Maoch מָעוֹךְ
Father of Achish, king of Gath.
Who is Maoch in the Bible?
Maoch, also known as Maacah, was the father of Achish, king of the Philistine city of Gath. He is mentioned in 1 Samuel 27:2 in connection with David's flight from King Saul, when David sought refuge with Achish in Gath. Though Maoch himself does not appear as a major character in biblical narratives, he is significant as the father of Achish, who played an important role in David's life by providing him shelter during his time as a fugitive from Saul's persecution.
Biography
Maoch, also known as Maacah, was the father of Achish, the king of Gath, a Philistine city. When David was fleeing from King Saul, he sought refuge with Achish in Gath. Achish, the son of Maoch, received David and his men, allowing them to settle in the city. Later, when David was king of Israel, two of his servants fled to Achish, the son of Maacah, in Gath (1Sa.27.2; 1Ki.2.39). The variation in the name (Maoch or Maacah) may indicate different spellings or translations of the same name.
Family
In Scripture
2 biblical books1 Samuel 1 verse
- 1 Samuel 27:2
"So David set out with his six hundred men and went to Achish son of Maoch, the king of Gath."
1 Kings 1 verse
- 1 Kings 2:39
"After three years, however, two of Shimei’s slaves ran away to Achish son of Maacah, king of Gath. And Shimei was told, “Look, your slaves are in Gath.”"
Names & Aliases
| Form | Language | Script | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| Named | Hebrew | מָעוֹךְ | — |
| 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 |