Tanach · Rishonim on Tanach · Ramban · Torah
Ramban on Numbers 26:9/רמב"ן על במדבר כ״ו:ט׳
אוּבְנֵי אֱלִיאָב נְמוּאֵל וְדָתָן וַאֲבִירָם הוּא דָתָן וַאֲבִירָם הִזְכִּיר הַכָּתוּב זֶה לְהוֹדִיעַ שֶׁנִּשְׁאֲרָה כָּל הַיְרֻשָּׁה מִמִּשְׁפַּחַת הַפַּלֻּאִי לִנְמוּאֵל לְבַדּוֹ, כִּי דָתָן וַאֲבִירָם וְכָל אֲשֶׁר לָהֶם נִבְלְעוּ, אוֹ כְּדִבְרֵי רַבּוֹתֵינוּ (ב״ב קי״ח) לִרְמֹז שֶׁאִבְּדוּ חֶלְקָם מִן הָאָרֶץ אַף עַל פִּי שֶׁהָיוּ מִיּוֹצְאֵי מִצְרַיִם וּרְאוּיִים לְנַחֲלָה:
1AND THE SONS OF ELIAB: NEMUEL, AND DATHAN, AND ABIRAM. THESE ARE DATHAN AND ABIRAM WHO [QUARRELLED AGAINST MOSES] etc. Scripture mentions this [episode leading to the death of Dathan and Abiram] in order to indicate that the whole inheritance of the Palluite family remained for Nemuel alone, because Dathan and Abiram [the other sons of Eliab] and all their belongings were swallowed up [in the earth, and hence Nemuel was the only surviving son of Eliab, who was in turn the only son of Pallu]. Or it may be, as our Rabbis have said,40 that [Dathan and Abiram’s death is mentioned here] to allude [to the fact] that they lost their share in the Land even though they were amongst those who came out of Egypt, and were therefore eligible to [receive] an inheritance.