Numbers 16:27
So they gat up from the tabernacle of Korah, Dathan, and Abiram, on every side: and Dathan and Abiram came out, and stood in the door of their tents, and their wives, and their sons, and their little children.
Original Language Analysis
וַיֵּֽעָל֗וּ
So they gat up
H5927
וַיֵּֽעָל֗וּ
So they gat up
Strong's:
H5927
Word #:
1 of 16
to ascend, intransitively (be high) or actively (mount); used in a great variety of senses, primary and secondary, literal and figurative
מֵעַ֧ל
H5921
מֵעַ֧ל
Strong's:
H5921
Word #:
2 of 16
above, over, upon, or against (yet always in this last relation with a downward aspect) in a great variety of applications
מִשְׁכַּן
from the tabernacle
H4908
מִשְׁכַּן
from the tabernacle
Strong's:
H4908
Word #:
3 of 16
a residence (including a shepherd's hut, the lair of animals, figuratively, the grave; also the temple); specifically, the tabernacle (properly, its w
קֹ֛רֶח
of Korah
H7141
קֹ֛רֶח
of Korah
Strong's:
H7141
Word #:
4 of 16
korach, the name of two edomites and three israelites
מִסָּבִ֑יב
on every side
H5439
מִסָּבִ֑יב
on every side
Strong's:
H5439
Word #:
7 of 16
(as noun) a circle, neighbour, or environs; but chiefly (as adverb, with or without preposition) around
יָֽצְא֣וּ
came out
H3318
יָֽצְא֣וּ
came out
Strong's:
H3318
Word #:
10 of 16
to go (causatively, bring) out, in a great variety of applications, literally and figuratively, direct and proxim
נִצָּבִ֗ים
and stood
H5324
נִצָּבִ֗ים
and stood
Strong's:
H5324
Word #:
11 of 16
to station, in various applications (literally or figuratively)
פֶּ֚תַח
in the door
H6607
פֶּ֚תַח
in the door
Strong's:
H6607
Word #:
12 of 16
an opening (literally), i.e., door (gate) or entrance way
אָֽהֳלֵיהֶ֔ם
of their tents
H168
אָֽהֳלֵיהֶ֔ם
of their tents
Strong's:
H168
Word #:
13 of 16
a tent (as clearly conspicuous from a distance)
Historical Context
Ancient Near Eastern households were corporate units; a patriarch's decision bound his family (Joshua 24:15: 'as for me and my house'). Yet Dathan and Abiram's wives and children weren't innocent bystanders—they participated in the rebellion's public theater. The earth swallowing them (v. 32-33) became a perpetual warning (Deuteronomy 11:6).
Questions for Reflection
- How do your rebellious choices against God's authority affect those under your influence—family, employees, ministry followers?
- What's the proper balance between 'counting the cost' of following God (Luke 14:26-33) and recognizing that obedience to God preserves rather than destroys families?
Related Resources
Explore related topics, people, and study resources to deepen your understanding of this passage.
Analysis & Commentary
So they gat up from the tabernacle of Korah, Dathan, and Abiram, on every side—The faithful obey God's warning (v. 24), creating physical separation: mi'saviv (מִסָּבִיב, 'on every side') shows complete withdrawal. In contrast, Dathan and Abiram came out, and stood in the door of their tents—they position themselves defiantly at their tent entrances with their wives, and their sons, and their little children.
This is chilling: they involve their families in their rebellion, ensuring corporate destruction. The phrase nitsavim (נִצָּבִים, 'standing') suggests deliberate posture—not cowering but brazenly awaiting God's judgment. Their whole households become complicit, illustrating that sin's consequences spread beyond the individual. Contrast righteous Lot, whose angels dragged him from Sodom (Genesis 19:16); here no one compels Dathan and Abiram—they freely choose destruction, dragging their children with them. Next verse (28) Moses warns: 'hereby ye shall know that the LORD hath sent me'—creation itself will judge.