Maacah מַעֲכָה

Maacah was the daughter of King Talmai of Geshur, a region located northeast of the Sea of Galilee (2Sa.3.3; 1Ch.3.2). She became one of King David's wives and bore him a son named Absalom. Maacah's marriage to David likely served as a political alliance between Israel and Geshur. Absalom, her son, would later flee to Geshur after murdering his half-brother Amnon and remained there for three years (2Sa.13.37-38). Although not mentioned by name, Maacah was likely the mother of Tamar, who was raped by her half-brother Amnon (2Sa.13.1-22). Maacah's role in the biblical narrative is primarily as the mother of Absalom, whose rebellion against David and subsequent death had a profound impact on the king and his reign (2Sa.15-18). Her inclusion in the genealogies of David's family underscores the importance of maternal lineage in the royal line of Judah.