Sons of Korah

Biblical Text

Exodus 6:21, 24 records that Korah was a grandson of Kohath, the son of Levi, and that his sons were Assir, Elkanah, and Abiasaph. In Numbers 16, Korah, together with Dathan and Abiram, challenges the authority of Moses and Aaron and is judged. Numbers 26:11, however, adds a separate note: "Notwithstanding the children of Korah died not."

The sons of Korah reappear in 1 Chronicles. According to 1 Chronicles 6:31–38, Heman, one of those whom David set over the service of song, was a descendant of Korah, and Samuel appears in the same genealogy. 1 Chronicles 9:19 and 26:1, 19 record that the sons of Korah served as gatekeepers (those who guarded the entrances) of the tabernacle and the temple. In 2 Chronicles 20:19, during the reign of Jehoshaphat, the sons of Korah praise God with a loud voice. The titles of Psalms 42, 44–49, 84, 85, 87, and 88 contain phrases such as "A Psalm for the sons of Korah" or "Maschil, for the sons of Korah."

Background

The sons of Korah belonged to the Kohathite family of the Levites. During the wilderness period, the Kohathites were responsible for carrying the furnishings of the tabernacle (Numbers 4). During the monarchy, Levitical duties came to include temple music and gatekeeping, and the sons of Korah are listed in both roles.

Significance in the Bible as a Whole

Because a family that could have been cut off for its ancestor's sin survived and came to serve in worship, the sons of Korah are often read as an example of mercy shown in the midst of judgment. The New Testament also quotes the psalms of the sons of Korah. Romans 8:36 quotes Psalm 44:22 in speaking of suffering believers, and Hebrews 1:8–9 applies Psalm 45:6–7 to the Son, that is, Christ. By contrast, "the gainsaying of Core" in Jude 1:11 refers to the rebellion of their ancestor Korah.

Interpretation and Debated Issues

• Why they survived: Numbers 16:32 says that "all the men that appertained unto Korah" were swallowed up, while 26:11 says that the sons of Korah did not die. It is commonly suggested that the sons did not take part in their father's rebellion, but the text does not state the reason.
• Meaning of the titles: The Hebrew preposition in the phrase "of the sons of Korah" can be read as "by," "for," or "belonging to." Accordingly, some interpret these titles as identifying psalms composed by the sons of Korah, while others regard them as a collection of psalms that the sons of Korah sang or preserved. Psalm 88 also bears the title "Maschil of Heman the Ezrahite," and views differ on whether this Heman is the same person as the singer Heman in 1 Chronicles.
• Samuel's family: 1 Samuel 1:1 calls Samuel's father Elkanah an Ephraimite, while 1 Chronicles 6 places him in the genealogy of the sons of Korah. The two records are commonly harmonized by understanding Elkanah as a Levite who lived in the territory of Ephraim.

In the Korean Church

In preaching, the sons of Korah are frequently presented under the theme "the descendants of a rebel became worshipers." Psalm 84:10, "I had rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God," is sometimes linked with the gatekeeping duties of the sons of Korah; however, the text itself does not make this connection, and it is an interpretation added in preaching.

The psalms of the sons of Korah are also widely used in worship music. Martin Luther's hymn based on Psalm 46, written by Martin Luther, appears as No. 585 in the Korean Hymnal under the title "A Mighty Fortress Is Our God." The gospel song "As the Deer," based on Psalm 42:1, is also widely sung.