Numbers 4:29
New International Version
“Count the Merarites by their clans and families.

New Living Translation
“Now record the names of the members of the clans and families of the Merarite division of the tribe of Levi.

English Standard Version
“As for the sons of Merari, you shall list them by their clans and their fathers’ houses.

Berean Standard Bible
As for the sons of Merari, you are to number them by their clans and families,

King James Bible
As for the sons of Merari, thou shalt number them after their families, by the house of their fathers;

New King James Version
As for the sons of Merari, you shall number them by their families and by their fathers’ house.

New American Standard Bible
As for the sons of Merari, you shall count them by their families, by their fathers’ households;

NASB 1995
“As for the sons of Merari, you shall number them by their families, by their fathers’ households;

NASB 1977
As for the sons of Merari, you shall number them by their families, by their fathers’ households;

Legacy Standard Bible
As for the sons of Merari, you shall number them by their families, by their fathers’ households;

Amplified Bible
“As for the sons of Merari, you shall number them by their families (clans), by their fathers’ households;

Christian Standard Bible
“As for the Merarites, you are to register them by their clans and their ancestral families.

Holman Christian Standard Bible
As for the Merarites, you are to register them by their clans and their ancestral houses.

American Standard Version
As for the sons of Merari, thou shalt number them by their families, by their fathers' houses;

English Revised Version
As for the sons of Merari, thou shalt number them by their families, by their fathers' houses;

GOD'S WORD® Translation
"Register the Merarites by families and households.

Good News Translation
The LORD told Moses to take a census of the Levite clan of Merari by subclans and families,

International Standard Version
"For the descendants of Merari, number them according to their tribes and ancestral houses

Majority Standard Bible
As for the sons of Merari, you are to number them by their clans and families,

NET Bible
"As for the sons of Merari, you are to number them by their families and by their clans.

New Heart English Bible
"As for the sons of Merari, you shall number them by their families, by their fathers' houses;

Webster's Bible Translation
As for the sons of Merari, thou shalt number them after their families, by the house of their fathers;

World English Bible
“As for the sons of Merari, you shall count them by their families, by their fathers’ houses;
Literal Translations
Literal Standard Version
The sons of Merari, by their families, by the house of their fathers—you number them;

Young's Literal Translation
'The sons of Merari, by their families, by the house of their fathers, thou dost number them;

Smith's Literal Translation
The sons of Merari according to their families, according to the house of their fathers, thou shalt review them;
Catholic Translations
Douay-Rheims Bible
Thou shalt reckon up the sons of Merari also by the families and houses of their fathers,

Catholic Public Domain Version
Likewise, you shall take a census of the sons of Merari, by the families and houses of their fathers,

New American Bible
The Merarites, too, you shall enroll by clans and ancestral houses,

New Revised Standard Version
As for the Merarites, you shall enroll them by their clans and their ancestral houses;
Translations from Aramaic
Lamsa Bible
As for the sons of Merari, you shall number them after their families, by the house of their fathers;

Peshitta Holy Bible Translated
And you shall number the sons of Marari for their families for the house of their fathers.
OT Translations
JPS Tanakh 1917
As for the sons of Merari, thou shalt number them by their families, by their fathers' houses;

Brenton Septuagint Translation
The sons of Merari according to their families, according to the houses of their lineage, take ye the number of them.

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
The Duties of the Merarites
29As for the sons of Merari, you are to number them by their clans and families, 30from thirty to fifty years old, counting everyone who comes to serve in the work of the Tent of Meeting.…

Cross References
Numbers 3:6-8
“Bring the tribe of Levi and present them to Aaron the priest to assist him. / They are to perform duties for him and for the whole congregation before the Tent of Meeting, attending to the service of the tabernacle. / They shall take care of all the furnishings of the Tent of Meeting and fulfill obligations for the Israelites by attending to the service of the tabernacle.

Numbers 8:24-26
“This applies to the Levites: Men twenty-five years of age or older shall enter to perform the service in the work at the Tent of Meeting. / But at the age of fifty, they must retire from performing the work and no longer serve. / After that, they may assist their brothers in fulfilling their duties at the Tent of Meeting, but they themselves are not to do the work. This is how you are to assign responsibilities to the Levites.”

1 Chronicles 23:3-6
The Levites thirty years of age or older were counted, and the total number of men was 38,000. / “Of these,” said David, “24,000 are to oversee the work of the house of the LORD, 6,000 are to be officers and judges, / 4,000 are to be gatekeepers, and 4,000 are to praise the LORD with the instruments I have made for giving praise.” ...

1 Chronicles 23:24-32
These were the descendants of Levi by their families—the heads of families, registered individually by name—those twenty years of age or older who worked in the service of the house of the LORD. / For David had said, “The LORD, the God of Israel, has given rest to His people and has come to dwell in Jerusalem forever. / So now the Levites no longer need to carry the tabernacle or any of the articles for its service.” ...

1 Chronicles 24:1-19
These were the divisions of the descendants of Aaron. The sons of Aaron were Nadab, Abihu, Eleazar, and Ithamar. / But Nadab and Abihu died before their father did, and they had no sons; so Eleazar and Ithamar served as priests. / With the help of Eleazar’s descendant Zadok and Ithamar’s descendant Ahimelech, David divided them according to the offices of their service. ...

1 Chronicles 26:12-19
These divisions of the gatekeepers, through their chief men, had duties for ministering in the house of the LORD, just as their relatives did. / They cast lots for each gate, according to their families, young and old alike. / The lot for the East Gate fell to Shelemiah. Then lots were cast for his son Zechariah, a wise counselor, and the lot for the North Gate fell to him. ...

Exodus 6:18
The sons of Kohath were Amram, Izhar, Hebron, and Uzziel. Kohath lived 133 years.

Exodus 6:25
Aaron’s son Eleazar married one of the daughters of Putiel, and she bore him Phinehas. These were the heads of the Levite families by their clans.

Exodus 28:1
“Next, have your brother Aaron brought to you from among the Israelites, along with his sons Nadab, Abihu, Eleazar, and Ithamar, to serve Me as priests.

Leviticus 8:5-9
And Moses said to them, “This is what the LORD has commanded to be done.” / Then Moses presented Aaron and his sons and washed them with water. / He put the tunic on Aaron, tied the sash around him, clothed him with the robe, and put the ephod on him. He tied the woven band of the ephod around him and fastened it to him. ...

Leviticus 10:8-11
Then the LORD said to Aaron, / “You and your sons are not to drink wine or strong drink when you enter the Tent of Meeting, or else you will die; this is a permanent statute for the generations to come. / You must distinguish between the holy and the common, between the clean and the unclean, ...

1 Kings 8:4
and they brought up the ark of the LORD and the Tent of Meeting with all its sacred furnishings. So the priests and Levites carried them up.

2 Chronicles 29:11
Now, my sons, do not be negligent, for the LORD has chosen you to stand before Him, to serve Him, to minister before Him, and to burn incense.”

2 Chronicles 31:2
Hezekiah reestablished the divisions of the priests and Levites—each of them according to their duties as priests or Levites—for the burnt offerings and peace offerings, for ministry, for giving thanks, and for singing praises at the gates of the LORD’s dwelling.

Ezra 8:15-20
Now I assembled these exiles at the canal that flows to Ahava, and we camped there three days. And when I searched among the people and priests, I found no Levites there. / Then I summoned the leaders: Eliezer, Ariel, Shemaiah, Elnathan, Jarib, Elnathan, Nathan, Zechariah, and Meshullam, as well as the teachers Joiarib and Elnathan. / And I sent them to Iddo, the leader at Casiphia, with a message for him and his kinsmen, the temple servants at Casiphia, that they should bring to us ministers for the house of our God. ...


Treasury of Scripture

As for the sons of Merari, you shall number them after their families, by the house of their fathers;

Numbers 3:33-35
Of Merari was the family of the Mahlites, and the family of the Mushites: these are the families of Merari…

Jump to Previous
Clans Count Families Fathers House Households Houses Merari Merar'i Merarites Numbered Order
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Clans Count Families Fathers House Households Houses Merari Merar'i Merarites Numbered Order
Numbers 4
1. The age at which the Levites were to serve, and the duration of the service
4. The duty of the Kohathites
16. The charge of Eleazar
17. The office of the priests
21. The duty of the Gershonites
29. Of the Merarites
34. The number of the Kohathites
38. Of the Gershonites
42. And of the Merarites














As for the sons of Merari
The phrase "As for the sons of Merari" introduces us to the third and final Levitical family tasked with specific duties concerning the Tabernacle. The name "Merari" is derived from the Hebrew root "marar," meaning "bitter." This could reflect the burdensome nature of their responsibilities or the hardships faced by this family. Historically, the Merarites were responsible for the structural components of the Tabernacle, such as the frames, bars, pillars, and bases. This role was crucial for the stability and integrity of the sacred space, symbolizing the foundational support that faith provides in the life of believers.

you are to register them
The command "you are to register them" indicates a formal and organized process of accounting for the members of the Merarite family. The Hebrew word used here is "paqad," which can mean to muster, number, or appoint. This registration was not merely a census but a divine appointment, emphasizing the importance of each individual's role in God's plan. It reflects the broader biblical theme that God knows each of His people by name and has a specific purpose for them within the body of Christ.

by their clans and families
The phrase "by their clans and families" underscores the importance of family and community within the Israelite society. The Hebrew words "mishpachot" (clans) and "beyt avot" (families) highlight the structured social order that God established among His people. This organization ensured that responsibilities were distributed fairly and that each family had a clear understanding of their duties. It serves as a reminder of the value of community and the interconnectedness of the body of believers, where each member contributes to the whole.

Parallel Commentaries ...


Hebrew
As for the sons
בְּנֵ֖י (bə·nê)
Noun - masculine plural construct
Strong's 1121: A son

of Merari,
מְרָרִ֑י (mə·rā·rî)
Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 4847: Merari -- a son of Levi

you are to register
תִּפְקֹ֥ד (tip̄·qōḏ)
Verb - Qal - Imperfect - second person masculine singular
Strong's 6485: To visit, to oversee, muster, charge, care for, miss, deposit

them by their clans
לְמִשְׁפְּחֹתָ֥ם (lə·miš·pə·ḥō·ṯām)
Preposition-l | Noun - feminine plural construct | third person masculine plural
Strong's 4940: A family, circle of relatives, a class, a species, sort, a tribe, people

and families,
אֲבֹתָ֖ם (’ă·ḇō·ṯām)
Noun - masculine plural construct | third person masculine plural
Strong's 1: Father


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OT Law: Numbers 4:29 As for the sons of Merari you (Nu Num.)
Numbers 4:28
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