Easton's Bible Dictionary

Magor-missabib Fear on every side, (Jer 20:3), a symbolical name given to the priest Pashur, expressive of the fate announced by the prophet as about to come upon him. Pashur was to be carried to Babylon, and there die.

Mahalaleel Praise of God. (1.) The son of Cainan, of the line of Seth (Gen 5:12); called Maleleel (Luk 3:37). (2.) Neh 11:4, a descendant of Perez.

Mahalath A lute; lyre. (1.) The daughter of Ishmael, and third wife of Esau (Gen 28:9); called also Bashemath (Gen 36:3). (2.) The daughter of Jerimoth, who was one of David's sons. She was one of Rehoboam's wives (Ch2 11:18).

Mahalath Maschil In the title of Psa 53:1, denoting that this was a didactic psalm, to be sung to the accompaniment of the lute or guitar. Others regard this word "mahalath" as the name simply of an old air to which the psalm was to be sung. Others, again, take the word as meaning "sickness," and regard it as alluding to the contents of the psalm.

Mahalath Leannoth Maschil This word leannoth seems to point to some kind of instrument unknown (Ps. 88, title). The whole phrase has by others been rendered, "On the sickness of affliction: a lesson;" or, "Concerning afflictive sickness: a didactic psalm."

Mahanaim Two camps, a place near the Jabbok, beyond Jordan, where Jacob was met by the "angels of God," and where he divided his retinue into "two hosts" on his return from Padan-aram (Gen 32:2). This name was afterwards given to the town which was built at that place. It was the southern boundary of Bashan (Jos 13:26, Jos 13:30), and became a city of the Levites (Jos 21:38). Here Saul's son Ishbosheth reigned (Sa2 2:8, Sa2 2:12), while David reigned at Hebron. Here also, after a troubled reign, Ishbosheth was murdered by two of his own bodyguard (Sa2 4:5), who brought his head to David at Hebron, but were, instead of being rewarded, put to death by him for their cold-blooded murder. Many years after this, when he fled from Jerusalem on the rebellion of his son Absalom, David made Mahanaim, where Barzillai entertained him, his headquarters, and here he mustered his forces which were led against the army that had gathered around Absalom. It was while sitting at the gate of this town that tidings of the great and decisive battle between the two hosts and of the death of his son Absalom reached him, when he gave way to the most violent grief (Sa2 17:24). The only other reference to Mahanaim is as a station of one of Solomon's purveyors (Kg1 4:14). It has been identified with the modern Mukhumah, a ruin found in a depressed plain called el-Bukie'a , "the little vale," near Penuel, south of the Jabbok, and north-east of es-Salt.

Mahaneh-dan Jdg 18:12 = "camp of Dan" Jdg 13:25 (R.V., "Mahaneh-dan"), a place behind (i.e., west of) Kirjath-jearim, where the six hundred Danites from Zorah and Eshtaol encamped on their way to capture the city of Laish, which they rebuilt and called "Dan, after the name of their father" (Judg. 18:11-31). The Palestine Explorers point to a ruin called 'Erma , situated about 3 miles from the great corn valley on the east of Samson's home.

Mahath Grasping. (1.) A Kohathite Levite, father of Elkanah (Ch1 6:35). (2.) Another Kohathite Levite, of the time of Hezekiah (Ch2 29:12).

Mahazioth Visions, a Kohathite Levite, chief of the twenty-third course of musicians (Ch1 25:4, Ch1 25:30).

Maher-shalal-hash-baz Plunder speedeth; spoil hasteth, (Isa 8:1; compare Zep 1:14), a name Isaiah was commanded first to write in large characters on a tablet, and afterwards to give as a symbolical name to a son that was to be born to him (Isa 8:1, Isa 8:3), as denoting the sudden attack on Damascus and Syria by the Assyrian army.