Numbers 16 25

Numbers 16:25 kjv

And Moses rose up and went unto Dathan and Abiram; and the elders of Israel followed him.

Numbers 16:25 nkjv

Then Moses rose and went to Dathan and Abiram, and the elders of Israel followed him.

Numbers 16:25 niv

Moses got up and went to Dathan and Abiram, and the elders of Israel followed him.

Numbers 16:25 esv

Then Moses rose and went to Dathan and Abiram, and the elders of Israel followed him.

Numbers 16:25 nlt

So Moses got up and rushed over to the tents of Dathan and Abiram, followed by the elders of Israel.

Numbers 16 verses

Numbers 16 25 Meaning

Numbers 16:25 describes Moses's decisive and direct confrontation with Dathan and Abiram, two of the principal rebels. His act of "rising and going" signifies a resolute and active response to their defiance. The presence of the elders of Israel accompanying him underscores the gravity of the situation, the legitimacy of Moses's authority as recognized by the loyal leadership, and the community's implied support for God's established order against the rebellion. It marked a final, personal appeal and a formal separation before God's impending judgment.

Numbers 16 25 Context

Numbers chapter 16 describes one of the most significant rebellions against Moses and Aaron in the wilderness. Korah, a Levite, along with Dathan, Abiram, and On, descendants of Reuben, and 250 prominent men, challenged Moses's divinely appointed leadership and Aaron's priesthood. They accused Moses and Aaron of exalting themselves above the congregation, which they claimed was holy.

Numbers 16:25 immediately follows God's instruction to Moses to command the congregation to separate themselves from the dwellings of Korah, Dathan, and Abiram (Nu 16:24). Despite their direct defiance and earlier refusal to come to him (Nu 16:12-14), Moses, acting in obedience to God and perhaps in a final desperate attempt to offer repentance, goes directly to them. This action is critical because it highlights Moses's commitment to fulfilling God's will and providing a final, stark warning before judgment falls. The accompanying elders reinforce the public, formal, and authoritative nature of this confrontation.

Numbers 16 25 Word analysis

• Then Moses (וַיָּקָם מֹשֶׁה, vayyāqām mōšeh):

  • Then: vayyāqām (and he arose/stood up). The Hebrew verb qûm often implies a decisive action, an assertion of readiness, or rising to a task, not merely getting up from a seated position. It indicates Moses taking a posture of resolve and purpose in fulfilling his divine commission, confronting danger directly.
  • Moses: mōšeh (מֹשֶׁה). The appointed leader of Israel, demonstrating his unwavering obedience and courage in the face of immense challenge to his leadership. His actions throughout this chapter reflect his reliance on God rather than personal power.

• rose and went (וַיָּקָם וַיֵּלֶךְ, vayyāqām vayyēleḵ):

  • and went: vayyēleḵ (and he went). This verb simply indicates movement, but in this context, it signifies a deliberate approach towards the rebels. Despite previous defiance (Nu 16:12) and their accusations, Moses personally initiates the confrontation. It emphasizes his courageous and decisive move to implement God's command and separate the righteous from the wicked before judgment.

• to Dathan and Abiram, (אֶל־דָּתָן וַאֲבִירָם, ’el dāṯān wa’ăḇīrām):

  • Dathan and Abiram: Specific leaders of the Reubenite faction of the rebellion. Unlike Korah, who engaged with Moses at the Tabernacle (Nu 16:17-19), Dathan and Abiram consistently refused to come to Moses and defied his authority at their own tents (Nu 16:12-14). Moses going directly to their location emphasizes their entrenched defiance and Moses's last-ditch effort to warn them. They were central figures in directly challenging the established socio-political and spiritual order.

• and the elders of Israel (וְזִקְנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל, wəziqnê yiśrā’ēl):

  • elders of Israel: ziqnê yiśrā’ēl. These were the established leaders of the tribes and clans within Israel, appointed by God and Moses (Nu 11:16-17). Their presence with Moses signified their allegiance to God's chosen leader and validated Moses's authority in this crucial moment. They represent the faithful remnant of the leadership.

• followed him. (אַחֲרָיו, ’aharāyw):

  • followed him: ’aharāyw (after him). This signifies their solidarity, support, and affirmation of Moses's authority and action. They were witnesses to the confrontation, adding solemnity and legitimacy to Moses's final pronouncements and the subsequent divine judgment. It emphasizes a unified leadership against the rebellion.

Numbers 16 25 Bonus section

• Moses's action here serves as a potent example of a leader who actively engages with rebellion, rather than retreating or leaving it solely to divine intervention without human instrumentality.
• The fact that Dathan and Abiram remained at their tents and forced Moses to come to them highlights their profound arrogance and rejection of Mosaic authority, underscoring the severity of their hardened hearts.
• This verse prefaces the physical separation of the people, an act symbolizing spiritual and moral separation required of God's people from sin and those in active rebellion.
• The historical memory of Dathan and Abiram's fate served as a foundational warning against similar challenges to leadership and divine order throughout Israelite history, and indeed, within the broader context of God's people as referenced in the New Testament.

Numbers 16 25 Commentary

Numbers 16:25 depicts a pivotal moment where Moses, acting with resolute purpose and obedience to God, undertakes a dangerous personal confrontation with the most obstinate rebels. His act of "rising" signifies not just physical movement, but a taking up of the divine mantle for a difficult task. By "going" to Dathan and Abiram's tents, Moses demonstrates both courage and perhaps a final, gracious attempt to provide an opportunity for repentance before judgment. The accompanying elders validate Moses's actions and underscore that this was a communal stance of loyalty against defiance. This verse powerfully illustrates courageous, faithful leadership under immense pressure, and sets the stage for God's clear and dramatic intervention, demonstrating the grave consequences of challenging divine authority and His chosen representatives.