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Meaning, origin and etymology of the name Korah


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Korah Korah

Besides the famous cousin of Moses and Aaron - who claimed that since he too was a great-grandson of Levi, he too should be allowed to draft law, and got himself descended live into Sheol (Num 16) - there are four Korahs mentioned in the Bible: A son of Esau (Gen 36:5), a grandson of Esau (Gen 36:16), a son of Hebron (1 Chr 2:43), and a mysterious fellow to whose sons Psalm 42 is dedicated (Psalm 42:1).

The name Korah is identical to the word qerah (qerah 2070a), meaning frost (Gen 31:40) or ice/ hail (Ps 147:17), from the assumed root qrh (qrh 2070). Hence Jones translates with Ice or Hail.

NOBSE and BDB, however, derive Korah from the identical root qarah (qarah 2069), to be bald, usually in charged with a negative connotation: due to sickness (Lev 13:42), violence (Neh 13:25), but mostly as a sign of grief or mourning (Mic 1:16, Jer 47:5).

See our Bible Commentary special on hair in the Bible.



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