Merari

Merari was the third son of Levi and the ancestor of the Merarite clan, one of the three main divisions of the Levitical tribe (Genesis 46:11; Exodus 6:16; Numbers 3:17). The Merarites were assigned to carry the structural elements of the tabernacle—its frames, bars, pillars, bases, and all the hardware—during the wilderness journeys, using four wagons and eight oxen for transport (Numbers 4:29–33; 7:8). His sons Mahli and Mushi founded the two Merarite sub-clans, and later David assigned Merarite descendants to musical service and temple gatekeeping alongside the other Levitical divisions.