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The Death of Korah, Dathan, and Abiram

Numberschapter 16

50 verses · Moses, by tradition · 15th to 13th century BC · The Law

Original Language

Numbers 16— Hebrew word study · with the Hebrew tradition

In Jewish life

Jewish practice and Jewish teaching both have something to say about Numbers 16. Three things follow: where it is read, what is done because of it, and how the rabbis have taught it. The purpose is to inform a Christian reader what Jews believe and how Judaism was and is practised.

The reading

Weekly portion 38 of 54

קֹרַח Korach, Numbers 16:1 to 18:32

Read with it: 1 Samuel 11:14 to 12:22.

The verse numbers here are the ones a Hebrew Bible carries, which differ from an English Bible by a verse or two in several places. The Sephardi reading is named only where this site records a difference; communities vary beyond what is listed. What these books are, and how a Christian reader meets them →

Where the rabbis cite this chapter

4 rows sit beside their verses in the text, on 4 verses of this chapter. No row that speaks to the chapter as a whole is recorded. Every quote links to its full source.

Texts and citation data: Sefaria (sefaria.org); excerpts follow each version’s license, and every passage opens at its source.

How to read a word below: the Hebrewword, then how it sounds, then what it means, then its number in Strong’s concordance, a widely used lookup this site follows (H for Hebrew and Aramaic, G for Greek). Square brackets hold a word the English supplies that the Hebrew does not, angle brackets mark the Hebrew’s own grammatical elements that English renders as separate words, and the mark ס or פ is where the Hebrew manuscripts end a paragraph.

All the congregation is holy — Korah's charge1

Numbers 16:1· Hebrew and glosses: STEP Bible

וַיִּקַּ֣חvaiyikachand he tookH3947קֹ֔רַחkorachKorahH7141בֶּן־ben-[the] son ofH1121יִצְהָ֥רyitzharIzharH3324בֶּן־ben-[the] son ofH1121קְהָ֖תkehatKohathH6955בֶּן־ben-[the] son ofH1121לֵוִ֑יleviLeviH3881וְדָתָ֨ןvedatanand DathanH1885וַאֲבִירָ֜םvaaviramand AbiramH48בְּנֵ֧יbenei[the] sons ofH1121אֱלִיאָ֛בʾeliavEliabH446וְא֥וֹןveonand OnH203בֶּן־ben-[the] son ofH1121פֶּ֖לֶתpeletPelethH6431בְּנֵ֥יbenei[the] sons ofH1121רְאוּבֵֽן׃reuvenReubenH7205

Ramban on Numbers 16:1

RambanSpain, 1194–1270· Commentary
“This section is explained in a beautiful way in the Midrash of Rabbi Tanchuma. 1 The Rabbis of the Talmud composed two great exegetical commentaries on the Bible, whose aim was to spread moral, ethical and religious teachings, as they are derived from a study of the Scriptures.

Read it in full at Sefaria · Commentary on the Torah by Ramban (Nachmanides). Translated and annotated by Charles B. Chavel. New York, Shilo Pub. House, 1971-1976

Numbers 16:10· Hebrew and glosses: STEP Bible

וַיַּקְרֵב֙vaiyakrevand he has brought nearH7126אֹֽתְךָ֔ʾotekha<obj.> youH853וְאֶת־veetand <obj.>H853כָּל־kol-allH3605אַחֶ֥יךָʾacheikhabrothers yourH251בְנֵי־venei-[the] descendants ofH1121לֵוִ֖יleviLeviH3878אִתָּ֑ךְʾitakhwith youH854וּבִקַּשְׁתֶּ֖םuvikashtembut you seekH1245גַּם־gam-alsoH1571כְּהֻנָּֽה׃kehunahpriesthoodH3550

Rashi on Numbers 16:10

RashiFrance, 1040–1105· Commentary
ויקרב אתך AND HE HATH BROUGHT THEE NEAR to that service from which He has excluded the rest of the congregation of Israel.

Read it in full at Sefaria · Pentateuch with Rashi's commentary by M. Rosenbaum and A.M. Silbermann, 1929-1934

We will not come up12

Numbers 16:12· Hebrew and glosses: STEP Bible

וַיִּשְׁלַ֣חvaiyishlachand he sentH7971מֹשֶׁ֔הmoshehMosesH4872לִקְרֹ֛אlikro'to summonH7121לְדָתָ֥ןledatan<to> DathanH1885וְלַאֲבִירָ֖םvelaaviramand <to> AbiramH48בְּנֵ֣יbenei[the] sons ofH1121אֱלִיאָ֑בʾeliavEliabH446וַיֹּאמְר֖וּvaiyomeruand they saidH559לֹ֥אlo'notH3808נַעֲלֶֽה׃naalehwe will come upH5927

Ramban on Numbers 16:12

RambanSpain, 1194–1270· Commentary
Now Dathan and Abiram were the instigators of this controversy as much as Korach was, as Scripture states, Now Korach took … and Dathan and Abiram … and they rose up in the face of Moses with certain of the children of Israel etc., 84 Above, Verses 1-2.

Read it in full at Sefaria · Commentary on the Torah by Ramban (Nachmanides). Translated and annotated by Charles B. Chavel. New York, Shilo Pub. House, 1971-1976

Numbers 16:13· Hebrew and glosses: STEP Bible

הַמְעַ֗טhamat¿ [is it] smallH4592כִּ֤יkithatH3588הֶֽעֱלִיתָ֙נוּ֙heelitanuyou have brought up usH5927מֵאֶ֨רֶץmeeretzfrom a landH776זָבַ֤תzavatflowing ofH2100חָלָב֙chalavmilkH2461וּדְבַ֔שׁudevashand honeyH1706לַהֲמִיתֵ֖נוּlahamitenuto kill usH4191בַּמִּדְבָּ֑רbamidbarin the wildernessH4057כִּֽי־ki-thatH3588תִשְׂתָּרֵ֥רtistareryou will make yourself rulerH8323עָלֵ֖ינוּʾaleinuover usH5921גַּם־gam-alsoH1571הִשְׂתָּרֵֽר׃histarerreally <make yourself ruler>H8323

Ramban on Numbers 16:13

RambanSpain, 1194–1270· Commentary
THAT THOU [Moses] WOULDST MAKE THYSELF A PRINCE OVER US ‘GAM HISTAREIR’ — [the repetition of this phrase — literally ‘also to rule’ means]: ‘also many forms of lordship.’ Or.

Read it in full at Sefaria · Commentary on the Torah by Ramban (Nachmanides). Translated and annotated by Charles B. Chavel. New York, Shilo Pub. House, 1971-1976

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