Who were the Kohathites, Gershonites, and Merarites?

Levi had three sons, Kohath, Gershon and Merari. The families of these men occupied positions on the north, south and west of the tabernacle. Their work was concerned with the tabernacle, therefore they camped close by. Each family had a particular work to do. The family of Kohath had the charge of the furniture of the tabernacle. They were responsible for carrying the items upon their shoulders. The family of Gershon had responsibility for the curtains and the coverings. They carried the hangings of the court and of the gate when the camp moved on. The family of Merari carried the boards of the tabernacle and the bars, also the pillars around the court and their sockets and pins and cords. It was also their work to set up the tabernacle when they moved to a new site. They were to dismantle it when they had notice to move on. Each had his own work to do. They were not to covet the work of another. Someone who had to carry the pins [tent-pegs,] were not to be envious of the Kohathites who carried the furniture of pure gold. There is a lesson for us here.

Levi had three sons: Gershon, Kohath, and Merari (Num. 3:17). Their respective families and descendants formed three different groups, each with different tasks. The Gershonites looked after the tabernacle, the tent and the coverings (v.25). To the Kohathites the sanctuary instruments were confided (v.32), and the Merarites had the care of the boards, the bars, the pillars and sockets of the tabernacle (v. 37).

Hence not every Levite had the same sphere of activity – and none of them could choose his own service. If you were born a Merarite you would not be allowed to take care of the vessels of the sanctuary which were entrusted to the Kohathites. So it is with Christian service: God gives different types of service to different believers.

Levitical duties were appointed then as it pleased God. So each Levitical family could set to work, and no one was to interfere with them. To God they were responsible; and from Him had they received authority for their service. And here the principle of election was displayed. For whilst Gershon was the eldest son of Levi, and so his descendants might have expected that they would be selected to bear the sacred vessels on their shoulders, that work was entrusted to the descendants of Kohath, who was Levi's second son. How often do we see in Scripture, that blessing and privilege do not run in the order of nature. The Kohathites were designated as the bearers of the sacred vessels. To the Gershonites was appointed the charge of carrying the curtains, the hanging for the door of the Tabernacle, the hangings of the court, and the curtain which formed its door, and all their cords. To the Merarites were entrusted the boards of the Tabernacle, and the bars and the pillars, the sockets, and all the vessels thereof; and all that serveth thereto, and the pillars of the court round about, and their sockets, and their pins, and their cords (Num. 3:25-26, 31, 36-37).

Each great family thus set to work, would the Kohathites exalt themselves in their own eyes above the Gershonites? How foolish would that have been. For they were mutually dependent on each other, and on the Merarites, too, for the work to be properly performed. Of what use would it have been, had the Kohathites arrived at the camping ground with the holy vessels in their charge, to find nothing ready to receive them, because the Gershonites and the Merarites had not erected the Tent of the congregation. Co-operation was needed, for they all had part in the work.

But all that was Levitical service, not the work of the priesthood. So there was no ground for the Kohathites to exalt themselves as on a par with the Priests. For though carrying the sacred vessels, among which was the brazen Altar, they could never officiate at it; nor, though they were admitted to cross the threshold of the Sanctuary, could they enter that holy chamber, till all the vessels had been duly wrapped up by the priests. "They shall not go in to see the Sanctuary even for a moment, lest they die;" so reads the revised version of Num. 4:20. Each time the camp moved there was the reminder, that the priest had a place and a service in connection with the Tabernacle which no mere Levite could ever attain to. There was a great gulf between the two, which could never be bridged over, and we know that when some of the Kohathites, led by Korah, presumed to put themselves on an equality with priests, God signally dealt with them in judgment; and their censors, turned into beaten plates for a covering upon the Altar, served as a memorial to all time, that no one not of the seed of Aaron, was to draw near to burn incense before the Lord (Num. 16). Yet the priests were not independent of Levite service. For God's work to be properly performed the ministrations of the latter were indispensable. How all was balanced, as it were, by the Divine arrangement; for efficiency and due performance of the work could only be secured as each filled their post, and did their part.

Of the Levites there were three main branches: the GERSHONITES, the KOHATHITES, and the MERARITES. Moses and Aaron were descendants of Kohath. When the camp of Israel rested, this tribe surrounded the tabernacle. When it moved they had to carry its various parts and the sacred things belonging thereto. According to Num. 4:3, etc., the Levites appear to have commenced their tabernacle service at the age of thirty; but in Num. 8:24-26 the age is given as twenty-five. It may be that they spent the first five years on probation, learning their duties. When Israel had settled in Canaan and the labour of carrying the tabernacle was over, they commenced their service at the age of twenty. They laboured till they were fifty years of age. 1 Chr. 23:24-27.

In Numbers 3 we get details of God's order as to the tribe of Levi. This tribe was taken by God for the service of His house, under the hand of the priests, instead of all the firstborn throughout the tribes, which He had claimed for Himself. Levi had three sons, Gershon, Kohath and Merari, and each of them became the head of a section of the tribe. To each section was allotted a special service in connection with the tabernacle, and each had their tents in a specified position round the tabernacle. Nothing was left to their own devising.

Out of Kohath came Aaron and the priestly family, and the sons of Kohath had special charge of the ark and the other vessels of the sanctuary. Kohath was to pitch tent on the south side of the sanctuary, and Aaron and the priests together with Moses had to dwell on the east side, facing the entrance to the court, keeping charge there, with strangers excluded under the penalty of death.

Son of Levi, and his descendants. He was the grandfather of Moses and Aaron. Of Kohath little is revealed: he went into Egypt with the rest of his brethren and died at the age of 133 years. The Kohathites carried the 'most holy things' of the tabernacle — the ark, table of show bread, golden altar, etc., but were not permitted to touch or even look upon them. In the first census the male descendants of Kohath, between thirty and fifty years of age, were 2750. Their descendants embraced several important families, including that of the priesthood. See LEVITES. Ex. 6:16, 18; Num. 3:17-30; Num. 4:2-37; Num. 26:57-58; Joshua 21:4-26; 1 Chr. 6:1-70, etc. KOHATH | |¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯|¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯|¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯| Amram Izhar Hebron. Uzziel. | | | | |¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯| Korah Hebronites Uzzielites Aaron. Moses. | | | Korhites. Priests. | |¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯| Gershom Eliezer

Eldest son of Levi, born before the children of Israel entered Egypt, and his descendants. Gen. 46:11; 1 Chr. 6:1; 1 Chr. 23:6. At the numbering of the Israelites in the wilderness there were 7,500 Gershonites as a branch of the Levites. Their charge was the frame-work of the tabernacle and the tent, with the hangings and curtains. For the transport of these they had two wagons and four oxen. Num. 3:17-25; Num. 4:22-38; Num. 7:7. They had thirteen of the Levitical cities. Joshua 21:6, 27-33. In the kingdom, under Asaph and his sons, they "prophesied according to the order of the king." Others had charge of the "treasures of the house of God, and were over the treasures of the holy things," and of the precious stones. 1 Chr. 23:6-7; 1 Chr. 25:2; 1 Chr. 26:20-22; 1 Chr. 29:8. See GERSHOM, No. 2.

Third son of Levi, and his descendants. He entered into Egypt with his family, but nothing is further recorded of him personally. The MERARITES became a large branch of the Levites. They had charge of the heavier parts of the tabernacle, to carry which they had four wagons and eight oxen. In the land they had twelve cities from among the tribes of Reuben, Gad, and Zebulun, including the city of Ramoth-gilead. They shared in the duties devolving on the Levites during the kingdom, a third part of the singers and a third part of the door-keepers being Merarites. Some of their descendants returned from exile. Ex. 6:16, 19; Num. 3:17-37; Num. 4:29-45; Num. 7:8; Num. 10:17; Num. 26:57; Joshua 21:7, 34-40; 1 Chr. 6:1-77; Ezra 8:19, etc.

Three sons of Levi in the persons of their descendants carried out the Levitical service of the Tabernacle: The Sons of Merari (3200) carried the boards, bars, pillars, sockets, pins, etc. The Sons of Gershon (2630) carried the curtains, the hanging of the Court, etc. The Sons of Kohath (2750) carried the Holy Vessels. (See Num. 4.)

In chapter 4 we have details as to the service of the Levites in connection with the sanctuary, and also details of the work of the priests, particularly when the camp was in movement. The Levites were divided into three groups under the leadership of Kohath, Gershon and Merari respectively, though the first of these groups was controlled by Aaron's son Eleazar and the second and third by his son, Ithamar.

It was exclusively the work of the priests to prepare the contents of the tabernacle for transit. No eyes but theirs were to gaze upon the ark and the other holy objects and vessels that were there. No hands but theirs were to place upon them the suitable coverings. Only when covered by the priests were the Kohathites to lift them. If these objects, which were but the shadows of the good things to come in Christ Himself and the Holy Spirit, were only exposed to priestly eyes, we may take to heart the lesson that the far holier Reality, now revealed to us, is only apprehended as we take up our priestly privileges in the power of the Spirit. Apart from this we may attempt to scrutinize, but only to our own undoing.