The Meaning of Numbers 16:27 Explained

Numbers 16:27

KJV: 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.

YLT: And they go up from the tabernacle of Korah, Dathan and Abiram, from round about, and Dathan, and Abiram have come out, standing at the opening of their tents, and their wives, and their sons, and their infants.

Darby: And they got up from the habitation of Koran, Dathan, and Abiram, on every side. And Dathan and Abiram came out, and stood in the entrance of their tents, and their wives, and their sons, and their little ones.

ASV: So they gat them up from the tabernacle of Korah, Dathan, and Abiram, on every side: and Dathan and Abiram came out, and stood at the door of their tents, and their wives, and their sons, and their little ones.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

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. 

What does Numbers 16:27 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 16:27 mean?

So they got away from around the tents of Korah Dathan and Abiram around and Dathan and Abiram came out and stood at the door of their tents and with their wives and their sons and their little children
וַיֵּעָל֗וּ מֵעַ֧ל מִשְׁכַּן־ קֹ֛רֶח‪‬ דָּתָ֥ן וַאֲבִירָ֖ם מִסָּבִ֑יב וְדָתָ֨ן וַאֲבִירָ֜ם יָצְא֣וּ נִצָּבִ֗ים פֶּ֚תַח אָֽהֳלֵיהֶ֔ם וּנְשֵׁיהֶ֥ם וּבְנֵיהֶ֖ם וְטַפָּֽם

וַיֵּעָל֗וּ  So  they  got  away 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Nifal, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine plural
Root: סָלַק 
Sense: to go up, ascend, climb.
מֵעַ֧ל  from  around 
Parse: Preposition-m
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.
מִשְׁכַּן־  the  tents 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: מִשְׁכָּן  
Sense: dwelling place, tabernacle.
קֹ֛רֶח‪‬  of  Korah 
Parse: 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.
דָּתָ֥ן  Dathan 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: דָּתָן  
Sense: a Reubenite chief, son of Eliab, who, with his brother, Abiram, joined Korah’s conspiracy against Moses’ authority.
וַאֲבִירָ֖ם  and  Abiram 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: אֲבִירָם  
Sense: a Reubenite, son of Eliab in exodus.
מִסָּבִ֑יב  around 
Parse: Preposition-m, Adverb
Root: מוּסָב 
Sense: places round about, circuit, round about adv.
וְדָתָ֨ן  and  Dathan 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: דָּתָן  
Sense: a Reubenite chief, son of Eliab, who, with his brother, Abiram, joined Korah’s conspiracy against Moses’ authority.
וַאֲבִירָ֜ם  and  Abiram 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: אֲבִירָם  
Sense: a Reubenite, son of Eliab in exodus.
יָצְא֣וּ  came  out 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, third person common plural
Root: יׄוצֵאת 
Sense: to go out, come out, exit, go forth.
נִצָּבִ֗ים  and  stood  at 
Parse: Verb, Nifal, Participle, masculine plural
Root: הֻצַּב 
Sense: to stand, take one’s stand, stand upright, be set (over), establish.
פֶּ֚תַח  the  door 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: פֶּתַח  
Sense: opening, doorway, entrance.
אָֽהֳלֵיהֶ֔ם  of  their  tents 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural construct, third person masculine plural
Root: אֹהֶל  
Sense: tent.
וּנְשֵׁיהֶ֥ם  and  with  their  wives 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Noun, feminine plural construct, third person masculine plural
Root: אִשָּׁה  
Sense: woman, wife, female.
וּבְנֵיהֶ֖ם  and  their  sons 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Noun, masculine plural construct, third person masculine plural
Root: בֵּן 
Sense: son, grandson, child, member of a group.
וְטַפָּֽם  and  their  little  children 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Noun, masculine singular construct, third person masculine plural
Root: טַף 
Sense: children, little children, little ones.