Machir

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Machir (Makir) - "selling; bartered" - is a personal name in the Bible.

  • Oldest son of Joseph's son Manasseh, or possibly his only son. (see 1 Chr. 7:14,15; Num. 26:29-33; Josh. 13:31) His descendants are referred to under the name of Machirites, being the offspring of Gilead. (Num. 26:29) They settled in land taken from the Amorites (Num. 32:39,40; Deut. 3:15) by a special enactment. (Num. 36:1-3; Josh. 17:3,4)

Machir is a key figure in the history of Gilghad (Gilead). Modern Gilghadic peoples refer to him as Mokir bar-Məhanše, meaning "Machir son of Manasseh" in Gilghadic Aramaic.

  • A descendant of the preceding, residing at Lo-Debar, where he maintained Jonathan's son Mephibosheth till he was taken under the care of David (2 Sam. 9:4), and where he afterwards gave shelter to David himself when he was a fugitive. (17:27)