New King James Version
Numbers 3:20
20And the sons of Merari by their families: Mahli and Mushi. These are the families of the Levites by their fathers’ houses.
Numbers 3:20 in other versions
- King James Version (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.
- New International Version (NIV)The Merarite clans: Mahli and Mushi. These were the Levite clans, according to their families.
- English Standard Version (ESV)And the sons of Merari by their clans: Mahli and Mushi. These are the clans of the Levites, by their fathers' houses.
- New Living Translation (NLT)The clans descended from Merari were named after two of his descendants, Mahli and Mushi. These were the Levite clans, listed according to their family groups.
Context of Numbers 3:20
18And these are the names of the sons of Gershon by their families: Libni and Shimei. 19And the sons of Kohath by their families: Amram, Izehar, Hebron, and Uzziel. And the sons of Merari by their families: Mahli and Mushi. These are the families of the Levites by their fathers’ houses. 21From Gershon came the family of the Libnites and the family of the Shimites; these were the families of the Gershonites. 22Those who were numbered, according to the number of all the males from a month old and above—of those who were numbered there were seven thousand five hundred.
Read all of Numbers 3Numbers 3:20 word by word
וּבְנֵ֧י מְרָרִ֛י לְמִשְׁפְּחֹתָ֖ם מַחְלִ֣י וּמוּשִׁ֑י אֵ֥לֶּה הֵ֛ם מִשְׁפְּחֹ֥ת הַלֵּוִ֖י לְבֵ֥ית אֲבֹתָֽם׃Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- And the sonsבֵּןbên · son: childH1121
- of Merariמְרָרִיmerârîy · MerariH4847
- by their familiesמִשְׁפָּחָהmishpâchâh · familyH4940
- Mahliמַחְלִיmachlîy · MahliH4249
- and Mushiמוּשִׁיmûshîy mûshshîy · MushiH4187
- areהֵ֫מָּהhêm hêmmâh · they(masc.)H1992
- of the Levitesלֵוִיlêvîyîy lêvîy · LeviH3881
- according to the houseבַּ֫יִתbayith · house: householdH1004
- of their fathersאָב'âb · fatherH1
Cross-references for Numbers 3:20
- Numbers 3:33From Merari came the family of the Mahlites and the family of the Mushites; these were the families of Merari.
- Exodus 6:19The sons of Merari were Mahli and Mushi. These are the families of Levi according to their generations.
- 1 Chronicles 6:19The sons of Merari were Mahli and Mushi. Now these are the families of the Levites according to their fathers:
- 1 Chronicles 15:6of the sons of Merari, Asaiah the chief, and two hundred and twenty of his brethren;
- 1 Chronicles 23:21The sons of Merari were Mahli and Mushi. The sons of Mahli were Eleazar and Kish.
- 1 Chronicles 24:27The sons of Merari by Jaaziah were Beno, Shoham, Zaccur, and Ibri.
- 1 Chronicles 25:3Of Jeduthun, the sons of Jeduthun: Gedaliah, Zeri, Jeshaiah, Shimei, Hashabiah, and Mattithiah, six, under the direction of their father Jeduthun, who prophesied with a harp to give thanks and to praise the Lord.
Commentaries on Numbers 3:20
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 14-39Verses 14-39 The Levites were in three classes, according to the sons of Levi; Gershon, Kohath, and Merari; and these were subdivided into families. The posterity of Moses were not at all honoured or privileged, but stood upon the level with other Levites; thus it was plain, that Moses did not seek the advancement of his own family, or to secure any honours to it. The tribe of Levi was by much the least of all the tribes. God's chosen are but a little…Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 14-39This first phase of a two-part registration of the tribe of Levi summarized each family's special duties. 4:1–33 describes this in more detail (see 4:34–49 for the second phase). This count did not relate to military duties, so it included male Levites from the age of one month (3:40–41). Three family groups descend from the three sons of Levi: Gershon, Kohath, and Merari. These clans, often called the Gershonites, Kohathites, and Merarites, later…Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 14-3114-31. 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. In the other tribes the survey was made for purposes of war [Nu 1:3], from which the Levites were totally…Read the comment
Topics related to Numbers 3:20
In the dictionaries
Commentaries on Numbers 3
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
- Tyndale Open Study Notes
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
- Rashi on Tanakh
- Calvin’s Commentaries
- Keil & Delitzsch Commentary
- John Wesley’s Notes
- Darby Translation Notes
- Geneva Bible Translation Notes
- Kingcomments
- Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
- Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
- Original Douay–Rheims Annotations
- Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
- EGW Writings
New King James Version — © 1982 Thomas Nelson, Inc
Commentaries