The Meaning of Numbers 16:30 Explained

Numbers 16:30

KJV: But if the LORD make a new thing, and the earth open her mouth, and swallow them up, with all that appertain unto them, and they go down quick into the pit; then ye shall understand that these men have provoked the LORD.

YLT: and if a strange thing Jehovah do, and the ground hath opened her mouth and swallowed them, and all that they have, and they have gone down alive to Sheol -- then ye have known that these men have despised Jehovah.'

Darby: but if Jehovah make a new thing, and the ground open its mouth, and swallow them up, and all that they have, and they go down alive into Sheol, then ye shall know that these men have despised Jehovah.

ASV: But if Jehovah make a new thing, and the ground open its mouth, and swallow them up, with all that appertain unto them, and they go down alive into Sheol; then ye shall understand that these men have despised Jehovah.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

But if the LORD  make  a new thing,  and the earth  open  her mouth,  and swallow them up,  with all that [appertain] unto them, and they go down  quick  into the pit;  then ye shall understand  that these men  have provoked  the LORD. 

What does Numbers 16:30 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 16:30 mean?

But if a new thing creates Yahweh and opens the earth - its mouth and swallows up with them and all that belongs to them and they go down alive into the pit then you will understand that have rejected men these Yahweh
וְאִם־ בְּרִיאָ֞ה יִבְרָ֣א יְהוָ֗ה וּפָצְתָ֨ה הָאֲדָמָ֤ה אֶת־ פִּ֙יהָ֙ וּבָלְעָ֤ה אֹתָם֙ וְאֶת־ כָּל־ אֲשֶׁ֣ר לָהֶ֔ם וְיָרְד֥וּ חַיִּ֖ים שְׁאֹ֑לָה וִֽידַעְתֶּ֕ם כִּ֧י נִֽאֲצ֛וּ הָאֲנָשִׁ֥ים הָאֵ֖לֶּה יְהוָֽה

וְאִם־  But  if 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Conjunction
Root: אִם  
Sense: if.
בְּרִיאָ֞ה  a  new  thing 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular
Root: בְּרִיאָה  
Sense: a creation, created thing, new thing, marvel.
יִבְרָ֣א  creates 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: בָּרָא 
Sense: to create, shape, form.
יְהוָ֗ה  Yahweh 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יהוה 
Sense: the proper name of the one true God.
וּפָצְתָ֨ה  and  opens 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Conjunctive perfect, third person feminine singular
Root: פָּצָה  
Sense: to part, open, separate, set free.
הָאֲדָמָ֤ה  the  earth 
Parse: Article, Noun, feminine singular
Root: אֲדָמָה 
Sense: ground, land.
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.
פִּ֙יהָ֙  its  mouth 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct, third person feminine singular
Root: פֶּה  
Sense: mouth.
וּבָלְעָ֤ה  and  swallows  up  with 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Conjunctive perfect, third person feminine singular
Root: בָּלַע 
Sense: to swallow down, swallow up, engulf, eat up.
אֲשֶׁ֣ר  that 
Parse: Pronoun, relative
Root: אֲשֶׁר 
Sense: (relative part.).
לָהֶ֔ם  belongs  to  them 
Parse: Preposition, third person masculine plural
וְיָרְד֥וּ  and  they  go  down 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Conjunctive perfect, third person common plural
Root: יָרַד  
Sense: to go down, descend, decline, march down, sink down.
חַיִּ֖ים  alive 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural
Root: חַי 
Sense: living, alive.
שְׁאֹ֑לָה  into  the  pit 
Parse: Noun, common singular, third person feminine singular
Root: שְׁאֹול  
Sense: sheol, underworld, grave, hell, pit.
וִֽידַעְתֶּ֕ם  then  you  will  understand 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Conjunctive perfect, second person masculine plural
Root: דָּעָה 
Sense: to know.
כִּ֧י  that 
Parse: Conjunction
Root: כִּי 
Sense: that, for, because, when, as though, as, because that, but, then, certainly, except, surely, since.
נִֽאֲצ֛וּ  have  rejected 
Parse: Verb, Piel, Perfect, third person common plural
Root: נָאַץ  
Sense: to spurn, contemn, despise, abhor.
הָאֲנָשִׁ֥ים  men 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine plural
Root: אִישׁ 
Sense: man.
הָאֵ֖לֶּה  these 
Parse: Article, Pronoun, common plural
Root: אֵהֶל 
Sense: these.
יְהוָֽה  Yahweh 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יהוה 
Sense: the proper name of the one true God.