Lives of Scripture

Dathan, along with his brother Abiram, sons of Eliab of the tribe of Reuben, joined Korah the Levite in leading a rebellion against Moses and Aaron in the wilderness (Numbers 16:1). Together with 250 prominent Israelite leaders, they confronted Moses, claiming he and Aaron had exalted themselves above the rest of the congregation, since "all the congregation are holy, every one of them, and the LORD is in their midst" (16:2-3). When Moses summoned Dathan and Abiram to account for their accusations, they refused to come, defiantly accusing Moses of having failed to bring Israel into the promised land and of trying to "lord it over" them (16:12-14). Moses, deeply grieved, warned the congregation to separate from the tents of Korah, Dathan, and Abiram, telling the people that if these men died a natural death it would prove Moses had not acted on his own authority, but if the LORD did something unprecedented -- if the earth opened its mouth and swallowed them alive -- the people would know they had "spurned the LORD" (16:28-30). Exactly that happened: the ground split open and swallowed Dathan, Abiram, their households, and their possessions, and they went down alive into Sheol (16:31-33). Scripture later recalls the episode as a lasting warning against rebellion against God-appointed leadership (Deuteronomy 11:6; Psalm 106:16-18).