Reference: Merari, Merarites
Hastings
1. The third son of Levi, to whom a division of the Levites traced their descent (Ge 46:11; Ex 6:16; Nu 3:17; 1Ch 6:1,16; 23:6. The title 'Merarites' is found only in Nu 26:57; elsewhere they are called 'sons of Merari' (Ex 6:19; Nu 3:20; 4:29,33,42,46; 7:8; 10:17; Jos 21:7,34,39; 1Ch 6:19,29,44,63,77; 9:14; 15:6,17; 23:21; 24:27; 26:19; 2Ch 29:12; Ezr 8:19). They were subdivided into two groups, the Mahlites and the Mushites (Nu 3:33; 26:58), each being traced to a 'son' of Merari (Ex 6:19; Nu 3:20; 1Ch 6:19,29,17; 23:21). From these families fragments of genealogies remain, some branches being traced through the daughters of Mahli (see 1Ch 23:2).
Very little is related of the Merarites after the Exile. Certain Merarites are mentioned in 1Ch 9:14,16-18 = Ne 11:15,17-19 as dwelling in Jerusalem immediately after the Return, and certain others as accompanying Ezra to the city in 454 b.c. (Ezr 8:18 f.). But Priestly Narrative and the Chronicler introduce the family into the earlier history. (1) During the desert wanderings the Merarites were on the north side of the Tent (Nu 3:35); their duty was to carry the less sacred parts of it, the 'boards' (or rather frames), pegs, cords, etc. (Nu 3:38 f., Nu 4:31 f., Nu 10:17), for which they were given four waggons and eight oxen (Nu 7:8); and they were superintended by Ithamar, the youngest son of Aaron (Nu 4:33). (2) After the settlement in Palestine, twelve cities were assigned to them (Jos 21:7,34-40 = 1Ch 6:63,77-81). (3) In David's reign the Chronicler relates that the Temple music was superintended partly by Ethan, or Jeduthun, a Merarite, and his family (1Ch 6:44-47; 16:41 f., 1Ch 25:1,3,6,11,16,18,21 f.; and see 1Ch 15:6,17-19). David divided the Levites into courses 'according to the sons of Levi' (1Ch 23:8; Merarites, 1Ch 23:21-24,26-30), and particular offices of certain Merarites are detailed in 1Ch 26:10-13,16-18. (4) They took part in the cleansing of the Temple under Hezekiah (2Ch 29:12,14). Cf. also art. Kohath.
2. The father of Judith (Jdt 8:1; Jdt 16:7).
A. H. M'Neile.
See Verses Found in Dictionary
These are the names of the sons of Levi according to their generations: Gershon, Kohath, and Merari, the years of the life of Levi being 137 years.
The sons of Merari: Mahli and Mushi. These are the clans of the Levites according to their generations.
The sons of Merari: Mahli and Mushi. These are the clans of the Levites according to their generations.
And the sons of Merari by their clans: Mahli and Mushi. These are the clans of the Levites, by their fathers' houses.
And the sons of Merari by their clans: Mahli and Mushi. These are the clans of the Levites, by their fathers' houses.
To Merari belonged the clan of the Mahlites and the clan of the Mushites: these are the clans of Merari.
And the chief of the fathers' house of the clans of Merari was Zuriel the son of Abihail. They were to camp on the north side of the tabernacle.
Those who were to camp before the tabernacle on the east, before the tent of meeting toward the sunrise, were Moses and Aaron and his sons, guarding the sanctuary itself, to protect the people of Israel. And any outsider who came near was to be put to death.
And this is what they are charged to carry, as the whole of their service in the tent of meeting: the frames of the tabernacle, with its bars, pillars, and bases,
This is the service of the clans of the sons of Merari, the whole of their service in the tent of meeting, under the direction of Ithamar the son of Aaron the priest."
This is the service of the clans of the sons of Merari, the whole of their service in the tent of meeting, under the direction of Ithamar the son of Aaron the priest."
Those listed of the clans of the sons of Merari, by their clans and their fathers' houses,
All those who were listed of the Levites, whom Moses and Aaron and the chiefs of Israel listed, by their clans and their fathers' houses,
And four wagons and eight oxen he gave to the sons of Merari, according to their service, under the direction of Ithamar the son of Aaron the priest.
And four wagons and eight oxen he gave to the sons of Merari, according to their service, under the direction of Ithamar the son of Aaron the priest.
And when the tabernacle was taken down, the sons of Gershon and the sons of Merari, who carried the tabernacle, set out.
And when the tabernacle was taken down, the sons of Gershon and the sons of Merari, who carried the tabernacle, set out.
This was the list of the Levites according to their clans: of Gershon, the clan of the Gershonites; of Kohath, the clan of the Kohathites; of Merari, the clan of the Merarites. These are the clans of Levi: the clan of the Libnites, the clan of the Hebronites, the clan of the Mahlites, the clan of the Mushites, the clan of the Korahites. And Kohath was the father of Amram.
The Merarites according to their clans received from the tribe of Reuben, the tribe of Gad, and the tribe of Zebulun, twelve cities.
The Merarites according to their clans received from the tribe of Reuben, the tribe of Gad, and the tribe of Zebulun, twelve cities.
And to the rest of the Levites, the Merarite clans, were given out of the tribe of Zebulun, Jokneam with its pasturelands, Kartah with its pasturelands,
And to the rest of the Levites, the Merarite clans, were given out of the tribe of Zebulun, Jokneam with its pasturelands, Kartah with its pasturelands, Dimnah with its pasturelands, Nahalal with its pasturelands--four cities; read more. and out of the tribe of Reuben, Bezer with its pasturelands, Jahaz with its pasturelands, Kedemoth with its pasturelands, and Mephaath with its pasturelands--four cities; and out of the tribe of Gad, Ramoth in Gilead with its pasturelands, the city of refuge for the manslayer, Mahanaim with its pasturelands, Heshbon with its pasturelands, Jazer with its pasturelands--four cities in all.
Heshbon with its pasturelands, Jazer with its pasturelands--four cities in all. As for the cities of the several Merarite clans, that is, the remainder of the clans of the Levites, those allotted to them were in all twelve cities.
On the left hand were their brothers, the sons of Merari: Ethan the son of Kishi, son of Abdi, son of Malluch, son of Hashabiah, son of Amaziah, son of Hilkiah, read more. son of Amzi, son of Bani, son of Shemer, son of Mahli, son of Mushi, son of Merari, son of Levi.
To the Merarites according to their clans were allotted twelve cities out of the tribes of Reuben, Gad, and Zebulun.
To the rest of the Merarites were allotted out of the tribe of Zebulun: Rimmono with its pasturelands, Tabor with its pasturelands, and beyond the Jordan at Jericho, on the east side of the Jordan, out of the tribe of Reuben: Bezer in the wilderness with its pasturelands, Jahzah with its pasturelands, read more. Kedemoth with its pasturelands, and Mephaath with its pasturelands; and out of the tribe of Gad: Ramoth in Gilead with its pasturelands, Mahanaim with its pasturelands, Heshbon with its pasturelands, and Jazer with its pasturelands.
Of the Levites: Shemaiah the son of Hasshub, son of Azrikam, son of Hashabiah, of the sons of Merari;
and Obadiah the son of Shemaiah, son of Galal, son of Jeduthun, and Berechiah the son of Asa, son of Elkanah, who lived in the villages of the Netophathites. The gatekeepers were Shallum, Akkub, Talmon, Ahiman, and their kinsmen (Shallum was the chief); read more. until then they were in the king's gate on the east side as the gatekeepers of the camps of the Levites.
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; and with them their brothers of the second order, Zechariah, Jaaziel, Shemiramoth, Jehiel, Unni, Eliab, Benaiah, Maaseiah, Mattithiah, Eliphelehu, and Mikneiah, and the gatekeepers Obed-edom and Jeiel. read more. The singers, Heman, Asaph, and Ethan, were to sound bronze cymbals;
With them were Heman and Jeduthun and the rest of those chosen and expressly named to give thanks to the LORD, for his steadfast love endures forever.
The sons of Merari: Mahli and Mushi. The sons of Mahli: Eleazar and Kish Eleazar died having no sons, but only daughters; their kinsmen, the sons of Kish, married them. read more. The sons of Mushi: Mahli, Eder, and Jeremoth, three. These were the sons of Levi by their fathers' houses, the heads of fathers' houses as they were listed according to the number of the names of the individuals from twenty years old and upward who were to do the work for the service of the house of the LORD.
And so the Levites no longer need to carry the tabernacle or any of the things for its service." For by the last words of David the sons of Levi were numbered from twenty years old and upward. read more. For their duty was to assist the sons of Aaron for the service of the house of the LORD, having the care of the courts and the chambers, the cleansing of all that is holy, and any work for the service of the house of God. Their duty was also to assist with the showbread, the flour for the grain offering, the wafers of unleavened bread, the baked offering, the offering mixed with oil, and all measures of quantity or size. And they were to stand every morning, thanking and praising the LORD, and likewise at evening,
David and the chiefs of the service also set apart for the service the sons of Asaph, and of Heman, and of Jeduthun, who prophesied with lyres, with harps, and with cymbals. The list of those who did the work and of their duties was:
Of Jeduthun, the sons of Jeduthun: Gedaliah, Zeri, Jeshaiah, Shimei, Hashabiah, and Mattithiah, six, under the direction of their father Jeduthun, who prophesied with the lyre in thanksgiving and praise to the LORD.
They were all under the direction of their father in the music in the house of the LORD with cymbals, harps, and lyres for the service of the house of God. Asaph, Jeduthun, and Heman were under the order of the king.
And Hosah, of the sons of Merari, had sons: Shimri the chief (for though he was not the firstborn, his father made him chief), Hilkiah the second, Tebaliah the third, Zechariah the fourth: all the sons and brothers of Hosah were thirteen. read more. These divisions of the gatekeepers, corresponding to their chief men, had duties, just as their brothers did, ministering in the house of the LORD. And they cast lots by fathers' houses, small and great alike, for their gates.
For Shuppim and Hosah it came out for the west, at the gate of Shallecheth on the road that goes up. Watch corresponded to watch. On the east there were six each day, on the north four each day, on the south four each day, as well as two and two at the gatehouse. read more. And for the colonnade on the west there were four at the road and two at the colonnade.
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;
and of the sons of Heman, Jehuel and Shimei; and of the sons of Jeduthun, Shemaiah and Uzziel.
And by the good hand of our God on us, they brought us a man of discretion, of the sons of Mahli the son of Levi, son of Israel, namely Sherebiah with his sons and kinsmen, 18; also Hashabiah, and with him Jeshaiah of the sons of Merari, with his kinsmen and their sons, 20;
And of the Levites: Shemaiah the son of Hasshub, son of Azrikam, son of Hashabiah, son of Bunni;
and Mattaniah the son of Mica, son of Zabdi, son of Asaph, who was the leader of the praise, who gave thanks, and Bakbukiah, the second among his brothers; and Abda the son of Shammua, son of Galal, son of Jeduthun. All the Levites in the holy city were 284. read more. The gatekeepers, Akkub, Talmon and their brothers, who kept watch at the gates, were 172.
Smith
Mer'ari, Mer'arites
(bitter, unhappy), third son of Levi and head of the third great division of the Levites, the Merarites.
At the time of the exodus and the numbering in the wilderness, the Merarites consisted of two families, the Mahlites and the Mushites, Mahli and Mushi being either the two sons of the son and grandson of Merari.
Their chief at that time was Zuriel. Their charge was the cords of the tabernacle and the court, and all the tools connected with setting them up. In the division of the land by Joshua, the merarites had twelve cities assigned to them, out of Reuben, Gad and Zebulun.
Jos 21:7,34-40; 1Ch 6:63,77-81
In the days of Hezekiah the Merarites were still flourishing.
See Verses Found in Dictionary
Now these are the names of the descendants of Israel, who came into Egypt, Jacob and his sons. Reuben, Jacob's firstborn,
The Merarites according to their clans received from the tribe of Reuben, the tribe of Gad, and the tribe of Zebulun, twelve cities.
And to the rest of the Levites, the Merarite clans, were given out of the tribe of Zebulun, Jokneam with its pasturelands, Kartah with its pasturelands, Dimnah with its pasturelands, Nahalal with its pasturelands--four cities; read more. and out of the tribe of Reuben, Bezer with its pasturelands, Jahaz with its pasturelands, Kedemoth with its pasturelands, and Mephaath with its pasturelands--four cities; and out of the tribe of Gad, Ramoth in Gilead with its pasturelands, the city of refuge for the manslayer, Mahanaim with its pasturelands, Heshbon with its pasturelands, Jazer with its pasturelands--four cities in all. As for the cities of the several Merarite clans, that is, the remainder of the clans of the Levites, those allotted to them were in all twelve cities.
The sons of Merari: Mahli and Mushi. These are the clans of the Levites according to their fathers.
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;
They gathered their brothers and consecrated themselves and went in as the king had commanded, by the words of the LORD, to cleanse the house of the LORD.