מַעֲכָתִי (ma.a.kha.ti)
ma.a.kha.ti
Maacathite
N:N--LGQuick Reference
- Language
- Biblical Hebrew
- Testament
- Old Testament
- Occurrences
- 8 verses
- Root
- —
- Part of speech
- N:N--LG
Word Overview
The term maacathi refers to a member or inhabitant of Maacath, a people group located in the Transjordan region. The name derives from Maacah, which carries the sense of pressure or crushing, likely reflecting the family lineage or geographical characteristics associated with this clan.
Scripture mentions this group primarily in historical records concerning Israel’s territorial boundaries and military campaigns. They appear in Joshua 12:5 alongside other regional powers, indicating their presence during the conquest period. Later references in Jeremiah 49:28 and 2 Samuel 10:6 highlight their interactions with neighboring kingdoms and their role in broader geopolitical conflicts of the era.
Understanding maacathi helps clarify the complex web of tribal and national identities surrounding ancient Israel. These brief mentions remind readers that the biblical narrative unfolds within a dense network of local societies, each with its own history and place in the region’s political landscape.
Based on public-domain lexicons (Strong's, Thayer, Gesenius, Brown-Driver-Briggs and others).
What This Word Means for Your Faith
The term Maacathite identifies a specific people group living in the Transjordan region during ancient Israel’s history. Their name, linked to the idea of pressure or crushing, appears in records of territorial boundaries and military conflicts. These brief mentions remind us that God’s plan unfolded within a complex web of local societies, each with its own place in the region’s political landscape.
For your faith today, this history shows that God’s covenant community was never isolated. It existed alongside many other nations, some allies, some adversaries. When you read about these interactions, it is helpful to remember that God’s sovereignty extends over all peoples and borders. His purposes are worked out in real-world settings, involving real people with distinct identities.
Even when the text notes that Israel did not drive out certain groups, like the Maacathites, it reflects the messy reality of ancient conquest. This invites us to trust God’s timing and wisdom, even when history seems complicated or incomplete. We can find comfort in knowing that He guides all nations according to His will.
How it's translated
How this word is rendered word-by-word in the 8 verses where it appears, by frequency.
- the/ Maacathite4×
- and/ the/ Maacathite[s]3×
- the/ Maacathite[s]1×
Forms in the text
The inflected forms of this word as they appear in Scripture, by frequency.
- הַ/מַּ֣עֲכָתִ֔י2×
- וְ/הַ/מַּעֲכָתִ֗י1×
- וְ/הַ/מַּעֲכָתִ֑י1×
- וְ/הַ/מַּֽעֲכָתִ֑י1×
- הַ/מַּעֲכָתִֽי\׃1×
- הַ/מַּעֲכָתִ֑י1×
- הַ/מַּֽעֲכָתִ֑י\ \ס1×
Key Verses
-
Joshua 13:13
Nevertheless the children of Israel didn’t drive out the Geshurites, nor the Maacathites: but Geshur and Maacath live within Israel to this day.
This verse is significant because it explicitly states that the Maacathites remained within Israel’s territory, highlighting a unique historical outcome where they were not displaced despite the general pattern of conquest.
-
Deuteronomy 3:14
Jair the son of Manasseh took all the region of Argob, to the border of the Geshurites and the Maacathites, and called them, even Bashan, after his own name, Havvoth Jair, to this day.)
Here the Maacathites are mentioned as defining a territorial border, showing their role in the geographical boundaries established during the distribution of land to the tribes.
-
II Kings 25:23
Now when all the captains of the forces, they and their men, heard that the king of Babylon had made Gedaliah governor, they came to Gedaliah to Mizpah, even Ishmael the son of Nethaniah, Johanan the son of Kareah, Seraiah the son of Tanhumeth the Netophathite, and Jaazaniah the son of the Maacathite, they and their men.
This occurrence places a Maacathite among the military captains who gathered after Jerusalem’s fall, illustrating that members of this group remained active in Judah’s political and military spheres even during its final days.