On (Son of Peleth)

Biblical Record

On is named only once, in Numbers 16:1. The King James Version renders the verse: "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." On belonged to the tribe of Reuben, and his father was Peleth.

These men, together with 250 renowned leaders of the congregation, rose up against Moses and Aaron (Numbers 16:2-3). They contended that the whole congregation was holy and asked why these two men should exalt themselves. The rebellion ended as follows:

• The ground split open and swallowed the men who belonged to Korah and the households of Dathan and Abiram (Numbers 16:31-33).
• The 250 men who offered incense were consumed by fire (Numbers 16:35).

On's name does not appear again after the opening verse. He is not among those whom Moses summoned (16:12), nor is he named in the warning to depart from the tents (16:24, 27). The text therefore does not record what became of him.

Significance in Scripture

The passages that later recall this event also omit On's name.

• Numbers 26:9-10, Deuteronomy 11:6, and Psalm 106:17 mention Dathan and Abiram.
• Jude 1:11 cites "the gainsaying of Core" (Korah) as a warning example of opposition to the order God established.

On thus remains simply a figure named in connection with Korah's rebellion. Scripture as a whole assigns him no separate significance.

Interpretation and Issues

The fact that On's name appears once and then disappears has long prompted various explanations.

• Jewish tradition: A rabbinic tradition preserved in the Talmud (tractate Sanhedrin) relates that On's wife persuaded her husband to withdraw from the rebellion, so that he was spared. This account is not found in the biblical text and should be distinguished as later interpretive tradition.
• Textual criticism: Some scholars have suggested that the verse may have been altered in the course of scribal transmission, pointing out that the father of Eliab the Reubenite is recorded as Pallu (Numbers 26:5, 8). This view, however, is not an established consensus.
• Common reading: Protestant commentaries generally go no further than stating that "Scripture does not tell us what became of On," and they tend not to assert any particular conclusion.

In the Korean Church

In the Korean church, On seems rarely to be treated as the central figure of a sermon or a Sunday school lesson. He is usually mentioned only as one name in the list of rebels when preachers address Korah's rebellion. The story of On's wife is sometimes used as an illustration in sermons or devotional books. In such cases, it is important to make clear that the story comes from Jewish tradition rather than from the biblical text.