Numbers 16:27-35 King James Version (KJV)

27 So they gat up from the tabernacle of Korah, Dathan, and Abiram, on every side: and Dathan and Abiram came out, and stood in the door of their tents, and their wives, and their sons, and their little children.
28 And Moses said, Hereby ye shall know that the LORD hath sent me to do all these works; for I have not done them of mine own mind.
29 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.
30 But if the LORD make a new thing, and the earth open her mouth, and swallow them up, with all that appertain unto them, and they go down quick into the pit; then ye shall understand that these men have provoked the LORD.
31 And it came to pass, as he had made an end of speaking all these words, that the ground clave asunder that was under them:
32 And the earth opened her mouth, and swallowed them up, and their houses, and all the men that appertained unto Korah, and all their goods.
33 They, and all that appertained to them, went down alive into the pit, and the earth closed upon them: and they perished from among the congregation.
34 And all Israel that were round about them fled at the cry of them: for they said, Lest the earth swallow us up also.
35 And there came out a fire from the LORD, and consumed the two hundred and fifty men that offered incense.

Numbers 16:27-35 Amplified Bible (AMP)

27 So they got away from around the tents of Korah, Dathan, and Abiram. And Dathan and Abiram came out and stood in the door of their tents with their wives, and their sons, and their little ones.
28 And Moses said, By this you shall know that the Lord has sent me to do all these works, for I do not act of my own accord:
29 If these men die the common death of all men or if [only] what happens to everyone happens to them, then the Lord has not sent me.
30 But if the Lord causes a new thing [to happen], and the earth opens its mouth and swallows them up, with all that belongs to them, and they go down alive into Sheol (the place of the dead), then you shall understand that these men have provoked (spurned, despised) the Lord!
31 As soon as he stopped speaking, the ground under the offenders split apart
32 And the earth opened its mouth and swallowed them and their households and [Korah and] all [his] men and all their possessions.
33 They and all that belonged to them went down alive into Sheol (the place of the dead); and the earth closed upon them, and they perished from among the assembly.
34 And all Israel who were round about them fled at their cry, for they said, Lest the earth swallow us up also.
35 And fire came forth from the Lord and devoured the 250 men who offered the incense.

Amplified Bible (AMP) Copyright © 1954, 1958, 1962, 1964, 1965, 1987 by The Lockman Foundation



These are my thoughts, please share yours.

27 They went away from the tents so they would be involved in their judgment. We should leave and depart from sinners sometimes to avoid being brought down with them, into their sin.

28 The people were doubting that Moses was the one God spoke thru and that God had called Moses, so for things to be done and not show Moses was God’s chosen would have almost had no purpose, others may still had doubt, God was going to put an end to the doubt.

29 The way they died was going to show that Moses was called by God, their deaths would not be my normal means, when the built the golden calf Moses had men killed because of it, but here Moses would stand back and take care of things for Moses, God sometimes wants us to stand back and let Him work.

30 They were going to taken into the earth and put into the ground, this is not typical. Sheol was the grave but seen as the place of the dead where they laid until judgment.

31 So before Moses even stopped talking it happened, God worked on His own time not Moses or the people, the people were warned but there was no longer time to avoid judgment.

32-33 God removed all those that stood with Korah, He did not just destroy Korah but all those who supported him, there may have been people who stood by Korah because he had them convinced, no matter what people say we need to stay true to the words of God and not be fooled by words that go against what His word says. God has mercy which was them being warned, to move from the tents of Korah. God also has justice which was Him removing those that stood against His plan, which was them falling into the earth.

34 The others submitted to God to avoid His judgment, we need to come to God to overcome judgment. We can because of Jesus dying on the cross.

35 This was those that burned incense for Korah, this was their priests they put together, the others were not the priests of Korah the people that fell into the earth was just those that backed Korah, these men were the priests of Korah.