Meremoth

Smith's Bible Dictionary

Mer'emoth. (Elevations).

1. Son of Uriah or Urijah, the priest, of the family of Koz or Hakkoz, the head of the seventh course of priests, as established by David. In  Ezra 8:33, Meremoth is appointed to weigh and register, the gold and silver vessels belonging to the Temple. In the rebuilding of the wall of Jerusalem under Nehemiah, we find Meremoth taking an active part.  Nehemiah 3:4.

2. A layman, of the sons of Bani, who had married a foreign wife.  Ezra 10:36.

3. A priest, or more probably a family of priests, who sealed the covenant with Nehemiah.  Nehemiah 10:5.

Morrish Bible Dictionary

1. Son of Uriah, a priest: he weighed the vessels brought from Babylon, and helped to repair the wall of Jerusalem.  Ezra 8:33;  Nehemiah 3:4,21 .

2. One who had married a strange wife.   Ezra 10:36 .

3. Priest who sealed the covenant.   Nehemiah 10:5 .

4. Priest who returned with Zerubbabel.   Nehemiah 12:3 .

Fausset's Bible Dictionary

1. Son of Urijah the priest. He weighed and registered the golden and silver vessels of the temple, which Ezra had brought from Babylon ( Ezra 8:24-30;  Ezra 8:33;  Nehemiah 3:4).

2.  Ezra 10:36.

3. (See Meraioth );  Nehemiah 12:3;  Nehemiah 12:15.

Hastings' Dictionary of the Bible

MEREMOTH. 1. The head of the 7th course of priests (  Ezra 8:33 ,   Nehemiah 3:4;   Nehemiah 3:21;   Nehemiah 10:5 ); called in 1Es 8:52 Marmoth. 2. See Carabasion. 3. See Meraioth, No. 3.

Holman Bible Dictionary

 Nehemiah 12:3 2 Ezra 8:33 Nehemiah 3:4 3:21 Nehemiah 10:5 3 Ezra 10:36

Easton's Bible Dictionary

 Nehemiah 12:3 Ezra 8:33 Nehemiah 3:4

International Standard Bible Encyclopedia

mer´ḗ - moth , me - rē´moth ( מרמות , merēmōth , "heights"; Μερειμώθ , Mereimṓth ):

(1) Son of Uriah ( Ezra 8:33 ), who was head of the 7th course of priests appointed by David ( 1 Chronicles 24:10 , Hakkoz = Koz; compare  Nehemiah 3:4 ,  Nehemiah 3:21 ). The family of Koz were among those unable to prove their pedigree on the return from Babylon, and were therefore deposed as polluted ( Ezra 2:61 ,  Ezra 2:62 ). Meremoth's division of the family must, however, have been scatheless, for he is employed in the temple after the return as weigher of the gold and the vessels ( Ezra 8:33 ), a function reserved for priests alone ( Ezra 8:24-28 ). He takes a double part in the reconstruction under Nehemiah, first as a builder of the wall of the city ( Nehemiah 3:4 ), then as a restorer of that part of the temple abutting on the house of Eliashib the priest ( Nehemiah 3:21 ); "Marmoth" in 1 Esdras 8:62.

(2) A member of the house of Bani, and, like so many of that house, among those who married and put away foreign wives ( Ezra 10:36 ). He seems to be named Carabasion (!) in the corresponding list of 1 Esdras 9:34.

(3) The name occurs in  Nehemiah 10:5 among those who "seal the covenant" with Nehemiah (  Nehemiah 10:1 ). It may there be the name of an individual (in which case there were 4 of the name), or it may be a family name. Certainly a "Meremoth" came back under Zerubbabel 100 years before ( Nehemiah 12:3 ), and the signatory in question may be either a descendant of the same name or a family representative. The name recurs later in the same list ( Nehemiah 12:15 ) as "Meraioth" through a scribal error confusing the two Hebrew letters yōdh ( y ) and ḥōlem ( o ) for mem ( m ). A comparison of  Nehemiah 12:1-3 and   Nehemiah 12:12-15 shows clearly that it is the same person. Note that in   Nehemiah 12:15 "Helkai" is the name of the contemporary leader.

(4) For Meremoth (1 Esdras 8:2 the King James Version). See Memeroth .

Cyclopedia of Biblical, Theological and Ecclesiastical Literature

(Heb. Meremoth', מְרֵמוֹת , Exaltations ), the name of two men at the close of the captivity.

1. (Sept. Μεραμώθ , Μαρεμώθ , Μαρμώθ , Ἀπὸ ῾Ραμώθ v. r. Μαριμώθ , etc.; Vulg. Merimuth ). A priest, son of Urijah, and grandson (descendant) of Koz; who returned from Babvlon with Zerubbabel ( Nehemiah 12:3), BC. 536, and to whom were afterwards consigned the bullion and sacred- vessels forwarded by Ezra ( Ezra 8:33). BC. 459. "After the statement in  Ezra 2:62, respecting the exclusion of the family of Koz from the priesthood, it is puzzling to find one of this family recognised as a priest; but probably the exclusion did not extend to the whole family, some being able to establish their pedigree" (Kitto). He repaired two sections of the walls of Jerusalem ( Nehemiah 3:4;  Nehemiah 3:21), BC. 446, and lived to join in the sacred covenant of fidelity to Jehovah ( Nehemiah 10:5). BC. cir. 410. In  Nehemiah 12:15 he is mentioned by the name of MERAIOTH, as the father of Helkai.

2. (Sept. Μαριμώθ , Vulg. Marimuth .) An Israelite of the "sons" (? inhabitants) of Bani, who divorced his Gentile wife after the exile ( Ezra 10:36). BC. 459.