dire warning against complicity or even association with those who oppose God's will.
- in the midst of all Israel: Hebrew b'kerev kol Yisrael (בְּקֶרֶב כָּל יִשְׂרָאֵל). This crucial phrase underscores the public and undeniable nature of the event. It was not hidden but witnessed by the entire nation. This made the judgment an undeniable testimony of God's power and justice, serving as a powerful and lasting object lesson against rebellion for future generations. It ensured no Israelite could claim ignorance of the severe consequences of defying God.
Deuteronomy 11 6 Bonus section
The incident of Dathan and Abiram is distinct from Korah's judgment within the broader rebellion recorded in Numbers 16, though often grouped together. While Korah's faction (Levites challenging priestly authority) were consumed by fire (Num 16:35), Dathan and Abiram (Reubenites challenging Moses' civil authority) were swallowed by the earth. This distinction highlights God's specific and varied responses to different forms of rebellion against His established order. The very fact that this horrific event is brought up again decades later, as a critical warning and a non-negotiable memory, demonstrates its lasting theological and practical significance for Israel's identity and future. The generation being addressed in Deuteronomy had either been young children during the rebellion or born afterward, yet Moses treats it as a directly relevant, eyewitness lesson that must never be forgotten (Deut 11:7).
Deuteronomy 11 6 Commentary
Deuteronomy 11:6 serves as a vivid and potent reminder of divine judgment, purposefully recounted by Moses to the new generation of Israelites. It brings to the forefront the unparalleled power and absolute justice of God. The incident involving Dathan and Abiram was not just a historical anomaly; it was a clear demonstration that God is actively involved in the affairs of His people and will not tolerate rebellion, especially against the leaders He has sanctified. The earth's dramatic opening and swallowing of the rebels, their families, and possessions symbolizes God's direct control over creation to execute His righteous verdicts. This comprehensive destruction, witnessed "in the midst of all Israel," cemented the lesson: disobedience brings swift and utter devastation, extending beyond the individual rebel to those who are identified with them. The purpose of recounting such a severe past event is not to instill fear for fear's sake, but to motivate a deep respect for God's holiness and a diligent pursuit of obedience, thereby securing the promised blessings for their life in the land.