Merari
מְרָרִי · me.ra.ri · H4847“bitter; to provoke” Hitchcock's 186938 mentions in 7 books, most in 1 Chronicles (17)
Who he was
Merari was the third son of Levi and the founder of the Merarite clan, one of the three main divisions of the Levites (Genesis 46:11; Exo.6.16,19). The Merarites were responsible for the transportation and maintenance of the tabernacle's framework, pillars, bases, and related equipment during the Israelites' journey through the wilderness (Numbers 3:36; 4.29,33,42,45). They were also given specific duties in the tabernacle service (Numbers 7:8; 10.17). In the time of David, the Merarites were assigned various roles in the temple service, including gatekeepers, singers, and assistants to the priests (1Ch.6.44,47; 9.14; 15.6,17; 23.6,21; 24.26,27; 26.10,19). The Merarites were allotted cities in the territories of Reuben, Gad, and Zebulun (Jos.21.7,34,40; 1Ch.6.63,77). Members of the Merarite clan, such as Asaiah and Shemaiah, were involved in the reforms and restoration of temple worship during the reigns of Hezekiah and Josiah (2 Chronicles 29:12; 34.12).
Article: STEPBible, Tyndale House Cambridge · CC BY 4.0
Family
Family relations: STEPBible, Tyndale House Cambridge · CC BY 4.0
Every mention
38 references, counted from STEPBible, Tyndale House Cambridge · CC BY 4.0 · verse text: World English Bible (public domain)
Genesis1 mention
Exodus2 mentions
Exodus 6:16These 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.Exodus 6:19The sons of Merari: Mahli and Mushi. These are the families of the Levites according to their generations.
Numbers12 mentions
Numbers 3:17These were the sons of Levi by their names: Gershon, Kohath, and Merari.Numbers 3:20The sons of Merari by their families: Mahli and Mushi. These are the families of the Levites according to their fathers’ houses.Numbers 3:33Of Merari was the family of the Mahlites and the family of the Mushites. These are the families of Merari.Numbers 3:35The 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.Numbers 3:36The 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,Numbers 4:29“As for the sons of Merari, you shall count them by their families, by their fathers’ houses;Numbers 4:33This 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.”Numbers 4:42Those who were counted of the families of the sons of Merari, by their families, by their fathers’ houses,Numbers 4:45These are those who were counted of the families of the sons of Merari, whom Moses and Aaron counted according to the commandment of Yahweh by Moses.Numbers 7:8He 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.Numbers 10:17The tabernacle was taken down; and the sons of Gershon and the sons of Merari, who bore the tabernacle, went forward.Numbers 26:57These are those who were counted 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…
Joshua3 mentions
Joshua 21:7The 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.Joshua 21:34To the families of the children of Merari, the rest of the Levites, out of the tribe of Zebulun, Jokneam with its pasture lands, Kartah with its pasture lands,Joshua 21:40All 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.
1 Chronicles17 mentions
1 Chronicles 6:1The sons of Levi: Gershon, Kohath, and Merari.1 Chronicles 6:16The sons of Levi: Gershom, Kohath, and Merari.1 Chronicles 6:19The sons of Merari: Mahli and Mushi. These are the families of the Levites according to their fathers’ households.1 Chronicles 6:29The sons of Merari: Mahli, Libni his son, Shimei his son, Uzzah his son,1 Chronicles 6:44On the left hand their brothers the sons of Merari: Ethan the son of Kishi, the son of Abdi, the son of Malluch,1 Chronicles 6:47the son of Mahli, the son of Mushi, the son of Merari, the son of Levi.1 Chronicles 6:63To 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.1 Chronicles 6:77To the rest of the Levites, the sons of Merari, were given, out of the tribe of Zebulun, Rimmono with its pasture lands, and Tabor with its pasture lands;1 Chronicles 9:14Of the Levites: Shemaiah the son of Hasshub, the son of Azrikam, the son of Hashabiah, of the sons of Merari;1 Chronicles 15:6of the sons of Merari, Asaiah the chief, and his brothers two hundred twenty;1 Chronicles 15:17So 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;1 Chronicles 23:6David divided them into divisions according to the sons of Levi: Gershon, Kohath, and Merari.1 Chronicles 23:21The sons of Merari: Mahli and Mushi. The sons of Mahli: Eleazar and Kish.1 Chronicles 24:26The sons of Merari: Mahli and Mushi. The son of Jaaziah: Beno.1 Chronicles 24:27The sons of Merari by Jaaziah: Beno, Shoham, Zaccur, and Ibri.1 Chronicles 26:10Also Hosah, of the children of Merari, had sons: Shimri the chief (for though he was not the firstborn, yet his father made him chief),1 Chronicles 26:19These were the divisions of the doorkeepers; of the sons of the Korahites, and of the sons of Merari.
2 Chronicles2 mentions
2 Chronicles 29:12Then 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…2 Chronicles 34:12The men did the work faithfully. Their overseers were Jahath and Obadiah the Levites, of the sons of Merari; and Zechariah and Meshullam, of the sons of the Kohathites, to give direction…
What the dictionary says
Sad; bitter, the youngest son of Levi, born before the descent of Jacob into Egypt, and one of the seventy who accompanied him thither (Gen. 46:11; Ex. 6:16).
Easton's Bible Dictionary (1897)
Read the article →Sources
- STEPBible TIPNR · Translators Individualised Proper Names with all References · CC BY 4.0 · github.com/STEPBible/STEPBible-Data
- Hitchcock's Bible Names Dictionary (1869) · Public domain