Numbers 16 33

Numbers 16:33 kjv

They, and all that appertained to them, went down alive into the pit, and the earth closed upon them: and they perished from among the congregation.

Numbers 16:33 nkjv

So they and all those with them went down alive into the pit; the earth closed over them, and they perished from among the assembly.

Numbers 16:33 niv

They went down alive into the realm of the dead, with everything they owned; the earth closed over them, and they perished and were gone from the community.

Numbers 16:33 esv

So they and all that belonged to them went down alive into Sheol, and the earth closed over them, and they perished from the midst of the assembly.

Numbers 16:33 nlt

So they went down alive into the grave, along with all their belongings. The earth closed over them, and they all vanished from among the people of Israel.

Numbers 16 verses

Numbers 16 33 Meaning

Numbers 16:33 describes the swift, supernatural judgment executed by God upon Korah, Dathan, and Abiram, along with their households. As a divine demonstration against their rebellion, the earth miraculously opened and swallowed them alive, pulling them down into Sheol. The ground then closed over them, utterly destroying them and removing their presence entirely from the midst of the Israelite assembly. This act underscored the gravity of their sin and God's absolute authority and holiness.

Numbers 16 33 Context

Numbers 16 records the most severe internal rebellion faced by Moses during the wilderness journey. Korah, a Levite, along with Dathan, Abiram, and On from the tribe of Reuben, and 250 prominent men, challenged the divinely established leadership of Moses and the Aaronic priesthood. They contended that the whole congregation was holy and that Moses and Aaron had overstepped their authority. God directly intervened to prove His chosen leadership. The Lord distinguished between those He chose and those who rebelled by performing an unprecedented act: the earth would open and swallow the rebels alive. Verse 33 describes the climax of this divine judgment, confirming God’s swift and definitive response to challenge His appointed order. This event took place during Israel's forty-year wilderness wanderings, serving as a powerful, public demonstration of the holiness of God and the dire consequences of rebellion against His revealed will and His chosen representatives.

Numbers 16 33 Word analysis

• So they and all that belonged to them: This highlights the totality and comprehensive nature of the judgment. It includes Korah, Dathan, Abiram, their households (families, servants), and their possessions. This holistic judgment underscores that the rebellion was deeply rooted within their entire lives and relationships, demonstrating God’s cleansing action upon the sin that permeated their domain.
• went down alive: Hebrew: יָרְדוּ חַיִּים (yar·du chay·yim).
  • יָרְדוּ (yar·du): "they went down," indicating descent into a lower place. This physical movement signifies removal and ultimate degradation.
  • חַיִּים (chay·yim): "alive," "living." This is a crucial detail. Unlike a normal death and burial, they were conscious and fully vital when they descended, making the punishment extraordinarily vivid, terrifying, and unique. It underscored the supernatural and instantaneous nature of God’s direct intervention.
• into Sheol: Hebrew: שְׁאוֹלָה (sh'ō·lāh). Sheol in the Old Testament is the common realm of the dead, a shadowy underworld from which there is no easy return. In this context, to descend into Sheol "alive" represents an unparalleled act of divine judgment—a living burial, a unique mode of divine execution where the very ground acted as God's instrument to deliver them directly to the abode of the dead, separating them from the living.
• and the earth closed over them: This depicts the finality and irreversible nature of the judgment. The earth acted as God's agent, physically consuming the rebels and then sealing their fate. It publicly and unequivocally confirmed their demise and ensured no trace remained on the surface.
• and they perished: Hebrew: וַיֹּאבְדוּ (way·yo·v'du). "and they were destroyed," "were lost," or "annihilated." This verb signifies complete eradication. It emphasizes their total disappearance and the complete cessation of their presence, both physically and functionally, within the community.
• from the midst of the assembly: Hebrew: מִתּוֹךְ הַקָּהָל (mit·tōkh haq·qā·hāl). This phrase highlights their excommunication and removal from the covenant community. In Israel, the "assembly" (qā·hāl) represented the holy congregation of God's chosen people. Being "cut off" or "perishing from the midst of" the assembly was the most severe form of judgment within theocratic Israel, signifying divine rejection and removal from the blessings and protection of the covenant. It made the consequences of rebellion a clear object lesson for all generations.

Words-group Analysis

• "they and all that belonged to them went down alive into Sheol": This full phrase profoundly conveys the unprecedented and comprehensive nature of God's judgment. It shows that the rebellion had implicated not only the individuals but their entire social unit, symbolizing a complete excision of the sinful influence from God's people. The "went down alive into Sheol" part marks this event as distinctly miraculous and terrifying, an immediate, supernatural passage into the underworld unlike any death known, establishing it as a unique act of divine wrath.
• "and the earth closed over them, and they perished from the midst of the assembly": These phrases describe the final, physical, and covenantal sealing of their fate. The closing earth emphasizes the irreversible action and the absolute finality of their removal. "Perished from the midst of the assembly" signifies not just physical death but spiritual and communal separation, underscoring that their defiance had rendered them unfit to remain among God's holy people, serving as a dire warning against any further challenge to God's order.

Numbers 16 33 Bonus section

• The incident of Korah's rebellion and its specific judgment in Num 16:33 stands as a pivotal historical event in Israel, deeply etched into their memory as a constant reminder of God's severe response to unauthorized claims of spiritual authority and direct challenges to His divinely ordained leaders. It directly reinforced the exclusive right of the Aaronic priesthood and Moses' singular role.
• The judgment was not just an act of retribution but also a necessary purification of the assembly. The immediate removal of the rebels prevented the spread of their spiritual corruption and reaffirmed the sanctity of the entire congregation in the sight of God.
• The uniqueness of this death ("went down alive into Sheol") contrasts sharply with other forms of divine judgment like plagues or fire, emphasizing that this was a targeted, unprecedented act of God's justice that specifically mirrored the presumption of the rebels in attempting to "descend" into roles not assigned to them.
• This verse and the broader narrative serve as a potent polemic against any future challenges to the established divine order, whether within the Levitical priesthood, general leadership, or among the people. It affirmed the divine institution of the offices and demonstrated the perilous error of human pride seeking to usurp God's appointed roles.
• While a terrifying judgment, it also highlights God's protective nature towards His faithful ones and His desire for order within His community.

Numbers 16 33 Commentary

Numbers 16:33 presents one of the most vivid and terrifying illustrations of God's direct judgment against rebellion in the Old Testament. The unique manner of death—being swallowed alive by the earth and descending into Sheol—served as an unmistakable divine sign. This comprehensive destruction, extending to their households, underscored the profound defilement that such rebellion against God's established authority brought upon the entire sphere of the rebels. It publicly validated Moses' leadership and the Aaronic priesthood, reinforcing the divine order. The consequence, "they perished from the midst of the assembly," signifies not only physical removal but complete excision from the covenant community, a powerful object lesson for Israel on the absolute holiness of God and the dire consequences of despising His chosen instruments and His word. This divine act demonstrated God's intolerance for those who seek to undermine His truth and governance, setting a foundational precedent for divine justice within the covenant people.