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princes, “men of renown” i.e., well-known men from among the other tribes, joined this conspiracy. The whole company demanded of Moses and Aaron that the old state of things should be restored, alleging that “they took too much upon them” (Numbers 16:1-3). On the morning after the outbreak, Korah and his associates presented themselves at the door of the tabernacle, and “took every man his censer, and put fire in them, and laid incense thereon.” But immediately “fire from the Lord” burst forth and destroyed them all (Numbers 16:35). Dathan and Abiram “came out and stood in the door of their tents, and their wives, and their sons, and their little children,” and it came to pass “that the ground clave asunder that was under them; and the earth opened her mouth and swallowed them up.” A plague thereafter began among the people who sympathized in the rebellion, and was only stayed by Aaron’s appearing between the living and the dead, and making “an atonement for the people” (16:47).
The descendants of the sons of Korah who did not participate in the rebellion afterwards rose to eminence in the Levitical service.
•KORAHITES that portion of the Kohathites that descended from Korah. (1.) They were an important branch of the singers of the Kohathite division (2 Chronicles 20:19). There are eleven psalms (42-49; 84; 85; 87;
88) dedicated to the sons of Korah.
(2.) Some of the sons of Korah also were “porters” of the temple (1 Chronicles 9:17-19); one of them was over “things that were made in the pans” (31), i.e., the baking in pans for the meat-offering (Leviticus 2:5).
•KORE partridge. (1.) A Levite and temple-warder of the Korahites, the son of Asaph. He was father of Shallum and Meshelemiah, temple-porters (1 Chronicles 9:19; 26:1).
(2.) A Levitical porter at the east gate of the temple (2 Chronicles 31:14).
(3.) In 1 Chronicles 26:19 the word should be “Korahites,” as in the Revised Version.