Bible Word Study
מָכִי
Mâkîy · Maki, an Israelite
מָכִי
Maki, an Israelite
Definition
Maki is a proper name referring to an Israelite from the tribe of Gad. He is identified as the father of Geuel, who was one of the twelve spies sent by Moses to explore the land of Canaan (Numbers 13:15). As a proper noun, it functions solely as a personal name within the biblical narrative. The name appears only in this genealogical context, designating a specific individual within the tribal structure of ancient Israel.
Biblical Usage
The word is used only once in the Old Testament, in Numbers 13:15. Its usage is strictly genealogical and onomastic, serving to identify the paternal lineage of Geuel, the spy chosen from the tribe of Gad. There are no other occurrences or contextual variations.
Etymology
The name Maki (מָכִי) is likely derived from the Hebrew root מוּךְ (mûk, H4134), meaning 'to be low, poor, or humbled,' often carrying a sense of pining or languishing. It is a gentilic or patronymic form, possibly meaning 'pining one' or 'one of lowly condition.' This connects it conceptually to other names and words expressing humility or affliction.
Semantic Range
As a personal name, Maki reflects a common Israelite practice of using words describing human condition or emotion for naming children. A name meaning 'pining' or 'humbled' might express parental circumstances, hope, or a characteristic attributed to the child. It situates an otherwise unknown individual within the crucial biblical event of the spying mission, highlighting that even minor figures in genealogies were part of God's covenant people and their collective history.
Word Details
How this works
Definitions are from the Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (BDB, 1906, public domain). Concordance and morphology data are from the OSHB (Open Scriptures Hebrew Bible).
Full methodology & sources →References
- Abbott-Smith, G. (1921) A Manual Greek Lexicon of the New Testament. Edinburgh: T&T Clark. [Public Domain]
- Brown, F., Driver, S.R. and Briggs, C.A. (1906) A Hebrew and English Lexicon of the Old Testament. Oxford: Clarendon Press. [Public Domain]
- Tyndale House, Cambridge (n.d.) Tyndale Brief lexicon of Extended Strongs for Greek (TBESG). STEPBible. Available at: https://www.stepbible.org. [CC BY 4.0]
- Tyndale House, Cambridge (n.d.) Translators Formatted full LSJ (TFLSJ). STEPBible. Available at: https://www.stepbible.org. [CC BY 4.0]
- Thayer, J.H. (1889) A Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament. [Public Domain]
- Gesenius, W. (1846) Gesenius' Hebrew-Chaldee Lexicon to the Old Testament. [Public Domain]
- Dodson, J. (2010) Greek Lexicon. Biblical Humanities. [CC0]