Psalms 106:16They envied Moses also in the camp, and Aaron, Yahweh's saint.
The setting
Jerusalem, ~500 BC. A psalmist recounts how 250 respected leaders died in earthquake and fire for envying Moses and Aaron's God-given authority.
The emotion here: deeply troubled by leadership rebellion's deadly consequences
The original word
qana' (קִנְאוּ) — burning jealousy that drives action; same word used for God's jealousy but here it's destructive human envy
Why it matters
Korah was Moses' cousin and a Levite with significant authority, but he wanted the priesthood that belonged to Aaron's family line
Read with care
What most readers miss in Psalms 106:16
This wasn't random jealousy - these were successful leaders who had their own important roles but wanted someone else's calling
Common misconceptionPeople think this is about questioning bad leaders, but Korah challenged good leaders whom God had clearly appointed - it's about fighting God's choices rather than human failures.
The thread continues
Verses that echo Psalms 106:16
Bible Genome reading
Psalms 106:16 — Bible Genome reading
Emotional genome
Psalms 106:16 comes from the book of Psalms, written during the United Kingdom period. These words are attributed to unknown. The dominant emotion in this verse is grieving, with a comfort power of 20% and a tone that is lamenting. It belongs to the psalm genre of biblical literature. Key themes include envy, leadership rebellion, jealousy. Notable phrases: They envied Moses; Aaron, Yahweh's saint.
Emotionally similar
Verses that meet the same grieving
“By the sweat of your face will you eat bread until you return to the ground, for out of it you were taken. For you are dust, and to dust you…”
— Genesis 3:19
“Jesus wept.”
— John 11:35
“My God, my God, why have you forsaken me? Why are you so far from helping me, and from the words of my groaning?”
— Psalms 22:1
“They divide my garments among them. They cast lots for my clothing.”
— Psalms 22:18
“for all have sinned, and fall short of the glory of God;”
— Romans 3:23
Your reflection
What does Psalms 106:16 mean to you, today?
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