The Meaning of Numbers 16:33 Explained

Numbers 16:33

KJV: They, and all that appertained to them, went down alive into the pit, and the earth closed upon them: and they perished from among the congregation.

YLT: and they go down, they, and all that they have, alive to Sheol, and the earth closeth over them, and they perish from the midst of the assembly;

Darby: And they went down, they and all that they had, alive into Sheol, and the earth covered them; and they perished from among the congregation.

ASV: So they, and all that appertained to them, went down alive into Sheol: and the earth closed upon them, and they perished from among the assembly.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

They, and all that [appertained] to them, went down  alive  into the pit,  and the earth  closed  upon them: and they perished  from among  the congregation. 

What does Numbers 16:33 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 16:33 mean?

So went down they and all those with them alive into the pit and closed over them the earth and they perished from among the assembly
וַיֵּ֨רְד֜וּ הֵ֣ם וְכָל־ אֲשֶׁ֥ר לָהֶ֛ם חַיִּ֖ים שְׁאֹ֑לָה וַתְּכַ֤ס עֲלֵיהֶם֙ הָאָ֔רֶץ וַיֹּאבְד֖וּ מִתּ֥וֹךְ הַקָּהָֽל

וַיֵּ֨רְד֜וּ  So  went  down 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine plural
Root: יָרַד  
Sense: to go down, descend, decline, march down, sink down.
וְכָל־  and  all 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: כֹּל  
Sense: all, the whole.
אֲשֶׁ֥ר  those 
Parse: Pronoun, relative
Root: אֲשֶׁר 
Sense: (relative part.).
לָהֶ֛ם  with  them 
Parse: Preposition, third person masculine plural
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.
וַתְּכַ֤ס  and  closed 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Piel, Consecutive imperfect, third person feminine singular
Root: כָּסָה  
Sense: to cover, conceal, hide.
עֲלֵיהֶם֙  over  them 
Parse: Preposition, third person masculine plural
Root: עַל 
Sense: upon, on the ground of, according to, on account of, on behalf of, concerning, beside, in addition to, together with, beyond, above, over, by, on to, towards, to, against.
הָאָ֔רֶץ  the  earth 
Parse: Article, Noun, feminine singular
Root: אֶרֶץ  
Sense: land, earth.
וַיֹּאבְד֖וּ  and  they  perished 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine plural
Root: אָבַד  
Sense: perish, vanish, go astray, be destroyed.
מִתּ֥וֹךְ  from  among 
Parse: Preposition-m, Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: תָּוֶךְ  
Sense: midst, middle.
הַקָּהָֽל  the  assembly 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: קָהָל  
Sense: assembly, company, congregation, convocation.