In the sacred registers of the Levites, the tribe chosen to maintain the “Ancient Paths” of the sanctuary, we find the name of Kore. This name is associated with men of the house of Kohath and the house of Korah—families that understood the weight of standing at the threshold of the Presence of God. The scriptures identify at least two distinct individuals named Kore who served the King with physical obedience and theological integrity.
The first Kore was a Levite of the family of Korah, the son of Ebiasaph and a descendant of the rebellious Korah of the wilderness. Despite the history of his ancestors, this Kore held a position of high trust and military-like precision within the Tabernacle. He was a “keeper of the entry,” a guardian of the gate. As the record states: “Shallum the son of Kore, the son of Ebiasaph, the son of Korah… and his brethren… were over the work of the service, keepers of the gates of the tabernacle” (1 Chronicles 9:19). His life represents the “Defence of the Truth” at the very point of access, ensuring that only what was holy entered the courts of the Lord.
A second Kore, the son of Imnah the Levite, lived during the great reformation of King Hezekiah. He was a man of administrative excellence and “Ancient Paths” generosity. He was appointed as the porter toward the east, but his primary responsibility was the oversight of the freewill offerings of God. As it is written: “And Kore the son of Imnah the Levite, the porter toward the east, was over the freewill offerings of God, to distribute the oblations of the Lord, and the most holy things” (2 Chronicles 31:14). Kore was a steward of the people’s devotion, ensuring that the resources intended for the King’s service were handled with honesty and distributed with equity.
The legacy of Kore is one of vigilance and stewardship. Whether standing as a sentry at the gate or managing the treasury of the temple, the men named Kore proved that every station in the house of God is a “Defence of the Truth.” They remind us that the King’s house is built not only by the prophets who speak the Word but by the porters who guard the doors and the stewards who manage the gifts. We look upon their service with an admiring eye, for they transformed a name once associated with judgment into a name synonymous with reliability and sacred duty.