Numbers 16:8

Num 16:8 And Moses said unto Korah, Hear, I pray you, ye sons of Levi:

Ver. 8. Ye sons of Levi.] He took these to task apart; as hoping, haply, to withdraw them from their purpose, and to hide pride from them, {Job 33:17} but they proved uncounsellable, incorrigible.

John Trapp, A Commentary or Exposition upon All the Books of the Old and New Testament (1647–1656) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Num 16:8-11. Ye sons of Levi — They were of his own tribe; nay, they were of God’s tribe. It was therefore the worse in them thus to mutiny against God and against him. To minister to them — So they were the servants both of God and of the church, which was a high dignity, though not sufficient for their ambitious minds. Against the Lord — Whose chosen servant Aaron is. You strike at God through Aaron’s sides.

Joseph Benson's Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1811–1818) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

8–11. In these verses Korah’s company, represented as Levites, claim the privileges of the priesthood (see prelim. note to the chapter).

The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges (gen. ed. J. J. S. Perowne; Cambridge University Press, 1878–1918) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

And Moses said unto Korah,.... Continued his discourse to him, as the head of the conspiracy, and the ringleader of it:

hear, I pray you, ye sons of Levi; to whom also he had been before speaking; though Aben Ezra thinks the first speech was made to Korah and his company, and what follows to the Levites.

John Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible (1746–1763) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

Consider what I say before it be too late, and repent of your great wickedness.

Matthew Poole's English Annotations on the Holy Bible (1683–1685) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

Hear, I pray you, ye sons of Levi. No son of Levi is mentioned in the narrative except Korah, and this address itself passes into the second person singular (verses 10, 11), as though Korah alone were personally guilty. It is possible enough that behind him was a considerable body of public opinion among the Levites more or less decidedly supporting him; but there is no need to impute any general disloyalty to them.

The Pulpit Commentary (1880–1919), ed. H.D.M. Spence-Jones & Joseph S. Exell — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Ye sons of Levi - They were of his own tribe, nay, they were of God's tribe. It was therefore the worse in them thus to mutiny against God and against him.

John Wesley, Explanatory Notes Upon the Whole Bible (1754–1765) — public domain. Text via the GEBible commentary corpus.

is it a small thing for you ... to serve them?

Moses uses this question to rebuke Korah and the men with him. It can be translated as a statement. AT: "You behave as though it it is a small thing for you ... to serve them!" or "You should not consider it a small thing ... to serve them!" (See: Rhetorical Question)

a small thing for you

"not enough for you" or "unimportant to you"

you are seeking the priesthood also

Wanting to have the priesthood is spoken of as if they were looking for it. AT: "you want to have the priesthood too" or "you want to be priests also" (See: Metaphor)

So why are you complaining about Aaron, who obeys Yahweh?

Moses uses this question to show them that when they complain about what Aaron does, they are really complaining against Yahweh, because Aaron was doing what Yahweh told him to do. AT: "You are not really complaining about Aaron, but about Yahweh, whom Aaron obeys!" (See: Rhetorical Question)

translationWords

Moses

Korah

descend

Levi

God

Israel

Yahweh

tabernacle

servant

kin

priest

Aaron

obey

unfoldingWord translationNotes — © Distant Shores Media and the Door43 World Missions Community, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Source: git.door43.org/Door43/en_tn.

ויאמר משה אל קרח שמעו נא בני לוי AND MOSES SAID UNTO KORAH, HEAR, I PRAY YOU, YE SONS OF LEVI — He began to speak to him with gentle words; when, however, he saw that he was stubborn, he said to himself: Before the other tribes join him and perish together with him, I will speak to them all!” He thereupon began to admonish them: “Hear ye, ye sons of Levi!” (Midrash Tanchuma, Korach 6).

Rashi on the Tanakh — English translations: “The Judaica Press complete Tanach with Rashi, translated by A. J. Rosenberg” (CC BY 4.0); “Pentateuch with Rashi's commentary by M. Rosenbaum and A.M. Silbermann, 1929-1934” (public domain); “The Metsudah Tanach series, Lakewood, N.J” (CC BY 4.0); and “The Book of Joshua, Metsudah Publications, 1997” (CC BY 4.0). Text via Sefaria.