Numbers 16:12-14
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Dathan and Abiram's defiant "We will not come up" wasn't just a refusal to appear; it was a direct challenge to Moses's authority to summon them. They saw his summons not as a call to justice or divine judgment, but as an overreach of his leadership, a claim to a princely power that they believed he had no right to exercise.
And Moses sent to call Dathan and Abiram the sons of Eliab, and they said, “We will not come up. Is it a small thing that you have brought us up out of a land flowing with milk and honey, to kill us in the wilderness, that you must also make yourself a prince over us? Moreover, you have not brought us into a land flowing with milk and honey, nor given us inheritance of fields and vineyards. Will you put out the eyes of these men? We will not come up.”
English Standard Version (ESV)
Korah's rebellion has escalated, and Moses now summons Dathan and Abiram, two prominent figures who seem to represent a civil grievance against Moses' leadership, distinct from Korah's religious complaint about the priesthood. Their defiant refusal to even appear signals a direct challenge to Moses' authority and the community's structure, setting the stage for a drastic divine judgment.
Dathan and Abiram didn't join Korah's religious protest. So why were they called out and punished?
While Korah and his followers challenged the priesthood, Dathan and Abiram, sons of Reuben, had a different grievance: they felt Moses had usurped civil authority.
This shows that rebellion against God's appointed leadership can take different forms, attacking both spiritual and civil authority.
Their defiant 'We will not come up!' echoed through the desert. What did this simple refusal truly signify?
Moses sent messengers to summon Dathan and Abiram, likely to a place of judgment or to address the growing unrest (Numbers 16:12).
Their stark reply, 'We will not come up,' was more than just a refusal to appear. It was a direct challenge to:
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This defiance set them on a path of destruction, showing that refusing God's calls to accountability has severe consequences.
Understand the original words
erets zabat chalab u-debash · Hebrew Noun phrase
A term used to describe the land promised to Israel, symbolizing divine provision, prosperity, and the fulfillment of God's covenantal blessings.
midbar · Hebrew Noun
The wilderness or desert, often serving as a place of testing, discipline, and refining for the people of God during their journey toward the Promised Land.
sar · Hebrew Noun
A leader, chief, or ruler; in this context, it is used by the rebels to accuse Moses of self-exaltation and tyranny over the people.
nachalah · Hebrew Noun
The portion, possession, or land allotted to the tribes of Israel by God, representing the secure enjoyment of the covenant promise.
This verse captures a pivotal moment of defiance during Israel's wilderness journey, highlighting the deep-seated resentment and challenges to divinely appointed leadership that simmered beneath the surface for decades.
c. 1440 BC
The Exodus from Egypt
God delivers the Israelites from slavery in Egypt through Moses and Aaron, marking the beginning of their journey to the Promised Land.
c. 1440-1400 BC
Wilderness Wanderings
The Israelites spend 40 years in the desert, during which numerous challenges and instances of rebellion against God's leadership occur.
c. 1400 BC— this verse
Rebellion of Korah, Dathan, and Abiram
Korah, Dathan, and Abiram lead a significant rebellion against Moses and Aaron's authority, challenging God's chosen leaders and the established priesthood.
c. 1400 BC
Divine Judgment and Punishment
God enacts severe judgment upon the rebels, with the earth swallowing Dathan and Abiram and their households, and fire consuming the 250 men with Korah.
c. 1400 BC
Plague and Atonement
A plague breaks out among the Israelites who sided with the rebels, which is only halted when Aaron makes atonement.
This verse shows a similar defiant attitude towards Moses' authority when he attempted to mediate a dispute between two Israelites, revealing a pattern of resistance to his leadership.
Numbers 16:30-34This passage describes the immediate and catastrophic divine judgment that fell upon Dathan and Abiram for their defiance, powerfully illustrating the consequences of rejecting God's appointed leaders.
Psalm 106:16-18This psalm recounts the rebellion of Dathan and Abiram, highlighting their envy and defiance against Moses and Aaron, and God's subsequent judgment upon them.
1 Samuel 15:23This verse likens rebellion against God's authority to the sin of witchcraft, underscoring the serious spiritual implications of rejecting divinely appointed leadership, as Dathan and Abiram did.
Jude 1:11This New Testament passage explicitly references the rebellion of Korah, Dathan, and Abiram as a cautionary example of those who speak against God's messengers and reject authority, connecting their defiance to a spiritual danger.
gillNumbers 16:12: "And Moses sent to call Dathan and Abiram, the sons of Eliab: which said, We will not come up:"
And Moses sent to call Dathan and Abiram, the sons of Eliab,.... He sent messengers to call them to the house of judgment, as the Targum of Jonathan, to the court of judicature, where the Jews suppose Moses, with the seventy elders, were now sitting: it seems these two men departed either before. Moses rose up from prayer, or however before he had finished his speech to Korah and the L…
calvinNumbers 16:1-50: "Now Korah, the son of Izhar, the son of Kohath, the son of Levi, and Dathan and Abiram, the sons of Eliab, and On, the son of Peleth, sons of Reuben, took men:"
And they gathered themselves together against Moses and against Aaron, and said unto them, Ye take too much upon you, seeing all the congregation are holy, every one of them, and the Lord is among them: wherefore then lift ye up yourselves above the congregation of the Lord?
Congregatique sunt adversum Mosen et…
Dathan and Abiram's defiant "We will not come up" wasn't just a refusal to appear; it was a direct challenge to Moses's authority to summon them. They saw his summons not as a call to justice or divine judgment, but as an overreach of his leadership, a claim to a princely power that they believed he had no right to exercise.
Korah's rebellion has escalated, and Moses now summons Dathan and Abiram, two prominent figures who seem to represent a civil grievance against Moses' leadership, distinct from Korah's religious complaint about the priesthood. Their defiant refusal to even appear signals a direct challenge to Moses' authority and the community's structure, setting the stage for a drastic divine judgment.
Korah's rebellion has escalated, and Moses now summons Dathan and Abiram, two prominent figures who seem to represent a civil grievance against Moses' leadership, distinct from Korah's religious complaint about the priesthood. Their defiant refusal to even appear signals a direct challenge to Moses' authority and the community's structure, setting the stage for a drastic divine judgment.
"And Moses sent to call Dathan and Abiram the sons of Eliab, and they said, “We will not come up. Is it a small thing that you have brought us up out of a land flowing with milk and honey, to kill us in the wilderness, that you must also ma…" — Dathan and Abiram's defiant "We will not come up" wasn't just a refusal to appear; it was a direct challenge to Moses's authority to summon them. They saw his summons not as a call to justice or di…
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Last reviewed October 2026
