Original Word: מַחְלִי
Part of Speech: Proper Name Masculine
Transliteration: Machliy
Pronunciation: MAHK-lee
Phonetic Spelling: (makh-lee')
KJV: Mahli
NASB: Mahli
Word Origin: [from H2470 (חָלָה - To be weak)]

1. sick
2. Machli, the name of two Israelites

Mahli

From chalah; sick; Machli, the name of two Israelites -- Mahli.

see HEBREW chalah

Word Origin
of uncertain derivation
Definition
a Levite, also a son of Mushi
NASB Translation
Mahli (12).

I. מַחְלִי proper name, masculine 1. Levite, son of Merari Exodus 6:19; Numbers 3:20; 1 Chronicles 6:4; 1 Chronicles 6:14; 1 Chronicles 23:21 (twice in verse); 1 Chronicles 24:26,28; Ezra 8:18 (probably), ᵐ5 Μοολλει.

2 son of Mushi, and grandson of Merari 1 Chronicles 6:32; 1 Chronicles 23:23; 1 Chronicles 24:30, ᵐ5 Μοολει, Μοολ(λ)ι.

Lineage and Identity

Machli (also rendered Mahli) designates two closely related Levitical forefathers:

1. Mahli the firstborn of Merari, grandson of Levi (Exodus 6:19; Numbers 3:20; 1 Chronicles 6:19; 23:21).
2. Mahli the eldest son of Mushi, and therefore a grandson of Merari (1 Chronicles 23:23; 24:26, 28, 30).

Both bearers of the name belong to the clan later called “the Merarites,” whose lines are traced again in 1 Chronicles 6:29, 47 and carried into the post-exilic era in Ezra 8:18.

Role in Tabernacle Service

The Merarites received their charge by divine appointment:

“Under the direction of Ithamar son of Aaron the priest, you are to assign to them all the service of the sons of Merari… the frames of the tabernacle, its crossbars, posts, and bases” (Numbers 4:28-29).

Thus every descendant of Mahli shared responsibility for the heaviest structural elements of the sanctuary. Their obedience ensured the mobility of Israel’s worship during the wilderness march and safeguarded the physical locus of God’s dwelling among His people (Exodus 40:34-38).

Households under David and Solomon

David reorganised the Levites “to assist the sons of Aaron” (1 Chronicles 23:28). Within this re-ordering:
• Mahli’s sons Eleazar and Kish became heads of houses (1 Chronicles 23:21).
• From Mushi’s line the younger Mahli was listed with Eder and Jeremoth (1 Chronicles 23:23).

These families were numbered at twenty years and upward, signalling David’s anticipation of the permanent temple and the continuity of Levitical duty across generations.

Genealogical Continuity after Exile

Ezra records that during the return from Babylon, “they brought us Sherebiah, a man of insight, from the descendants of Mahli son of Levi… eighteen in all” (Ezra 8:18-19). The appearance of Mahli’s line in the reform movement underscores:
• Preservation of covenant identity despite exile.
• Readiness of Levitical households to renew sacrificial and instructional ministries in Jerusalem (Ezra 7:10; 8:15-20).

Spiritual and Theological Reflections

1. Covenant Faithfulness: The repeated citation of Mahli’s name across Torah, Chronicles, and Ezra affirms God’s commitment to preserve Levitical service throughout Israel’s shifting circumstances (Jeremiah 33:17-22).
2. Inter-generational Stewardship: Mahli’s descendants embraced roles from wilderness cargo-bearers to temple assistants and post-exilic teachers, illustrating that sacred vocation endures beyond cultural upheaval (Psalm 100:5).
3. Ministry Diversity within Unity: Though Gershonites, Kohathites, and Merarites differed in assignments, each clan—including Mahli’s—was indispensable to corporate worship (1 Corinthians 12:4-6 applied).

Practical Ministry Applications

• Physical support of worship—logistics, maintenance, craftsmanship—remains a God-honouring calling.
• Genealogical lists, often overlooked, invite believers to value every member’s contribution, named or unnamed, prominent or behind the scenes.
• The perseverance of Mahli’s line encourages contemporary servants of Christ to maintain faithfulness, confident that God records and rewards steadfast service (Hebrews 6:10).

לְמַחְלִי֙ למחלי מַחְלִ֑י מַחְלִ֔י מַחְלִ֖י מַחְלִ֣י מַחְלִ֥י מַחְלִי֙ מחלי lə·maḥ·lî lemachLi ləmaḥlî machLi maḥ·lî maḥlîInterlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel Texts