Korah
Encyclopedia
Korah or Kórach Some older English translations, as well as the Douay Bible), spell the name Core, and many Eastern European translations have Korak. The name is associated with at least two Biblical
villain
s:
and Aholibamah
, and had two brothers, "Jeush, and Jaalam
". has Korah's mother, Aholibamah
, being descended from Anah
, the daughter of Zibeon, making Zibeon Korah's maternal grandfather. The same verses, repeats Genesis 36:5 and names his two brothers again.
Esau had multiple wives and Korah is also listed as a grandson of Esau through Eliphaz
, causing some confusion. Esau and his wife Adah bore Eliphaz. states that Eliphaz bore a number of sons (called here, duke
s) that came from his son Eliphaz, and one of them is Duke Korah. It is not unreasonable that Esau had a son and a grandson named Korah.
However, it is not this Korah of the lineage of Esau that rebelled against Moses
and the Israelites. The Korah who fought against Israel was the son of Izhar, the son of Kehath, the son of Levi, becoming the great-grandson of Levi, the third son of Jacob born to Leah who became the progenitor of the tribe of Levi (Num.16:1; Gen. 29:31-35). The details about the rebellion of Korah along with Dathan and Abiram is narrated in Numbers 16:1-40. They resisted Moses' leadeship and as a result were swallowed by the earth along with many of their households. However the children of Korah were spared and remained alive (Numbers 26:11) and later wrote some Psalms [PVC].
son of Levi
. Korah's brothers through Izhar were Nepheg and Zichri. connects this Korah with Hebron, Uzziel and Amram who where his father's brothers (Izhar son of Kohath). 1 Chronicles , and , repeat this genealogy; however, this reference could have been inspired by the Exodus genealogies. Hebron
is the patriarch
from whom the region is named.
Numbers
traces this lineage back further to Levi
, son of the patriarch Israel
. According to , his lineage goes: "Korah, the son of Izhar, the son of Kohath, the son of Levi," making him the great-grandson of the patriarch Levi
and the cousin of Moses
and Aaron
.
indicates that Korah rebelled against Moses, and was punished for his rebellion when God sent fire from heaven that consumed him and 249 of his fellow coconspirators. His two Reubenite accomplices, Dathan and Abiram, also perished when God caused the ground to split open beneath their feet and swallow them up with their families and everything they owned.
Furthermore, the Israelites who did not like what had happened to Korah, Dathan
, and Abiram
(and their families) objected to Moses, and God then commanded Moses to depart from the multitude. God then smote 14,700 men with plague, as punishment for objecting to Korah's destruction.
Notwithstanding the children of Korah died not.
Korah consulted his wife also, who encouraged him in the revolt, saying: "See what Moses has done. He has proclaimed himself king; he has made his brother high priest, and his brother's sons priests; still more, he has made thee shave all thy hair [comp. Num. viii. 7] in order to disfigure thee." Korah answered: "But he has done the same to his own sons." His wife replied: "Moses hated thee so much that he was ready to do evil to his own children provided the same evil would overtake thee" (Midr. Agadah to Num. xvi. 8; Yalḳ., Num. 750; comp. Num. R. l.c.; Tan. l.c.; Sanh. 110a).
The question how it was possible for a wise man like Korah to be so imprudent as to rebel is explained by the fact that he was deceived through his own prophetical capacity. He had foreseen that the prophet Samuel would be his descendant, and therefore concluded that he himself would escape punishment. But he was mistaken; for, while his sons escaped, he perished (Num. R. xviii. 7; Tan., Ḳoraḥ, 12).
{Verily, Qarun (Korah) was of Musa's (Moses) people, but he behaved arrogantly towards them.
And We gave him of the treasures, that of which the keys would have been a burden to a body of strong men...} Quran (28:76)
The Quran agrees with the previous section in that he was punished due to his extreme arrogance by being swallowed by the earth along with all his great material wealth. The place in which he had perished is still present to this day.
Quran 7:155 also alludes to Korah (Qorach) destruction
"And Musa (Moses) chose out of his people seventy men for Our appointment; so when the earthquake overtook them..."
for two reasons:
's error; they have been destroyed in Korah's rebellion." (NIV)
Korah is mentioned in the 1768 edition of the New England Primer. Here, as part of an alphabet, we read that "Proud Korah's troop was swallowed up" which is a paraphrasing of Numbers 16:32.
Korah is also mentioned by Irenaeus in his anti-Gnostic work Adversus Haereses
(Against Heresies), written in about 180. He criticized the notion that some Biblical villains were credited with obtaining their power from God. Specifically he wrote there are some who:
The Dead Sea Scrolls
also provide additional details about Korah, though which Korah is not certain.
Bible
The Bible refers to any one of the collections of the primary religious texts of Judaism and Christianity. There is no common version of the Bible, as the individual books , their contents and their order vary among denominations...
villain
Villain
A villain is an "evil" character in a story, whether a historical narrative or, especially, a work of fiction. The villain usually is the antagonist, the character who tends to have a negative effect on other characters...
s:
Esau's Son who fought against Israel
According to Genesis , Korah was the son of EsauEsau
Esau , in the Hebrew Bible, is the oldest son of Isaac. He is mentioned in the Book of Genesis, and by the minor prophets, Obadiah and Malachi. The New Testament later references him in the Book of Romans and the Book of Hebrews....
and Aholibamah
Aholibamah
Aholibamah , is a minor biblical person in the Book of Genesis....
, and had two brothers, "Jeush, and Jaalam
Jaalam
Jaalam may refer to:*Jaalam Research now Apparent Networks, a Canadian network software company*Jaalam , a biblical Hebrew male given name...
". has Korah's mother, Aholibamah
Aholibamah
Aholibamah , is a minor biblical person in the Book of Genesis....
, being descended from Anah
Anah
Anah, or Ana, is an Iraqi town on the Euphrates river, approximately mid-way between the Gulf of Alexandretta and the Persian Gulf.-Etymology:...
, the daughter of Zibeon, making Zibeon Korah's maternal grandfather. The same verses, repeats Genesis 36:5 and names his two brothers again.
Esau had multiple wives and Korah is also listed as a grandson of Esau through Eliphaz
Eliphaz
Eliphaz was the first-born son of Esau by his wife Adah. He had six sons, one of whom was Amalek, born to his concubine Timna, who was the ancestral enemy of the Israelite people ....
, causing some confusion. Esau and his wife Adah bore Eliphaz. states that Eliphaz bore a number of sons (called here, duke
Duke
A duke or duchess is a member of the nobility, historically of highest rank below the monarch, and historically controlling a duchy...
s) that came from his son Eliphaz, and one of them is Duke Korah. It is not unreasonable that Esau had a son and a grandson named Korah.
However, it is not this Korah of the lineage of Esau that rebelled against Moses
Moses
Moses was, according to the Hebrew Bible and Qur'an, a religious leader, lawgiver and prophet, to whom the authorship of the Torah is traditionally attributed...
and the Israelites. The Korah who fought against Israel was the son of Izhar, the son of Kehath, the son of Levi, becoming the great-grandson of Levi, the third son of Jacob born to Leah who became the progenitor of the tribe of Levi (Num.16:1; Gen. 29:31-35). The details about the rebellion of Korah along with Dathan and Abiram is narrated in Numbers 16:1-40. They resisted Moses' leadeship and as a result were swallowed by the earth along with many of their households. However the children of Korah were spared and remained alive (Numbers 26:11) and later wrote some Psalms [PVC].
Izhar's Son (the Levite) who rebelled against Moses
Exodus cites another Korah as being the son of Izhar son of KohathKohath
According to the Torah, Kohath was one of the sons of Levi, and the patriarchal founder of the Kohathites, one of the four main divisions among the Levites in Biblical times; in some apocryphal texts such as the Testament of Levi, and the Book of Jubilees, Levi's wife, Kohath's mother, is named as...
son of Levi
Levi
Levi/Levy was, according to the Book of Genesis, the third son of Jacob and Leah, and the founder of the Israelite Tribe of Levi ; however Peake's commentary suggests this as postdiction, an eponymous metaphor providing an aetiology of the connectedness of the tribe to others in the Israelite...
. Korah's brothers through Izhar were Nepheg and Zichri. connects this Korah with Hebron, Uzziel and Amram who where his father's brothers (Izhar son of Kohath). 1 Chronicles , and , repeat this genealogy; however, this reference could have been inspired by the Exodus genealogies. Hebron
Hebron (Biblical figure)
According to the Torah, Hebron was a son of Kohath and grandson of Levi, consequently being the brother of Amram and uncle of Aaron, Miriam, and Moses...
is the patriarch
Patriarchs (Bible)
The Patriarchs of the Bible, when narrowly defined, are Abraham, the ancestor of all the Abrahamic nations; his son Isaac, the ancestor of the nations surrounding Israel/Judah; and Isaac's son Jacob, also named Israel, the ancestor of the Israelites...
from whom the region is named.
Numbers
Book of Numbers
The Book of Numbers is the fourth book of the Hebrew Bible, and the fourth of five books of the Jewish Torah/Pentateuch....
traces this lineage back further to Levi
Levi
Levi/Levy was, according to the Book of Genesis, the third son of Jacob and Leah, and the founder of the Israelite Tribe of Levi ; however Peake's commentary suggests this as postdiction, an eponymous metaphor providing an aetiology of the connectedness of the tribe to others in the Israelite...
, son of the patriarch Israel
Jacob
Jacob "heel" or "leg-puller"), also later known as Israel , as described in the Hebrew Bible, the Talmud, the New Testament and the Qur'an was the third patriarch of the Hebrew people with whom God made a covenant, and ancestor of the tribes of Israel, which were named after his descendants.In the...
. According to , his lineage goes: "Korah, the son of Izhar, the son of Kohath, the son of Levi," making him the great-grandson of the patriarch Levi
Levi
Levi/Levy was, according to the Book of Genesis, the third son of Jacob and Leah, and the founder of the Israelite Tribe of Levi ; however Peake's commentary suggests this as postdiction, an eponymous metaphor providing an aetiology of the connectedness of the tribe to others in the Israelite...
and the cousin of Moses
Moses
Moses was, according to the Hebrew Bible and Qur'an, a religious leader, lawgiver and prophet, to whom the authorship of the Torah is traditionally attributed...
and Aaron
Aaron
In the Hebrew Bible and the Qur'an, Aaron : Ααρών ), who is often called "'Aaron the Priest"' and once Aaron the Levite , was the older brother of Moses, and a prophet of God. He represented the priestly functions of his tribe, becoming the first High Priest of the Israelites...
.
indicates that Korah rebelled against Moses, and was punished for his rebellion when God sent fire from heaven that consumed him and 249 of his fellow coconspirators. His two Reubenite accomplices, Dathan and Abiram, also perished when God caused the ground to split open beneath their feet and swallow them up with their families and everything they owned.
Furthermore, the Israelites who did not like what had happened to Korah, Dathan
Dathan
Dathan was an Israelite mentioned in the Old Testament as a participant of the Exodus.He was a son of Eliab, the son of Pallu, the son of Reuben. Together with his brother Abiram, the Levite Korah and others, he rebelled against Moses and Aaron...
, and Abiram
Abiram
Abiram, also spelled Abiron, |father]] is exalted") is the name of two people in the Old Testament. One was the son of Eliab, who, along with his brother Dathan, joined Korah in the conspiracy against Moses and Aaron. He and all the conspirators, with their families and possessions, were swallowed...
(and their families) objected to Moses, and God then commanded Moses to depart from the multitude. God then smote 14,700 men with plague, as punishment for objecting to Korah's destruction.
Notwithstanding the children of Korah died not.
In Rabbinical Literature: {Jewish Encyclopedia}
The name "Korah" is explained by the Rabbis of the Talmudic area as meaning "baldness." It was given to Korah on account of the gap or blank which he made in Israel by his revolt (Sanh. 109b). Korah is represented as the possessor of extraordinary wealth, he having discovered one of the treasures which Joseph had hidden in Egypt. The keys of Korah's treasuries alone formed a load for three hundred mules (Pes. 119a; Sanh. 110a). He and Haman were the two richest men in the world, and both perished on account of their rapacity, and because their riches were not the gift of Heaven (Num. R. xxii. 7; comp. Ex. R. li. 1). On the other hand, Korah is represented as a wise man, chief of his family and as one of the Kohathites who carried the Ark of the Covenant on their shoulders (Tan., ed. Buber, Ḳoraḥ, Supplement, 5; Num. R. xviii. 2).Cause of Revolt
The chief cause of Korah's revolt was, according to the Rabbis, the nomination of Elizaphan, son of Uzziel, as prince over the Kohathites (Num. iii. 30), Korah arguing thus: "Kohath had four sons [Ex. vi. 18]. The two sons of Amram, Kohath's eldest son, took for themselves the kingdom and the priesthood. Now, as I am the son of Kohath's second son, I ought to be made prince over the Kohathites, whereas Moses gave that office to Elizaphan, the son of Kohath's youngest son" (Num. R. xviii. 1; Tan., Ḳoraḥ, 3). Korah plied Moses with the following questions: "Does a ṭallit made entirely of blue wool need fringes?" To Moses' affirmative answer Korah objected: "The blue color of the ṭallit does not make it ritually correct, yet according to thy statement four blue threads do so" (Num. xv. 38). "Does a house filled with the books of the Law need a mezuzah?" Moses replied that it did; whereupon Korah said: "The presence of the whole Torah, which contains 175 chapters, does not make a house fit for habitation, yet thou sayest that one chapter thereof does so. It is not from God that thou hast received these commandments; thou hast invented them thyself." He then assembled 250 men, chiefs of the Sanhedrin, and, having clad them in ṭallitot of blue wool, but without fringes, prepared for them a banquet. Aaron's sons came for the priestly share, but Korah and his people refused to give the prescribed portions to them, saying that it was not God but Moses who commanded those things. Moses, having been informed of these proceedings, went to the house of Korah to effect a reconciliation, but the latter and his 250 followers rose up against him (Num. R. xviii. 2; Tan. l.c.; comp. Targ. pseudo-Jonathan to Num. xvi. 2).Korah consulted his wife also, who encouraged him in the revolt, saying: "See what Moses has done. He has proclaimed himself king; he has made his brother high priest, and his brother's sons priests; still more, he has made thee shave all thy hair [comp. Num. viii. 7] in order to disfigure thee." Korah answered: "But he has done the same to his own sons." His wife replied: "Moses hated thee so much that he was ready to do evil to his own children provided the same evil would overtake thee" (Midr. Agadah to Num. xvi. 8; Yalḳ., Num. 750; comp. Num. R. l.c.; Tan. l.c.; Sanh. 110a).
Korah's Parable
Korah incited all the people against Moses, arguing that it was impossible to endure the laws instituted by the latter. He told them the following parable: "A widow, the mother of two young daughters, had a field. When she came to plow it, Moses told her not to plow it with an ox and an ass together (Deut. xxii. 10); when she came to sow it, Moses told her not to sow it with mingled seeds (Lev. xix. 19). At the time of harvest she had to leave unreaped the parts of the field prescribed by the Law, while from the harvested grain she had to give the priest the share due to him. The woman sold the field and with the proceeds bought two sheep. But the first-born of these she was obliged to give to Aaron the priest; and at the time of shearing he required the first of the fleece also (Deut. xviii. 4). The widow said: 'I can not bear this man's demands any longer. It will be better for me to slaughter the sheep and eat them.' But Aaron came for the shoulder, the two cheeks, and the maw (ib. verse 3). The widow then vehemently cried out: 'If thou persistest in thy demand, I declare them devoted to the Lord.' Aaron replied: 'In that case the whole belongs to me' (Num. xviii. 14), whereupon he took away the meat, leaving the widow and her two daughters wholly unprovided for" (Num. R. xviii. 2-3; Tan., Ḳoraḥ, 4-6).The question how it was possible for a wise man like Korah to be so imprudent as to rebel is explained by the fact that he was deceived through his own prophetical capacity. He had foreseen that the prophet Samuel would be his descendant, and therefore concluded that he himself would escape punishment. But he was mistaken; for, while his sons escaped, he perished (Num. R. xviii. 7; Tan., Ḳoraḥ, 12).
Destruction of Korah
At the time of Korah's engulfment, the earth became like a funnel, and everything that belonged to him, even linen that was at the launderer's and needles that had been borrowed by persons living at a distance from Korah, rolled till it fell into the chasm (Yer. Sanh. x. 1; Num. R. l.c.). According to the Rabbis, Korah himself underwent the double punishment of being burned and buried alive (Num. R. l.c. 14; Tan., Ḳoraḥ, 23). He and his followers continued to sink till Hannah prayed for them (Gen. R. xcviii. 3); and through her prayer, the Rabbis declare, Korah will ascend to paradise (Ab. R. N. xxxvi.; Num. R. xviii. 11; comp. Sanh. 109b). Rabbah bar bar Ḥana narrates that while he was traveling in the desert, an Arab showed him the place of Korah's engulfment. There was at the spot a slit in the ground into which he introduced some wool soaked in water. The wool became parched. On placing his ear to the slit, he heard voices cry: "Moses and his Torah are true; and we are liars" (B. B. 74a; comp. Tan., ed. Buber, Ḳoraḥ, Supplement).S. S. M. Sel.Quranic Reference
Korah is also mentioned in the Quran by the name of Qarun. He is recognized as rich, and became very arrogant due to his pride and ignorance.{Verily, Qarun (Korah) was of Musa's (Moses) people, but he behaved arrogantly towards them.
And We gave him of the treasures, that of which the keys would have been a burden to a body of strong men...} Quran (28:76)
The Quran agrees with the previous section in that he was punished due to his extreme arrogance by being swallowed by the earth along with all his great material wealth. The place in which he had perished is still present to this day.
Quran 7:155 also alludes to Korah (Qorach) destruction
"And Musa (Moses) chose out of his people seventy men for Our appointment; so when the earthquake overtook them..."
Significance
The Biblical name Korah is important because it became associated with Biblical villains and traitorsTreason
In law, treason is the crime that covers some of the more extreme acts against one's sovereign or nation. Historically, treason also covered the murder of specific social superiors, such as the murder of a husband by his wife. Treason against the king was known as high treason and treason against a...
for two reasons:
- In the case of Korah son of Esau, both Esau and Korah waged war against Israel, and Esau was hated by God because of it according to MalachiBook of MalachiMalachi is a book of the Hebrew Bible, the last of the twelve minor prophets and the final book of the Neviim...
. In these struggles Korah became renowned as a warrior and a fighter, and was legendary in Canaan because of abilities. - In the case of Korah son of Izhar, he is remembered for the rebellious action together with Dathan and Abiram against Moses according to . This story also appears in the Qur'anQur'anThe Quran , also transliterated Qur'an, Koran, Alcoran, Qur’ān, Coran, Kuran, and al-Qur’ān, is the central religious text of Islam, which Muslims consider the verbatim word of God . It is regarded widely as the finest piece of literature in the Arabic language...
, where Korah is named Qarun (see Biblical narratives and the Qur'anBiblical narratives and the Qur'anThe Qur'an, the central religious text of Islam, contains references to over fifty people and events also found in the Bible. While the stories told in each book are generally comparable in most respects, important differences sometimes emerge....
). The story of this "fallen Levite" or "corrupted priest" is one of the many stories in the Scriptures that, in sharp contrast to most ancient literature, allows criticism of an honorable office, similarly to the criticism of King David's infidelity.
Other references
Korah is referenced in the New Testament in : "Woe to them! They have taken the way of Cain; they have rushed for profit into BalaamBalaam
Balaam is a diviner in the Torah, his story occurring towards the end of the Book of Numbers. The etymology of his name is uncertain, and discussed below. Every ancient reference to Balaam considers him a non-Israelite, a prophet, and the son of Beor, though Beor is not so clearly identified...
's error; they have been destroyed in Korah's rebellion." (NIV)
Korah is mentioned in the 1768 edition of the New England Primer. Here, as part of an alphabet, we read that "Proud Korah's troop was swallowed up" which is a paraphrasing of Numbers 16:32.
Korah is also mentioned by Irenaeus in his anti-Gnostic work Adversus Haereses
On the Detection and Overthrow of the So-Called Gnosis
On the Detection and Overthrow of the So-Called Gnosis, today also called On the Detection and Overthrow of Knowledge Falsely So Called , commonly called Against Heresies , is a five-volume work written by St. Irenaeus in the 2nd century...
(Against Heresies), written in about 180. He criticized the notion that some Biblical villains were credited with obtaining their power from God. Specifically he wrote there are some who:
- declare that Cain derived his being from the Power above, and acknowledge that Esau, Korah, the SodomitesSodom and GomorrahSodom and Gomorrah were cities mentioned in the Book of Genesis and later expounded upon throughout the Hebrew Bible, the New Testament and Deuterocanonical sources....
, and all such persons, are related to themselves.
The Dead Sea Scrolls
Dead Sea scrolls
The Dead Sea Scrolls are a collection of 972 texts from the Hebrew Bible and extra-biblical documents found between 1947 and 1956 on the northwest shore of the Dead Sea, from which they derive their name...
also provide additional details about Korah, though which Korah is not certain.
See also
- Korach (parsha)Korach (parsha)Korach or Korah is the 38th weekly Torah portion in the annual Jewish cycle of Torah reading and the fifth in the book of Numbers...
, the weekly Torah portion in the annual JewishJudaismJudaism ) is the "religion, philosophy, and way of life" of the Jewish people...
cycle of Torah readingTorah readingTorah reading is a Jewish religious ritual that involves the public reading of a set of passages from a Torah scroll. The term often refers to the entire ceremony of removing the Torah scroll from the ark, chanting the appropriate excerpt with special cantillation, and returning the scroll to...
that tells Korah's story. - KorahitesKorahitesThe Korahites in the Bible were that portion of the Kohathites that descended from Korah.They were an important branch of the singers of the Kohathite division...