Dathan and Abiram

Biblical Account

Dathan and Abiram belonged to the tribe of Reuben, one of the twelve tribes of Israel. Their father was Eliab, who is identified as the son of Pallu, the son of Reuben (Numbers 26:5-9). In Numbers 16, the two men, together with the Levite Korah and On the son of Peleth, gathered a following and rose up against Moses and Aaron. Two hundred fifty leaders of the congregation joined in this rebellion.

When Moses sent for the two men, they refused, saying, "We will not come up" (Numbers 16:12). They accused Moses of bringing the people up out of Egypt, "a land that floweth with milk and honey," to kill them in the wilderness, and of seeking to make himself a prince over them (Numbers 16:13-14). Moses then went to their tents, where Dathan and Abiram stood at the doors with their wives, their sons, and their little children. As soon as Moses finished speaking, the ground split open and swallowed them, their households, all the men who belonged to Korah, and all their goods (Numbers 16:31-33). The 250 men who were offering incense were consumed by fire that came out from the LORD (Numbers 16:35). On, who was named alongside them, does not appear again in the narrative.

Significance Within Scripture

The incident is recalled several times later in Scripture. Numbers 26:9-11 again records that the two men joined the company of Korah and rebelled against the LORD, adding that the sons of Korah did not die. In Deuteronomy 11:6, Moses reminds the people that they had seen with their own eyes what God did to Dathan and Abiram, the sons of Eliab. Psalm 106:17, recounting the people's rebellion in the wilderness, likewise declares: "The earth opened and swallowed up Dathan, and covered the company of Abiram."

The New Testament does not mention the two men by name. However, Jude 1:11 cites "the gainsaying of Core" as a pattern followed by false teachers, showing that the incident as a whole also served as a warning in the New Testament.

Interpretation and Issues

• The nature of the rebellion: Many commentators distinguish between Korah's grievance, which was directed mainly at the priesthood, and the grievance of Dathan and Abiram, which was directed at Moses' leadership. Some interpreters, noting that Reuben was Jacob's firstborn, suggest that the resentment of a tribe that had lost its birthright lay in the background. This, however, is an interpretation rather than something the text states directly.
• Composition of the text: Some historical-critical scholars hold that the Korah narrative and the Dathan–Abiram narrative were originally separate traditions that were later combined. Conservative evangelical churches generally read the passage as the record of a single event.
• The deaths of the families: The fact that even small children perished is often discussed in connection with how to understand divine judgment and communal responsibility. It is sometimes contrasted with the record that the sons of Korah survived (Numbers 26:11).
• Later traditions: Jewish tradition reportedly includes an interpretation identifying the two men with the Hebrews who quarreled with Moses in Exodus 2:13. This account is not found in the biblical text.