I’m a Christian. I take the Bible at its Word. I give it all the respect and honor that God rightfully deserves.
But I’ll admit, even I get choked up at chapters like Numbers 16.
Not because of Korah, mind you. He got what he deserved for his rebellion. He tried to “go up” into Moses’ seat, and instead, he “went down” into the earth.
I’m talking about verses like Numbers 16:27-32, which describe Korah’s family—even his wives and sons and “little ones”—paying the price for Korah’s rebellion.
But that impression isn’t totally accurate. If you look closely at what’s happening here, it reads a little different than what we sometimes think.
In Numbers 16:27, for instance, it’s clear that only the households of Dathan and Abiram stood in the doorway of their tents. Despite Korah’s introduction in the first half of that verse as being united with the other two men, he is notably absent in the second half.
Korah does share in their punishment though. That is made plain by Numbers 26:9-10, which clearly states that Korah died along with Dathan, Abiram, and their households.
But what about the household of Korah?
Numbers 26:11 answers this too: “The sons of Korah, however, did not die.”
To be fair, I’m not entirely sure why the household of Korah was immune from this type of punishment. It’s thought by some that what looks like a single rebellion in Numbers 16 is actually two different rebellions—one by Korah and one by Dathan and Abiram. Their joint execution in the Text, however, seems to signal otherwise.
(The 250 elders are executed in Numbers 16:35. Their fate is strikingly similar to Nadab and Abihu’s, and probably for a similar reason.)
The main difference seems to be that Dathan and Abiram refused to leave their homes (Numbers 16:25-27), whereas Korah was to be positioned at the Tent of Meeting (Numbers 16:19).
If that’s true, then that means that Dathan and Abiram, because of their stubbornness, knowingly endangered the lives of their families. They knew what the punishment for rebellion could be, so not leaving their tents put their families in harm’s way.
Korah’s willingness to at least meet Moses in neutral ground likely saved his family, which explains why a few hundred years later, we read about the sons of Korah in the book of Psalms.
And in that book, they’re celebrated as some of the most voluminous song writers in Jewish history. Their psalms speak of humility and subservience before God—a far cry from what their ancestor died for.
Korah’s rebellion clearly made an impression on everyone that was there that day, and for his descendants who would later go the exact opposite direction in their service to God. Instead of questioning God’s decisions and His leadership choices, the sons of Korah would speak highly of God, His glory, and His justice.
What a turnaround.