Philistines come to be upon him,” hoping for David’s death in battle. David, in humility, hesitated to accept the offer to become the son-in-law of the king. As matters turned out, Saul did not keep his promise, Merab never becoming David’s wife. The account states that the younger daughter, Michal, “was in love with David,” which may imply that Merab was not. At any rate, “it came about that at the time for giving Merab, Saul’s daughter, to David, she herself had already been given to Adriel the Meholathite as a wife.”—1 Sam. 18:17-20.

Merab bore five sons to Adriel. However, David later gave these sons and two other members of Saul’s household to the Gibeonites, who put all seven to death. This was done to atone for Saul’s having tried to annihilate the Gibeonites.—2 Sam. 21:1-10.

MERAB’S SISTER REARS HER SONS

According to the Hebrew Masoretic text, 2 Samuel 21:8 speaks of “the five sons of Michal the daughter of Saul whom she bore to Adriel.” Yet 2 Samuel 6:23 says that Michal died childless. It appears that some scribes have tried to resolve this difficulty by substituting the name of Merab for Michal at 2 Samuel 21:8. This seems apparent from the fact that the Syriac Peshitta Version, the Septuagint Version (Lagardian ed.) and two Hebrew manuscripts read “Merab” in this verse. However, a traditional explanation of 2 Samuel 21:8 as it appears in almost all Hebrew manuscripts is as follows:

Michal’s sister Merab was the wife of Adriel and bore him the five sons in question. But Merab dying early, her sister Michal, rejected by David and childless, undertook the rearing or bringing up of the five boys. Hence, they were spoken of as Michal’s children rather than those of Merab. In harmony with this view of 2 Samuel 21:8, the Bible translation by Isaac Leeser (7th ed., 1922) speaks of “the five sons of Michal the daughter of Saul, whom she had brought up for Adriel,” and a footnote thereon states: “As Michal was David’s wife; but the children were those of Merab, the oldest daughter of Saul, who were probably educated by her sister.” The Targums read: “The five sons of Merab (which Michal, Saul’s daughter brought up) which she bare.” Other factors, not revealed in the Scriptures, may have a bearing on the way the text was set down.—See MICHAL.

MERAIAH

(Me·raiʹah) [resistance; or, perhaps, from a term meaning “Jehovah has promised”].

A priest and head of the paternal house of Seraiah in the days of Joiakim after the Jews’ return from Babylonian exile.—Neh. 12:12.

MERAIOTH

(Me·raʹioth) [rebellious].

1. A priestly descendant of Aaron through Eleazar; called “the son of Zerahiah.”—1 Chron. 6:3-7, 52; Ezra 7:3, 4.

2. A priest identified as “the son of Ahitub, a leader of the house of the true God” and who appears to be the father of Zadok.—1 Chron. 9:10, 11; Neh. 11:11.

3. Founder of a priestly paternal house, the head of which was Helkai in the days of Joiakim. (Neh. 12:12, 15) “Meraioth,” the name of this house of a generation following the Jews’ return from Babylonian exile, may be a variation of “Meremoth,” the name of one of the priests accompanying Zerubbabel to Jerusalem in 537 B.C.E.—Neh. 12:3.

MERARI

(Me·rarʹi) [bitter, unhappy].

Son of Levi and brother of Gershon (Gershom) and Kohath. (Gen. 46:11; 1 Chron. 6:1, 16) Since Merari is mentioned in third place among Levi’s sons, he may have been the youngest. He was one of the seventy members of Jacob’s household “who came into Egypt.” (Gen. 46:8, 11, 26, 27) Merari had two sons, Mahli and Mushi (Ex. 6:19; 1 Chron. 6:19), and was the founder of the Merarites, one of the three main Levite families.—Num. 26:57.

MERARITES

(Me·rarʹites).

One of the three major families of Levites, descending from Levi’s son Merari through Mahli and Mushi. (Ex. 6:16, 19; Num. 3:20; 26:57, 58) The first census of the Israelites in the wilderness listed 6,200 Merarite males from a month old upward, 3,200 of these being from thirty to fifty years of age and entering the service group “for the service in the tent of meeting.” (Num. 3:33, 34; 4:42-45) Their chieftain then was Zuriel and their encampment was on the N side of the tabernacle. (Num. 3:35) During the wilderness trek the three-tribe division of Judah was first to pull away from an encampment. Then the Gershonites and Merarites “as carriers of the tabernacle pulled away,” followed by the three-tribe division of Reuben and then the Kohathite Levites. (Num. 10:14-21) The Merarites were in charge of the panel frames, bars, pillars and socket pedestals of the tabernacle, as well as “all its utensils and all its service,” in addition to the pillars, socket pedestals, tent pins and tent cords of the courtyard. (Num. 3:36, 37) To move these heavy objects, they were supplied with four wagons and eight cattle. In the wilderness they and the Gershonites were “under the hand” of Aaron’s son Ithamar.—Num. 7:6-8.

In the division of the Promised Land under Joshua, twelve cities were assigned to the Merarites, four each from the tribal territories of Reuben, Gad and Zebulun. One of these, Ramoth in Gilead (in the territory of Gad) was a “city of refuge.”—Josh. 21:7, 34-40; 1 Chron. 6:63, 77-81.

In David’s day 220 Merarites, with Asaiah as their chief, assisted other Levites in bringing the ark of the covenant to Jerusalem from the house of Obed-edom. (1 Chron. 15:1-6, 25) After the Ark had a resting-place, “David gave positions for the direction of the singing at the house of Jehovah” to certain Merarites. (1 Chron. 6:31, 44-47) Other Merarites were assigned as gatekeepers.—1 Chron. 26:1, 10, 19.

During Judean King Hezekiah’s reform program, some Merarites were among the Levites who cleansed the temple. (2 Chron. 29:12, 15) Later, in the seventh century B.C.E., Merarites Jahath and Obadiah were appointed over repairers of the temple under King Josiah.—2 Chron. 34:12, 13.

Merarites were among the Levites returning from Babylonian exile in 537 B.C.E. (1 Chron. 9:14) Later (in 468 B.C.E.), Merarites were among the Levites accompanying Ezra from Babylon to Jerusalem.—Ezra 8:1, 18, 19, 31, 32.

MERATHAIM

(Mer·a·thaʹim) [perhaps, double rebellion; or, on the basis of Vatican Manuscript No. 1209 (LXX) and the Peshitta Version, double bitterness].

A designation applying to Babylon or, possibly, to a particular territory in Babylonia. (Jer. 50:21, 23, 24) It may allude to the region known from inscriptions as mat marrati, considered to be an area near the Persian Gulf between the Tigris and Euphrates Rivers. Possibly Merathaim is a play on the Hebrew verb ma·rahʹ (“to be rebellious”), and, therefore, as a dual form of ma·rahʹ, Merathaim may point to the intensity of Babylon’s rebellion. From the days of its founder Nimrod, Babylon’s course was one of rebellion against Jehovah. (Gen. 10:8-10) For this reason it could appropriately bear the name “land of double rebellion.”

MERCHANT

One who buys and sells or barters with expectation of making a profit; a trader or trades-woman. Very early in man’s history people became skilled in certain fields of endeavor, specializing in their occupation. (Gen. 4:20-22) Commerce and trade between them naturally followed, and in the course of events, many individuals, both men and women (Ezek. 27:3), worked exclusively as merchants and traders handling a great variety of commodities. By the time Abraham reached Canaan early in the second millennium B.C.E., certain mercantile weights and measures were used and recognized. (Gen. 23:16) The Mosaic law commanded that the merchant’s measurements be standardized and just.—Deut. 25:13-16; Prov. 11:1; 20:10; Mic. 6:11.

Some merchants were shopkeepers; others did business in the cities in marketplaces and bazaars. (Neh. 13:20) Some owned fleets of ships that plied the high seas to bring back valuable cargoes of merchandise from distant lands. (Ps. 107:23; Prov. 31:14) Other traders were travelers who followed the extensive overland trade routes of the ancient world. (1 Ki. 10:14, 15; 2 Chron. 9:13, 14) Joseph was sold by his brothers to such traveling merchants headed for Egypt.—Gen. 37:25, 28.

All the nations, small and great, had their merchants, and through their activity many were made rich. There were the merchants of Ethiopia (Isa. 45:14), Assyria (Nah. 1:1; 3:16), the kingdom of Solomon (1 Ki. 10:28; 2 Chron. 1:16), and of Sidon and Tyre.—Isa. 23:2, 8.

Ezekiel’s prophecy describes the city of Tyre as a great commercial center to which the ships and caravans from all parts of the world came and that did business with the merchants of many nations—Tarshish, Javan, Tubal, Meshech, Dedan, Edom, Judah, Damascus, Sheba, Raamah, Asshur, Chilmad. This same prophecy also describes the great variety of merchandise these merchants handled and which enriched this port city, such things as silver, iron, tin, lead, copper articles, horses, mules, ivory, ebony, turquoise, wool, dyed fabrics, corals, rubies, wheat, special foodstuffs, honey, oil, balsam, wine, cassia, cane, garments of woven material, perfumes, precious stones, gold and other valuable things.—Ezek 27:2, 12-25.

The Greek word emʹpo·ros (poʹros meaning journey) refers to a traveling merchant (being the source of the English word “emporium”), as, for example, the traveling merchant in Jesus’ illustration who searched for fine pearls of great price. (Matt. 13:45) It is the traveling merchants that the symbolic book of Revelation says are made rich by “the great harlot . . . ‘Babylon the Great, the mother of the harlots,’” and who weep and mourn over her downfall and destruction. (Rev. 17:1, 5; 18:3, 11-15) Babylon the Great also has her own traveling merchants, “the top-ranking men of the earth.”—Rev. 18:23.

MERCY

This is a frequent translation of the Hebrew ra·hhamʹ and the Greek eʹle·os (verb, e·le·eʹo). An examination of these terms and their usage helps bring out their full flavor and sense. In many cases, though not all, the thought of pity is conveyed or implied.

The Hebrew verb ra·hhamʹ is defined as meaning “to glow, to feel warm with tender emotion; . . . to be compassionate.” According to lexicographer Gesenius: “The primary idea seems to lie in cherishing, soothing and a gentle emotion of mind.” The term is closely related to the word for “womb,” or can refer to “bowels,” which are affected when one feels warm and tender sympathy or pity.—Compare Isaiah 63:15, 16; Jeremiah 31:20.

In the Scriptures ra·hhamʹ is used only once by man toward God, the psalmist saying: “I shall have affection [form of ra·hhamʹ] for you, O Jehovah my strength.” (Ps. 18:1) Between humans, Joseph displayed this quality when “his inward emotions [form of ra·hhamʹ] were excited” toward his younger brother Benjamin and he gave way to tears. (Gen. 43:29, 30; compare 1 Kings 3:25, 26.) Those subjected to the possibility of being dealt with harshly or unfeelingly by captors (1 Ki. 8:50; Jer. 42:10-12) or by officials of superior authority (Gen. 43:14; Neh. 1:11; Dan. 1:9) desired and prayed to become objects of pity or mercy before such ones, hence, to be treated with favor, gentleness, consideration.—Contrast Isaiah 13:17, 18.

JEHOVAH’S MERCY

The term’s most frequent use is with regard to Jehovah’s dealings with his covenant people. God’s pity (ra·hhamʹ) toward these is compared with that of a woman toward the children of her womb and with a father’s mercy toward his sons. (Isa. 49:15; Ps. 103:13) Since the nation of Israel frequently strayed from righteousness and came into sore straits, they often became especially in need of merciful help. If they showed a right heart attitude and turned to Jehovah, he, though having been angry with them, would express compassion, favor, goodwill. (Deut. 13:17; 30:3; Ps. 102:13; Isa. 54:7-10; 60:10) His sending his Son to be born in Israel was evidence of a coming “daybreak” of divine compassion and mercy for them.—Luke 1:50-58, 72-78.

The Greek eʹle·os conveys some of the sense of the Hebrew ra·hhamʹ. W. E. Vine’s Expository Dictionary of New Testament Words says: “ELEOS (ἔλεος) ‘is the outward manifestation of pity; it assumes need on the part of him who receives it, and resources adequate to meet the need on the part of him who shows it.’” The verb (e·le·eʹo) generally conveys the idea of feeling “sympathy with the misery of another, and especially sympathy manifested in act.” (Vol. III, pp. 60, 61) Hence, the blind, the demon-possessed, the leprous, or those whose children were afflicted, were among those who evoked eʹle·os, the expression of mercy, pity. (Matt. 9:27; 15:22; 17:15; Mark 5:18, 19; Luke 17:12, 13) In response to the plea, “Have mercy on us,” Jesus performed miracles relieving such ones. He did so, not in a routine, apathetic way, but “moved with pity” (Matt. 20:33, 34), the Gospel writer here using a form of the verb splag·khniʹzo·mai, which literally means “to feel the bowels yearn.” This latter verb expresses the feeling of pity, whereas eʹle·os refers to the active manifestation of such pity, hence an act of mercy.

Not limited to judicial action

In English the word “mercy” quite generally conveys the idea of refraining, exercising restraint, such as in the administering of punishment, this restraint being motivated by compassion or sympathy. Thus, it frequently has a judicial flavor, as when a judge shows clemency in softening the judgment upon a wrongdoer. Since God’s exercise of mercy is always in harmony with his other qualities and righteous standards, including his justice and trueness (Ps. 40:11; Hos. 2:19), and since all men are by inheritance sinful and worthy of receiving sin’s payment of death (Rom. 5:12; compare Psalm 130:3, 4; Daniel 9:18; Titus 3:5), it is clear that the pardoning of error, or the lightening of judgment or punishment, is frequently involved in God’s exercise of mercy. (Ps. 51:12; 103:3, 4; Dan. 9:9; Mic. 7:18, 19) However, it can be seen from the preceding information that the Hebrew and Greek terms (ra·hhamʹ; eʹle·os) are not limited to forgiveness or restraint in applying a judicial penalty. Pardon of error of itself is not the mercy generally portrayed by these terms, but, rather, such forgiveness opens the way for that mercy. In expressing mercy, God, of course, never ignores his perfect standards of justice and for this reason he has provided the ransom sacrifice through his Son Christ Jesus, making possible the forgiveness of sins with no violation of justice.—Rom. 3:25, 26.

Mercy, then, most frequently refers, not to a negative action, a holding back (as of punishment), but to a positive action, to an expression of kind consideration or pity that brings relief to those who are disadvantaged, in need of mercy.

This is well illustrated in Jesus, parable of the Samaritan who saw the traveler lying by the roadside, robbed and beaten. He showed himself “neighbor” to the man because, moved with pity, he “acted mercifully toward him,” treating his wounds and caring for him. (Luke 10:29-37) No forgiveness of wrongdoing or judicial proceedings were involved.

Hence, the Scriptures show that the mercifulness of Jehovah God is not a quality that comes into play only when persons are, in effect, “on trial” before him due to having committed some particular wrong-doing