THE AGES DIGITAL LIBRARY REFERENCE CYCLOPEDIA of BIBLICAL, THEOLOGICAL and ECCLESIASTICAL LITERATURE M - Managers by James Strong & John McClintock To the Students of the Words, Works and Ways of God: Welcome to the AGES Digital Library. We trust your experience with this and other volumes in the Library fulfills our motto and vision which is our commitment to you: MAKING THE WORDS OF THE WISE AVAILABLE TO ALL — INEXPENSIVELY. AGES Software Rio, WI USA Version 1.0 © 2000 2 M Ma'äcah (Heb. Maikah', hk;[}mi, oppression, Sept. Maaca>, but in <012224>Genesis 22:24, Moca>; in <130248>1 Chronicles 2:48; 3:3. Mwca>; in <130715>1 Chronicles 7:15, 16, Mooca>; in <130935>1 Chronicles 9:35, Mowca>; in <131143>1 Chronicles 11:43, Maca>; Vulg. Maacha; Auth. Vers. "Maacah" only <100303>2 Samuel 3:3; 10:6, 8), the name of a place and also of nine persons. SEE BETH- MAACHAH. 1. A city and region at the foot of Mount Hermon, not far from Geshur, a district of Syria (<061313>Joshua 13:13; <101006>2 Samuel 10:6, 8; <131907>1 Chronicles 19:7). Hence the adjacent portion of Syria is called Aram-Maacah, or Syria of Maachah ("Syria-Maachah," <131906>1 Chronicles 19:6). It appears to have been situated at the southerly junction of Coele-Syria and Damascene- Syria, being bounded by the kingdom of Rehob on the north, by that of Geshur on the south, and by the mountains on either side of the Upper Jordan, on the east and west. SEE GESHUR. The little kingdom thus embraced the southern and eastern declivities of Hermon, and a portion of the rocky plateau of Itursea (Porter's Damascus, 1:319; comp. Journ. of Sac. Lit. July 1854, page 310). The Israelites seem to have considered this territory as included in their grant, but were never able to get possession of it (<061313>Joshua 13:13). In the time of David this petty principality had a king of its own, who contributed 1000 men to the grand alliance of the Syrian nations against the Jewish monarch (<101006>2 Samuel 10:6, 8). The lot of the half-tribe of Manasseh beyond the Jordan extended to this country, as had previously the dominion of Og, king of Bashan (<050314>Deuteronomy 3:14; <061205>Joshua 12:5). The Gentile nameis Maacahthite (ytæk;[}mi, Sept. Macaqi>, but Maacaqi> in <102324>2 Samuel 23:24, Macaqa> in <130419>1 Chronicles 4:19, Miocaqei> in <244008>Jeremiah 40:8; Auth. Version "Maacathite," but "Maachathi" in <050314>Deuteronomy 3:14), which is also put for the people (<050314>Deuteronomy 3:14; <061205>Joshua 12:5; 13:11, 13; <122523>2 Kings 25:23). Near or within the ancient limits of the small state of Maacah was the town called for that reason Abbel beth-maacah, perhaps its metropolis, which is represented by the modern Abil el-Kamh, situated on the west side of the 3 valley and stream that descends from Merj Ayun towards the Huleh, and on a summit, with a large offset on the south. SEE ABELN-BETH MAACHAH. Rosenmüller explains the name Maacah to press, to press together, which seems to denote a region enclosed and hemmed in by mountains, a land of valleys. The name of this region is Anglicized everywhere "Maachah" in the Auth. Vers., except in <100303>2 Samuel 3:3; 10:6, 8. Once (<061313>Joshua 13:13, second clause) it is written in the original Maacath (Hebrew Maakath', tk;[}mi, Sept. Macaqi>,Vulg. Maachati, Auth. Vers. "Maachathites"). The identification of the Chaldee version with the district of Epicairus (Ejpikairov), mentioned by Ptolemy (5:16, 9) as lying between Callirrhoe and Livias, as also that of the Syriac (on 1 Chronicles) with Charan, according to Rosenmüller (Altelth. 1. 2) a tract in the district of the Ledja (Burckhardt, 1:350), is merely traditionary (Reland, Palest. p. 118). 2. The last named of the four children of Nahor by his concubine Reumah, probably a son, although the sex is uncertain (<012224>Genesis 22:24). B.C. cir. 2040. Ewald arbitrarily connects the name with the district of Maachah in the Hermon range (Gesch. 1:414, note 1). 3. The sister of Hupham (Huppim) and Shupham (Shuppim), and consequently granddaughter of Benjamin; she married Machir, by whom she had two sons (<130715>1 Chronicles 7:15, 16). B.C. post. 1856. SEE GILEAD. 4. The second named of the concubines of Caleb (son of Hezron), by whom she had several children (<130248>1 Chronicles 2:48). B.C. ante 1658. 5. The wife of Jehiel and mother of Gibeon (<130829>1 Chronicles 8:29; 9:35). B.C. cir. 1658. 6. A daughter of Talmai, king of Geshur; she became the wife of David, and mother of Absalom (<100303>2 Samuel 3:3). B.C. 1053. In <092708>1 Samuel 27:8, we read of David's invading the land of the Geshurites, and the Jewish commentators (in Jerome, ad Reg.) allege that he then took the daughter of the king captive, and, in consequence of her great beauty, married her, after she had been made a proselyte according to the law in Deuteronomy 21. But this is a gross mistake. for the Geshur invaded by David was to the south of Judah, whereas the Geshur over which Talmai ruled was to the north, and was regarded as part of Syria (<101508>2 Samuel 15:8). SEE GESIHUI. The fact appears to be that David, having married 4 the daughter of this king, contracted an alliance with him, in order to strengthen his interest against Ishbosheth in those parts. Josephus gives her name Maca>mh (Ant. 7:1, 4). SEE DAVID. 7. The father of Hanan, which latter was one of David's famous body- guard (<131143>1 Chronicles 11:43). B.C. ante 1046. 8. The father of Shephatiah, which latter was the military chief of the tribe of Simeon under David and Solomon (<132716>1 Chronicles 27:16). B.C. ante 1014. 9. The father of Achish, which latter was the king of Gath, to whom Shimei went in search of his runaway servants, and thus forfeited, his life by transcending the bounds prescribed by Solomon (<110239>1 Kings 2:39). B.C. ante 1010. He appears to have been different from the Maoch of <092702>1 Samuel 27:2. SEE ACHISH. 10. A daughter of Abishalom, the wife of Rehoboam, and mother of Abijam (<111502>1 Kings 15:2). B.C. 973-953. In verse 10 we read that Asa's "mother's name was Maachah, the daughter of Abishalom." It is evident that here "mother" is used in a loose sense, and means "grandmother," which the Maachah named in verse 2 must have been to the Asa of verse 10. It therefore appears to be a great error to make two persons of them, as is done by Calmet and others. The Abishalom who was the father of this Maachah is called Absalom in <141120>2 Chronicles 11:20-22, and is generally supposed by the Jews to have been Absalom, the son of David; which seems not improbable, seeing that Rehoboam's two other wives were of his father's family (<141118>2 Chronicles 11:18). In <141302>2 Chronicles 13:2, she is called "Michaiah, the daughter of Uriel of Gibeah." But Josephus says that she was the daughter of Tamar, the daughter of Absalom (Ant. 8:10, 1), and consequently his granddaughter. This seems not unlikely, and in that case this Tamar must have been the wife of Uriel. SEE ABIJAI. It would appear that Asa's own mother was dead before he began to reign; for Maachah bore the rank and state of queen-mother (resembling that of the sultaness Valide among the Turks), the powers of which she so much abused to the encouragement of idolatry, that Asa commenced his reforms by "removing her from being queen, because she had made an idol (lit. a fright) in a grove" (<111510>1 Kings 15:10-13; <141516>2 Chronicles 15:16). 5 Maacath SEE MAACAH, 1. Ma'achah (<012224>Genesis 22:24; <110239>1 Kings 2:39; 15:2,10, 13; <130248>1 Chronicles 2:48; 3:2; 7:15, 16; 8:29; 9:35; 11:43; 19:6, 7; 27:16; <141120>2 Chronicles 11:20,21, 22; 15:16). SEE MAACAH. Maach'athi (<050314>Deuteronomy 3:14), Maach'athites (<061205>Joshua 12:5; 13:11, 13 [in the second occurrence it should be Maacath]; <102334>2 Samuel 23:34; <122523>2 Kings 25:23; <130419>1 Chronicles 4:19; <244008>Jeremiah 40:8). SEE MAACAH, 1. Ma'adai (Heb. Maaday', ydi[}mi, ornamental; Sept. Moodi>a), one of the "sons" of Bani who divorced his Gentile wife after the exile (<151034>Ezra 10:34). B.C. 459. Maaidi'ah (Heb. Maadyah', hy;d][imi, ornament of Jehovah; Septuag. Maadi&ava,Vulg. Madia), one of the priests who returned to Jerusalem with Zerubbabel (<161205>Nehemiah 12:5); evidently the same with the MOADIAH (Heb. Moady'ah', hy;d][i/m, festival of Jehovah; Sept. Maadai> Vulg. Moadia), whose son Piltai is mentioned in verse 17 (where some connection with one Miniamin is obscurely noted); the true pointing being perhaps hy;d][imo, Moadyah', which will make both forms coincide. B.C. 536. Ma'ai (Heb. Maay', y[im;, perhaps compassionate Sept. has two names, Ijama>, Aji`>a, the first syllable of the former being apparently taken from the last of the preceding name Gilalai; Vulg. Maai), one of the priests appointed to 6 perform the music at the celebration of the completion of the walls of Jerusalem after the captivity (<161236>Nehemiah 12:36).