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Eliab אֱלִיאָב

Male Tribe of Reuben H0446H 2 books

Reubenite, father of Dathan and Abiram

Who is Eliab in the Bible?

Eliab was a Reubenite who appears in Numbers 16 and 26 as the father of Dathan and Abiram, two men who led a significant rebellion against Moses and Aaron in the wilderness. Along with Korah, Dathan and Abiram challenged Moses' authority and claimed that the entire congregation of Israel was holy and did not need his leadership (Numbers 16:1-3). When Moses summoned them to appear before him, they refused and instead questioned his motives, but their defiance was met with divine judgment when God caused the earth to open and swallow the rebels and their households (Numbers 16:31-33). Eliab's sons perished in this act of God, and their fate is referenced again in Deuteronomy 11:6 as a stark reminder of what happened to those who opposed the Lord's appointed leaders. The rebellion of Eliab's sons serves as a biblical warning about the dangers of rejecting God's chosen leadership.

Biography

Eliab, a member of the tribe of Reuben, is mentioned in Num.16.1,12; 26.8,9; and Deu.11.6 as the father of Dathan and Abiram. Dathan and Abiram, along with Korah, led a rebellion against the leadership of Moses and Aaron in the wilderness. They challenged the authority of Moses and Aaron, claiming that all the congregation was holy (Num.16.1-3). Moses summoned Dathan and Abiram, but they refused to appear before him (Num.16.12-14). As a result, God caused the earth to open up and swallow the rebels and their households (Num.16.31-33). Eliab's sons, Dathan and Abiram, perished in this divine judgment (Num.26.9; Deu.11.6). The rebellion of Korah, Dathan, and Abiram serves as a warning against challenging God's appointed leaders.

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In Scripture

2 biblical books ; 1 with study content
Numbers 4 verses
  • Numbers 16:1

    "Now Korah son of Izhar, the son of Kohath son of Levi, along with some Reubenites—Dathan and Abiram, sons of Eliab, and On son of Peleth—conducted"

  • Numbers 16:12

    "Then Moses summoned Dathan and Abiram, the sons of Eliab, but they said, “We will not come!"

  • Numbers 26:8

    "Now the son of Pallu was Eliab,"

  • Numbers 26:9

    "and the sons of Eliab were Nemuel, Dathan, and Abiram. It was Dathan and Abiram, chosen by the congregation, who rebelled against Moses and Aaron with the followers of Korah who rebelled against the LORD."

Deuteronomy 1 verse
  • Deuteronomy 11:6

    "and what He did in the midst of all the Israelites to Dathan and Abiram, the sons of Eliab the Reubenite, when the earth opened its mouth and swallowed them, their households, their tents, and every living thing that belonged to them."

    Study Deuteronomy →

Names & Aliases

Form Language Script Meaning
Named Hebrew אֱלִיאָב Eliab , the name of six Israelites