Maacah מַעֲכָה

Female Tribe of Benjamin H4601N 1 book

Grandmother of Saul

Who is Maacah in the Bible?

Maacah was the grandmother of King Saul, serving as the mother of Kish, who fathered Israel's first king (1 Chronicles 8:29, 9:35). She was married to a man identified variously as Jeiel, Abiel, or Ner, who played a significant role in reestablishing Gibeon as an important city and religious center. Though Maacah appears only briefly in the biblical genealogies of the tribe of Benjamin, she occupies an important place in the ancestral line leading to Saul's kingship. Her presence in the genealogical records underscores the significance of family lineage in establishing Israel's early monarchy.

Biography

Maacah was the wife of a man variously called Jeiel and elsewhere called Abiel or Ner (1Ch.8.29; 9.35). He is mentioned in the genealogy of Benjamin, specifically in the line of Saul. Her husband re-established Gibeon as an important city and religious centre.

Family

In Scripture

1 biblical book
1 Chronicles 2 verses
  • 1 Chronicles 8:29

    "Jeiel the father of Gibeon lived in Gibeon. His wife’s name was Maacah,"

  • 1 Chronicles 9:35

    "Jeiel the father of Gibeon lived in Gibeon. His wife’s name was Maacah."

Names & Aliases

Form Language Script Meaning
Named Hebrew מַעֲכָה Maakah (or Maakath), the name of a place in Syria, also of a Mesopotamian, of three Israelites, and of four Israelitesses and one Syrian woman