MACHBENAH

(Mach·beʹnah) [knob, lump].

The name appears in a list of Caleb’s descendants through his concubine Maacah, her son Sheva being called the “father of Machbenah and the father of Gibea.” (1 Chron. 2:48, 49) Some commentators, noting that many of the names in this section also occur as names of towns, suggest that Machbenah may be the name of a town founded or ‘fathered’ by Sheva. See, however, ATROTH-BETH-JOAB.

MACHI

(Maʹchi) [smiting, or, perhaps, reduced].

A Gadite and the father of Geuel, one of the twelve Israelites sent to spy out Canaan.—Num. 13:1, 2, 15, 16.

MACHIR

(Maʹchir) [sold].

1. The first-named son of Manasseh by his Syrian concubine Machir founded the family of Machirites and is called “the father of Gilead.” His wife was Maacah, and he had sons within Joseph’s lifetime. (Gen. 50:23; Num. 26:29; Josh. 17:1; 1 Chron. 2:21, 23; 7:14-17) The “sons of Machir” captured the region of Gilead, drove out the Amorites, and were given that district as an inheritance. (Num. 32:39, 40; Deut. 3:15; Josh. 13:31) Zelophehad and his daughters were of the Manassite family of Machir. (Num. 27:1; 36:1, 2; Josh. 17:3) In the victory song of Deborah and Barak “Machir” seems to be used poetically for the entire tribe of Manasseh.—Judg. 5:1, 14.

2. Son of Ammiel (and resident of Lo-debar) with whom Jonathan’s son Mephibosheth resided until David sent for him and made provision for his care. (2 Sam. 9:4-7, 13) Later, during Absalom’s rebellion, Machir was among the persons who supplied King David and his associates with food and other provisions.—2 Sam. 17:27-29.

MACHIRITES

(Maʹchir·ites).

A family of the tribe of Manasseh founded by his son Machir.—Num. 26:29; see MACHIR No. 1.

MACHNADEBAI

(Mach·nadʹe·bai) [what (is) like a liberal person?].

A postexilic Israelite among those who sent away their foreign wives in Ezra’s day.—Ezra 10:25, 40, 44.

MACHPELAH

(Mach·peʹlah) [doubling, possibly indicating that the cave had a double entrance or two recesses or receptacles].

The name used with reference to a field and a cave in the vicinity of Hebron, purchased by Abraham from Ephron the Hittite for 400 silver shekels (about $190 in modern values). The cave served as a burial place for Abraham’s wife Sarah and at least five others: Abraham, Isaac, Rebekah, Jacob and Leah. (Gen. 23:14-19; 25:9; 49:30, 31; 50:13) The designation “Machpelah” evidently also applied to the surrounding area.—Gen. 23:17.

It is generally accepted that the burial cave is located in modern Hebron beneath a Moslem mosque within an enclosure called Haram el-Khalil (“sacred precinct of the friend of the merciful one, God”).

At Genesis 23:17 the Hebrew-language term indicating the position of the cave of Machpelah in relation to Mamre has been variously rendered “east of” (RS), “before” (AS), “near” (The Bible in Basic English), “opposite” (JB) and “in front of Mamre.” (NW) If the traditional location of Mamre (Ramet el-Khalil) is correct, the rendering “east of Mamre” would not be appropriate, as this site lies about one and two-thirds miles (2.7 kilometers) N of modern Hebron. The phrase “Mamre, that is to say, Hebron” (Gen. 23:19), may mean that Mamre was in the district of Hebron.

MADAI

(Maʹda·i).

The third-listed son of Japheth. (Gen. 10:2; 1 Chron. 1:5) He is believed to be the progenitor of the Medes. Due to this understanding, elsewhere in the Bible the Hebrew Madai is translated as “Medes,” or “Media,” as at 2 Kings 17:6; 18:11; Esther 1:3; Isaiah 13:17; 21:2; and other texts. The Medes were also called Madai in Assyro-Babylonian (Akkadian) and Mada in Old Persian. At some point in the past they established themselves in the Iranian plateau region, settling primarily between the Elburz Mountains (S of the Caspian Sea) and the Zagros Mountains to the E of Assyria. The modern name Iran derives from the word “Aryan,” a term used to refer to those of Japhetic descent.

MADMANNAH

(Mad·manʹnah) [dunghill].

1. This name appears in the list of descendants of Judah through Caleb. Caleb’s concubine Maacah is stated to have borne “Shaaph the father of Madmannah.” (1 Chron. 2:49) However, most scholars consider the term “father” to be used here in the sense of “founder” and consider Madmannah in this text to correspond with the town considered below, Shaaph being viewed as the founder or perhaps the rebuilder thereof after its capture. It may be noted that the names of Kiriath-jearim and Bethlehem appear in a similar context in the following verses.—1 Chron. 2:50, 54.

2. A city in the southern part of the territory of Judah. (Josh. 15:21, 31) It is identified with Umm Deimneh in the Negeb region, about eleven miles (18 kilometers) NE of Beer-sheba. A comparison of Joshua 15:31 with the parallel lists at Joshua 19:5 and 1 Chronicles 4:31 indicates it to be the same as Beth-marcaboth. Beth-marcaboth (meaning “place of chariots”) may have been a secondary name of Madmannah.—See BETH-MARCABOTH.

MADMEN

(Madʹmen) [possibly, dunghill].

Seemingly a place in Moab foretold to suffer calamity by sword. At Jeremiah 48:2, “You, too, O Madmen, should keep silent,” translates the Hebrew phrase gam-madh·menʹ tid·domʹmi. Many scholars believe that the initial m in madh·menʹ (“Madmen”) was inadvertently repeated from the previous word (gam). Without the initial m the consonants of Madmen correspond to those of Dimon and, therefore, Madmen is often considered to be the same as Dimon (possibly, Khirbet Dimneh, two and a half miles [4 kilometers] NW of Rabbah). However, perhaps Madmen does not designate an actual location, since the renderings of the Greek Septuagint, Syriac and Latin Vulgate versions suggest that the ancient Hebrew text read, ‘Yes, you [Moab] shall be utterly brought to silence.’

MADMENAH

(Mad·meʹnah) [dunghill].

A site in the path of the Assyrian advance toward Jerusalem. (Isa. 10:24, 31, 32) Today Madmenah’s exact location is unknown. But some would identify it with Shuʽfat, about a mile and a half (2.4 kilometers) N of Jerusalem.

MADNESS

Mental derangement, either insanity or a condition of extreme rage or great folly. Various Hebrew and Greek words are employed in the Scriptures to denote such disorders of the mind, whether lasting or temporary. Some of these words seem to be associated with or derived from the weird and sometimes violent or sorrowful cries of persons afflicted with madness.

Madness befell boastful Babylonian King Nebuchadnezzar. In fulfillment of a prophetic dream explained by Daniel, this monarch was stricken with madness at a time of boasting. For seven years he was insane, “and vegetation he began to eat just like bulls.” (Dan. 4:33) His reason gone, Nebuchadnezzar may have imagined that he was a beast, perhaps a bull. Regarding his mental derangement one reference work says: “The form of madness from which he suffered when pride overthrew his reason was that called lycanthropy, in which the patient fancies himself one of the inferior animals and acts as such.” (The Westminster Dictionary of the Bible, p. 422) At the end of the seven years, Jehovah restored his understanding to him.—Dan. 4:34-37.

MADNESS AND DEMON POSSESSION

While not all persons afflicted with madness or insanity are possessed by the wicked demons, logically persons possessed by the demons may be expected to manifest an unbalanced mental state. In the country of the Gerasenes, Jesus encountered a madman who was demon possessed. His haunt was among the tombs, and though he had often been bound with fetters and chains, “the chains were snapped apart by him and the fetters were actually smashed; and nobody had the strength to subdue him.” Further, “continually, night and day, he was crying out in the tombs and in the mountains and slashing himself with stones.” After Jesus cast out the demons, the man had a “sound mind.” (Mark 5:1-17; Luke 8:26-39) However, Christians are kept safe from demon invasion that produces madness if they put on and keep on “the complete suit of armor from God.”—Eph. 6:10-17.

FEIGNED MADNESS

On one occasion, while he was outlawed by King Saul, David sought refuge with Achish the king of Gath. Upon discovering who he was, the Philistines suggested to Achish that David was a security risk, and David became afraid. Consequently, he disguised his sanity by acting insane. He “kept making cross marks on the doors of the gate and let his saliva run down upon his beard.” Thinking David was crazy, Achish let him go with his life, as a harmless idiot. David was later inspired to write Psalm 34, in which he thanked Jehovah for blessing this strategy and delivering him.—1 Sam. 21:10–22:1.

MADNESS OF OPPOSITION TO JEHOVAH

The prophet Balaam foolishly wanted to prophesy against Israel in order to receive money from King Balak of the Moabites, but Jehovah overruled and prevented his efforts. The apostle Peter wrote about Balaam that “a voiceless beast of burden, making utterance with the voice of a man, hindered the prophet’s mad course.” For Balaam’s madness the apostle used the Greek word pa·ra·phro·niʹa, which has the thought of “being beside himself.”—2 Pet. 2:15, 16; Num. 22:26-31.

Regarding the false prophets of Israel the prophet Hosea wrote: “The prophet will be foolish, the man of inspired expression will be maddened on account of the abundance of your error, even animosity being abundant.” (Hos. 9:7) Jehovah brings madness to his opposers and those who reject his wisdom, identifying himself as “the One that makes diviners themselves act crazily,” that is, by making their forecasts prove false. (Isa. 44:24, 25) Job said, concerning worldly judges, that Jehovah “makes judges themselves go crazy.”—Job 12:17.

Paul compared men who resisted the truth and who tried to corrupt the Christian congregation to Jannes and Jambres, who resisted Moses. He assured: “They will make no further progress, for their madness will be very plain to all, even as the madness of those two men became.”—2 Tim. 3:8, 9.

MADNESS FROM OPPRESSION, FEAR AND CONFUSION

Among the dire consequences the Israelites would suffer for disobedience to Jehovah was being stricken with madness. Due to the oppressive measures of their conquerors, they would become maddened, responding in an unreasoning way because of frustration. (Deut. 28:28-34) Indeed, King Solomon stated that “mere oppression may make a wise one act crazy.”—Eccl. 7:7.

In prophecy Babylonian King Nebuchadnezzar was likened to the ‘cup of the wine of Jehovah’s rage.’ This the nations would have to drink and it would cause them to “shake back and forth and act like crazed men because of the sword that I [Jehovah] am sending among them.” (Jer. 25:15, 16) Later, in Babylon herself madness would be brought about, her idolaters having horrifying visions, “and because of their frightful visions they [would] keep acting crazy.” (Jer. 50:35-38) She, too, would have to drink the cup of Jehovah’s rage.—Jer. 51:6-8.

EXTREME RAGE

Madness, as used Biblically, can also denote extreme rage. On a sabbath day Jesus cured a man with a withered right hand. The observing scribes and Pharisees thereupon “became filled with madness, and they began to talk over with one another what they might do to Jesus.” (Luke 6:6-11) To describe their state of mind, Luke used the Greek word aʹnoi·a, meaning, literally, senselessness (the English word “paranoia” is derived from this term). Paul evidently had in mind extreme rage or fury when he admitted that in persecuting Christians he had been “extremely mad against them.”—Acts 26:11.

CONTRASTED WITH WISDOM

In the book of Ecclesiastes the congregator reveals that he gave his heart “to knowing wisdom and to knowing madness.” (Eccl. 1:17) His investigation did not restrict itself to considering wisdom, but also took into account its opposite as manifested by men. (Eccl. 7:25) At Ecclesiastes 2:12, Solomon again reveals that he weighed wisdom, madness and folly. In this way he could determine their contrast in value. He recognized inordinate frivolity as madness, saying, “I said to laughter: ‘Insanity!’” for, as compared with wisdom, it was senseless, not producing real happiness.—Eccl. 2:2.

Commenting on the stupid one’s condition of mind, Solomon said: “The start of the words of his mouth is foolishness, and the end afterward of his mouth is calamitous madness.” (Eccl. 10:13) Foolishness may take the form of a trick, which can sometimes be so harmful to its victim that the trick player is likened to a madman armed with deadly weapons.—Prov. 26:18, 19.

Some have no hope in the resurrection of the dead, thinking that death ends all for everyone. Giving evidence of their unbalanced outlook, they seek only to satisfy their fleshly inclinations and show no concern about doing God’s will. Solomon also took note of them, saying: “Because there is one eventuality to all, the heart of the sons of men is also full of bad; and there is madness in their heart during their lifetime, and after it—to the dead ones!”—Eccl. 9:3.

ILLUSTRATIVE USE

The apostle Paul’s authority and apostleship were challenged by some in Corinth whom he sarcastically terms “superfine apostles.” (2 Cor. 11:5) In order to bring the Corinthian congregation to their senses, Paul “boasted” about his credentials, his blessings and the things he had experienced in Jehovah’s service, proving his claim. This boasting was contrary to the usual speech of a Christian, but Paul had to do it in this case. Hence he spoke of himself as though being ‘out of his mind,’ and said of the so-called “superfine apostles”: “Are they ministers of Christ? I reply like a madman, I am more outstandingly one.”—2 Cor. 11:21-27.

MADON

(Maʹdon [contention, strife].

A royal Canaanite city that leagued itself with Hazor against the Israelites and was subsequently defeated. (Josh. 11:1-12; 12:19) Madon is usually identified with Qarn Hattin, about five and a half miles (9 kilometers) NW of Tiberias. Khirbet Madin, about half a mile (.8 kilometer) to the S, seems to preserve the ancient name “Madon.” However, some geographers question the identification.

MAGADAN

(Magʹa·dan).

An area near the Sea of Galilee to which Jesus withdrew after his miraculous feeding of four thousand men. (Matt. 15:39; manuscripts of more recent date here read “Magdala.”)