Kore
“Partridge, or one who proclaims”
Summary
The name of two Levites in the Old Testament: a Korahite doorkeeper in David's time and a Levite appointed over the temple offerings in Hezekiah's reign.
☩Korahite Doorkeeper
The primary Kore was a Levite of the family of Korah, son of Ebiasaph (or Abiasaph), and father of Meshelemiah (also called Shallum or Shelemiah). His family served as doorkeepers and guardians of the tabernacle and later the temple, a role inherited from the days when Korah's sons guarded the gate of the camp of the Lord. In David's time, Kore's descendants held chief responsibility for the east gate of the sanctuary and were described as "Korahites of the sons of Asaph," indicating their line of descent. The family maintained this ministry across many generations, with Shallum described as a descendant of Kore through several intervening generations.
☩Levite Under Hezekiah
A second Kore was a Levite, the son of Imnah, who served during the reign of King Hezekiah. He was appointed as the keeper of the east gate of the temple and given charge over the freewill offerings brought to God and the distribution of the most holy things. This position of trust came during Hezekiah's great religious reform, when the temple was cleansed and proper worship restored. His name, meaning "partridge" or "one who proclaims," was appropriately connected to his role in overseeing the offerings proclaimed to the Lord.
References
- 1.John McClintock and James Strong, "Kore," in Cyclopedia of Biblical, Theological and Ecclesiastical Literature, vol. V (Harper & Brothers, 1867–1887).
- 2.James Orr (ed.), "Kore," in International Standard Bible Encyclopedia, vol. III (Howard-Severance Company, 1915).
- 3.George Morrish, "Kore," in Morrish's Concise Bible Dictionary (George Morrish, 1898).
- 4.F. N. Peloubet & M. A. Peloubet (ed.), "Kore," in Smith's Bible Dictionary (Porter & Coates, 1884).