Numbers 16:49

But those who died from the plague numbered 14,700, in addition to those who had died on account of Korah.

Berean Standard Bible

Study note

Setting — The narrator reports the casualty count immediately after Aaron stands between the living and the dead to halt the plague (Numbers 16:48).

The words — וַיִּהְיוּ (va-yih-yu) = "and they were" (H1961) and הַמֵּתִים (ha-metim) = "the dead" (H4191) anchor the verse's function of tallying casualties.

The thread — The text distinguishes this plague toll from Korah's initial judgment (Numbers 16:32) and parallels other plague death counts in Scripture, such as 24,000 in Numbers 25:9 and 70,000 in 1 Chronicles 21:14.

Why it lands — The passage records a precise number (14,700) to mark the conclusion of divine judgment, requiring the reader to track the exact scope of the plague's reach before the narrative resumes Aaron's return to Moses (Numbers 16:50).

Drafted by a language model from the text, its original words and its cross-references, then checked against them. It can still be wrong: open the verse in the app to report it.

The Hebrew words

וַיִּהְי֗וּva/i.yih.Yuand/ they were הַמֵּתִים֙ha./me.Timthose/ [who] died בַּמַּגֵּפָ֔הba./ma.ge.Fahby the/ plague אַרְבָּעָ֥ה'ar.ba.'Ahfour-עָשָׂ֛ר'a.Sarteen אֶ֖לֶף'E.lefthousand וּשְׁבַ֣עu./she.Va'and/ seven מֵא֑וֹתme.'othundred<s>מִלְּבַ֥דmi./le./Vad<from>/ <to>/ besides הַמֵּתִ֖יםha./me.Timthe/ [ones who] died עַל־'al-on דְּבַר־de.var-[the] matter of קֹֽרַח׃Ko.rachKorah

King James Version

Now they that died in the plague were fourteen thousand and seven hundred, beside them that died about the matter of Korah.

Cross-references

Numbers 16:32 and the earth opened its mouth and swallowed them and their households—all Korah’s men and all their possessions.
Numbers 25:9 but those who died in the plague numbered 24,000.
1 Chronicles 21:14 So the LORD sent a plague upon Israel, and seventy thousand men of Israel fell dead.
Hebrews 2:1 We must pay closer attention, therefore, to what we have heard, so that we do not drift away.
Hebrews 10:28 Anyone who rejected the law of Moses died without mercy on the testimony of two or three witnesses.
Hebrews 12:25 See to it that you do not refuse Him who speaks. For if the people did not escape when they refused Him who warned them on earth, how much less will we escape if we reject Him who warns us from heaven?