Who was Maacah in the Bible?

Maacah was a concubine of Nahor, Abraham's brother. She is mentioned as the mother of Nahor's son Tebah (Genesis 22:24).

What is the significance of Maacah in the Bible?

Her significance is primarily genealogical, as she is part of the family line of Abraham's brother Nahor. Her mention helps establish the extended family narrative in Genesis.

What key events involved Maacah in the Bible?

The only recorded event in her life is giving birth to her son Tebah. This is listed in a genealogy of Nahor's descendants (Genesis 22:20-24).

Maacah

Old TestamentPatriarchsMaleBrother

Maacah, a concubine of Nahor, was the mother of Nahor's son Tebah (Gen.22.24).

Maacah

Biography

Maacah was one of the children born to Nahor, Abraham's brother, through his concubine Reumah (Genesis 22:24). Listed alongside Tebah, Gaham, and Tahash, Maacah appears in the genealogical notice that updates Abraham on his brother's growing family in Mesopotamia. This Maacah is traditionally regarded as the progenitor of the small Aramean kingdom of Maacah (also called Abel Beth Maacah or Aram-Maacah), which was situated east of the Jordan near Mount Hermon. This territory later appears in biblical narratives as a neighbor, and sometimes adversary, of Israel during the period of the monarchy (2 Samuel 10:6-8; 1 Chronicles 19:6-7). The connection between Nahor's descendant and this geographical region illustrates the common biblical pattern of eponymous ancestors giving their names to territories and peoples.

Significance

Maacah's significance extends beyond his brief genealogical mention through the nation that bore his name. The kingdom of Maacah became part of the geopolitical landscape surrounding Israel, appearing in accounts of David's wars against the Ammonite-Aramean coalition (2 Samuel 10:6-8). As a descendant of Nahor, Maacah belongs to the extended Abrahamic family, reflecting the biblical theme that Abraham's broader kinship network populated the regions surrounding the Promised Land. This genealogical connection between Israel and its neighbors through shared Terahite ancestry demonstrates that the conflicts and alliances of later periods involved peoples who were, in a sense, distant relatives, adding depth to the biblical portrayal of international relations in the ancient Near East.

Verse Appearances (1)

Genesis

Genesis 22:24

References

Orr, J. (ed.) (1915) The International Standard Bible Encyclopedia. Chicago: Howard-Severance Company. [Public Domain]
Tyndale House, Cambridge (n.d.) Translators Individualised Proper Names with all References (TIPNR). STEPBible. Available at: https://www.stepbible.org. [CC BY 4.0]
Wikidata contributors (n.d.) Wikidata. Available at: https://www.wikidata.org. [CC0]
Church of England (1769) The Holy Bible, Authorized (King James) Version. [Public Domain]

View all sources & licensing →

See our editorial standards →

Content compiled from public domain scholarship, academic sources, and verified references. Editorial standards · View all sources