Merari
Mera'ri (Hebrews Merari', מרָרַי, sad; Sept. Μεραρί), the youngest son of Levi, probably born in Canaan (Ge 46:11; Ex 6:16; Nu 3:17; 1Ch 6:1). BC. 1874. Of Merari's personal history, beyond the fact of his birth before the descent of Jacob into Egypt, and of his being one of the seventy who accompanied Jacob thither, we know nothing whatever (Ge 46:8,11). He became the head of the third great division (מַשׁפָּחָה) of the Levites, whose designation in Hebrew is the same as that of their progenitor, only with the article prefixed, viz. הִמּרָרַי, i.e. the Merarites (Ex 6:19), who during the march through the desert had charge of the materials of the Tabernacle (Nu 3:36; Nu 4:30 sq.), for the transportation of which they were provided with four carts, each drawn by a yoke of oxen (Nu 7:8). In Palestine they were assigned twelve trans-Jordanic cities for a residence (Jos 21:7,34 sq.). SEE MERARITE.
