Bible Encyclopedia: Merari

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International Standard Bible Encyclopedia

MERARI

me-ra'-ri (merari, "bitter"; Mararei):

(1) The 3rd son of Levi, his brothers, Gershon and Kohath, being always mentioned together with him (Genesis 46:11 Exodus 6:16). He was among those 70 who went down to Egypt with Jacob (Genesis 46:8, 11; compare 46:26 and Exodus 1:5).

(2) The family of Merari, descendants of above, and always (with one exception, for which see MERARITES) spoken of as "sons of Merari" in numerous references, such as 1 Chronicles 6:1, 16, 19, 29, which only repeat without additional information the references to be found in the body of this article. We early find them divided into two families, the Mahli and Mushi (Exodus 6:19 Numbers 3:17, 20, 33). At the exodus they numbered, under their chief Zuriel, 6,200, and they were assigned the north side of the tabernacle as a tenting-place (Numbers 3:34, 35), thus sharing in the honor of those who immediately surrounded the tabernacle-the south side being given to the Kohathites, the west to the Gershonites, and the east-toward the sun-rising-being reserved for Moses, Aaron and his sons (Numbers 3:23, 29, 35, 38). To the Merarites was entrusted the care of the boards, bars, pillars, sockets, vessels, pins and cords of the tabernacle (Numbers 3:36, 37; Numbers 4:29-33). They and the Gershonites were "under the hand" of Ithamar, son of Aaron, the sons of Gershon having charge of the softer material of the tabernacles-curtains, covers, hangings, etc. (Numbers 3:25, 26). When reckoned by the number fit for service, i.e. between 30 and 50 years, the sons of Merari were 3,200 strong (Numbers 4:42-45). Because of the weight of the material in their charge they were allowed 4 wagons and 8 oxen for carriage (Numbers 7:8). In marching, when the tabernacle was taken down, the standard of Judah went first (Numbers 10:14); then followed the Merarites bearing the tabernacle (Numbers 10:17), and after them came the standard of Reuben (Numbers 10:18). After the settlement in Canaan they had 12 cities assigned them out of Gad, Reuben and Zebulun (Joshua 21:7, 34-40 1 Chronicles 6:63, 77-81), just as the other two branches of Levi's family had their 12 cities respectively assigned out of the other tribes (Joshua 21). The names of these Merarite cities are given (loc. cit.), and among them is Ramoth-gilead, one of the cities of refuge (Joshua 21:38). It is evident from 1 Chronicles 6:44-47; 1 Chronicles 16:41; 1 Chronicles 25:1, 3, 6, 9, 11, 15, 19, 21; compare 15:6, 17-19 that they had charge under Ethan or Jeduthun of the temple music in the service. In David's time Asaiah was their chief (1 Chronicles 15:6). Himself and 220 of the family helped David to bring up the Ark. David divided the Levites into courses among the Gershonites, Kohathites and Merarites (1 Chronicles 23:6; compare 23:21-23; 24:26-30). The functions of certain Merarites are described in 1 Chronicles 26:10-19. They also took part in cleansing the temple in Hezekiah's time (2 Chronicles 29:12) as well as in the days of Josiah (2 Chronicles 34:12), helping to repair the house of the Lord. Among the helpers of Ezra, too, we find some of them numbered (Ezra 8:18, 19). The family seems to have played a very important part in keeping steady and true such faithfulness as remained in Israel.

(3) The father of Judith (Judith 8:1; 16:7).

Henry Wallace

Strong's Hebrew

4847. Merari -- a son of Levi
... 4846, 4847. Merari. 4848 . a son of Levi. Transliteration: Merari Phonetic
Spelling: (mer-aw-ree') Short Definition: Merari. Word ...
/hebrew/4847.htm - 6k

4848. Merari -- descendant of Merari
... 4847, 4848. Merari. 4849 . descendant of Merari. Transliteration: Merari
Phonetic Spelling: (mer-aw-ree') Short Definition: Merarites. ...
/hebrew/4848.htm - 6k

Library

Princely Service.
... and four oxen he gave unto the sons of Gershon, according to their service, and
four wagons and eight oxen he gave unto the sons of Merari, according unto ...
/.../taylor/separation and service/part iii princely service.htm

The Testament of Levi Concerning the Priesthood and Arrogance.
... And thirdly, she bare to me Merari, in the fortieth year of my life; and since his
mother bare him with difficulty, she called him Merari, which meaneth my ...
/.../iii the testament of levi concerning.htm

Heathen Examples Cry Shame Upon this "Infirmity of the Flesh. "
... will sit in judgment no longer an Isaac, our monogamist father; or a John, a noted
voluntary celibate [691] of Christ's; or a Judith, daughter of Merari; or so ...
/.../tertullian/on monogamy/chapter xvii heathen examples cry shame.htm

Josiah
... And the men did the work faithfully: and the overseers of them were Jahath and Obadiah,
the Levites, of the sons of Merari; and Zechariah and Meshullam, of the ...
//christianbookshelf.org/maclaren/expositions of holy scripture g/josiah.htm

The Removal of Joseph's Father with all his Family, to Him, on ...
... Reuben had four sons"Anoch, Phallu, Assaron, Charmi. Simeon had six"Jamuel, Jamin,
Avod, Jachin, Soar, Saul. Levi had three sons"Gersom, Caath, Merari. ...
/.../josephus/the antiquities of the jews/chapter 7 the removal of.htm

Chapter xlvi
... and Shaul, the son of the Canaanitish woman. And the sons of Levi: Gershon,
Kohath and Merari. And the sons of Judah: Er and Onan ...
/...//christianbookshelf.org/leupold/exposition of genesis volume 1/chapter xlvi.htm

Hitchcock's Bible Names Dictionary

Merari

bitter; to provoke

ATS Bible Dictionary

Merari

The youngest of Levi's three sons, born in Canaan, and head of a family of the Levites, Genesis 46:11; Exodus 6:16; Numbers 3:17; 1 Chronicles 6:1. In the journey through the wilderness they were charged with the framework of the tabernacle, to carry from one place of encampment to another, and there set it up, Numbers 4:29-33; 7:8. Twelve cities were assigned to them beyond Jordan, Joshua 21:7,34-40.

Easton's Bible Dictionary

Sad; bitter, the youngest son of Levi, born before the descent of Jacob into Egypt, and one of the seventy who accompanied him thither (Genesis 46:11; Exodus 6:16). He became the head of one of the great divisions of the Levites (Exodus 6:19). (see MERARITES.)

Thesaurus

Merari (38 Occurrences)
... He became the head of one of the great divisions of the Levites (Exodus 6:19).
(see MERARITES.). Int. Standard Bible Encyclopedia. MERARI. ...
/m/merari.htm - 23k

Merar'i (32 Occurrences)
Merar'i. Merari, Merar'i. Merarite . Multi-Version Concordance Merar'i (32
Occurrences). Genesis 46:11 And the sons of Levi: Gershon, Kohath, and Merari. ...
/m/merar'i.htm - 14k

Merarites (7 Occurrences)
... Easton's Bible Dictionary The descendants of Merari (Numbers 26:57). ... me-ra'-rits
(merari, "bitter"): The descendants of MERARI (which see), son of Levi. ...
/m/merarites.htm - 10k

Merarite (8 Occurrences)
... Merarite (8 Occurrences). Numbers 3:33 Of Merari was the family of the Mahlites,
and the family of the Mushites; these are the families of Merari. (See NIV). ...
/m/merarite.htm - 8k

Mahli (11 Occurrences)
... ma'-li (machli, "a sick or weak one"): (1) A son of Merari (Exodus 6:19, the King
James Version Mahali; Numbers 3:20), grandson of Levi and founder of the ...
/m/mahli.htm - 10k

Mushi (8 Occurrences)
... Easton's Bible Dictionary Receding, the second of the two sons of Merari (Exodus
6:19; Numbers 3:20). ... Exodus 6:19 The sons of Merari: Mahli and Mushi. ...
/m/mushi.htm - 9k

Gershon (23 Occurrences)
... Genesis 46:11 The sons of Levi: Gershon, Kohath, and Merari. ... Numbers 3:17 These were
the sons of Levi by their names: Gershon, and Kohath, and Merari. ...
/g/gershon.htm - 16k

Kohath (30 Occurrences)
... Genesis 46:11 The sons of Levi: Gershon, Kohath, and Merari. ... Numbers 3:17 These were
the sons of Levi by their names: Gershon, and Kohath, and Merari. ...
/k/kohath.htm - 18k

Jaaziah (2 Occurrences)
... Easton's Bible Dictionary Comforted by Jehovah, a descendant of Merari the Levite
(1 Chronicles 24:26, 27). Int. Standard Bible Encyclopedia. JAAZIAH. ...
/j/jaaziah.htm - 7k

Ethan (9 Occurrences)
... He was of the tribe of Levi. (2.) A Levite of the family of Merari, one of the
leaders of the temple music (1 Chronicles 6:44; 15:17, 19). ...
/e/ethan.htm - 10k

Bible Concordance

Merari (38 Occurrences)

Genesis 46:11 The sons of Levi: Gershon, Kohath, and Merari.
(WEB KJV JPS ASV BBE DBY WBS YLT NAS NIV)

Exodus 6:16 These are the names of the sons of Levi according to their generations: Gershon, and Kohath, and Merari; and the years of the life of Levi were one hundred thirty-seven years.
(WEB KJV JPS ASV BBE DBY WBS YLT NAS NIV)

Exodus 6:19 The sons of Merari: Mahli and Mushi. These are the families of the Levites according to their generations.
(WEB KJV JPS ASV BBE DBY WBS YLT NAS NIV)

Numbers 3:17 These were the sons of Levi by their names: Gershon, and Kohath, and Merari.
(WEB KJV JPS ASV BBE DBY WBS YLT NAS NIV)

Numbers 3:20 The sons of Merari by their families: Mahli and Mushi. These are the families of the Levites according to their fathers' houses.
(WEB KJV JPS ASV BBE DBY WBS YLT NAS NIV)

Numbers 3:33 Of Merari was the family of the Mahlites, and the family of the Mushites. These are the families of Merari.
(WEB KJV JPS ASV BBE DBY WBS YLT NAS NIV)

Numbers 3:35 The prince of the fathers' house of the families of Merari was Zuriel the son of Abihail. They shall encamp on the north side of the tabernacle.
(WEB KJV JPS ASV BBE DBY WBS YLT NAS NIV)

Numbers 3:36 The appointed duty of the sons of Merari shall be the tabernacle's boards, its bars, its pillars, its sockets, all its instruments, all its service,
(WEB KJV JPS ASV DBY WBS YLT NAS NIV)

Numbers 4:29 "As for the sons of Merari, you shall number them by their families, by their fathers' houses;
(WEB KJV JPS ASV BBE DBY WBS YLT NAS NIV)

Numbers 4:33 This is the service of the families of the sons of Merari, according to all their service, in the Tent of Meeting, under the hand of Ithamar the son of Aaron the priest."
(WEB KJV JPS ASV BBE DBY WBS YLT NAS NIV)

Numbers 4:42 Those who were numbered of the families of the sons of Merari, by their families, by their fathers' houses,
(WEB KJV JPS ASV BBE DBY WBS YLT NAS NIV)

Numbers 4:45 These are those who were numbered of the families of the sons of Merari, whom Moses and Aaron numbered according to the commandment of Yahweh by Moses.
(WEB KJV JPS ASV BBE DBY WBS YLT NAS NIV)

Numbers 7:8 and he gave four wagons and eight oxen to the sons of Merari, according to their service, under the direction of Ithamar the son of Aaron the priest.
(WEB KJV JPS ASV BBE DBY WBS YLT NAS NIV)

Numbers 10:17 The tabernacle was taken down; and the sons of Gershon and the sons of Merari, who bore the tabernacle, went forward.
(WEB KJV JPS ASV BBE DBY WBS YLT NAS NIV)

Numbers 26:57 These are those who were numbered of the Levites after their families: of Gershon, the family of the Gershonites; of Kohath, the family of the Kohathites; of Merari, the family of the Merarites.
(WEB KJV JPS ASV BBE DBY WBS YLT NAS NIV)

Joshua 21:7 The children of Merari according to their families had twelve cities out of the tribe of Reuben, out of the tribe of Gad, and out of the tribe of Zebulun.
(WEB KJV JPS ASV BBE DBY WBS YLT NAS NIV)

Joshua 21:34 To the families of the children of Merari, the rest of the Levites, out of the tribe of Zebulun, Jokneam with its suburbs, Kartah with its suburbs,
(WEB KJV JPS ASV BBE DBY WBS YLT NAS NIV)

Joshua 21:40 All these were the cities of the children of Merari according to their families, even the rest of the families of the Levites. Their lot was twelve cities.
(WEB KJV JPS ASV BBE DBY WBS YLT NAS NIV)

1 Chronicles 6:1 The sons of Levi: Gershon, Kohath, and Merari.
(WEB KJV JPS ASV BBE DBY WBS YLT NAS NIV)

1 Chronicles 6:16 The sons of Levi: Gershom, Kohath, and Merari.
(WEB KJV JPS ASV BBE DBY WBS YLT NAS NIV)

1 Chronicles 6:19 The sons of Merari: Mahli and Mushi. These are the families of the Levites according to their fathers' houses.
(WEB KJV JPS ASV BBE DBY WBS YLT NAS NIV)

1 Chronicles 6:29 The sons of Merari: Mahli, Libni his son, Shimei his son, Uzzah his son,
(WEB KJV JPS ASV BBE DBY WBS YLT NAS NIV)

1 Chronicles 6:44 On the left hand their brothers the sons of Merari: Ethan the son of Kishi, the son of Abdi, the son of Malluch,
(WEB KJV JPS ASV BBE DBY WBS YLT NAS NIV)

1 Chronicles 6:47 the son of Mahli, the son of Mushi, the son of Merari, the son of Levi.
(WEB KJV JPS ASV BBE DBY WBS YLT NAS NIV)

1 Chronicles 6:63 To the sons of Merari were given by lot, according to their families, out of the tribe of Reuben, and out of the tribe of Gad, and out of the tribe of Zebulun, twelve cities.
(WEB KJV JPS ASV BBE DBY WBS YLT NAS NIV)

1 Chronicles 6:77 To the rest of the Levites, the sons of Merari, were given, out of the tribe of Zebulun, Rimmono with its suburbs, Tabor with its suburbs;
(WEB KJV JPS ASV BBE DBY WBS YLT NAS NIV)

1 Chronicles 9:14 Of the Levites: Shemaiah the son of Hasshub, the son of Azrikam, the son of Hashabiah, of the sons of Merari;
(WEB KJV JPS ASV BBE DBY WBS YLT NAS NIV)

1 Chronicles 15:6 of the sons of Merari, Asaiah the chief, and his brothers two hundred twenty;
(WEB KJV JPS ASV BBE DBY WBS YLT NAS NIV)

1 Chronicles 15:17 So the Levites appointed Heman the son of Joel; and of his brothers, Asaph the son of Berechiah; and of the sons of Merari their brothers, Ethan the son of Kushaiah;
(WEB KJV JPS ASV BBE DBY WBS YLT NAS NIV)

1 Chronicles 23:6 David divided them into divisions according to the sons of Levi: Gershon, Kohath, and Merari.
(WEB KJV JPS ASV BBE DBY WBS YLT NAS NIV)

1 Chronicles 23:21 The sons of Merari: Mahli and Mushi. The sons of Mahli: Eleazar and Kish.
(WEB KJV JPS ASV BBE DBY WBS YLT NAS NIV)

1 Chronicles 24:26 The sons of Merari: Mahli and Mushi; the sons of Jaaziah: Beno.
(WEB KJV JPS ASV BBE DBY WBS YLT NAS NIV)

1 Chronicles 24:27 The sons of Merari: of Jaaziah, Beno, and Shoham, and Zaccur, and Ibri.
(WEB KJV JPS ASV BBE DBY WBS YLT NAS NIV)

1 Chronicles 26:10 Also Hosah, of the children of Merari, had sons: Shimri the chief, (for though he was not the firstborn, yet his father made him chief),
(WEB KJV JPS ASV BBE DBY WBS YLT NAS NIV)

1 Chronicles 26:19 These were the divisions of the doorkeepers; of the sons of the Korahites, and of the sons of Merari.
(WEB KJV JPS ASV BBE DBY WBS YLT NAS NIV)

2 Chronicles 29:12 Then the Levites arose, Mahath, the son of Amasai, and Joel the son of Azariah, of the sons of the Kohathites; and of the sons of Merari, Kish the son of Abdi, and Azariah the son of Jehallelel; and of the Gershonites, Joah the son of Zimmah, and Eden the son of Joah;
(WEB KJV JPS ASV BBE DBY WBS YLT NAS NIV)

2 Chronicles 34:12 The men did the work faithfully: and the overseers of them were Jahath and Obadiah, the Levites, of the sons of Merari; and Zechariah and Meshullam, of the sons of the Kohathites, to set it forward; and others of the Levites, all who were skillful with instruments of music.
(WEB KJV JPS ASV BBE DBY WBS YLT NAS NIV)

Ezra 8:19 and Hashabiah, and with him Jeshaiah of the sons of Merari, his brothers and their sons, twenty;
(WEB KJV JPS ASV BBE DBY WBS YLT NAS NIV)

Subtopics

Merari

Merari: Head the Merarite Levites

Merari: Son of Levi

Related Terms

Merar'i (32 Occurrences)

Merarites (7 Occurrences)

Merarite (8 Occurrences)

Mahli (11 Occurrences)

Mushi (8 Occurrences)

Gershon (23 Occurrences)