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MAACAH

(Heb. maʿăḵâ)

(PLACE)

A tribe that shared a border with the half-tribe of Manasseh in the north of Israel during the time of Israel’s entry into Palestine after the Exodus (Deut. 3:14; Josh. 13:8-13). It later became a small semi-independent Aramean kingdom S of Mt. Hermon in the Transjordan, covering the areas E of the Jordan River and possibly northern Galilee during the period of the Israelite kingdoms (ca. 1050-730 b.c.). It was often associated with the kingdom of Geshur, which along with Maacah, comprised the northern border of Israel.

A city named Abel-beth-maacah (2 Sam. 20:14) listed in the annals of Tiglath-pileser III of Assyria (745-727) has been identified as Tell Abil el-Qamḥ (204296), located W of Tel Dan. Sheba fled to this city after his unsuccessful revolt against David.

Maacah sided with the Ammonites against David’s expansion in the Transjordan. The Ammonites employed 1000 soldiers from Maacah as mercenaries against Israel (2 Sam. 10:6-8; 1 Chr. 19:6-7). The kingdom appears to have become tributary to David (2 Sam. 10:19), but later was associated with the Aramean kingdom of Damascus during the reign of Solomon. Maacah was absorbed into the Damascene state soon thereafter (1 Kgs. 11:23-25).

Bibliography. B. Mazar, “Geshur and Maacah,” JBL 80 (1961): 16-28.

Mark W. Chavalas

Prayer Tents Bible References - Prayer Tents

MAACAH

Eerdmans Dictionary of the Bible (2000)