Easton's Bible Dictionary

Meshillemoth Requitals. (1.) The father of Berechiah (Ch2 28:12). (2.) A priest, the son of Immer (Neh 11:13).

Meshullam Befriended. (1.) One of the chief Gadites in Bashan in the time of Jotham (Ch1 5:13). (2.) Grandfather of Shaphan, "the scribe," in the reign of Josiah (Kg2 22:3). (3.) A priest, father of Hilkiah (Ch1 9:11; Neh 11:11), in the reign of Ammon; called Shallum in Ch1 6:12. (4.) A Levite of the family of Kohath (Ch2 34:12), in the reign of Josiah. (5.) Ch1 8:17. (6.) Ch1 3:19. (7.) Neh 12:13. (8.) A chief priest (Neh 12:16). (9.) One of the leading Levites in the time of Ezra (Ezr 8:16). (10.) A priest (Ch1 9:12). (11.) One of the principal Israelites who supported Ezra when expounding the law to the people (Neh 8:4).

Meshullemeth Friend, the wife of Manasseh, and the mother of Amon (Kg2 21:19), Kings of Judah.

Mesopotamia The country between the two rivers (Heb. Aram-naharaim ; i.e., "Syria of the two rivers"), the name given by the Greeks and Romans to the region between the Euphrates and the Tigris (Gen 24:10; Deu 23:4; Jdg 3:8, Jdg 3:10). In the Old Testament it is mentioned also under the name "Padan-aram;" i.e., the plain of Aram, or Syria (Gen 25:20). The northern portion of this fertile plateau was the original home of the ancestors of the Hebrews (Gen. 11; Act 7:2). From this region Isaac obtained his wife Rebecca (Gen 24:10, Gen 24:15), and here also Jacob sojourned (Gen 28:2) and obtained his wives, and here most of his sons were born (Gen 35:26; Gen 46:15). The petty, independent tribes of this region, each under its own prince, were warlike, and used chariots in battle. They maintained their independence till after the time of David, when they fell under the dominion of Assyria, and were absorbed into the empire (Kg2 19:13).

Mess A portion of food given to a guest (Gen 43:34; Sa2 11:8).

Messenger (Heb. mal'ak , Gr. angelos ), an angel, a messenger who runs on foot, the bearer of dispatches (Job 1:14; Sa1 11:7; Ch2 36:22); swift of foot (Kg2 9:18).

Messiah (Heb. mashiah ), in all the thirty-nine instances of its occurring in the Old Testament, is rendered by the LXX. "Christos." It means anointed. Thus priests (Exo 28:41; Exo 40:15; Num 3:3), prophets (Kg1 19:16), and kings (Sa1 9:16; Sa1 16:3; Sa2 12:7) were anointed with oil, and so consecrated to their respective offices. The great Messiah is anointed "above his fellows" (Psa 45:7); i.e., he embraces in himself all the three offices. The Greek form " Messias " is only twice used in the New Testament, in Joh 1:41 and Joh 4:25 (R.V., "Messiah"), and in the Old Testament the word Messiah, as the rendering of the Hebrew, occurs only twice (Dan 9:25, Dan 9:26; R.V., "the anointed one"). The first great promise (Gen 3:15) contains in it the germ of all the prophecies recorded in the Old Testament regarding the coming of the Messiah and the great work he was to accomplish on earth. The prophecies became more definite and fuller as the ages rolled on; the light shone more and more unto the perfect day. Different periods of prophetic revelation have been pointed out, (1.) the patriarchal; (2.) the Mosaic; (3.) the period of David; (4.) the period of prophetism, i.e., of those prophets whose works form a part of the Old Testament canon. The expectations of the Jews were thus kept alive from generation to generation, till the "fulness of the times," when Messiah came, "made of a woman, made under the law, to redeem them that were under the law." In him all these ancient prophecies have their fulfillment. Jesus of Nazareth is the Messiah, the great Deliverer who was to come. (Compare Mat 26:54; Mar 9:12; Luk 18:31; Luk 22:37; Joh 5:39; Acts 2; Act 16:31; Act 26:22, Act 26:23.)

Metheg-ammah Bridle of the mother a figurative name for a chief city, as in Sa2 8:1, "David took Metheg-ammah out of the hand of the Philistines" (R.V., "took the bridle of the mother-city"); i.e., subdued their capital or strongest city, viz., Gath (Ch1 18:1).

Methusael Champion of El; man of God, a descendant of Cain (Gen 4:18), so called, perhaps, to denote that even among the descendants of Cain God had not left himself without a witness.

Methuselah Man of the dart, the son of Enoch, and grandfather of Noah. He was the oldest man of whom we have any record, dying at the age of nine hundred and sixty-nine years, in the year of the Flood (Gen 5:21; Ch1 1:3).