Mushi

Biblical Record

Mushi was a son of Merari, the third son of Levi. His name appears only in genealogies and in lists of Levitical families. Scripture records no words or deeds of his.

• Exodus 6:19: He is named as a son of Merari together with Mahli (KJV "Mahali"). They are presented among "the families of Levi."
• Numbers 3:20, 3:33: These verses state that the family of the Mahlites and the family of the Mushites descended from Merari. The Korean Revised Version spells Mahli's name in two different ways ("Maheulli" and "Malli").
• Numbers 26:58: At the second census in the wilderness, "the family of the Mushites" appears as one of the families of Levi.
• 1 Chronicles 6:19, 23:21, 24:26: He is again named as a son of Merari.
• 1 Chronicles 23:23, 24:30: Three sons of Mushi are listed: Mahli, Eder, and Jeremoth (Jerimoth). One of his sons bore the same name as his uncle.
• 1 Chronicles 6:44-47: The genealogy of Ethan, a descendant of Merari who served in the Levitical ministry of song in David's time, traces back through Mushi to Merari and Levi.

Significance in Scripture

The Mushites, together with the Mahlites, made up the descendants of Merari. According to Numbers, the Merarites camped on the north side of the tabernacle (Numbers 3:35). They were responsible for carrying the boards, bars, pillars, and sockets of the tabernacle, as well as the pillars, pins, and cords of the court (Numbers 3:36-37; 4:31-33). This work was carried out under the supervision of Ithamar, the son of Aaron the priest (Numbers 4:33). For transport they received four wagons and eight oxen (Numbers 7:8).

Mushi's significance lies less in his own person than in his role as the founder of a family that carried on Levitical service. He is not mentioned in the New Testament.

Interpretation and Points of Discussion

Because the text does not recount his life, there is no significant disagreement among denominations concerning him. A few points, however, should be noted.

• Persons with the same name: His brother Mahli and his son Mahli share the same name but are different individuals.
• Homonyms in the Korean Revised Version: The syllables "musi" appear in many places in the Korean Revised Version that have nothing to do with this person, such as "musiro" ("at all times," Leviticus 16:2) and "jumusinaikka" ("sleepest thou," Psalm 44:23). Care should be taken not to confuse these in Bible searches.
• Critical scholarly hypothesis: Some Old Testament scholars have proposed a connection between the name "Mushi" and Moses. This is merely a scholarly view and is not something the text states directly.

In the Korean Church

Sermons, hymns, or Sunday school lessons devoted specifically to Mushi are rare. Readers usually encounter him as one of the Levitical families while reading the genealogies of Exodus, Numbers, and 1 Chronicles in the course of reading through the Bible.