The Meaning of Numbers 16:32 Explained

Numbers 16:32

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.

YLT: and the earth openeth her mouth, and swalloweth them, and their houses, and all the men who are for Korah, and all the goods,

Darby: And the earth opened its mouth, and swallowed them up, and their households, and all the men that belonged to Korah, and all their property.

ASV: and the earth opened its mouth, and swallowed them up, and their households, and all the men that appertained unto Korah, and all their goods.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

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. 

What does Numbers 16:32 Mean?

Context Summary

Numbers 16:20-35 - Divine Judgment Upon The Rebels
It was wise of Moses not to attempt to vindicate himself, but to leave God to maintain His cause. He is not slow to undertake the vindication of those who entrust their reputation with Him. To take the sword is to perish by the sword. "Wait on the Lord and keep His way, and He will exalt thee to inherit the land."
The doom of Korah and his fellow-conspirators was very terrible; but if they had been spared, the whole camp would have been infected, and God's purposes frustrated. Those who suffer from the bubonic plague must be instantly separated from their fellows, for the sake of society! Remember, as Jude says, that the pit still devours, Judges 1:11. In these last days of the present age, and in view of the terrible records of this chapter, we may well ponder the summons of Revelation 18:4. The congregation was spared, because of the divine compassion of which Moses had a true conception. His prayer only reflected the divine thought, Numbers 16:22. [source]

Chapter Summary: Numbers 16

1  The rebellion of Korah, Dathan, and Abiram
23  Moses separates the people from the rebels' tents
31  The earth swallows up Korah, and a fire consumes others
36  The censers are reserved to holy use
41  14,700 are slain by a plague, for murmuring against Moses and Aaron
46  Aaron by incense stays the plague

What do the individual words in Numbers 16:32 mean?

And opened the earth - its mouth and swallowed them up - and with their households and all the men that [are] with Korah and with [their] goods
וַתִּפְתַּ֤ח הָאָ֙רֶץ֙ אֶת־ פִּ֔יהָ וַתִּבְלַ֥ע אֹתָ֖ם וְאֶת־ בָּתֵּיהֶ֑ם וְאֵ֤ת כָּל־ הָאָדָם֙ אֲשֶׁ֣ר לְקֹ֔רַח וְאֵ֖ת הָרֲכֽוּשׁ

וַתִּפְתַּ֤ח  And  opened 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person feminine singular
Root: פָּתַח 
Sense: to open.
הָאָ֙רֶץ֙  the  earth 
Parse: Article, Noun, feminine singular
Root: אֶרֶץ  
Sense: land, earth.
אֶת־  - 
Parse: Direct object marker
Root: אֹות 
Sense: sign of the definite direct object, not translated in English but generally preceding and indicating the accusative.
פִּ֔יהָ  its  mouth 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct, third person feminine singular
Root: פֶּה  
Sense: mouth.
וַתִּבְלַ֥ע  and  swallowed  them  up 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person feminine singular
Root: בָּלַע 
Sense: to swallow down, swallow up, engulf, eat up.
אֹתָ֖ם  - 
Parse: Direct object marker, third person masculine plural
Root: אֹות 
Sense: sign of the definite direct object, not translated in English but generally preceding and indicating the accusative.
וְאֶת־  and  with 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Direct object marker
Root: אֹות 
Sense: sign of the definite direct object, not translated in English but generally preceding and indicating the accusative.
בָּתֵּיהֶ֑ם  their  households 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural construct, third person masculine plural
Root: בַּיִת 
Sense: house.
הָאָדָם֙  the  men 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: אָדָם 
Sense: man, mankind.
אֲשֶׁ֣ר  that  [are] 
Parse: Pronoun, relative
Root: אֲשֶׁר 
Sense: (relative part.).
לְקֹ֔רַח  with  Korah 
Parse: Preposition-l, Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: קֹרַח  
Sense: son of Izhar, grandson of Kohath, great grandson of Levi and leader of the rebellion of the Israelites against Moses and Aaron while in the wilderness; punished and died by an earthquake and flames of fire.
וְאֵ֖ת  and  with 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Direct object marker
Root: אֹות 
Sense: sign of the definite direct object, not translated in English but generally preceding and indicating the accusative.
הָרֲכֽוּשׁ  [their]  goods 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: רְכוּשׁ  
Sense: property, goods, possessions.