Kohath

Biblical Record

Kohath was the second son of Levi, the son of Jacob. Levi had three sons: Gershon, Kohath, and Merari. Kohath is listed among those who went down to Egypt with Jacob's household (Genesis 46:11).

According to the genealogy in Exodus 6:16-20, Kohath lived 133 years. His sons were Amram, Izhar, Hebron, and Uzziel. Amram married Jochebed, who bore him Aaron and Moses; Kohath was therefore Moses' grandfather. Izhar's son was Korah (Exodus 6:21).

Little is recorded about Kohath's own life. His name is used chiefly to designate the group descended from him, the Kohathites. According to Numbers 3-4, the Kohathites camped on the south side of the tabernacle (Numbers 3:29). They were charged with carrying the most holy things, such as the ark of the covenant, the table of showbread, the lampstand, and the altars. They could carry these furnishings only after Aaron and his sons had first covered them, and they were warned that they would die if they touched or looked upon the holy things (Numbers 4:15, 4:20). The other Levitical clans were given wagons, but the Kohathites were not, because they were to bear the holy things upon their shoulders (Numbers 7:9). After the settlement in Canaan, the Kohathites received cities allotted from the territories of several tribes (Joshua 21).

Significance in Scripture

The Kohathite clan held a distinctive place among the Levites. Both the house of Aaron, the priestly family, and Moses came from this line, as did Korah, who rebelled against Moses and Aaron.

1 Chronicles 6 gives a detailed genealogy of the Kohathites. Heman, a leader of worship in the time of David, is identified as a Kohathite (1 Chronicles 6:33). The "sons of Korah" named in the superscriptions of several Psalms also belong to the Kohathite line. When David brought the ark to Jerusalem, the Levites carried it on their shoulders (1 Chronicles 15:15), an account that is read in light of the regulations in Numbers.

The New Testament does not mention Kohath by name.

Interpretation and Issues

• Genealogy and chronology: Exodus 6 records four generations from Levi to Moses: Levi, Kohath, Amram, and Moses. Interpreters differ on how to reconcile this genealogy with the statement that Israel dwelt in Egypt 430 years (Exodus 12:40). Some hold that generations have been omitted from the genealogy, while others calculate a shorter period of residence in Egypt. Accordingly, scholars date Kohath's lifetime differently.
• Numerical problem: Numbers 3:28 gives the number of Kohathite males as 8,600. However, the sum of the three Levitical clans exceeds the total of 22,000 given in the same chapter (3:39) by 300. Some regard this as a discrepancy that arose in the course of scribal transmission.
• Meaning of the name: The meaning of the name is uncertain. Some connect it with "assembly," but this is not settled.
• Material beyond the text: Scripture does not describe Kohath's personal faith or character. Portrayals of him as a godly man, such as those found in sermons, are inferences drawn from the duties of his descendants and should be distinguished from what the text records.

In the Korean Church

In the Korean church, attention centers less on Kohath himself than on the duties of the Kohathites. The service of bearing "upon their shoulders" in Numbers 4 and 7:9 is sometimes used as a sermon text on the theme of church service or the responsibilities of church officers. In Sunday school lessons on the tabernacle, the Kohathites are also presented when explaining the division of duties among the three clans of Gershon, Kohath, and Merari.