Numbers
Numbers 16:30–34
30But if the LORD brings about something unprecedented, and the earth opens its mouth and swallows them and all that belongs to them so that they go down alive into Sheol, then you will know that these men have treated the LORD with contempt.”
31As soon as Moses had finished saying all this, the ground beneath them split open, 32and the earth opened its mouth and swallowed them and their households — all Korah’s men and all their possessions. 33They went down alive into Sheol with all they owned. The earth closed over them, and they vanished from the assembly.
34At their cries, all the people of Israel who were around them fled, saying, “The earth may swallow us too!”
Word by word
Each English word or phrase beside the Hebrew it translates, in the order of the English. Choose a number to open that word’s study.
Numbers 16:30
| English | Hebrew | Sounds like | Grammar | Word study |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| But if | וְאִם־ | wə·’im- | Conjunction | H518 if |
| the LORD | יְהוָ֗ה | Yah·weh | Noun - proper - masculine singular | H3068 Yahweh |
| brings about | יִבְרָ֣א | yiḇ·rā | Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine singular | H1254 shape, create |
| something unprecedented | בְּרִיאָ֞ה | bə·rî·’āh | Noun - feminine singular | H1278 a creation, thing created |
| and the earth | הָאֲדָמָ֤ה | hā·’ă·ḏā·māh | Article; Noun - feminine singular | H127 ground, land |
| opens | וּפָצְתָ֨ה | ū·p̄ā·ṣə·ṯāh | Conjunctive waw; Verb - Qal - Conjunctive perfect - third person feminine singular | H6475 part, open |
| its mouth | פִּ֙יהָ֙ | pî·hā | Noun - masculine singular construct; third person feminine singular | H6310 mouth |
| and swallows | וּבָלְעָ֤ה | ū·ḇā·lə·‘āh | Conjunctive waw; Verb - Qal - Conjunctive perfect - third person feminine singular | H1104 swallow down, swallow up, engulf |
| them | אֹתָם֙ | ’ō·ṯām | Direct object marker; third person masculine plural | H853 mark of the accusative |
| and | וְאֶת־ | wə·’eṯ- | Conjunctive waw; Direct object marker | H853 mark of the accusative |
| all | כָּל־ | kāl- | Noun - masculine singular construct | H3605 the whole, all |
| that | אֲשֶׁ֣ר | ’ă·šer | Pronoun - relative | H834 particle of relation |
| belongs to them | לָהֶ֔ם | lā·hem | Preposition; third person masculine plural | |
| so that they go down | וְיָרְד֥וּ | wə·yā·rə·ḏū | Conjunctive waw; Verb - Qal - Conjunctive perfect - third person common plural | H3381 come or go down, descend |
| alive | חַיִּ֖ים | ḥay·yîm | Noun - masculine plural | H2416 alive, living |
| into Sheol | שְׁאֹ֑לָה | šə·’ō·lāh | Noun - common singular; third person feminine singular | H7585 underworld |
| then you will know | וִֽידַעְתֶּ֕ם | wî·ḏa‘·tem | Conjunctive waw; Verb - Qal - Conjunctive perfect - second person masculine plural | H3045 know |
| that | כִּ֧י | kî | Conjunction | H3588 burning, branding |
| these | הָאֵ֖לֶּה | hā·’êl·leh | Article; Pronoun - common plural | H428 these |
| men | הָאֲנָשִׁ֥ים | hā·’ă·nā·šîm | Article; Noun - masculine plural | H582 man, mankind |
| have treated | נִֽאֲצ֛וּ | ni·’ă·ṣū | Verb - Piel - Perfect - third person common plural | H5006 contemn, spurn |
| the LORD | יְהוָֽה׃ | Yah·weh | Noun - proper - masculine singular | H3068 Yahweh |
Numbers 16:31
| English | Hebrew | Sounds like | Grammar | Word study |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| As soon as | כְּכַלֹּת֔וֹ | kə·ḵal·lō·ṯōw | Preposition-k; Verb - Piel - Infinitive construct; third person masculine singular | H3615 be complete, at an end, finished, accomplished, spent |
| saying | לְדַבֵּ֕ר | lə·ḏab·bêr | Preposition-l; Verb - Piel - Infinitive construct | H1696 speak |
| all | כָּל־ | kāl- | Noun - masculine singular construct | H3605 the whole, all |
| this | הָאֵ֑לֶּה | hā·’êl·leh | Article; Pronoun - common plural | H428 these |
| the ground | הָאֲדָמָ֖ה | hā·’ă·ḏā·māh | Article; Noun - feminine singular | H127 ground, land |
| beneath them | תַּחְתֵּיהֶֽם׃ | taḥ·tê·hem | Preposition; third person masculine plural | H8478 the under part |
| split open | וַתִּבָּקַ֥ע | wat·tib·bā·qa‘ | Conjunctive waw; Verb - Nifal - Consecutive imperfect - third person feminine singular | H1234 cleave, break open or through |
Numbers 16:32
| English | Hebrew | Sounds like | Grammar | Word study |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| and the earth | הָאָ֙רֶץ֙ | hā·’ā·reṣ | Article; Noun - feminine singular | H776 earth, land |
| opened | וַתִּפְתַּ֤ח | wat·tip̄·taḥ | Conjunctive waw; Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person feminine singular | H6605 open |
| its mouth | פִּ֔יהָ | pî·hā | Noun - masculine singular construct; third person feminine singular | H6310 mouth |
| and swallowed | וַתִּבְלַ֥ע | wat·tiḇ·la‘ | Conjunctive waw; Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person feminine singular | H1104 swallow down, swallow up, engulf |
| them | אֹתָ֖ם | ’ō·ṯām | Direct object marker; third person masculine plural | H853 mark of the accusative |
| and | וְאֶת־ | wə·’eṯ- | Conjunctive waw; Direct object marker | H853 mark of the accusative |
| their households | בָּתֵּיהֶ֑ם | bāt·tê·hem | Noun - masculine plural construct; third person masculine plural | H1004 house |
| all | כָּל־ | kāl- | Noun - masculine singular construct | H3605 the whole, all |
| Korah’s | לְקֹ֔רַח | lə·qō·raḥ | Preposition-l; Noun - proper - masculine singular | H7141 Korach |
| men | הָאָדָם֙ | hā·’ā·ḏām | Article; Noun - masculine singular | H120 man, mankind |
| and all | כָּל־ | kāl- | Noun - masculine singular construct | H3605 the whole, all |
| their possessions | הָרֲכֽוּשׁ׃ | hā·ră·ḵūš | Article; Noun - masculine singular | H7399 property, goods |
Numbers 16:33
| English | Hebrew | Sounds like | Grammar | Word study |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| They | הֵ֣ם | hêm | Pronoun - third person masculine plural | H1992 they, them |
| went down | וַיֵּ֨רְד֜וּ | way·yê·rə·ḏū | Conjunctive waw; Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine plural | H3381 come or go down, descend |
| alive | חַיִּ֖ים | ḥay·yîm | Noun - masculine plural | H2416 alive, living |
| into Sheol | שְׁאֹ֑לָה | šə·’ō·lāh | Noun - common singular; third person feminine singular | H7585 underworld |
| with all | וְכָל־ | wə·ḵāl | Conjunctive waw; Noun - masculine singular construct | H3605 the whole, all |
| they owned | אֲשֶׁ֥ר | ’ă·šer | Pronoun - relative | H834 particle of relation |
| The earth | הָאָ֔רֶץ | hā·’ā·reṣ | Article; Noun - feminine singular | H776 earth, land |
| closed | וַתְּכַ֤ס | wat·tə·ḵas | Conjunctive waw; Verb - Piel - Consecutive imperfect - third person feminine singular | H3680 cover |
| over them | עֲלֵיהֶם֙ | ‘ă·lê·hem | Preposition; third person masculine plural | H5921 height |
| and they vanished | וַיֹּאבְד֖וּ | way·yō·ḇə·ḏū | Conjunctive waw; Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine plural | H6 perish |
| from | מִתּ֥וֹךְ | mit·tō·wḵ | Preposition-m; Noun - masculine singular construct | H8432 midst |
| the assembly | הַקָּהָֽל׃ | haq·qā·hāl | Article; Noun - masculine singular | H6951 assembly, convocation, congregation |
Numbers 16:34
| English | Hebrew | Sounds like | Grammar | Word study |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| At their cries | לְקֹלָ֑ם | lə·qō·lām | Preposition-l; Noun - masculine singular construct; third person masculine plural | H6963 sound, voice |
| all | וְכָל־ | wə·ḵāl | Conjunctive waw; Noun - masculine singular construct | H3605 the whole, all |
| the people of Israel | יִשְׂרָאֵ֗ל | yiś·rā·’êl | Noun - proper - masculine singular | H3478 Israel |
| who | אֲשֶׁ֛ר | ’ă·šer | Pronoun - relative | H834 particle of relation |
| around them | סְבִיבֹתֵיהֶ֖ם | sə·ḇî·ḇō·ṯê·hem | Adverb; third person masculine plural | H5439 circuit, round about |
| fled | נָ֣סוּ | nā·sū | Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person common plural | H5127 flee, escape |
| saying | אָֽמְר֔וּ | ’ā·mə·rū | Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person common plural | H559 utter, say |
| The earth | הָאָֽרֶץ׃ | hā·’ā·reṣ | Article; Noun - feminine singular | H776 earth, land |
| may | פֶּן־ | pen- | Conjunction | H6435 lest |
| swallow us too | תִּבְלָעֵ֖נוּ | tiḇ·lā·‘ê·nū | Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person feminine singular; first person common plural | H1104 swallow down, swallow up, engulf |
Cross-references
Other passages that speak to the same thing. Point at one to read it.
Numbers 16:30 Psalm 55:15 · Numbers 16:33 · Job 31:3
Numbers 16:31 Numbers 27:3 · Deuteronomy 11:6 · Psalm 106:17–18
Numbers 16:32 Numbers 26:11 · Psalm 106:17 · Revelation 12:16 · 1 Chronicles 6:22 · Isaiah 5:14
Cross-references from OpenBible.info, used under CC BY 4.0. The best-supported references for each verse are shown.
Scripture text: Berean Standard Bible.