Numbers 16:1

Numbers 16:1 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)Now Korah, the son of Izhar, the son of Kohath, the son of Levi, and Dathan and Abiram, the sons of Eliab, and On, the son of Peleth, sons of Reuben, took men:
• New International Version (NIV)Korah son of Izhar, the son of Kohath, the son of Levi, and certain Reubenites—Dathan and Abiram, sons of Eliab, and On son of Peleth—became insolent
• English Standard Version (ESV)Now Korah the son of Izhar, son of Kohath, son of Levi, and Dathan and Abiram the sons of Eliab, and On the son of Peleth, sons of Reuben, took men.
• New King James Version (NKJV)Now Korah the son of Izhar, the son of Kohath, the son of Levi, with Dathan and Abiram the sons of Eliab, and On the son of Peleth, sons of Reuben, took men;

Context of Numbers 16:1

One day Korah son of Izhar, a descendant of Kohath son of Levi, conspired with Dathan and Abiram, the sons of Eliab, and On son of Peleth, from the tribe of Reuben. 2They incited a rebellion against Moses, along with 250 other leaders of the community, all prominent members of the assembly. 3They united against Moses and Aaron and said, “You have gone too far! The whole community of Israel has been set apart by the Lord, and he is with all of us. What right do you have to act as though you are greater than the rest of the Lord’s people?”

Numbers 16:1 word by word

וַיִּקַּ֣ח קֹ֔רַח בֶּן־יִצְהָ֥ר בֶּן־קְהָ֖ת בֶּן־לֵוִ֑י וְדָתָ֨ן וַאֲבִירָ֜ם בְּנֵ֧י אֱלִיאָ֛ב וְא֥וֹן בֶּן־פֶּ֖לֶת בְּנֵ֥י רְאוּבֵֽן׃Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• Now Korahקֹ֫רַחqôrach · KorahH7141
• the sonבֵּןbên · son: childH1121
• of Izharיִצְהָרyitshâr · IzharH3324
• of Kohathקְהָתqehâth · KohathH6955
• of Leviלֵוִיlêvîy · LeviH3878
• and Dathanדָּתָןdâthân · DathanH1885
• and Abiramאֲבִירָם'ăbîyrâm · AbiramH48
• of Eliabאֱלִיאָב'ĕlîy'âb · EliabH446
• and Onאוֹן'ôn · OnH203
• of Pelethפֶּ֫לֶתpeleth · PelethH6431
• of Reubenרְאוּבֵןre'ûbên · ReubenH7205
• tookלָקַחlâqach · to take: takeH3947

Cross-references for Numbers 16:1

• Numbers 26:9and Eliab was the father of Nemuel, Dathan, and Abiram. This Dathan and Abiram are the same community leaders who conspired with Korah against Moses and Aaron, rebelling against the Lord.
• Numbers 27:3“Our father died in the wilderness,” they said. “He was not among Korah’s followers, who rebelled against the Lord; he died because of his own sin. But he had no sons.
• Exodus 6:18The descendants of Kohath included Amram, Izhar, Hebron, and Uzziel. (Kohath lived to be 133 years old.)
• Jude 1:11What sorrow awaits them! For they follow in the footsteps of Cain, who killed his brother. Like Balaam, they deceive people for money. And like Korah, they perish in their rebellion.
• Genesis 49:3“Reuben, you are my firstborn, my strength, the child of my vigorous youth. You are first in rank and first in power.
• 1 Chronicles 5:1The oldest son of Israel was Reuben. But since he dishonored his father by sleeping with one of his father’s concubines, his birthright was given to the sons of his brother Joseph. For this reason, Reuben is not listed in the genealogical records as the firstborn son.

Commentaries on Numbers 16:1

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 1Now Korah - took men - Had not these been the most brutish of men, could they have possibly so soon forgotten the signal displeasure of God manifested against them so lately for their rebellion. The word men is not in the original; and the verb ויקח vaiyikkach, and he took, is not in the plural but the singular, hence it cannot be applied to the act of all these chiefs. In every part of the Scripture where this rebellion is referred to it is attributed to…Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 1Amram and Izhar were brothers (compare Exodus 6:18), and thus Korah, the “son,” i. e. descendant of Izhar, was connected by distant cousinship with Moses and Aaron. Though being a Kohathite, he was of that division of the Levites which had the most honorable charge, yet as Elizaphan, who had been made “chief of the families of the Kohathites” Numbers 3:30, belonged to the youngest branch descended from Uzziel Numbers 3:27, Korah probably regarded himself…Read the comment
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 1The rebellion of Korah, Dathan, and Abiram Korah contends for the priesthood. (1-11) Disobedience of Dathan and Abiram. (12-15) The glory of the Lord appears, The intercession of Moses and Aaron. (16-22) The earth swallows up Dathan and Abiram. (23-34) The company of Korah consumed. (35-40) The people murmur A plague sent. (41-50) Verses 1-11 Pride and ambition occasion a great deal of mischief both in churches and states. The rebels quarrel with the…Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 1-50Another rebellion demanded a clear separation of duties between priests and Levites. This power struggle was more serious than previous rebellions against God's authority (chapter 11; 12:1–15; 14:1–45). In these historical events, the rebels protested minor issues and questioned their leaders' actions. Yet, Moses reminded them that they were actually rebelling against God. As a result, the Israelites suffered deadly consequences for their rebellion.Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 1-301-2. Now Korah, the son of Izhar--Izhar, brother of Amram (Ex 6:18), was the second son of Kohath, and for some reason unrecorded he had been supplanted by a descendant of the fourth son of Kohath, who was appointed prince or chief of the Kohathites (Nu 3:30). Discontent with the preferment over him of a younger relative was probably the originating cause of this seditious movement on the part of Korah. Dathan and Abiram, ... and On--These were…Read the comment

Topics related to Numbers 16:1

• Conspiracy
• Dathan
• Eliab
• Israel
• On
• Peleth
• Reuben
• Self-Exaltation
• Treason

In the dictionaries

• Korah
• Levi
• Reuben
• Korah, Korahite
• Levi, Levite
• Matthew, Levi
• Aaron
• Abiram
• Choose
• Close

Commentaries on Numbers 16

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
• Tyndale Open Study Notes
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
• Rashi on Tanakh
• Calvin’s Commentaries
• Keil & Delitzsch Commentary
• John Wesley’s Notes
• Darby Translation Notes
• Geneva Bible Translation Notes
• Kingcomments
• Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
• Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
• Scofield Reference Notes, 1917 Edition
• Original Douay–Rheims Annotations
• Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
• EGW Writings