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MeribahAid to Bible Understanding
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MERIBAH
(Merʹi·bah) [quarreling, strife, contention].
1. A place in the vicinity of the Israelite wilderness encampment at Rephidim. It was there that Jehovah provided a miraculous supply of water when Moses struck the rock in Horeb with his rod. Moses then called the site “Massah” (testing, trial) and “Meribah” (quarreling, strife, contention). These names were commemorative of Israel’s quarreling with Moses and its testing of God on account of the lack of water.—Ex. 17:1-7.
2. The name “Meribah” was later also given to a location near Kadesh, the reason for the name likewise being Israel’s quarreling with Moses and Jehovah about the lack of water. (Num. 20:1-13) Unlike the place near Rephidim, where the Israelites encamped less than two months after coming out of Egypt (Ex. 16:1; 17:1; 19:1), this Meribah did not bear the name “Massah.” The Scriptures sometimes distinguish it from the other location by referring to the “waters of Meribah” (Ps. 106:32) or the “waters of Meribah at [or, of] Kadesh.” (Num. 27:14; Deut. 32:51) However, at Psalm 81:7 the reference to Jehovah’s examining Israel by the “waters of Meribah” may allude to the incident at Meribah near Rephidim.—Compare Deuteronomy 33:8.
Moses and Aaron failed to sanctify Jehovah in connection with the miraculous provision of water at Meribah in the Kadesh area. Therefore they lost the privilege of entering the Promised Land. This event seems to have occurred in the fortieth year of Israel’s wilderness wanderings.—Num. 20:1, 9-13, 22-28; 33:38, 39.
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Meribath-kadeshAid to Bible Understanding
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MERIBATH-KADESH
(Merʹi·bath-kaʹdesh) [quarreling, strife, or contention at Kadesh].
A southern limit of Israel’s territory as seen by Ezekiel in vision. (Ezek. 47:13, 19; 48:28) The name “Meribath-kadesh” alludes to Israel’s quarreling with Jehovah at the “waters of Meribah” while dwelling at Kadesh.—Num. 20:1-13; see KADESH, KADESH-BARNEA; MERIBAH No. 2.
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Merib-baalAid to Bible Understanding
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MERIB-BAAL
(Merʹib-baʹal) [contender against Baal, or, Baal contends].
Grandson of King Saul, son of Jonathan and the father of Micah. (1 Chron. 8:33, 34) This is apparently another name for Mephibosheth. Others had two names, such as Eshbaal, also called Ish-bosheth.—Compare 2 Samuel 2:8 with 1 Chronicles 8:33.
The name Merib-baal is found in two somewhat different Hebrew forms (Merivʹ baʹʽal and Meri-vaʹʽal) at 1 Chronicles 9:40. The first form is also used at 1 Chronicles 8:34 and means “contender against Baal,” which compares favorably with the possible meanings of Mephibosheth, that is, “one who scatters or disperses shame,” or “idol breaker.” Further indicating similar identity is the fact that Mephibosheth had a boy named Mica and Merib-baal had a son named Micah. (Compare 2 Samuel 9:12 with 1 Chronicles 9:40.) The forms “Mica” and “Micah” are due merely to a slight variation in the Hebrew spelling of these names.
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MerodachAid to Bible Understanding
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MERODACH
(Merʹo·dach).
The Hebrew form for Marduk, the most important Babylonian god. The Babylonian Kings Merodach-baladan (Isa. 39:1) and Evil-merodach (2 Ki. 25:27) were undoubtedly named after this god. With the rise of Babylon to prominence, because of King Hammurabi’s making it the capital of Babylonia, Merodach likewise increased in importance. The attributes of earlier gods came to be assigned to him, and it is thought that the Babylonian priests altered the mythological accounts to make Merodach the slayer of Tiamat and the creator of the world and of man. Babylonian texts identify Marduk (Merodach) as the son of Ea (the god presiding over the watery element), the consort of Sarpanitu and the father of Nebo.
Alexander Hislop, in his book The Two Babylons, defines Merodach as “The great Rebel” and links him with Nimrod, saying: “There is no doubt that Nimrod was a rebel, and that his rebellion was celebrated in ancient myths; but his name in that character was not Nimrod, but Merodach.”
The kingship over Babylon was closely associated with the image of Merodach at his temple, Esagila, for the rulers of Babylon were not installed by coronation but became kings by taking hold of the hand of Merodach. The ceremony was repeated each year at the New Year’s festival. Even during the time that Assyria controlled Babylonia the kings of Assyria were required to come to the city of Babylon each year for the New Year’s festival and legalize their claim to the throne by taking hold of Merodach’s hand.
Jeremiah the prophet, with respect to Babylon’s fall, foretold that Merodach would “become terrified.” This came true in the sense that Merodach proved to be unable to preserve the dignity of the Babylonian World Power and, since the conquerors of Babylon were worshipers of other deities, his future became very uncertain, filled with foreboding.—Jer. 50:2; see BEL.
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Merodach-baladanAid to Bible Understanding
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MERODACH-BALADAN
(Merʹo·dach-balʹa·dan) [Marduk has given a son].
The “son of Baladan” and king of Babylon who sent letters and a gift to King Hezekiah of Judah following that king’s recovery from illness. (Isa. 39:1) He is called “Berodach-baladan” at 2 Kings 20:12, but this difference is generally considered to be the result of a scribal error, or else to represent an attempt at transliterating an Akkadian consonant with a sound somewhere between that of “m” and “b.”
The name of Merodach-baladan occurs in Assyrian and Babylonian cuneiform inscriptions as “Marduk-aplaiddin.” He there appears as the ruler of a Chaldean district known as Bit Yakin, situated in the marshlands above the head of the Persian Gulf and S of Babylon. He claims royal descent, giving the name of King Eriba-Marduk of Babylon (considered as of the early part of the eighth century B.C.E.) as his forefather.
Tiglath-pileser III, whose rule extended into the reign of King Ahaz of Judah (761-745 B.C.E.) refers to Merodach-baladan as ruler of a Chaldean tribe rendering homage to him when the Assyrians made a campaign into Babylonia.
SENDS DELEGATION TO HEZEKIAH
Merodach-baladan is stated to have entered Babylon and proclaimed himself king at the time of the accession of Sargon II to the Assyrian throne (probably 740 B.C.E., corresponding to the fall of Samaria). Merodach-baladan had the support of the Elamites in this action and, although Sargon soon endeavored to dislodge him from Babylon, the Chaldean was able to maintain his position there for a period of about twelve years, according to the Babylonian King List. It may have been during this time that he sent his embassy to King Hezekiah, either in the fourteenth year of the Judean king (732-731 B.C.E.) or shortly thereafter. It is suggested by some, including Jewish historian Josephus, that Merodach-baladan’s expressions of interest in Hezekiah’s health involved more than a formality, and that his ulterior motive was to attempt to gain the support of the kingdom of Judah, along with that of Elam, in a coalition against Assyria. At any rate, Hezekiah’s action in showing the royal treasure-house and his armory (2 Ki. 20:13) to
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