Merari

Biblical Record

Merari was the youngest of the three sons of Levi (Genesis 46:11; Exodus 6:16; 1 Chronicles 6:1). Genesis 46 lists him among those who went down into Egypt with the family of Jacob. Neither the events of his life nor his lifespan are recorded; the text refers to him chiefly in genealogies and in connection with the duties of his descendants. His sons were Mahli and Mushi (Exodus 6:19; Numbers 3:20).

In Numbers, his descendants are called "the sons of Merari" or "the families of Merari."

• Encampment: They camped on the north side of the tabernacle, and their chief was Zuriel the son of Abihail (Numbers 3:35).
• Census: The males from a month old and upward numbered 6,200 (Numbers 3:34). Those between thirty and fifty years of age who were able to serve numbered 3,200 (Numbers 4:44).
• Duties: They were responsible for carrying the boards, bars, pillars, sockets, pins, and cords of the tabernacle. Their work was overseen by Ithamar the son of Aaron (Numbers 3:36-37; 4:29-33).
• Wagons: Because their work involved transporting heavy structural components, they received four wagons and eight oxen, more than the two wagons and four oxen given to the Gershonites (Numbers 7:7-8).

After the settlement in Canaan, they received twelve cities from the tribes of Reuben, Gad, and Zebulun, including Ramoth in Gilead, a city of refuge (Joshua 21:7, 34-40). According to 1 Chronicles, Ethan, one of the singers in the time of David, was a Merarite (1 Chronicles 6:44; 15:17). The Merarites also appear in the accounts of Hezekiah's cleansing of the temple (2 Chronicles 29:12) and of the return under Ezra (Ezra 8:18-19).

Significance Within Scripture

The emphasis falls less on Merari himself than on the duties assigned to his descendants. The three Levitical clans divided the work among themselves: the Kohathites cared for the holy things, the Gershonites for the curtains and coverings, and the Merarites for the framework. In this arrangement the Levites as a whole served the tabernacle together. Merari is not mentioned directly in the New Testament.

Interpretation and Issues

• Meaning of the name: The name is generally understood to be related to a Hebrew root meaning "bitter." The text itself, however, does not explain the origin of the name.
• Nature of the genealogies: Some critical scholars hold that the Levitical genealogies in Numbers and Chronicles reflect the organization of the later temple system. Evangelical and Reformed interpreters who hold to biblical inerrancy, by contrast, read them as historical records.
• Difficult passages: Interpreters differ over whether "Jaaziah" in 1 Chronicles 24:26-27 was another son of Merari.
• Extrabiblical traditions: Scripture says nothing about Merari's character or personal life. Stories dealing with these matters are later additions and should be distinguished from the biblical text.

In the Korean Church

Merari is rarely treated as a subject in his own right. He is usually mentioned in sermons on Numbers 3-4 or in studies of the tabernacle, where the duties of the three Levitical clans are explained. Some sermons apply the example of the Merarites, who bore heavy and inconspicuous burdens, to church service and the ministry of church officers.