Korah (Exodus 6:21; Exodus 6:24; Numbers 16:1–3; Numbers 16:4–15; Numbers 16:16–24; Numbers 16:25–35; Numbers 16:36–40; Numbers 16:41–50; Numbers 26:9–11; Numbers 27:3; Psalms 42:1; Jude 1:11)

Son of Izhar, a Levite Who Rose Against Moses

A Levite of the sons of Kohath, the son of Izhar, who with Dathan, Abiram and On and two hundred and fifty princes of the congregation assembled against Moses and Aaron, and who went down with his company when the earth opened its mouth; yet the sons of Korah died not.

Exodus gives his place among the Levites: “And the sons of Izhar: Korah, and Nepheg, and Zichri” (Exodus 6:21), Izhar being one of the sons of Kohath (Exodus 6:18). Amram, another son of Kohath, was the father of Aaron and Moses (Exodus 6:18-20). “And the sons of Korah: Assir, and Elkanah, and Abiasaph; these are the families of the Korahites” (Exodus 6:24).

In Numbers 16 “Korah, the son of Izhar, the son of Kohath, the son of Levi, with Dathan and Abiram, the sons of Eliab, and On, the son of Peleth, sons of Reuben, took men” (Numbers 16:1), and with two hundred and fifty princes of the congregation they “assembled themselves together against Moses and against Aaron” (Numbers 16:3). Moses answered with a test of censers before the LORD and said to Korah, “seek ye the priesthood also? Therefore thou and all thy company are gathered together against Jehovah: and Aaron, what is he that ye murmur against him?” (Numbers 16:10-11). “And Korah assembled all the congregation against them unto the door of the tent of meeting: and the glory of Jehovah appeared unto all the congregation” (Numbers 16:19). The earth swallowed Dathan and Abiram with their households, “and all the men that appertained unto Korah” (Numbers 16:32), and fire came forth from the LORD on the two hundred and fifty. The later record says the earth “swallowed them up together with Korah” (Numbers 26:10), and adds, “Notwithstanding, the sons of Korah died not” (Numbers 26:11).

His name stayed as a warning: the censers were made a covering for the altar so that “he be not as Korah, and as his company” (Numbers 16:40). Jude says of certain men that they “perished in the gainsaying of Korah” (Jude 1:11). Eleven Psalms carry titles that read “of the sons of Korah” (Psalms 42:1); the titles are noted here as titles only, without claiming authorship.

Weaknesses

• Rose up against Moses and Aaron
• Took men
• Sought the priesthood also
• Assembled all the congregation against them

Themes

• Rebellion against appointed leaders
• The priesthood and the censer
• The earth opens
• Mercy toward the sons
• A warning remembered

A Levite, the son of Izhar (Exodus 6:18–24)

Exodus lists Korah among the sons of Izhar of the Levites, and names the sons of Korah and the families of the Korahites.

Korah and his company rise against Moses and Aaron (Numbers 16:1–3)

Korah, with Dathan, Abiram and On and two hundred and fifty princes of the congregation, assembles against Moses and Aaron, saying they take too much upon them.

Korah and his company rise against Moses and Aaron

“Now Korah, the son of Izhar, the son of Kohath, the son of Levi, with Dathan and Abiram, the sons of Eliab, and On, the son of Peleth, sons of Reuben, took men: and they rose up before Moses, with certain of the children of Israel, two hundred and fifty princes of the congregation, called to the assembly, men of renown” (Numbers 16:1-2).

“And they assembled themselves together against Moses and against Aaron, and said unto them, Ye take too much upon you, seeing all the congregation are holy, every one of them, and Jehovah is among them: wherefore then lift ye up yourselves above the assembly of Jehovah?” (Numbers 16:3). The words are spoken by the company together; the text gives no separate speech of Korah.

Moses answers with the censers (Numbers 16:4–15)

Moses falls on his face, tells Korah and his company to take censers before the LORD in the morning, asks the sons of Levi whether they seek the priesthood also, and Dathan and Abiram refuse to come up.

Moses answers with the censers

“And when Moses heard it, he fell upon his face: and he spake unto Korah and unto all his company, saying, In the morning Jehovah will show who are his, and who is holy” (Numbers 16:4-5). “This do: take you censers, Korah, and all his company; and put fire in them, and put incense upon them before Jehovah to-morrow” (Numbers 16:6-7).

“And Moses said unto Korah, Hear now, ye sons of Levi: seemeth it but a small thing unto you, that the God of Israel hath separated you from the congregation of Israel, to bring you near to himself, to do the service of the tabernacle of Jehovah … and seek ye the priesthood also? Therefore thou and all thy company are gathered together against Jehovah: and Aaron, what is he that ye murmur against him?” (Numbers 16:8-11).

Moses sent to call Dathan and Abiram, “and they said, We will not come up” (Numbers 16:12).

Korah assembles the congregation (Numbers 16:16–24)

Korah's company takes censers and stands at the door of the tent of meeting; Korah assembles all the congregation against Moses and Aaron, the glory of the LORD appears, and the LORD bids the congregation get up from about the tabernacle of Korah, Dathan and Abiram.

The ground opens and fire comes forth (Numbers 16:25–35; Numbers 26:10)

Moses sets the sign that the LORD sent him; the ground cleaves, the earth swallows the men that appertained unto Korah with their households, and fire devours the two hundred and fifty who offered the incense.

The ground opens and fire comes forth

“Depart, I pray you, from the tents of these wicked men, and touch nothing of theirs, lest ye be consumed in all their sins” (Numbers 16:26). Moses said, “if Jehovah make a new thing, and the ground open its mouth, and swallow them up, with all that appertain unto them, and they go down alive into Sheol; then ye shall understand that these men have despised Jehovah” (Numbers 16:30).

“And it came to pass, as he made an end of speaking all these words, that the ground clave asunder that was under them; and the earth opened its mouth, and swallowed them up, and their households, and all the men that appertained unto Korah, and all their goods” (Numbers 16:31-32). “And fire came forth from Jehovah, and devoured the two hundred and fifty men that offered the incense” (Numbers 16:35).

Numbers 16 does not name Korah among those the ground swallowed; it names “all the men that appertained unto Korah” (Numbers 16:32). Numbers 26:10 says the earth “swallowed them up together with Korah, when that company died” (Numbers 26:10).

The censers become a covering for the altar (Numbers 16:36–40)

Eleazar the priest beats the brazen censers of those who were burnt into a covering for the altar, a memorial that no stranger of other than Aaron's seed burn incense.

The plague and Aaron's atonement (Numbers 16:41–50)

On the morrow the congregation murmurs against Moses and Aaron, the plague begins, Aaron makes atonement with his censer, and fourteen thousand and seven hundred die besides those who died about the matter of Korah.

The sons of Korah died not (Numbers 26:9–11; Numbers 27:3)

The later record recounts the earth swallowing the company with Korah and states that the sons of Korah died not; Zelophehad's daughters say their father was not in the company of Korah.

The sons of Korah died not

Of Dathan and Abiram, “who strove against Moses and against Aaron in the company of Korah, when they strove against Jehovah, and the earth opened its mouth, and swallowed them up together with Korah, when that company died; what time the fire devoured two hundred and fifty men, and they became a sign” (Numbers 26:9-10).

“Notwithstanding, the sons of Korah died not” (Numbers 26:11). The text gives no reason and does not say where they were.

Later the daughters of Zelophehad said of their father that “he was not among the company of them that gathered themselves together against Jehovah in the company of Korah” (Numbers 27:3).

Moses (Numbers 16:3–11; Numbers 16:19)

Korah and his company assembled against Moses and Aaron, and Moses answered that they were gathered together against the LORD.

Aaron (Exodus 6:18–21; Numbers 16:3; Numbers 16:11; Numbers 16:40)

A grandson of Kohath like Korah, against whom Korah's company assembled, and of whom Moses asked, what is he that ye murmur against him?

Dathan, Abiram and On (Numbers 16:1; Numbers 16:12–14; Numbers 26:9)

The sons of Eliab and the son of Peleth, of Reuben, who with Korah took men; Dathan and Abiram refused to come up to Moses.

The two hundred and fifty princes (Numbers 16:2; Numbers 16:35)

Princes of the congregation, men of renown, who rose up with Korah and whom fire from the LORD devoured as they offered the incense.

The sons of Korah (Exodus 6:24; Numbers 26:11)

Assir, Elkanah and Abiasaph are named in Exodus; Numbers says they died not.

The LORD (Numbers 16:19–24; Numbers 16:35)

Appeared in glory at the tent of meeting, bade the congregation get up from about the tabernacle of Korah, and sent fire upon the two hundred and fifty.

Major sections

• Exodus 6:18–24
• Numbers 16
• Numbers 26:9–11
• Numbers 27:3
• 1 Chronicles 6:37–38
• Jude 1:11

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