Deuteronomy 11:6

Verse

and what He did in the midst of all the Israelites to Dathan and Abiram, the sons of Eliab the Reubenite, when the earth opened its mouth and swallowed them, their households, their tents, and every living thing that belonged to them.

American Standard Version (1901)

and what he did unto Dathan and Abiram, the sons of Eliab, the son of Reuben; how the earth opened its mouth, and swallowed them up, and their households, and their tents, and every living thing that followed them, in the midst of all Israel:

Bible in Basic English

And what he did to Dathan and Abiram, the sons of Eliab, the son of Reuben; when they went down into the open mouth of the earth, with their families and their tents and every living thing which was theirs, before the eyes of all Israel:

Douay-Rheims 1899

And to Dathan and Abiron the sons of Eliab, who was the son of Ruben: whom the earth, opening her mouth swallowed up with their households and tents, and all their substance, which they had in the midst of Israel.

Free Bible Version

You saw what he did, right there among you, to Dothan and Abiram, the sons of Eliab of the tribe of Reuben, when the earth split open and swallowed them down—their families, their tents, and all their animals.

Geneva Bible 1599

And what he did vnto Dathan and Abiram the sonnes of Eliab ye sonne of Reuben, when the earth opened her mouth, and swallowed them with their housholds and their tents, and all their substance that they had in the middes of al Israel.

King James (Authorized) Version

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 their households, and their tents, and all the substance that was in their possession, in the midst of all Israel:

One Unity Resource Bible

and what he did to Dathan and Abiram, the sons of Eliab, the son of Reuben [See, a son!]; how the earth opened its mouth, and swallowed them up, and their households, and their tents, and every living thing that followed them, in the middle of all Israel [God prevails];

Translation for Translators

Think about what he did to Dathan and Abiram, the two sons of Eliab from the tribe of Reuben. While all of your ancestors were watching, the earth split open, and they fell into the opening and disappeared, along with their families and their tents, their servants, and their animals.

Unlocked Literal Bible

They had not seen what Yahweh had done to Dathan and Abiram, the sons of Eliab son of Reuben, how the earth opened its mouth and swallowed them up, their households, their tents, and every living thing that followed them, in the middle of all Israel.

Noah Webster Bible

And what he did to Dathan and Abiram, the sons of Eliab, the son of Reuben: how the earth opened her mouth, and swallowed them up, and their households, and their tents, and all the substance that was in their possession, in the midst of all Israel:

World English Bible

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;

Young's Literal Translation

and that which He hath done to Dathan, and to Abiram, sons of Eliab, sons of Reuben, when the earth hath opened her mouth and swalloweth them, and their houses, and their tents, and all that liveth, which is at their feet, in the midst of all Israel:

Context

Obedience and Discipline

⁵what He did for you in the wilderness until you reached this place;⁶and what He did in the midst of all the Israelites to Dathan and Abiram, the sons of Eliab the Reubenite, when the earth opened its mouth and swallowed them, their households, their tents, and every living thing that belonged to them.

Summary

In this verse, Moses reminds the Israelites of the consequences of disobedience to God's commands by recounting the judgment that fell upon Dathan and Abiram, who rebelled against God's appointed leaders. This serves as a warning to the people to heed God's instructions and follow His ways to avoid similar judgment. The narrative underscores the importance of obedience and respect for God's chosen authorities, highlighting the severe repercussions of rebellion and defiance. Ultimately, it emphasizes the need for faithfulness and submission to God's will to experience His blessings and protection.

Commentary

John Gill
Tyndale

John Gill Bible Commentary

But your eyes have seen all the great acts of the Lord which he did; Even all before related, with many others; and therefore the instruction they should learn from thence should be as follows. But your eyes have seen all the great acts of the Lord which he did; Even all before related, with many others; and therefore the instruction they should learn from thence should be as follows. Deuteronomy 11:8 deu 11:8 deu 11:8 deu 11:8Therefore shall you keep all the commandments which I command you this day,.... For the reasons before suggested, as well as for what follow: that ye may be strong; healthful in body, and courageous in mind, for sin tends to weaken both; whereas observance of the commands of God contributes to the health and strength of the body, and the rigour of the mind; both which were necessary to the present expedition they were going upon: and go in and possess the land whither ye go to possess it; the land of Canaan, they were marching towards in order to possess it; and nothing would more inspire them with courage, and cause them to enter it manfully without fear of their enemies, than obedience to the commands of God; whose presence being promised them on that account, they might expect it, and so had nothing to fear from the inhabitants of the land.