A Hebrew term meaning an offering or gift to God, especially used in the Bible to refer to sacrifices or vowed gifts presented at the Temple.
From Hebrew 'qorban' (offering), derived from the root 'qrb' meaning 'to draw near,' referring to offerings that brought worshippers into God's presence. The term entered English through Biblical translations.
When Jesus criticized people using 'corban' to avoid supporting their parents in the Gospel, he was calling out a loophole in the honor code—people were dedicating money to God to dodge family obligations, making 'corban' the ancient world's sneakiest tax shelter.
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