Psalms 106:17 · Bible study
Psalms 106:17 Commentary: Judgment on Rebellion, Mercy on Korah's Sons
Hebrew · 9 what the commentators say
Meaning in one sentence
Why does this verse mention Dathan and Abiram but not Korah? Learn the historical and theological significance of this judgment.
Research Summary
- Meaning: God judged the rebellion of Dathan and Abiram by opening the earth to swallow them, confirming Moses’ authority.
- Key words: opened (תִּפְתַּח), swallowed (בָּלַע), covered (כָּסָה), company (עֵדָה).
- Main debate: Why Korah is not named, follows Deuteronomy 11:6 and spares Korah’s sons from dishonor.
- Theological theme: Divine judgment on insurrection and the mercy that preserves a remnant.
- Best use: A warning against pride and a reminder that God’s grace can redeem even the families of rebels.
Translation Comparison
BSB Berean Standard Bible 2020
The earth opened up and swallowed Dathan; it covered the assembly of Abiram.
WEB World English Bible 2000
The earth opened and swallowed up Dathan, and covered the company of Abiram.
KJV King James Version 1769
The earth opened and swallowed up Dathan, and covered the company of Abiram.
ASV American Standard Version 1901
The earth opened and swallowed up Dathan, And covered the company of Abiram.
YLT Young's Literal Translation 1898
Earth openeth, and swalloweth up Dathan, And covereth over the company of Abiram.
Darby Darby Bible 1890
The earth opened and swallowed up Dathan, and covered the company of Abiram;
Douay-Rheims Douay-Rheims Bible 1899
He took them out of the way of their iniquity: for they were brought low for their injustices.
Translations in other languages (10 available)
Abrióse la tierra, y tragó á Dathán, y cubrió la compañía de Abiram.
A terra se abriu, e engoliu a Datã; e encobriu ao grupo de Abirão.
La terre s’ ouvrit et engloutit Dathan,
Die Erde tat sich auf und verschlang Dathan und deckte zu die Rotte Abirams,
De aarde deed zich open, en verslond Dathan, en overdekte de vergadering van Abiram.
La terra s’aprì, inghiottì Datan e coperse il sèguito d’Abiram.
Otworzyła się ziemia, i pożarła Datana, i okryła rotę Abironową,
Безрассудные страдали за беззаконные пути свои и за неправды свои;
地 裂開，吞下 大坍，掩蓋 亞比蘭 一黨的人。
The earth opening put an end to Dathan, covering up Abiram and his band.
Verse in Context
Original Language (Biblical Hebrew)
Old Testament · Biblical Hebrew · Psalms 106:17
Source: STEPBible TAGNT/TEHB (CC-BY 4.0). Click or tap a morphology code to see the full parsing.
Scholars' Consensus
Commentators agree that this verse recalls the rebellion of Numbers 16, when Dathan and Abiram led a revolt against Moses' authority. The Cambridge Bible notes that the psalmist follows Deuteronomy 11:6 by naming only these two and omitting Korah. Gill adds that Korah's sons did not perish (Numbers 26:11) and later became prominent as temple singers. Keil and Delitzsch confirm that the omission is consistent with the broader biblical record. The earth opening and swallowing them is a direct divine judgment, confirming Moses' role as God's chosen leader.
How settled is the interpretation?
Interpretive difficulty: Low
What is clear: The verse recounts a historical judgment from Numbers 16, where the earth opened to swallow rebels, confirming God’s choice of Moses and Aaron as leaders.
What Scholars Agree and Debate
| Topic | Agreed | Debated |
|---|---|---|
| Historical event referenced | The verse refers to the rebellion of Dathan and Abiram against Moses, recorded in Numbers 16. | Some traditions focus on the literal opening of the earth as a past miracle; others see it as a metaphor for divine judgment. |
| Omission of Korah | The psalmist follows Deuteronomy 11:6 by naming only Dathan and Abiram. | Some say Korah’s sons survived and became temple singers, so the psalmist avoids naming him. Others argue Korah was judged separately by fire. |
| Theological significance | God judges sin decisively, especially rebellion against His appointed leaders. | Protestants emphasize the warning against challenging God’s sovereignty; Catholics may also see it as a type of the Church’s authority structure. |
Historical & Cultural Context
Psalm 106 is a confession of Israel's repeated sins in the wilderness and God's faithful deliverance. Verses 16-18 focus on the rebellion recorded in Numbers 16. There, Korah (a Levite), Dathan and Abiram (Reubenites), along with 250 leaders, challenged Moses and Aaron's authority. God responded with a dramatic sign: the earth split open and swallowed Dathan, Abiram, and their households. A separate fire consumed the 250 who offered incense.
Dathan and Abiram were from the tribe of Reuben, which camped south of the tabernacle. They accused Moses of failing to bring them to the promised land. Korah, though a Levite, resented Aaron's exclusive priesthood. The psalmist's selective mention of Dathan and Abiram follows Deuteronomy 11:6, which also omits Korah. This is because Korah's children were spared (Numbers 26:11) and later served in the temple, their names appear in the superscriptions of several psalms. The writer of Psalm 106 may have deliberately avoided naming Korah to avoid dishonoring the priestly singers of his own day. The judgment was real, yet grace preserved a remnant of Korah's line.
Textual Notes
The supplied sources note no significant textual variants for this verse. The Hebrew text is stable across manuscripts consulted.
Reception History
In early Jewish tradition, this verse was read during the recitation of Israel’s wilderness sins. The church fathers, such as Augustine, saw it as a type of final judgment, the earth swallowing rebels as the grave consumes the wicked. Later commentators like Calvin used it to illustrate God’s justice and the importance of honoring spiritual leaders. The survival of Korah’s sons led many to find hope: even the line of a rebel can become a source of praise. This verse has been cited in sermons on church authority, humility, and the need for repentance.
Preaching This Verse
Three-point outline
- The Sin of Rebellion: Envy toward God’s appointed leaders drives people to challenge divine order.
- The Certainty of Judgment: God does not tolerate insurrection against His authority; the earth opening is a vivid picture of His power and justice.
- Mercy in the Midst of Wrath: Korah’s sons were spared, showing that even in judgment God leaves room for repentance and restoration.
Five-point outline
- Context: The wilderness generation quickly forgot God’s works (Psalm 106:13).
- Confrontation: Dathan and Abiram envied Moses and Aaron (v. 16).
- Catastrophe: The earth opened and swallowed them (v. 17).
- Containment: Fire consumed others, but the rebellion was halted.
- Continuation of Grace: Korah’s family survived and later led worship (Numbers 26:11; Psalm 42, 49).
Illustration hooks
- A workplace mutiny where the rebel leader is fired, but his assistant is later promoted, illustrating justice and second chances.
- A sinkhole forming near a house built on undermined foundations, an image of how hidden rebellion eventually collapses.
- In a church split, those who repent often become key worship leaders years later, reflecting God’s restorative power.
Questions your congregation is asking
- Can God use people who come from a rebellious family line?
- Does God punish the innocent with the guilty? (Note: Korah’s own children were spared.)
- How do I know if I am crossing from healthy disagreement into sinful rebellion against church leaders?
Leading a Discussion
This verse challenges us to examine the root of rebellion in our own hearts. As Israel’s history shows, envy and ingratitude can lead to catastrophic consequences. Yet the survival of Korah’s sons reminds us that God’s grace is greater than our failures. Use these questions to explore the passage together.
Discussion questions
- Read Numbers 16:1-35. What were Dathan and Abiram’s specific complaints against Moses?
- Why do you think the psalmist omits Korah from verse 17, even though he was also swallowed? (See Numbers 26:10-11 and the superscriptions of Psalms 42, 44-49.)
- How does the severity of this judgment shape your understanding of God’s holiness?
- What does the survival of Korah’s sons tell us about God’s willingness to show mercy?
- In what ways do you see the pattern of “forgetting God’s works” happening in your own life?
- How can we, as a group, guard against envy toward leaders in our church or community?
- What hope does this passage offer for someone whose family has a history of rebellion against God?
Word Study
The key original-language words in this verse. Select any word for its full lexicon entry — meaning, every occurrence in Scripture, and related words.
Cross-References
Source: Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (TSK, public domain)
| Numbers 16:29 | If these men die the common death of all men, or if they experience what all men experience, then Yahweh hasn’t sent me. |
| Numbers 16:33 | So they, and all that belonged to them went down alive into Sheol. The earth closed on them, and they perished from among the assembly. |
| Numbers 26:10 | and the earth opened its mouth, and swallowed them up together with Korah when that company died; at the time the fire devoured two hundred fifty men, and they became a sign. |
| Deuteronomy 11:6 | and what he did to Dathan and Abiram, the sons of Eliab, the son of Reuben—how the earth opened its mouth and swallowed them up, with their households, their tents, and every living thing that followed them, in the middle of all Israel; |
Interlinear and lexical data from STEPBible (CC BY 4.0). Cross-reference data from OpenBible.info (CC BY 4.0). Commentaries are public domain.
For personal reflection
Read the devotional page — prayer, application, and "for families"
What the Commentators Say
8 public-domain commentaries, condensed into plain language.
Barnes' Notes on the Bible Protestant 1832
Barnes identifies the event behind the verse as the rebellion against Moses, specifically the moment when the earth swallowed the rebels as recorded in Numbers. His point is that the judgment in view is not symbolic but a direct historical act of divine punishment for rejecting God’s appointed leader.
Calvin's Commentaries Reformed 1564
Calvin observes that Psalm 106 is not primarily a reproof or complaint against Israel, but a confession of sins aimed at obtaining pardon. The psalm begins with praise to encourage hope, then acknowledges that God's people repeatedly abused his kindness, making them unworthy of continued blessing—so the writer asks forgiveness.
Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges Anglican 1880
The Psalmist follows Deu_11:6 in naming Dathan and Abiram only. Korah ’s family did not perish ( Num_26:11 ).
Geneva Bible Notes Reformed 1599
The Geneva Notes emphasize that God directly and visibly executes judgment: the earth opened and swallowed Dathan, covering Abiram's company. This is no natural disaster but a deliberate divine act, fulfilling God's threat and showing that rebellion against His appointed leaders brings immediate, personal punishment from God Himself.
Gill's Exposition of the Bible Baptist 1748
Gill points out that Korah and On are absent from this description because Korah's sons were later honored as temple singers, and On repented and withdrew from the conspiracy. The earth swallowing Dathan and Abiram was a new and unmistakable sign of divine judgment that confirmed Moses and Aaron’s authority.
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Commentary Protestant 1871
JFB notes the difference in punishments for two groups of rebels. The earth swallowed those who rebelled against Moses' authority. The Levitical rebels with Korah had sinned by fire, so they were consumed by fire, just as Aaron's sons had been earlier.
Keil & Delitzsch OT Commentary Protestant 1876
Keil-Delitzsch traces Israel's wilderness sins back to one root: they abandoned faith in God's promise, forgot His confirming works, and refused to wait for His plan to unfold. The commentator interprets the judgment at Kibroth-hattaavah as a wasting disease sent because the people greedily gorged on meat rather than trusting God's timing.
Lange's Commentary Reformed 1857
Lange notes the psalm's deliberate liturgical movement: it begins