What Does Numbers 3:20 Mean in the King James?

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.

Numbers 3:20 · KJV

The analysis reads the King James wording.

King James Version The King James Version, first published in 1611. Selah Verse shows the standard text.

This verse in the Selah Decoded Version

THE KEY

Merari’s name carries bitterness, yet his branch is counted within the house of Levi.

THE MEANING

Here, the bitter-named branch remains inside the Levite family and the house of its fathers. Mahli and Mushi stay named as distinct members of that lineage; the name is not smoothed away for them to belong.

WHAT THIS UNDOES

Bitterness has no place in a sacred lineage.

THE ROOT

מְרָרִי

Merari

GROWS FROM

מרר

marar

To be bitter or to make bitter.

Merari’s name carries the same root as bitterness. The verse keeps that name visible while placing his sons among the Levite families, holding the bitter-named branch within the larger house.

ALSO GROWS

marar: To be bitter or to make bitter.

מָרַר

This verb exposes the root carried in Merari’s name.

merorim: Bitter herbs.

מְרֹרִים

The bitter herbs preserve the same root in a concrete form, showing how the sound and meaning of bitterness branch into other words.

THE PATTERN

A lineage becomes visible through the names of its branches.

Now these are the generations of the sons of Noah, Shem, Ham, and Japheth: and unto them were sons born after the flood.

Genesis 10:1 · KJVThe family line is made legible through the names of Noah’s sons.

And these are the names of the sons of Levi according to their generations; Gershon, and Kohath, and Merari: and the years of the life of Levi were an hundred thirty and seven years.

Exodus 6:16 · KJVLevi’s lineage is held in view by naming each branch, including Merari.

Abraham begat Isaac; and Isaac begat Jacob; and Jacob begat Judas and his brethren;

Matthew 1:2 · KJVThe line continues through named relationships, each generation remaining distinct within the whole.

THE THREAD

And they made their lives bitter with hard bondage, in morter, and in brick, and in all manner of service in the field: all their service, wherein they made them serve, was with rigour.

Exodus 1:14 · KJV

“Bitter” here comes from the same Hebrew root, ⁨מרר⁩ (marar), carried in Merari’s name. The connection keeps the name’s bitter meaning in view as Numbers counts Merari’s family within the house of Levi.

Read the SDV Bible.

Every verse has a Deep Dive in the app.

Get Selah Verse

The iPhone Bible app with the Selah Decoded Version.

Does something in this reading look wrong? Tell us