Maacathite
1:
MAACATHITE, MAACHATHI*, MAACHATHITE* People of Maacah who held the territory neighboring the Geshurites and the boundary of land granted to the half-tribe of Manasseh (Dt 3:14; Jos 12:5; 13:11). It was taken over by Jair, who with his companions were unable to dislodge the Maacathites and Geshurites living among them (Jos 13:13).
From the Maacathites came Eliphelet, who joined David’s army of “mighty men” (2 Sm 23:34). The parallel passage in 1 Chronicles 11:36 calls him a Mekerathite.
Their unfriendliness persisted throughout Israel’s history. When Jerusalem fell to Nebuchadnezzar, Jaazaniah, the son of a Maacathite, sought to join Ishmael the Ammonite against Gedaliah, whom Nebuchadnezzar had left to govern the city (2 Kgs 25:23; Jer 40:8).
See also Maacah, Maachah (Place).
Elwell, W. A., & Comfort, P. W. (2001). Tyndale Bible dictionary. Tyndale reference library (837). Wheaton, Ill.: Tyndale House Publishers.
2:
MAAC´ATHITES (ma-akʹa-thīts). Inhabitants of Maacah (Josh. 13:13), a small kingdom S of Mt. Hermon, located in the northern part of the Golan Heights, bounded on the S by the kingdom of Geshur. There were Maacathite warriors among the mighty men of Israel. One was apparently the father of Ahasbai in 2 Sam. 23:34; one was the father of Jezaniah, or Jaazaniah (2 Kings 25:23; Jer. 40:8); another, Eshtemoa (1 Chron. 4:19), may have taken the title from Maacah, Caleb’s concubine (2:48). Indeed, Maacah was so common as a personal name that other Maacathites may have received the epithet in the same way. It is possible that the kingdom of Maacah may have taken its name from the Maacah of Gen. 22:24. The Maacathites are mentioned in Joshua in connection with the Geshurites as bordering the territory of Og, king of Bashan (12:5; cf. 13:11) but not dispossessed by Israel.
Unger, M. F., Harrison, R. K., Vos, H. F., Barber, C. J., & Unger, M. F. (1988). The new Unger's Bible dictionary. Revision of: Unger's Bible dictionary. 3rd ed. c1966. (Rev. and updated ed.). Chicago: Moody Press.
