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MagpiashAid to Bible Understanding
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MAGPIASH
(Magʹpi·ash) [killer of moths].
One of the heads of the people whose descendant, if not himself, attested by seal the “trustworthy arrangement” of Nehemiah’s day.—Neh. 9:38; 10:1, 14, 20.
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MahalalelAid to Bible Understanding
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MAHALALEL
(Ma·halʹa·lel) [praise of God, or, perhaps, God shines forth].
1. A descendant of Seth through Enosh and Kenan; hence Seth’s great-grandson. Mahalalel lived 895 years. (Gen. 5:6-17; 1 Chron. 1:1, 2) In Luke’s genealogy of Jesus he is referred to by the name Mahalaleel.—Luke 3:37, 38.
2. A descendant of Judah through Perez and the ancestor of Athaiah, a resident of Jerusalem after the return from Babylonian exile.—Neh. 11:4.
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Mahalath, IAid to Bible Understanding
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MAHALATH, I
(Maʹha·lath) [lute, or, perhaps, sickness].
1. Ishmael’s daughter, the sister of Nebaioth and one of the women Esau took as a wife. (Gen. 28:9) She is possibly the same person as the Basemath of Genesis 36:3.
2. A granddaughter of David through his son Jerimoth. She became one of the wives of Rehoboam.—2 Chron. 11:18.
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Mahalath, IIAid to Bible Understanding
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MAHALATH, II
(Maʹha·lath).
Probably a musical term, perhaps one of a technical nature, found in the superscriptions of Psalms 53 and 88. Some believe that this term may be related to a Hebrew root word meaning “sickness, calamity,” thereby suggesting a gloomy and melancholy tune. This would harmonize with the somewhat somber content of the two songs, particularly that of Psalm 88.
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MahanaimAid to Bible Understanding
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MAHANAIM
(Ma·ha·naʹim) [two camps].
A site E of the Jordan where Jacob, after parting from Laban, encountered a company of angels. Jacob then called the place “Mahanaim.” (Gen. 32:1, 2) The meaning of the name (“two camps”) may allude to Jacob’s company as having become two camps, or to the camp of angels and the camp of Jacob. (Gen. 32:7, 10) Apparently sometime later a city was built on the site. In the fifteenth century B.C.E. this city was first assigned to the Gadites and then to the Levite Merarites.—Josh. 13:24, 26; 21:34, 38.
While David ruled from Hebron, Mahanaim served as the capital for the rival kingdom of Saul’s son and successor Ish-bosheth. This suggests that it was fortified and occupied a strategic position. (2 Sam. 2:8-11, 29) Evidently in this city Ish-bosheth was assassinated. (2 Sam. 4:5-7) Later, when David fled to Gilead from his rebellious son Absalom, he was kindly received at Mahanaim. He remained there at the request of his supporters and did not share in the battle that completely defeated Absalom’s attempt to seize the throne. (2 Sam. 17:24–18:16; 19:32; 1 Ki. 2:8) During the reign of David’s son Solomon, Mahanaim was under the jurisdiction of the deputy Ahinadab.—1 Ki. 4:7, 14.
At Song of Solomon 6:13 “the dance of two camps” may also be rendered “the dance of Mahanaim” (AS) or “Mahanaim dance.” (AT) Perhaps the reference is to dancing associated with a certain festival that was held at Mahanaim.—Compare Judges 21:19, 21.
The exact location of Mahanaim is uncertain. Khirbet Mahneh, about twelve miles (19 kilometers) N of the Jabbok and almost the same distance E of the Jordan, appears to preserve the Biblical name. But some feel that this site does not fit the Scriptural references to Mahanaim. They prefer Tell el-Hajjaj, about two miles (3 kilometers) S of the Jabbok and somewhat over nine miles (15 kilometers) from its confluence with the Jordan.
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Mahaneh-danAid to Bible Understanding
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MAHANEH-DAN
(Maʹha·neh-dan) [camp of Dan].
A place once described as lying “between Zorah and Eshtaol” (Judg. 13:25) and another time as being located W of Kiriath-jearim. (Judg. 18:11, 12) Some believe that these are two different sites, since the suggested locations for Eshtaol and Zorah are a number of miles SW of Kiriath-jearim. In any event, the location(s) of Mahaneh-dan is unknown. Its name means “Camp of Dan” and, therefore, perhaps simply denoted a temporary settlement or a campsite and could understandably apply to more than one place.
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MaharaiAid to Bible Understanding
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MAHARAI
(Maʹha·rai) [impetuous, swift].
A mighty man of David’s military forces and a Netophathite. (2 Sam. 23:8, 28; 1 Chron. 11:26, 30) He was a descendant of Zerah and was later put in charge of the division of 24,000 ministering to the king during the tenth month.—1 Chron. 27:1, 13.
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MahathAid to Bible Understanding
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MAHATH
(Maʹhath) [snatching; seizing].
1. A Kohathite Levite and ancestor of Samuel and Heman the singer at the house of Jehovah.—1 Chron. 6:31-35.
2. One of the Kohathite Levites who aided in cleansing the temple in King Hezekiah’s day. (2 Chron. 29:12, 15, 16) Evidently the same person was made a commissioner under Conaniah and Shimei in charge of “the contribution and the tenth and the holy things” at the temple.—2 Chron. 31:12, 13.
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MahaviteAid to Bible Understanding
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MAHAVITE
(Maʹha·vite) [Heb., ma·hhawimʹ, villagers].
A designation applied to Eliel, one of the mighty men of David’s military forces. (1 Chron. 11:26, 46) The term may have been used to distinguish this person from the Eliel of verse 47.
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MahaziothAid to Bible Understanding
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MAHAZIOTH
(Ma·haʹzi·oth) [visions].
A Kohathite Levite and last mentioned of the fourteen sons of Heman. Mahazioth became head of the twenty-third service group of temple musicians as organized by David.—1 Chron. 25:4-6, 8, 9, 30.
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Maher-shalal-hash-bazAid to Bible Understanding
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MAHER-SHALAL-HASH-BAZ
(Maʹher·shalʹal-hash-baz) [Hasten, O spoil! He has come quickly to the plunder; or, Hastening to the spoil, he has come quickly to the plunder].
Jehovah commanded Isaiah to write these prophetic words on a large tablet and have it attested to by reliable witnesses. Thereafter, he instructed the prophet to give this same expression as a name to his newborn son, declaring that before the child could say “My father!” and “My mother!” the king of Assyria would subjugate Judah’s enemies, Damascus and Samaria. (Isa. 8:1-4) The prophetic meaning of this name given to Isaiah’s second son was fulfilled within the designated time period. During the reign of Israel’s King Pekah, the Assyrian monarch Tiglath-pileser (III) invaded Israel, took many cities, plundered the land and carried numerous inhabitants into captivity. Thereafter, Pekah was murdered. (2 Ki. 15:29, 30) The king of Assyria also captured Syria’s capital city Damascus, took its people into exile and put Syrian King Rezin to death. (2 Ki. 16:9) In this way both of these kings who had conspired against Judah met their end. Later, in 740 B.C.E., the Assyrians overthrew Samaria, removing the apostate Israelites from that city and from the rest of the domain of the northern kingdom of Israel. (2 Ki. 17:1-6) Thus, this boy born to Isaiah by his wife (whom he terms “the prophetess”) proved to be in Israel a truthful and reliable ‘sign and miracle’ from Jehovah.—Isa. 8:3, 18.
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MahlahAid to Bible Understanding
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MAHLAH
(Mahʹlah) [perhaps, disease or song].
1. One of the daughters of Zelophehad of the tribe of Manasseh. Mahlah and her sisters requested their father’s inheritance, since he had no sons but only five daughters. Moses inquired of Jehovah, who ruled that the daughters of Zelophehad should receive it. (Num. 26:28-33; 27:1-11) A subsequent order of Jehovah through Moses required Mahlah and the other daughters of Zelophehad to marry within the tribe of Manasseh, to prevent the inheritance from passing to another tribe. Accordingly, Mahlah and her sisters “became the wives of the sons of their father’s brothers.” (Num. 36:1-6, 10-12) This judicial decision established
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