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{{Short description|Biblical personage}}
{{Other uses|Korach (disambiguation)}}
[[File:Dore Death of Korah, Dathan and Abiram.jpg|thumb|right|''Death of Korah, Dathan and Abiram'', [[Gustave Doré]], 1865.]]
[[File:Attaque des Hébreux contre les Cananéens.jpg|thumb|Battle of the Hebrews against the Canaanites and Punishment of Korah, miniature from ''Antiquities of the Jews'']]
'''Korah''' ({{langx|he|{{Script/Hebrew|קֹרַח}}}} ''Qōraḥ''; {{langx|ar|قارون}} ''Qārūn''), son of [[Izhar]], is an individual who appears in the Biblical [[Book of Numbers]] of the [[Old Testament]] ([[Hebrew Bible]]) and four different verses in the [[Quran]], known for leading a rebellion against [[Moses]]. Some older English translations, as well as the [[Douay–Rheims Bible]], spell the name '''Core''',<ref>{{CathEncy|wstitle=Core, Dathan, and Abiron}}</ref> and many Eastern European translations have "Korak" or "Korey".<ref>{{cite web | url=https://biblia.bg/index.php?k=4&g=16&s=1&sw=%D0%9A%D0%BE%D1%80%D0%B5%D0%B9&tr_search=1 | title=Числа 16 глава. Библия, търсене в Библията онлайн }}</ref>

The name Korah is also used for at least one other individual in the Hebrew Bible: [[Korah (son of Esau)]].

{{anchor|Son of Izhar}}

== In the Torah ==
===Genealogy===
[[File:Botticcelli, Sandro - The Punishment of Korah and the Stoning of Moses and Aaron - 1481-82.jpg|300px|thumb|''[[Punishment of the Sons of Korah]]''. Fresco by [[Sandro Botticelli]] in the [[Sistine Chapel]], 1480–82.]]

[[Book of Exodus|Exodus]] {{bibleverse-nb||Exodus|6:21|HE}} cites Korah as being the son of [[Izhar]], son of [[Kehath]], son of [[Levi]]. {{bibleverse|Exodus|6:24|HE}} lists his three sons. Korah's brothers through Izhar were [[Nepheg]] and [[Zichri]]. {{bibleverse|Exodus|6:18|HE}} connects this Korah with Hebron, Uzziel and Amram, who were his father's brothers (Izhar son of Kohath). [[1 Chronicles]] {{bibleverse-nb |1|Chronicles|6:2,18,38|HE}}, and {{bibleverse-nb|1|Chronicles|23:12|HE}}, repeat this genealogy; however, this reference could have been inspired by the Exodus genealogies.

[[Book of Numbers|Numbers]] {{bibleverse-nb ||Numbers|16:1|HE}} traces this lineage back further to [[Levi]], son of the patriarch [[Jacob|Israel]]. According to {{bibleverse|Numbers|16:1|HE}}, his lineage runs: "Korah, the son of Izhar, the son of Kehath, the son of Levi", making him the great-grandson of the patriarch [[Levi]] and the first cousin of [[Moses]] and [[Aaron]].

===Rebellion===
{{bibleverse|Numbers|16:1–40|HE}} indicates that Korah rebelled against Moses along with Dathan and Abiram and 250 co-conspirators. The 250 co-conspirators were punished for their rebellion when they offered incense to God in fire pans and the heavenly fire from the incense pans consumed all 250 of them. Korah from the tribe of Levi and his allies Dathan and Abiram from the tribe of Reuben were also punished when God caused the ground to split open beneath their feet swallowing them, their families, anyone associated with Korah, and all their possessions.

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 ({{bibleverse|Numbers|16:41|HE}}ff.)

"Notwithstanding, the [[Sons of Korah (Bible)|children of Korah]] died not" ({{bibleverse|Numbers|26:11|HE}}).

==In rabbinical literature==
The rabbis of the Talmudic era explained the name "Korah" as meaning "baldness." It was given to Korah on account of the gap or blank which he made in Israel by his revolt.<ref>Sanhedrin 109b</ref> Korah is represented as the possessor of extraordinary wealth, having discovered one of the treasures that Joseph had hidden in Egypt. The keys of Korah's treasuries alone formed a load for 300 mules.<ref>Pesachim 119a; Sanhedrin 110a</ref> He and [[Haman]] were the two richest men in the world, and both died on account of their greed, and because their riches were not the gift of Heaven.<ref>[[Numbers Rabbah]] 22:7; compare [[Exodus Rabbah]] 51:1</ref> 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.<ref>[[Tanhuma]], ed. Buber, Ḳoraḥ, Supplement, 5; Numbers Rabbah 18:2</ref>

===Cause of revolt===
According to the Rabbis, the main cause of Korah's revolt was the nomination of Elizaphan, son of Uzziel, as prince over the [[Kohathites]],<ref>Numbers 3:30</ref> Korah arguing thus: "Kohath had four sons.<ref>Exodus 6:18</ref> 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 should be made prince over the Kohathites; however Moses gave that office to Elizaphan, the son of Kohath's youngest son".<ref>Numbers Rabbah 18:1; Tanhuma, Ḳoraḥ, 3</ref>

Korah asked Moses the following questions: "Does a [[tallit]] made entirely of [[tekhelet]] need fringes?" To Moses' affirmative answer, Korah objected: "The blue color of the ṭallit does not make it ritually correct, yet according to your statement four blue threads do so".<ref>Numbers 15:38</ref> "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 you say that one chapter of it does so. It is not from God that you have received these commandments; you have invented them yourself." He then assembled 250 men, chiefs of the Sanhedrin, and, having clad them in tallitot 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.<ref>Numbers Rabbah 18:2; Tanhuma l.c.; compare [[Targum Pseudo-Jonathan]] to Numbers 16:2</ref>

Korah consulted also his wife, 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; moreover, he has made you shave all your hair<ref>Compare Numbers 8:7</ref> in order to disfigure you." Korah answered: "But he has done the same to his own sons." His wife replied: "Moses hated you so much that he was ready to do evil to his own children provided the same evil would overtake you".<ref>[[Midrash Aggadah]] to Numbers 16:8; [[Yalkut Shimoni]] Numbers 750; compare Numbers Rabbah l.c.; Tanhuma l.c.; Sanhedrin 110a</ref>

Modern Jewish reform<ref>{{Cite journal|author1-link=David Biale|last=Biale|first=David|date=2016-05-19|title=Korah in the Midrash: The Hairless Heretic as Hero|journal=Jewish History|volume=30|issue=1–2|pages=15–28|doi=10.1007/s10835-016-9251-z|s2cid=159952701|issn=0334-701X}}</ref> and secular interpretations of the Korah revolt supply new causes for the revolt to reflect new agendas and concerns of the authors.<ref>{{Cite journal|last=Schramm|first=Netta|title=Radical Translation as Transvaluation: From Tsene-Rene to The Jews Are Coming: Three Readings of Korah's Rebellion|url=https://www.academia.edu/41254319|journal=PaRDeS: Zeitschrift der Vereinigung für Jüdische Studien = Transformative Translations in Jewish History and Culture|date=January 2019 |language=en}}</ref>

===Korah's parable===
[[File:Moses and Korah.jpg|thumb|right|''Moses and Korah'', 1466 manuscript miniature, [[National Library of Poland]].]]

Korah incited all the people against Moses, arguing that it was impossible to endure the laws Moses had instituted. 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;<ref>Deuteronomy 22:10</ref> when she came to sow it, Moses told her not to sow it with mingled seeds;<ref>Leviticus 19:19</ref> 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.<ref>Deuteronomy 18:4</ref> The widow said: 'I cannot 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.<ref>Deuteronomy 18:3</ref> The widow then vehemently cried out: 'If you persist in your demand, I declare them devoted to the Lord.' Aaron replied: 'In that case the whole belongs to me',<ref>Numbers 18:14</ref> whereupon he took away the meat, leaving the widow and her two daughters wholly unprovided for".<ref>Numbers Rabbah 18:2-3; Tanhuma, Ḳoraḥ, 4-6</ref>

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 prophetic ability. 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.<ref>Numbers Rabbah 18:7; Tanhuma, Ḳoraḥ, 12</ref>

===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.<ref>Yerushalmi Sanhedrin 10 1; Numbers Rabbah l.c.</ref> According to the Rabbis, Korah himself underwent the double punishment of being burned and buried alive.<ref>Numbers Rabbah l.c. 14; Tanhuma, Ḳoraḥ, 23</ref> He and his followers continued to sink until [[Hannah (biblical figure)|Hannah]] prayed for them;<ref>Genesis Rabbah 98:3</ref> and through her prayer, the Rabbis declare, Korah will ascend to paradise.<ref>[[Avot of Rabbi Natan]] 36; Numbers Rabbah 18:11; compare Sanhedrin 109b</ref> [[Rabbah bar bar Hana]] 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".<ref>Bava Batra 74a; compare Tanhuma, ed. Buber, Ḳoraḥ, Supplement</ref>The paradoxical cry: The Midrash presents a poignant irony in the words Korah repeats. While he continues to rebel from the depths, the words that escape his lips are a confession of truth: "Moses and his Torah are true." This suggests that even in his defiant state, the divine judgment has forced a recognition of the truth that he refused to acknowledge in life.
A continuing act of rebellion: This eternal and unrepentant confession illustrates that Korah's punishment is directly linked to his sin. He eternally reenacts his rebellion by both defying and being forced to acknowledge the truth of Moses and the Torah. His punishment is not a simple destruction but a persistent cycle of agony and defiance that demonstrates the futility of his earlier challenge. The Mishnah<ref>Mishnah Sanhedrin 10:3</ref> details a dispute between Rabbi Akiva and Rabbi Eliezer regarding several groups who committed severe sins. In the case of Korah, Rabbi Akiva cites the biblical passage that describes their demise: "And the earth closed upon them...and they perished from among the congregation" (Numbers 16:33). He interprets the phrase "the earth closed upon them" to mean that they lost their portion in this world. He interprets the phrase "and they perished from among the congregation" to mean that they lost their portion in the World to Come (Olam Haba). According to this view, Korah and his followers are not destined to return from their final punishment. Rabbi Eliezer disagrees with Rabbi Akiva's interpretation, arguing for the possibility of redemption.He cites a verse from the prophet Samuel: "The Lord kills and makes alive: He brings down to Sheol, and brings up" (I Samuel 2:6). For Rabbi Eliezer, this verse demonstrates that God has the power to bring up even those who were sent down to Sheol, indicating that Korah's company could eventually be brought back up. A Midrashic account describes how Korah's rebellion continues in the afterlife. According to tradition, his punishment is not a final reckoning that ends his will to rebel. Instead, he continues to defiantly repeat the words he spoke during his rebellion ("Moses and Aaron are no better than us") from the depths of the earth.  Rebelling against authority: For the rabbis, Korah became the ultimate example of a rebel who challenged the God-given authority of Moses. They viewed Korah's story as a cautionary tale for those who would challenge rabbinic teachings in their own time. Perpetual rebellion: In the rabbinic imagination, Korah is the ultimate arch-rebel, and his punishment reflects this. The Midrash explains that his mouth was the primary tool of his rebellion, so his punishment was being swallowed by the "mouth" of the earth.A contrast with Korah's sons: The Mishnah's discussion highlights the consequences of unrepentant rebellion by contrasting Korah's fate with that of his sons.The Midrash contrasts Korah's unrelenting rebellion with the behavior of his sons. The Torah explicitly states that the sons of Korah did not die with their father (Numbers 26:11) The sons of Korah repented before the earth swallowed their father, and because of this, they were spared and their descendants later became Temple singers (I Chronicles 6:18). Their story became a symbol of redemption through repentance, while Korah's became the symbol of eternal damnation

== Other references ==
Korah is referenced in the New Testament in {{bibleverse|Jude|1:11|NIV}}: "Woe to them! They have taken the way of [[Cain and Abel|Cain]]; they have rushed for profit into [[Balaam]]'s error; they have been destroyed in Korah's rebellion." (NIV)

The rebellion of Korah is also made reference to in chapter 11 of [[Meqabyan#Second Book of Ethiopian Maccabees (2 Meqabyan)|2 Meqabyan]], a book considered [[Orthodox Tewahedo biblical canon|canonical]] in the [[Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church]].<ref>{{Cite web | url=http://torahofyeshuah.blogspot.com/2015/07/book-of-meqabyan-i-iii.html |title = Torah of Yeshuah: Book of Meqabyan I - III}}</ref>

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 {{bibleverse|Numbers|16:32|HE}}.

Korah is also mentioned by [[Irenaeus]] in his [[Gnosticism|anti-Gnostic]] work ''[[Against Heresies (Irenaeus)|Against Heresies]]'' ({{langx|grc-x-koine|Ἔλεγχος καὶ ἀνατροπὴ τῆς ψευδωνύμου γνώσεως}}), written in about 180. He criticized the excuse that some evil people in the Bible were credited with obtaining their power from God. Specifically he wrote that there are some who "declare that [[Cain]] derived his being from the Power above, and acknowledge that [[Esau]], Korah, the [[Sodom and Gomorrah|Sodomites]], and all such persons, are related to themselves."

The [[Dead Sea Scrolls]] also provide additional details about Korah, though which Korah is not certain.

==Quranic reference==
[[File:Spencer_Coll._Persian_MS._46_fol_98v_Musa_watches_Qarun_and_his_palace_be_swallowed_by_the_earth.jpg|thumb|Islamic depiction of Musa watching Qarun and his palace be swallowed by the earth from a Persian 1580 manuscript.]]
Korah is also mentioned in the Quran by the name of '''Qārūn''' ({{langx|ar|قارون}}), his full name, according to [[Ibn Jurayj|''Shaykh'' ibn Jurayj]], was "'''Qarun ibn Yashar ibn Qahith al-Laawi'''."<ref>{{Cite web |title=Tafsir - Surah al-Qasas - 76–77 |url=https://quran.com/28:76/tafsirs/en-tafisr-ibn-kathir |access-date=2025-11-14 |website=Quran.com |language=en}}</ref> He is recognized as wealthy, and became very arrogant due to his pride and ignorance.<ref>[http://worldreminder.com/103ARTICLES/ARTICLESVIEW/tabid/68/smid/515/ArticleID/427/reftab/55/t/The-Story-of-Qaarun-Korah/Default.aspx?dnnprintmode=true&mid=387&SkinSrc=%5BG%5DSkins%2F_default%2FNo+Skin&ContainerSrc=%5BG%5DContainers%2F_default%2FNo+Container Worldreminder.com] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110718114311/http://worldreminder.com/103ARTICLES/ARTICLESVIEW/tabid/68/smid/515/ArticleID/427/reftab/55/t/The-Story-of-Qaarun-Korah/Default.aspx?dnnprintmode=true&mid=387&SkinSrc=%5BG%5DSkins%2F_default%2FNo%20Skin&ContainerSrc=%5BG%5DContainers%2F_default%2FNo%20Container |date=July 18, 2011 }}</ref> He gave the credit for his wealth to his knowledge instead of to God.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://whatisquran.com/1195-the-story-of-qarun-picture-of-perfidious-rich.html|title=The Story of Qarun: Picture of Perfidious Rich – Your Guide to get to know the Quran|date=12 August 2016 |language=en-US|access-date=2019-07-27}}</ref><ref>[[Al-Qasas]] 28:76</ref>
{{Blockquote|Indeed, Qarun was from the people of Moses, but he tyrannized them. And We gave him of treasures whose keys would burden a band of strong men; thereupon his people said to him, "Do not exult. Indeed, Allah does not like the exultant.|sign=|source= [[Quran 28:76]]}}

The Quran states he was punished due to his extreme arrogance by being swallowed by earth along with all his great material wealth.<ref>[[Al-Qasas]] 28:78-81</ref>
{{Blockquote|He said, "I was only given it because of knowledge I have." Did he not know that God had destroyed before him of generations those who were greater than him in power and greater in accumulation [of wealth]? But the criminals, about their sins, will not be asked.|sign=|source=[[Q28:78]]}}
{{Blockquote|text=And We caused the earth to swallow him and his home. And there was for him no company to aid him other than God, nor was he of those who [could] defend themselves.|sign=|source=[[Q28:81]]}}

In the [[Malay language|Malay]] and [[Indonesian language]], the term for treasure is literally ''Harta Karun'' ("Qarun's treasure"). It is also often referred to in [[Turkish language|Turkish]] as "''Karun'un Hazineleri''". In Muslim culture, he is referred to as a tyrant who is the epitome of arrogance based on wealth.

==Other individuals named Korah==
{{Main|Korah (son of Esau)}}

==See also==
* [[Karun Treasure]]
* [[Korach (parashah)]], the [[weekly Torah portion]] in the annual [[Judaism|Jewish]] cycle of [[Torah reading]] that tells Korah's story.
* [[Korahites]]

==References==
{{Reflist}}
{{JewishEncyclopedia|url=http://www.jewishencyclopedia.com/articles/9465-korah|title=Korah}}

{{Characters and names in the Quran}}
{{Authority control}}

[[Category:Book of Numbers people]]
[[Category:Tribe of Levi]]

[[id:Korah]]