Merari

Merari, the third son of Levi, was the founder of the Merarite clan of Levites.

The name Merari means “bitter; to provoke”

MaleLeviteTribe of LeviEgypt and Wilderness eraOld Testament7 books39 verses

Summary

A musician from the tribe of Levi living at the time of Egypt and Wilderness, first mentioned at Genesis 46:11; referred to as Merari or Merarite (מְרָרִי) or Merarite (מְרָרִי); son of Levi; a brother of Gershon, Kohath and Jochebed; father of Mahli, Mushi and Jaaziah.

Glossary entries

Merari, Merarite

Family members

Father

Levi

Siblings

Gershon Jochebed Kohath

Children

Jaaziah Mahli Mushi

Alternative names

Mentions

Includes 1 verse that refer to Merari without naming them, as “he”, “she”, or the subject of a verb.

  1. The sons of Levi: Gershon, Kohath, and Merari.
  2. These were the names of the sons of Levi according to their records: Gershon, Kohath, and Merari. Levi lived 137 years.
  3. The sons of Merari were Mahli and Mushi. These were the clans of the Levites according to their records.
  4. These were the sons of Levi by name: Gershon, Kohath, and Merari.
  5. And the sons of Merari by their clans were Mahli and Mushi. These were the clans of the Levites, according to their families.
  6. From Merari came the clans of the Mahlites and Mushites; these were the Merarite clans.
  7. The leader of the families of the Merarites was Zuriel son of Abihail; they were to camp on the north side of the tabernacle.
  8. The duties assigned to the sons of Merari were the tabernacle’s frames, crossbars, posts, bases, and all its equipment—all the service for these items,
  9. As for the sons of Merari, you are to number them by their clans and families,
  10. This is the service of the Merarite clans according to all their work at the Tent of Meeting, under the direction of Ithamar son of Aaron the priest.”
  11. And the Merarites were numbered by their clans and families,
  12. These were counted from the Merarite clans, whom Moses and Aaron numbered at the LORD’s command through Moses.
  13. …and he gave the Merarites four carts and eight oxen, as their service required, all under the direction of Ithamar son of Aaron the priest.
  14. Then the tabernacle was taken down, and the Gershonites and the Merarites set out, transporting it.
  15. Now these were the Levites numbered by their clans: The Gershonite clan from Gershon, the Kohathite clan from Kohath, and the Merarite clan from Merari.
  16. And the descendants of Merari received twelve cities from the tribes of Reuben, Gad, and Zebulun.
  17. This is what the Merarite clan (the rest of the Levites) were given: From the tribe of Zebulun they were given Jokneam, Kartah,
  18. In all, twelve cities were allotted to the clans of Merari, the remaining Levite clans.
  19. The sons of Levi: Gershon, Kohath, and Merari.
  20. The sons of Levi: Gershom, Kohath, and Merari.
  21. The sons of Merari: Mahli and Mushi. These are the clans of the Levites listed according to their fathers:
  22. The descendants of Merari: Mahli, Libni his son, Shimei his son, Uzzah his son,
  23. 1 Chronicles 6:30Referred to, not named
    Shimea his son, Haggiah his son, and Asaiah his son.
  24. On the left were their kinsmen, the sons of Merari: Ethan the son of Kishi, the son of Abdi, the son of Malluch,
  25. …the son of Mahli, the son of Mushi, the son of Merari, the son of Levi.
  26. The Merarites, according to their clans, were allotted twelve cities from the tribes of Reuben, Gad, and Zebulun.
  27. The Merarites (the rest of the Levites) received the following: From the tribe of Zebulun they were given Rimmono and Tabor, together with their pasturelands.
  28. From the Levites: Shemaiah son of Hasshub, the son of Azrikam, the son of Hashabiah, a descendant of Merari;
  29. …from the Merarites, Asaiah the chief and 220 of his relatives;
  30. So the Levites appointed Heman son of Joel; from his brothers, Asaph son of Berechiah; from their brothers the Merarites, Ethan son of Kushaiah;
  31. Then David divided the Levites into divisions according to the sons of Levi: Gershon, Kohath, and Merari.
  32. The sons of Merari: Mahli and Mushi. The sons of Mahli: Eleazar and Kish.
  33. The sons of Merari: Mahli and Mushi. The son of Jaaziah: Beno.
  34. The descendants of Merari from Jaaziah: Beno, Shoham, Zaccur, and Ibri.
  35. Hosah the Merarite also had sons: Shimri the first (although he was not the firstborn, his father had appointed him as the first),
  36. These were the divisions of the gatekeepers who were descendants of Korah and Merari.
  37. Then the Levites set to work: Mahath son of Amasai and Joel son of Azariah from the Kohathites; Kish son of Abdi and Azariah son of Jehallelel from the Merarites; Joah son of Zimmah and Eden son of Joah from the Gershonites;
  38. And the men did the work faithfully. The Levites overseeing them were Jahath and Obadiah, descendants of Merari, and Zechariah and Meshullam, descendants of Kohath. Other Levites, all skilled with musical instruments,
  39. …also Hashabiah, together with Jeshaiah, from the descendants of Merari, and his brothers and their sons, 20 men.