John Calvin Commentary Psalms 106:17
John Calvin Commentary
Psalms 106:17
John Calvin Commentary
Psalms 106:17
SCRIPTURE
"The earth opened and swallowed up Dathan, And covered the company of Abiram." — Psalms 106:17 (ASV)
The earth opened. The enormity of their sin may be seen in the magnitude of the punishment with which it was inflicted. But the prophet's purpose was to publicly accuse and reprove the people's stubbornness, who, far from being improved by their chastisements (although God's vengeance was so terrifying as to almost move the very stones), behaved all the more perversely. That was surely a terribly ominous event, when the earth swallowed up Dathan and Abiram alive, and all their accomplices, and when fire coming down from heaven destroyed them, as Moses stated:
“If anything common happen to these men, then do not believe that God who rules in heaven rules over you and me; but if this new and extraordinary thing happen, namely, that the earth open her mouth and swallow them up, then indeed believe that I am sent by God,” (Numbers 16:29).
When the Israelites were so deluded as to rebel against God, the terrible nature of their spiritual malady then appeared, in that it could not be cured by the severe remedy applied to it. And since even hypocrites are afraid when they experience God's severity, it was utter folly for them to fret and quarrel with God when He was chastising their iniquities with stripes.
If anyone asks why God charges the faults of a few against the entire body of the people, the answer is clear; for although there were only two individuals who were the principal instigators of the conspiracy, along with them two hundred and seventy rebellious persons, yet it would seem from the grumblings and petty objections of the entire congregation that they also were affected by the same spiritual malady.
The punishment did not extend beyond the captains and ringleaders of this wicked conspiracy, as it was God's design to mitigate it and to spare the people as a whole, who nonetheless had been very eager for innovation, since they could not endure the authority of Moses and Aaron.