← H4600 H4602 →

מַעֲכָה

𐤌𐤏𐤊𐤄

Maakhah

H4601 noun

SILEX Entry

Root מָעַךְ to press, squeeze, crush

Definition

Proper noun denoting Ma'akah, used for a territory or small kingdom in the region of Syria (Aram), and as a personal name, both masculine and feminine, in the Hebrew Bible. As a place name, it refers primarily to a polity neighboring Bashan and Geshur, sometimes called Aram-Ma'akah or 'the land of Ma'akah'. As a personal name, Ma'akah is borne by several individuals, including Israelites and foreigners, both male and female.

Semantic Range

place name for a territory/kingdom; name for inhabitants of that territory; personal name, both male and female; gentilic form for people of that region

Root / Etymology

From the root מָעַךְ (makh), meaning 'to press, squeeze, crush.' The formation מַעֲכָה may originally denote a place characterized by a 'depression' or 'plain,' possibly referring to a geographical feature, though as a personal and place name, this association is secondary.

Historical & Contextual Notes

מַעֲכָה as a place name appears in passages referencing territorial boundaries in the Transjordan and northern Levant, often associated with neighboring polities such as Geshur and Aram. This entity (sometimes called the Maacathites) appears as an independent polity during the pre-monarchic and early monarchic periods. The toponym may refer to an ethnic group (the Maacathites) or the land itself. As a personal name, מַעֲכָה is used for both men and women, reflecting typical naming patterns of the period. Notable individuals include Ma'akah the daughter of Talmai king of Geshur, wife of David; and Ma'akah mother of Absalom. The usage as both masculine and feminine anthroponym reflects the unisex potential of Hebrew names in this period. The rendering 'Maachah' or 'Maachathites' in English Bibles sometimes obscures the distinction between the territory and its people. Later Jewish tradition did not retain a clear distinction between the various individuals or the region named Ma'akah, whereas in the biblical context, the geographic and personal references are usually distinct.

Original Strong's Gloss (1890)

or מַעֲכָת; (Joshua 13:13), from מָעַךְ; depression; Maakah (or Maakath), the name of a place in Syria, also of a Mesopotamian, of three Israelites, and of four Israelitesses and one Syrian woman; Maachah, Maachathites. See also בֵּית מַעֲכָה.

Bantu Hebrew

No Bantu Hebrew comparisons have been submitted for this word yet.

+ Add Bantu Hebrew Word

Root Family

מעך (m-ʿ-k) — pressing, squeezing, crushing

Strong's Lemma SIBI-P1
H4582 מָעוֹךְ Oppressor
H4600 מָעַךְ crushed one
H4602 מַעֲכָתִי the Ma‘akathite
H4624 מַעֲקֶה roof restraint-barrier
H62 אָבֵל בֵּית־מֲעַכָה Maakah

Word Forms

3 distinct forms

SIDANCE Surface Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 Occurrences
H4601-01 מַעֲכָֽה maakhah HNp Maacah Maakah (Pressed-Place) 21
H4601-03 וּ/מַֽעֲכָת֙ umaakhat HC/Np and Maacath and Maʿakath 1
H4601-02 וּ/מַֽעֲכָ֔ה umaakhah HC/Np and Maacah and Maʿakah 1

Occurrences in Scripture

23 total occurrences

SIDANCE Reference Word Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1
H4601-01 Genesis 22:24 מַעֲכָֽה maakhah HNp Maacah Maakah (Pressed-Place)
H4601-03 Joshua 13:13 וּ/מַֽעֲכָת֙ umaakhat HC/Np and Maacath and Maʿakath
H4601-01 2 Samuel 3:3 מַעֲכָ֔ה maakhah HNp Maacah Maakah (Pressed-Place)
H4601-01 2 Samuel 10:6 מַֽעֲכָה֙ maakhah HNp Maacah Maakah (Pressed-Place)
H4601-02 2 Samuel 10:8 וּ/מַֽעֲכָ֔ה umaakhah HC/Np and Maacah and Maʿakah
H4601-01 1 Kings 2:39 מַעֲכָ֖ה maakhah HNp Maacah Maakah (Pressed-Place)
H4601-01 1 Kings 15:2 מַעֲכָ֖ה maakhah HNp Maacah Maakah (Pressed-Place)
H4601-01 1 Kings 15:10 מַעֲכָ֖ה maakhah HNp Maacah Maakah (Pressed-Place)
H4601-01 1 Kings 15:13 מַעֲכָ֣ה maakhah HNp Maacah Maakah (Pressed-Place)
H4601-01 1 Chronicles 2:48 מַעֲכָ֔ה maakhah HNp Maacah Maakah (Pressed-Place)
← H4600 Hebrew Lexicon H4602 →