Numbers 26:10

And the earth opened her mouth, and swallowed them up,.... Not only Dathan and Abiram, but their wives and children, their houses and tents, and all their goods, see Numbers 16:32 together with

And the earth opened her mouth, and swallowed them up together with Korah, when that company died, what time the fire devoured two hundred and fifty men: and they became a sign.

Swallowed them up together with Korah: according to this translation Korah was not consumed by fire with his two hundred and fifty men, Numbers 16, but swallowed up by the earth. But others rather think he was devoured by the fire, of which see on ,35, and render these words, and the things of Korah, or belonging to Korah, to wit, his tent, and goods, and family, children excepted, as here follows; which interpretation receives strength by comparing this place with , And the earth opened her mouth, and swallowed them (to wit, Dathan and Abiram, as is manifest from ,25,27) up, and their houses, and all the men that appertained unto Korah; which variation of the phrase plainly shows that Korah himself was not swallowed up with them, but only his men and his tabernacle, which is mentioned there together with the tabernacles of Dathan and Abiram, ,27, but his person is not there mentioned with their persons. Nor is it unusual both in sacred and profane authors, by the name of a man who is the head and master, to understand only his house and family, though himself be not included. But this difficulty may be cleared another way. The Hebrew particle eth may? be here the note of a nominative case, as it Isaiah 43:7, and there may be a defect of a verb, which is most frequent; and so the place may be rendered thus, and the earth opened her mouth, and swallowed them up, to wit, Dathan and Abiram, , and Korah, or, and as for Korah, he died (which verb is easily understood out of the following noun, of which ellipsis there are many instances in Scripture, some whereof have been given before, and more will follow in their places) in the death of that company, or when that company died, what time the fire devoured the two hundred and fifty men. And so this place, and , explain one another; and whereas there. is mention only of two hundred and fifty men consumed by that fire, Korah is here added to the number. They became a sign, i.e. God made them a monument or example, to warn others not to rebel against God nor against magistracy, nor to usurp the priestly office.

Numbers 26:10 And the earth opened her mouth, and swallowed them up together with Korah, when that company died, what time the fire devoured two hundred and fifty men: and they became a sign.Ver. 10. And they became a sign.] An example of that rule, that great sins bring great plagues, as Herodotus hath it, speaking of the destruction of Troy. Aliorum perditio, tua sit cautio, Enjoy other men’ s madness, &c. Discite iustitiam moniti, &c. Let all that behold me beware; this was written upon the statue of Sennacherib, saith Herodotus.

(10) And the earth opened her mouth, and swallowed them up together with Korah . . . —Hebrew, and Korah. It would appear from this verse that Korah perished in the earthquake with Dathan and Abiram. The Samaritan Pentateuch, however, has a different reading here. It transposes the words “and Korah,” and combines them with the words”and the two hundred and fifty men”: thus—“when the fire devoured Korah and the two hundred and fifty men.” (See Notes on Numbers 16:32; Numbers 16:35.) It is possible that there may have been an omission here of the words which are found in Numbers 16:32, “all the men that appertained unto,” or of words denoting “all the goods belonging to.”

Verse 10. Together with Korah] The Samaritan text does not intimate that Korah was swallowed up, but that he was burnt, as appears in fact to have been the case. And the earth swallowed them up, what time that company died; and the fire devoured Korah with the two hundred and fifty men, who became a sign.

10. and they became a sign] This is a reference to Numbers 16:38; but there it is not the offenders but their fire-pans, beaten into plates for the altar, that are a sign.

Together with Korah - i. e., they were engulfed at the same time that Korah perished, for Korah himself appears to bare died among the two hundred and fifty incense offerers at the door of the

10. Together with Korah — The Samaritan text does not intimate that Korah was swallowed up, but that he was burned. See Numbers 16:25, note; Psalms 106:17.