וַאֲשֶׁ֨ר עָשָׂ֜ה לְדָתָ֣ן וְלַאֲבִירָ֗ם בְּנֵ֣י אֱלִיאָב֮ בֶּן־רְאוּבֵן֒ אֲשֶׁ֨ר פָּצְתָ֤ה הָאָ֨רֶץ֙ אֶת־פִּ֔יהָ וַתִּבְלָעֵ֥ם וְאֶת־בָּתֵּיהֶ֖ם וְאֶת־אָהֳלֵיהֶ֑ם וְאֵ֤ת כָּל־הַיְקוּם֙ אֲשֶׁ֣ר בְּרַגְלֵיהֶ֔ם בְּקֶ֖רֶב כָּל־יִשְׂרָאֵֽל׃
And what He did to Datan and to Aviram, the sons of Eliʾav, the son of Reʾuven, how the earth opened its mouth and swallowed them, their houses, their tents, and all the substance that was at their feet, in the midst of all Yisraʾel.
Morphology
- וַאֲשֶׁ֨ר (va-asher) – Root: אשר (ʾasher); Form: Conjunction with relative pronoun; Translation: “And what”; Notes: Introduces the clause describing YHWH’s actions.
- עָשָׂ֜ה (ʿasah) – Root: עשה (ʿasah); Form: Qal perfect 3rd person masculine singular; Translation: “He did”; Notes: Refers to YHWH’s actions.
- לְדָתָ֣ן (le-Datan) – Root: דתן (Datan); Form: Proper noun with preposition; Translation: “to Datan”; Notes: Refers to one of the rebels against Moses and YHWH.
- וְלַאֲבִירָ֗ם (ve-la-ʾAviram) – Root: אבירם (ʾAviram); Form: Proper noun with conjunction and preposition; Translation: “and to Aviram”; Notes: Refers to another rebel against Moses and YHWH.
- בְּנֵ֣י (bnei) – Root: בן (ben); Form: Noun, masculine plural construct; Translation: “the sons of”; Notes: Refers to their lineage.
- אֱלִיאָב֮ (Eliʾav) – Root: אליאב (Eliʾav); Form: Proper noun; Translation: “Eliʾav”; Notes: The father of Datan and Aviram.
- בֶּן־ (ben) – Root: בן (ben); Form: Noun, masculine singular construct; Translation: “the son of”; Notes: Indicates Eliʾav’s ancestry.
- רְאוּבֵן֒ (Reʾuven) – Root: ראו (Reʾu) + בן (ben); Form: Proper noun; Translation: “Reʾuven”; Notes: Refers to the tribe of Reuben.
- אֲשֶׁ֨ר (ʾasher) – Root: אשר (ʾasher); Form: Relative pronoun; Translation: “how”; Notes: Introduces the description of YHWH’s actions.
- פָּצְתָ֤ה (patsah) – Root: פצה (patsah); Form: Qal perfect 3rd person feminine singular; Translation: “it opened”; Notes: Refers to the earth’s action.
- הָאָ֨רֶץ֙ (ha-aretz) – Root: ארץ (ʾaretz); Form: Noun, feminine singular with definite article; Translation: “the earth”; Notes: Refers to the ground opening up.
- אֶת־פִּ֔יהָ (et-piyah) – Root: פה (peh); Form: Noun, masculine singular construct with 3rd person feminine singular suffix and direct object marker; Translation: “its mouth”; Notes: Personifies the earth.
- וַתִּבְלָעֵ֥ם (va-tivlaʿem) – Root: בלע (balaʿ); Form: Qal imperfect 3rd person feminine singular with 3rd person masculine plural suffix (wayyiqtol); Translation: “and swallowed them”; Notes: Refers to their destruction.
- וְאֶת־בָּתֵּיהֶ֖ם (ve-et-bateihem) – Root: בית (bayit); Form: Noun, masculine plural construct with 3rd person masculine plural suffix and conjunction; Translation: “and their houses”; Notes: Refers to their dwellings.
- וְאֶת־אָהֳלֵיהֶ֑ם (ve-et-ʾoholeihem) – Root: אוהל (ʾohel); Form: Noun, masculine plural construct with 3rd person masculine plural suffix and conjunction; Translation: “and their tents”; Notes: Refers to their temporary dwellings.
- וְאֵ֤ת (ve-et) – Root: את (ʾet); Form: Conjunction with direct object marker; Translation: “and”; Notes: Introduces the next object.
- כָּל־הַיְקוּם֙ (kol-ha-yequm) – Root: קום (qum); Form: Noun, masculine singular construct with definite article; Translation: “all the substance”; Notes: Refers to all their belongings.
- אֲשֶׁ֣ר (ʾasher) – Root: אשר (ʾasher); Form: Relative pronoun; Translation: “that”; Notes: Introduces the relative clause.
- בְּרַגְלֵיהֶ֔ם (be-raglehem) – Root: רגל (regel); Form: Noun, feminine plural construct with 3rd person masculine plural suffix and preposition; Translation: “at their feet”; Notes: Refers to what belonged to them.
- בְּקֶ֖רֶב (be-qerev) – Root: קרב (qerev); Form: Noun, masculine singular construct with preposition; Translation: “in the midst of”; Notes: Refers to the location of the event.
- כָּל־יִשְׂרָאֵֽל׃ (kol-Yisraʾel) – Root: כָּל־יִשְׂרָאֵֽל׃ (kol-Yisraʾel) – Root: ישראל (Yisraʾel); Form: Proper noun, masculine singular construct; Translation: “all Yisraʾel”; Notes: Refers to the entire nation of Israel as witnesses to this event.