Machir
“Sold”
Summary
Machir was the name of two Old Testament figures: the eldest son of Manasseh whose descendants became a powerful warrior clan in Gilead, and a wealthy Gileadite landowner who sheltered both Mephibosheth and later King David.
☩Son of Manasseh
Machir was the oldest son of Manasseh, born during the lifetime of Joseph, who adopted Machir's children upon his knees. His mother was an Aramite concubine, and his wife Maachah was a granddaughter of Benjamin. His descendants, called Machirites, became so powerful that the name 'Machir' sometimes replaced 'Manasseh' in poetic usage, as in the Song of Deborah.
☩Conquest of Gilead
The family of Machir distinguished themselves in the conquest of the Transjordan territory. Their warlike prowess expelled the Amorite inhabitants from the rugged range of Gilead, and Moses rewarded their bravery by assigning them a large portion of the district—'half Gilead'—along with the towns of Ashtaroth and Edrei, former capitals of Og's kingdom. The strategic importance of this frontier land, exposed to Syrian and Assyrian invasions as well as desert raids, made it fitting to assign it to a clan whose military skill had been proven.
☩Son of Ammiel
A later Machir, son of Ammiel, was a wealthy Gileadite chief dwelling at Lo-debar. He sheltered Mephibosheth, Jonathan's lame son, until David sought him out to show him kindness for Jonathan's sake. Later, when David fled from Absalom's rebellion, Machir repaid David's earlier kindness by bringing supplies to the fugitive king at Mahanaim—beds, basins, earthenware, wheat, barley, flour, parched grain, beans, lentils, honey, curds, sheep, and cheese.
Related Verses20 mentions
References
- 1.John McClintock and James Strong, "Machir," in Cyclopedia of Biblical, Theological and Ecclesiastical Literature, vol. V (Harper & Brothers, 1867–1887).
- 2.James Orr (ed.), "Machir; Machirite," in International Standard Bible Encyclopedia, vol. III (Howard-Severance Company, 1915).
- 3.Andrew Robert Fausset, "Machir," in The Englishman's Critical and Expository Bible Cyclopædia (Hodder & Stoughton, 1878).