MERAIOTH (niq>).—1. Son of Ahitub and father of Zadok, 1 Ch 9" (B Μαρμώθ, A Μαριώθ), Neh 114 (AB Μαριώθ). 2. A Levite, or a Levitical family name, 1 Ch 6% [Heb. 5°-] © [Heb. 57], Ezr 7°. In the first two of these passages B has Μαρειήλ, A Mapas? and Mepawé, in the third B has Μαρερώθ, A Μαραιώθ. This Meraioth is called in 1 Es 8? Memeroth and in 2 Es 1" Marimoth. 3. A priestly house which was represented by Helkai in the days of Joiakim, Neh 1916 (Β δὰ" A om. ; N“® Μαριώθ) Ξ Meremoth (which see) of v.*.
MERARI (772m, Mepap(e)) 4. is known to us only from P and the Chronicler. According to these writers he was the third of the three sons of Levi (Ex 615, Nu 3!7, 1 Ch 61-16 23°), and accompanied Jacob into Egypt (Gn 46"). He had two sons, Mahli and Mushi (Ex 6%, Nu 3”, 1 Ch 6% 9). Nothing further is related of Merari personally, but of the fortunes of his descendants we have fuller particulars. Their history falls into three periods—(1) the wilderness wandering-, und the settlement in Canaan ; (2) the monarchy ; (3) after the Exile.
(1) At the time of the census taken by Moses in the wilderness of Sinai the Merarites were divided into two families, the Mahlites and the Mushites (Nu 333. The whole number of males from a month old was 6200 (3%), and between 30 and 50 years of age 3200 (4%). Their position in the camp was on the side of the tabernacle northward, and their chief at this time was Zuriel the son of Abihail (335. The office assigned to them was the carry- ing of the less important parts of the tabernacle —boards, pins, cords, ete. (3° 87 4%1-82]0!7), In this they were to be superintended by Ithamar the son of Aaron (4%), and four waggons and eight oxen were given to them for transit purposes (78). The two families of Merarites are mentioned in the account of the second census taken by Moses and Eleazar in the plains of Moab by the Jordan, when the whole number of the Levites was 23,000 (267-55), After the settlement in Pal., 12 cities out of the territories of Reuben, Gad, and Zebulun were assigned to them (Jos 217-* [Ρ] -- 1 Ch 655. 77-81),
(2) In the reign of David, as narrated by the Chronicler, we have several references to the Merarites. The Merarite family of Jeduthun (=Ethan, 1 Ch 6* 1517), together with the Kohath- ite family of Heman and the Gershonite family of Asaph, were, according to this writer, speciall set apart to administer the temple musie (cf. 1 ch 6*!-47 1641-42 951-7; and see ETHAN, JEDUTHUN). Consequently at the bringing up of the ark from the house of Obed-edom into Jerus. we find that, of the 220 Merarites who are said to have been present under the leadership of Asaiah (1 Ch 165),
Ethan and certain others took part in the music
(15'7- 1), Descendants of the two families of Mahli and Mushi are mentioned as ‘heads of the fathers’ houses’ when David divided the Levites into courses, 1 Ch 23%-, and in 1 Ch 26'*!® certain Merarites are specified as doorkeepers (cf. 9'-* 23°), Further, in the reign of Hezekiah, Merarites are mentioned as taking part in the cleansing of the temple (2 Ch 29! 4),
(3) For the period after the Exile we have a few scattered notices of members of the family of Merarites. 1 Ch 9=Neh 11 seems to contain a list of those who were known to be dwelling in Juda during the period immediately after the return from captivity. In these lists occur the names of ‘Shemaiah...of the sons of Merari’ (1 Ch 94=Neh 11), and ‘Obadiah or Abda. . . son of Jeduthun’ (1 Ch 9%=Neh 11”). Lastly, when Ezra went up to Jerus. in B.C. 454 it is expressly stated that certain Merarites accompanied him (Ezr 818-29),
The Merarites (7727) occur Nu 9657, elsewhere called ‘the sons of Merari,’ Ex 6, Nu 37° 429-8. 45. 4 78 1017, 1 Ch 015. 29. 44. 63. 77 gu 15% 17 9321 9477 26), 2 Ch 29", Ezr 819: or ‘the children of Merari,’ Jos 217-4. 4. For their history see above.
2. The father of Judith (Jth 81 167).
W. C. ALLEN.
MERATHAIM (o:n7>) is given as a proper name by both AV and RV in Jer 507 ‘Go up against the land of Merathaim’ (AVm ‘or of the rebels,’ RVm ‘i.e. double rebellion’). The term is an enig- matical one, possibly suggested (Del. Parad. 182) by Bab. Marrdtim, the land by the nar Marrétu, or ‘ bitter river’ (Persian Gulf)=S. Babylonia, and adapted so as to recall to a Heb. ear either ‘ double rebellion’ (o>) or ‘double bitterness’ (0:07>). The LXX (B) πικρῶς ἐπίβηθι ἐπ᾽ αὐτήν (277") connects o:n722 with the root meaning ‘ bitter.’
J. A. SELBIE.
MERCHANDISE, MERCHANTMAN.—The word merchandise (from Old Fr. marchandise, a mer- chant’s wares), somewhat archaic now, is used in AV in two senses, one of which is quite obsolete. 1. The first meaning is goods, wares, any object of commerce, as Rev 18" ‘The merchants of the earth shall weep and mourn over her ; for no man buyeth their merchandise any more’ (τὸν γόμον αὐτῶν, RVm ‘their cargo’). efoe, Crusoe, p. 535 ‘He confess’d, he said, it was not a Place for Merchants, except that at some certain Times they had a kind of a Fair there, when the merchants from Japan came over to buy the Chinese Mer- chandizes.’ 2. But the word was also used ἴοι ‘traffic’ in goods, and even for ‘gain’ from sucn traffic : so Pr 34 ‘The merchandise of it [wisdom] is better than the merchandise of silver, and the gain thereof than fine gold’ ("D702 πηπο 3.8). ΟἹ.