# The earth opened its mouth and swallowed them

Moses speaks of the earth as if it were alive, and the hole that the people fell into as if it were the earth's mouth. AT: "The earth opened up like a large mouth, and they fell into it and were buried in it" or "There was a giant hole in the ground, and they fell into it and were buried in it" (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-metaphor]])