"To the conductor over the white lilies, a wise song of friendship. This refers to what is written (Song of Songs 2:1), 'My beloved has come down to his garden.' This is referring to the sons of Korah. They were not strangers, but anyone who saw them said they were thorns, as it is written (Isaiah 33:12), 'Thorns will sprout like grass in the fire.'
And it is written (Exodus 22:5), 'When a fire breaks out and spreads to thorn bushes...' And it is written (Numbers 16:35), 'And fire came out from the Lord and consumed them.' The sons of Korah, who were lilies, were chosen from among the thorns so that they would not be consumed with them, and the Holy One, blessed be He, saved them.This can be compared to a king who entered a country, and the people of the country came to make for him a crown of gold, studded with good stones and pearls.
They went out and said to each other, 'The king doesn't want a crown of gold; there are lilies here.' Immediately, the people of the country rejoiced. So too, Korah and his assembly said, 'The Holy One, blessed be He, wants vessels of gold.' And the Holy One, blessed be He, said to them (Haggai 2:8), 'The silver is Mine, and the gold is Mine.'
Even the incense (Isaiah 1:13) is an abomination to Me. And what am I asking for? Lilies. The sons of Korah said, 'We are lilies.'
And the Holy One, blessed be He, said to them, 'You have been victorious.' Therefore, it says (Psalm 45:1), 'For the conductor, on the white lilies, a song of friendship.'