Numbers 3:20
in Numbers 3And the sons of Merari by their clans were Mahli and Mushi. These were the clans of the Levites, according to their families.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
And the sons of Merari by their families: Mahli and Mushi. These are the families of the Levites according to their fathers’ houses.
KJV
And the sons of Merari by their families; Mahli, and Mushi. These are the families of the Levites according to the house of their fathers.
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This verse in Numbers 3
Commentary
4 notes on this verseThis site's exposition
These were the sons of Levi
on Numbers 3:17-20
The eight families named here are the working units of the rest of the chapter. Each of the three houses is about to receive a side of the tabernacle, a number, a chief and a load.
This site's exposition
Mahli and Mushi
Merari's two sons head the Mahlite and Mushite clans. Jamieson, Fausset and Brown say the heavy labour of the move fell to this house. Numbers 4:33 and 7:8 put its work under Ithamar son of Aaron.
The record, by era
The Puritans and the Awakening1 voice
And the sons, of Merari, by their families,.... The third son of Levi: Mahli and Mushi; the same as in Exo 6:19; from whom were denominated the families of the Mahlites and Mushites, who, as the preceding families, were numbered at this time: these are the families of the Levites, according to the house of their fathers; in all eight families.
The Nineteenth Century1 voice
A commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
proposed
Number the children of Levi--They were numbered as well as the other tribes; but the enumeration was made on a different principle--for while in the other tribes the number of males was calculated from twenty years and upward [Nu 1:3], in that of Levi they were counted "from a month old and upward." The reason for the distinction is obvious.
The words behind it
11 Hebrew wordsEvery Hebrew word of this verse in the order it stands, with what it means and the door to its own study. The last column counts the times a word stands in the whole Bible: the rarer the word, the more the places it appears belong together.
| Hebrew | Sound | Meaning | Word study | In the Bible |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| וּבְנֵ֧י | uvenei | and [the] sons of | H1121 → | 4930 times |
| מְרָרִ֛י | merari | Merari | H4847 → | 36 times |
| לְמִשְׁפְּחֹתָ֖ם | lemishpechotam | to clans their | H4940 → | 303 times |
| מַחְלִ֣י | machli | Mahli | H4249 → | |
| וּמוּשִׁ֑י | umushi | and Mushi | H4187 → | |
| אֵ֥לֶּה | ʾeleh | these | H428 → | 746 times |
| הֵ֛ם | hem | they | H1992 → | 553 times |
| מִשְׁפְּחֹ֥ת | mishpechot | [were] [the] clans of | H4940 → | 303 times |
| הַלֵּוִ֖י | halevi | the Levites | H3881 → | 291 times |
| לְבֵ֥ית | leveit | to [the] house of | H1004 → | 2046 times |
| אֲבֹתָֽם׃ | ʾavotam | ancestors their | H1 → | 1212 times |
וּבְנֵ֧יand [the] sons of
uveneiH1121 →4930 times
מְרָרִ֛יMerari
merariH4847 →36 times
לְמִשְׁפְּחֹתָ֖םto clans their
lemishpechotamH4940 →303 times
מַחְלִ֣יMahli
machliH4249 →
וּמוּשִׁ֑יand Mushi
umushiH4187 →
אֵ֥לֶּהthese
ʾelehH428 →746 times
הֵ֛םthey
hemH1992 →553 times
מִשְׁפְּחֹ֥ת[were] [the] clans of
mishpechotH4940 →303 times
הַלֵּוִ֖יthe Levites
haleviH3881 →291 times
לְבֵ֥יתto [the] house of
leveitH1004 →2046 times
אֲבֹתָֽם׃ancestors their
ʾavotamH1 →1212 times
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
The walk
8 stopsEach card is a verse this one points to, and under it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it.
Through
1 Chronicles 6:19The sons of Merari: Mahli and Mushi. These are the clans of the Levites listed according to their fathers:
it leads to
- 1 Chronicles 23:21
The sons of Merari: Mahli and Mushi.
Reached by 2 separate paths from here.
- 1 Chronicles 24:26
The sons of Merari: Mahli and Mushi. The son of Jaaziah: Beno.
- Exodus 6:19
The sons of Merari were Mahli and Mushi. These were the clans of the Levites according to their records.
- Numbers 26:57–58
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.
- 1 Chronicles 23:21
Through
Exodus 6:19The sons of Merari were Mahli and Mushi. These were the clans of the Levites according to their records.
it leads to
- 1 Chronicles 6:19
The sons of Merari: Mahli and Mushi. These are the clans of the Levites listed according to their fathers:
- 1 Chronicles 6:19
Through
1 Chronicles 25:3From the sons of Jeduthun: Gedaliah, Zeri, Jeshaiah, Shimei, Hashabiah, and Mattithiah—six in all—under the direction of their father Jeduthun, who prophesied with the harp, giving thanks and praise to the LORD.
it leads to
- 1 Chronicles 16:41–42
With them were Heman, Jeduthun, and the rest of those chosen and designated by name to give thanks to the LORD, for “His loving devotion endures forever.”
- 1 Chronicles 15:18
and with them their brothers next in rank: Zechariah, Jaaziel, Shemiramoth, Jehiel, Unni, Eliab, Benaiah, Maaseiah, Mattithiah, Eliphelehu, Mikneiah, and the gatekeepers Obed-edom and Jeiel.
- Jeremiah 33:11
the sounds of joy and gladness, the voices of the bride and bridegroom, and the voices of those bringing thank offerings into the house of the LORD, saying: ‘Give thanks to the LORD of…
- 1 Chronicles 16:41–42
Where this verse is studied
About Numbers
This page draws on Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763) and Keil and Delitzsch, Biblical Commentary on the Old Testament: The Pentateuch.