Psalms 106:17

The earth opened and swallowed up Dathan and covered the company of Abiram.

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Word by word — the Hebrew

Word	Hebrew	Strong’s	Meaning
earth	אֶ֭רֶץ 'E.retz	H776	the earth (at large · noun, common feminine singular absolute
opened	תִּפְתַּח tif.tach-	H6605	to open wide (literally or figuratively) · verb, qal imperfect, 3rd person feminine singular
up	וַתִּבְלַ֣ע va.tiv.La'	H1104	to make away with (specifically by swallowing) · conjunction + verb, qal sequential imperfect, 3rd person feminine singular
Dathan	דָּתָ֑ן da.Tan	H1885	Dathan · proper noun, a man's name
covered	וַ֝תְּכַ֗ס va.te.Khas	H3680	properly · conjunction + verb, piel sequential imperfect, 3rd person feminine singular
company	עֲדַ֥ת 'a.Dat	H5712	a stated assemblage (specifically · noun, common feminine singular construct
Abiram	אֲבִירָֽם 'a.vi.Ram	H48	Abiram · proper noun, a man's name

Strong's Exhaustive Concordance (James Strong, 1890/1894), public domain; digitized by Open Scriptures (CC BY-SA). KJV word tagging: eBible.org (public domain). Original-language text, parsing and brief lexicon: STEPBible.org data from Tyndale House, Cambridge (CC BY 4.0).

Cross-references

Deuteronomy 11:6 And what he did unto Dathan and Abiram, the sons of Eliab, the son of Reuben: how the earth opened her mouth, and swallowed them up, and the…
Numbers 16:29-33 If these men die the common death of all men, or if they be visited after the visitation of all men; then the LORD hath not sent me.
Numbers 26:10 And the earth opened her mouth, and swallowed them up together with Korah, when that company died, what time the fire devoured two hundred a…

Cross-references from OpenBible.info (CC BY), in the lineage of the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (public domain).

Commentary

Matthew Henry on Psalms 106:13-33

This is an abridgment of the history of Israel's provocations in the wilderness, and of the wrath of God against them for those provocations: and this abridgment is abridged by the apostle, with application to us Christians (Co1 10:5, etc.); for these things were written for our admonition, that we sin not like them, lest we suffer like them. I. The cause of their sin was disregard to the works and word of God, Psa 106:13. 1. They minded not what he had done for them: They soon forgot his works, and lost the impressions they had made upon them. Those that do not improve God's mercies to them, nor endeavour in some measure to render according to the benefit done unto them, do indeed forget th…

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John Gill on Psalms 106:17

The earth opened and swallowed up Dathan,.... One of the heads of the conspirators against Moses and Aaron; the earth clave asunder under him and his company; opened itself, or its mouth, and devoured them at once. This was a new, marvellous, and unheard of thing, and which manifestly showed the divine displeasure and resentment at their proceedings; and served greatly to confirm the authority and office of Moses and Aaron; see Numbers 16:30. And covered the company of Abiram; another of the heads of the confederacy. Korah is not mentioned, though the earth swallowed up him and all that belonged to him, their houses and their goods; some think the reason is because it was well known that th…

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John Calvin on Psalms 106:16-22

Psalm 106:16-22 16. And they envied Moses in the camp, and Aaron the saint of Jehovah. 17. The earth opened and swallowed up Dathan, and covered over the tent of Abiram. 18. And a fire was kindled in their assembly, and the flame consumed the wicked. 19. They made a calf in Horeb, and worshipped before the molten image. 20. And they changed their glory into the likeness of an ox that eateth grass. 21. They forgot God their preserver, who had done great things in Egypt; 22. And wondrous works in the land of Ham, and terrible things at the Red Sea. 16. And they envied He refers here very shortly to another transgression, and that, too, in such a way as to furnish both to himself and others a…

The Church Fathers

"The earth opened," he says, "and swallowed up Dathan, and covered over the congregation of Abiram" [Psalm 106:17]: "swallowed up" answers to "covered over." Both Dathan and Abiram were equally concerned in a most sacrilegious schism.
— Augustine of Hippo, Exposition on Psalm 106

What shall I say of Adam who, at the beginning of the human race, gave the first example of disobedience and contempt? To him was given power over all the beasts of the earth, just as everything is to be given twofold to the firstborn. But after he held God's order in contempt he did not only lose his power but was cast out of the place he had received for his dwelling—just as the fornicator is cast out of the church and will be deprived of his glory. Everything he endured, those who hold God's commands in contempt will suffer, and walking with pride they will experience the word of Scripture, "He spoke, and the earth swallowed them."
— Pachomius the Great, LETTER 5:7

The Church Fathers: public-domain translations (Ante-Nicene and Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers), verse-indexed by SermonIndex (CC BY 4.0).

Dictionary and topics

Abiram — Father of height; i.e., “proud.” (1.) One of the sons of Eliab, who joined Korah in the conspiracy against Moses and Aaron. He and all the conspirators, with their families and possessions (except…
Alleluia — The Greek form (Rev. 19:1, 3, 4, 6) of the Hebrew Hallelujah = Praise ye Jehovah, which begins or ends several of the psalms (106, 111, 112, 113, etc.).
Dathan — Welled; belonging to a fountain, a son of Eliab, a Reubenite, who joined Korah (q.v.) in his conspiracy, and with his accomplices was swallowed up by an earthquake (Num. 16:1; 26:9; Deut. 11:6; Ps.…
Abiram · 1. An Israelite who conspired with Dathan against Moses and Aaron — 1. An Israelite who conspired with Dathan against Moses and Aaron
Dathan · A conspirator against Moses — A conspirator against Moses
Desert, Journey Of Israel Through The · Marked by constant murmurings and rebellions — Marked by constant murmurings and rebellions
Envy · .Korah, Dathan, and Abiram, of Moses — .Korah, Dathan, and Abiram, of Moses
Korah · and is swallowed up in the earth — and is swallowed up in the earth

Dictionary: Easton's (1897) and Smith's (1863), public domain. Topics: Nave's Topical Bible (1896) and Torrey's Topical Textbook (1897), public domain. Both as parsed by NEUU (CC BY 4.0).

Psalms 106:17

Word by word — the Hebrew

Cross-references

Commentary

Matthew Henry on Psalms 106:13-33

John Gill on Psalms 106:17

John Calvin on Psalms 106:16-22

The Church Fathers

Dictionary and topics

Psalms 106:17

Word by word — the Hebrew

Cross-references

Commentary

Matthew Henry on Psalms 106:13-33

John Gill on Psalms 106:17

John Calvin on Psalms 106:16-22

The Church Fathers

Dictionary and topics

Keil & Delitzsch on Psalms 106:13-23

Tyndale Open Study Notes on Psalms 106:16-18

Spurgeon's Treasury of David on Psalms 106:17