Dathan דָּתָן
Reubenite who rebelled against Moses and Aaron
Biography
Dathan, along with his brother Abiram, was a descendant of Reuben who joined Korah, a Levite, in rebelling against the authority of Moses and Aaron (Num.16.1). When Moses summoned Dathan and Abiram, they refused to come, accusing Moses of failing to bring them into a land flowing with milk and honey (Num.16.12-14).
As the rebellion escalated, Moses warned the congregation to move away from the tents of Korah, Dathan, and Abiram (Num.16.24-27). God then caused the earth to open up and swallow Dathan, Abiram, and their households, along with Korah and his followers (Num.16.31-35; Psalm Num.106.17).
The sons of Dathan and Abiram, however, did not die in this judgment (Num.26.9-11). The rebellion of Dathan and Abiram is remembered as a warning against defying God's appointed leaders (Deu.11.6).
Family
In Scripture
3 biblical books ; 2 with study contentNumbers 5 verses
- Numbers 16:1
"Now Korah, the son of Izhar, the son of Kohath, the son of Levi, with Dathan and Abiram, the sons of Eliab, and On, the son of Peleth, sons of Reuben, took some men."
- Numbers 16:12
"Moses sent to call Dathan and Abiram, the sons of Eliab; and they said, “We won’t come up!"
- Numbers 16:24
"“Speak to the congregation, saying, ‘Get away from around the tent of Korah, Dathan, and Abiram!’ ”"
- Numbers 16:25
"Moses rose up and went to Dathan and Abiram; and the elders of Israel followed him."
- Numbers 16:27
"So they went away from the tent of Korah, Dathan, and Abiram, on every side. Dathan and Abiram came out, and stood at the door of their tents with their wives, their sons, and their little ones."
Deuteronomy 1 verse
- Deuteronomy 11:6
"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;"
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Psalms 1 verse
- Psalms 106:17
"The earth opened and swallowed up Dathan, and covered the company of Abiram."
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Names & Aliases
| Form | Language | Script | Strong's |
|---|---|---|---|
| Named | Hebrew | דָּתָן | H1885 |
Dathan
/ref> De 11:6; Ps 106:17). He and his brother Abiram, with others, followed Korah the Levite in disputing the authority of Moses and Aaron in the wilderness (Nu 16-17; 26; De 11:6; Ps 106:17). Other followers of Korah perished by fire before the tent of meeting, but Dathan and Abiram were swallowed up by the earth, with their families and their goods, at their tents. See KORAH.
Willis J. Beecher
dath'-e-ma (Dathema): A stronghold (1 Macc 5:29) in Gilead to which the Jews fled for refuge from the heathen (1 Macc 5:9). They were delivered by Judas and Jonathan his brother. It was within a night's march from Bos