Numbers 16:31-35

16:31 When he had finished ¹  speaking ²  all these words, the ground that was under them split open, 16:32 and the earth opened its mouth and swallowed them, along with their households, and all Korah’s men, and all their goods. 16:33 They and all that they had went down alive into the pit, and the earth closed over them. So they perished from among the community. 16:34 All the Israelites ³  who were around them fled at their cry, ⁴  for they said, “What if ⁵  the earth swallows us too?” 16:35 Then a fire ⁶  went out from the Lord and devoured the 250 men who offered incense.

[16:31]  ¹ tn The initial temporal clause is standard: It begins with the temporal indicator “and it was,” followed here by the Piel infinitive construct with the preposition and the subjective genitive suffix. “And it happened when he finished.”

[16:31]  ² tn The infinitive construct with the preposition lamed (ל) functions here as the direct object of the preceding infinitive. It tells what he finished.

[16:34]  ³ tn Heb “all Israel.”

[16:34]  ⁴ tn Heb “voice.”

[16:34]  ⁵ tn Heb “lest.”

[16:35]  ⁶ tn For a discussion of the fire of the Lord, see J. C. H. Laughlin, “The Strange Fire of Nadab and Abihu,” JBL 95 (1976): 559-65.