Merari, Merarites

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Third son of Levi, and his descendants. He entered into Egypt with his family, but nothing is further recorded of him personally. The MERARITES became a large branch of the Levites. They had charge of the heavier parts of the tabernacle, to carry which they had four wagons and eight oxen. In the land they had twelve cities from among the tribes of Reuben, Gad, and Zebulun, including the city of Ramoth-gilead. They shared in the duties devolving on the Levites during the kingdom, a third part of the singers and a third part of the door-keepers being Merarites. Some of their descendants returned from exile (Ex. 6:16,1916And 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 an hundred thirty and seven years. (Exodus 6:16)
19And the sons of Merari; Mahali and Mushi: these are the families of Levi according to their generations. (Exodus 6:19); Num. 3:17-3717And these were the sons of Levi by their names; Gershon, and Kohath, and Merari. 18And these are the names of the sons of Gershon by their families; Libni, and Shimei. 19And the sons of Kohath by their families; Amram, and Izehar, Hebron, and Uzziel. 20And the sons of Merari by their families; Mahli, and Mushi. These are the families of the Levites according to the house of their fathers. 21Of Gershon was the family of the Libnites, and the family of the Shimites: these are the families of the Gershonites. 22Those that were numbered of them, according to the number of all the males, from a month old and upward, even those that were numbered of them were seven thousand and five hundred. 23The families of the Gershonites shall pitch behind the tabernacle westward. 24And the chief of the house of the father of the Gershonites shall be Eliasaph the son of Lael. 25And the charge of the sons of Gershon in the tabernacle of the congregation shall be the tabernacle, and the tent, the covering thereof, and the hanging for the door of the tabernacle of the congregation, 26And the hangings of the court, and the curtain for the door of the court, which is by the tabernacle, and by the altar round about, and the cords of it for all the service thereof. 27And of Kohath was the family of the Amramites, and the family of the Izeharites, and the family of the Hebronites, and the family of the Uzzielites: these are the families of the Kohathites. 28In the number of all the males, from a month old and upward, were eight thousand and six hundred, keeping the charge of the sanctuary. 29The families of the sons of Kohath shall pitch on the side of the tabernacle southward. 30And the chief of the house of the father of the families of the Kohathites shall be Elizaphan the son of Uzziel. 31And their charge shall be the ark, and the table, and the candlestick, and the altars, and the vessels of the sanctuary wherewith they minister, and the hanging, and all the service thereof. 32And Eleazar the son of Aaron the priest shall be chief over the chief of the Levites, and have the oversight of them that keep the charge of the sanctuary. 33Of Merari was the family of the Mahlites, and the family of the Mushites: these are the families of Merari. 34And those that were numbered of them, according to the number of all the males, from a month old and upward, were six thousand and two hundred. 35And the chief of the house of the father of the families of Merari was Zuriel the son of Abihail: these shall pitch on the side of the tabernacle northward. 36And under the custody and charge of the sons of Merari shall be the boards of the tabernacle, and the bars thereof, and the pillars thereof, and the sockets thereof, and all the vessels thereof, and all that serveth thereto, 37And the pillars of the court round about, and their sockets, and their pins, and their cords. (Numbers 3:17‑37); Num. 4:29-4529As for the sons of Merari, thou shalt number them after their families, by the house of their fathers; 30From thirty years old and upward even unto fifty years old shalt thou number them, every one that entereth into the service, to do the work of the tabernacle of the congregation. 31And this is the charge of their burden, according to all their service in the tabernacle of the congregation; the boards of the tabernacle, and the bars thereof, and the pillars thereof, and sockets thereof, 32And the pillars of the court round about, and their sockets, and their pins, and their cords, with all their instruments, and with all their service: and by name ye shall reckon the instruments of the charge of their burden. 33This is the service of the families of the sons of Merari, according to all their service, in the tabernacle of the congregation, under the hand of Ithamar the son of Aaron the priest. 34And Moses and Aaron and the chief of the congregation numbered the sons of the Kohathites after their families, and after the house of their fathers, 35From thirty years old and upward even unto fifty years old, every one that entereth into the service, for the work in the tabernacle of the congregation: 36And those that were numbered of them by their families were two thousand seven hundred and fifty. 37These were they that were numbered of the families of the Kohathites, all that might do service in the tabernacle of the congregation, which Moses and Aaron did number according to the commandment of the Lord by the hand of Moses. 38And those that were numbered of the sons of Gershon, throughout their families, and by the house of their fathers, 39From thirty years old and upward even unto fifty years old, every one that entereth into the service, for the work in the tabernacle of the congregation, 40Even those that were numbered of them, throughout their families, by the house of their fathers, were two thousand and six hundred and thirty. 41These are they that were numbered of the families of the sons of Gershon, of all that might do service in the tabernacle of the congregation, whom Moses and Aaron did number according to the commandment of the Lord. 42And those that were numbered of the families of the sons of Merari, throughout their families, by the house of their fathers, 43From thirty years old and upward even unto fifty years old, every one that entereth into the service, for the work in the tabernacle of the congregation, 44Even those that were numbered of them after their families, were three thousand and two hundred. 45These be those that were numbered of the families of the sons of Merari, whom Moses and Aaron numbered according to the word of the Lord by the hand of Moses. (Numbers 4:29‑45); Num. 7:88And four wagons and eight oxen he gave unto the sons of Merari, according unto their service, under the hand of Ithamar the son of Aaron the priest. (Numbers 7:8); Num. 10:1717And the tabernacle was taken down; and the sons of Gershon and the sons of Merari set forward, bearing the tabernacle. (Numbers 10:17); Num. 26:5757And these are they that 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. (Numbers 26:57); Josh. 21:7,34-407The children of Merari by their families had out of the tribe of Reuben, and out of the tribe of Gad, and out of the tribe of Zebulun, twelve cities. (Joshua 21:7)
34And unto the families of the children of Merari, the rest of the Levites, out of the tribe of Zebulun, Jokneam with her suburbs, and Kartah with her suburbs, 35Dimnah with her suburbs, Nahalal with her suburbs; four cities. 36And out of the tribe of Reuben, Bezer with her suburbs, and Jahazah with her suburbs, 37Kedemoth with her suburbs, and Mephaath with her suburbs; four cities. 38And out of the tribe of Gad, Ramoth in Gilead with her suburbs, to be a city of refuge for the slayer; and Mahanaim with her suburbs, 39Heshbon with her suburbs, Jazer with her suburbs; four cities in all. 40So all the cities for the children of Merari by their families, which were remaining of the families of the Levites, were by their lot twelve cities. (Joshua 21:34‑40); 1 Chron. 6:1-771The sons of Levi; Gershon, Kohath, and Merari. 2And the sons of Kohath; Amram, Izhar, and Hebron, and Uzziel. 3And the children of Amram; Aaron, and Moses, and Miriam. The sons also of Aaron; Nadab, and Abihu, Eleazar, and Ithamar. 4Eleazar begat Phinehas, Phinehas begat Abishua, 5And Abishua begat Bukki, and Bukki begat Uzzi, 6And Uzzi begat Zerahiah, and Zerahiah begat Meraioth, 7Meraioth begat Amariah, and Amariah begat Ahitub, 8And Ahitub begat Zadok, and Zadok begat Ahimaaz, 9And Ahimaaz begat Azariah, and Azariah begat Johanan, 10And Johanan begat Azariah, (he it is that executed the priest's office in the temple that Solomon built in Jerusalem:) 11And Azariah begat Amariah, and Amariah begat Ahitub, 12And Ahitub begat Zadok, and Zadok begat Shallum, 13And Shallum begat Hilkiah, and Hilkiah begat Azariah, 14And Azariah begat Seraiah, and Seraiah begat Jehozadak, 15And Jehozadak went into captivity, when the Lord carried away Judah and Jerusalem by the hand of Nebuchadnezzar. 16The sons of Levi; Gershom, Kohath, and Merari. 17And these be the names of the sons of Gershom; Libni, and Shimei. 18And the sons of Kohath were, Amram, and Izhar, and Hebron, and Uzziel. 19The sons of Merari; Mahli, and Mushi. And these are the families of the Levites according to their fathers. 20Of Gershom; Libni his son, Jahath his son, Zimmah his son, 21Joah his son, Iddo his son, Zerah his son, Jeaterai his son. 22The sons of Kohath; Amminadab his son, Korah his son, Assir his son, 23Elkanah his son, and Ebiasaph his son, and Assir his son, 24Tahath his son, Uriel his son, Uzziah his son, and Shaul his son. 25And the sons of Elkanah; Amasai, and Ahimoth. 26As for Elkanah: the sons of Elkanah; Zophai his son, and Nahath his son, 27Eliab his son, Jeroham his son, Elkanah his son. 28And the sons of Samuel; the firstborn Vashni, and Abiah. 29The sons of Merari; Mahli, Libni his son, Shimei his son, Uzza his son, 30Shimea his son, Haggiah his son, Asaiah his son. 31And these are they whom David set over the service of song in the house of the Lord, after that the ark had rest. 32And they ministered before the dwelling place of the tabernacle of the congregation with singing, until Solomon had built the house of the Lord in Jerusalem: and then they waited on their office according to their order. 33And these are they that waited with their children. Of the sons of the Kohathites: Heman a singer, the son of Joel, the son of Shemuel, 34The son of Elkanah, the son of Jeroham, the son of Eliel, the son of Toah, 35The son of Zuph, the son of Elkanah, the son of Mahath, the son of Amasai, 36The son of Elkanah, the son of Joel, the son of Azariah, the son of Zephaniah, 37The son of Tahath, the son of Assir, the son of Ebiasaph, the son of Korah, 38The son of Izhar, the son of Kohath, the son of Levi, the son of Israel. 39And his brother Asaph, who stood on his right hand, even Asaph the son of Berachiah, the son of Shimea, 40The son of Michael, the son of Baaseiah, the son of Malchiah, 41The son of Ethni, the son of Zerah, the son of Adaiah, 42The son of Ethan, the son of Zimmah, the son of Shimei, 43The son of Jahath, the son of Gershom, the son of Levi. 44And their brethren the sons of Merari stood on the left hand: Ethan the son of Kishi, the son of Abdi, the son of Malluch, 45The son of Hashabiah, the son of Amaziah, the son of Hilkiah, 46The son of Amzi, the son of Bani, the son of Shamer, 47The son of Mahli, the son of Mushi, the son of Merari, the son of Levi. 48Their brethren also the Levites were appointed unto all manner of service of the tabernacle of the house of God. 49But Aaron and his sons offered upon the altar of the burnt offering, and on the altar of incense, and were appointed for all the work of the place most holy, and to make an atonement for Israel, according to all that Moses the servant of God had commanded. 50And these are the sons of Aaron; Eleazar his son, Phinehas his son, Abishua his son, 51Bukki his son, Uzzi his son, Zerahiah his son, 52Meraioth his son, Amariah his son, Ahitub his son, 53Zadok his son, Ahimaaz his son. 54Now these are their dwelling places throughout their castles in their coasts, of the sons of Aaron, of the families of the Kohathites: for theirs was the lot. 55And they gave them Hebron in the land of Judah, and the suburbs thereof round about it. 56But the fields of the city, and the villages thereof, they gave to Caleb the son of Jephunneh. 57And to the sons of Aaron they gave the cities of Judah, namely, Hebron, the city of refuge, and Libnah with her suburbs, and Jattir, and Eshtemoa, with their suburbs, 58And Hilen with her suburbs, Debir with her suburbs, 59And Ashan with her suburbs, and Beth-shemesh with her suburbs: 60And out of the tribe of Benjamin; Geba with her suburbs, and Alemeth with her suburbs, and Anathoth with her suburbs. All their cities throughout their families were thirteen cities. 61And unto the sons of Kohath, which were left of the family of that tribe, were cities given out of the half tribe, namely, out of the half tribe of Manasseh, by lot, ten cities. 62And to the sons of Gershom throughout their families out of the tribe of Issachar, and out of the tribe of Asher, and out of the tribe of Naphtali, and out of the tribe of Manasseh in Bashan, thirteen cities. 63Unto the sons of Merari were given by lot, throughout their families, out of the tribe of Reuben, and out of the tribe of Gad, and out of the tribe of Zebulun, twelve cities. 64And the children of Israel gave to the Levites these cities with their suburbs. 65And they gave by lot out of the tribe of the children of Judah, and out of the tribe of the children of Simeon, and out of the tribe of the children of Benjamin, these cities, which are called by their names. 66And the residue of the families of the sons of Kohath had cities of their coasts out of the tribe of Ephraim. 67And they gave unto them, of the cities of refuge, Shechem in mount Ephraim with her suburbs; they gave also Gezer with her suburbs, 68And Jokmeam with her suburbs, and Beth-horon with her suburbs, 69And Aijalon with her suburbs, and Gath-rimmon with her suburbs: 70And out of the half tribe of Manasseh; Aner with her suburbs, and Bileam with her suburbs, for the family of the remnant of the sons of Kohath. 71Unto the sons of Gershom were given out of the family of the half tribe of Manasseh, Golan in Bashan with her suburbs, and Ashtaroth with her suburbs: 72And out of the tribe of Issachar; Kedesh with her suburbs, Daberath with her suburbs, 73And Ramoth with her suburbs, and Anem with her suburbs: 74And out of the tribe of Asher; Mashal with her suburbs, and Abdon with her suburbs, 75And Hukok with her suburbs, and Rehob with her suburbs: 76And out of the tribe of Naphtali; Kedesh in Galilee with her suburbs, and Hammon with her suburbs, and Kirjathaim with her suburbs. 77Unto the rest of the children of Merari were given out of the tribe of Zebulun, Rimmon with her suburbs, Tabor with her suburbs: (1 Chronicles 6:1‑77); Ezra 8:1919And Hashabiah, and with him Jeshaiah of the sons of Merari, his brethren and their sons, twenty; (Ezra 8:19)).