Mephibosheth – Mess

Mephibosheth

me-fib'-o-sheth (mephibhosheth, "idol-breaker," also MERIB-BAAL (which see); Memphibosthe):

(1) Son of Saul by his concubine RIZPAH (which see), daughter of Aiah (2 Samuel 21:8).

See also ARMONI.

(2) Grandson of Saul, son of Jonathan, and nephew of Mephibosheth (1) (2 Samuel 4:4). He was 5 years old when his father and grandfather were slain. He was living in charge of a nurse, possibly because his mother was dead. Tidings of the disaster at Jezreel and the onsweep of the Philistines terrified the nurse. She fled with her charge in such haste that a fall lamed the little prince in both feet for life. His life is a series of disasters, disappointments, and anxieties. It is a weary, broken, dispirited soul that speaks in all his utterances. The nurse carried him to Lo-debar among the mountains of Gilead, where he was brought up by Machir, son of Ammiel (2 Samuel 9:4). There he evidently married, for he had a son Mica when he returned later at David's request. When David had settled his own affairs and subdued his enemies, he turned his inquiries to Saul's household to see whether there were any survivors to whom he might show kindness for Jonathan's sake (2 Samuel 9:1). The search caused the appearance of Ziba, a servant of Saul's house (2 Samuel 9:2), who had meanwhile grown prosperous by some rapid process which can only be guessed at (2 Samuel 9:9,2 Samuel 9:10). From him David learned about Mephibosheth, who was sent for. His humble bearing was consistent with his chronically broken spirit. David put Ziba's property (which had belonged to Saul) at Mephibosheth's disposal and made Ziba steward thereof. Mephibosheth was also to be a daily guest at David's table (2 Samuel 9:11–13). Seventeen years pass, during which Mephibosheth seems to have lived in Jerusalem. Then came Absalom's rebellion. David determined to flee, so distraught was he by the act of his son. At the moment of flight, in great depression and need, he was opportunely met by Ziba with food, refreshment and even means for travel. Naturally, the king inquired for Ziba's master. The treacherous reply was made (2 Samuel 16:1–4) that Mephibosheth had remained behind for his own ends, hoping the people would give him, Saul's grandson, the kingdom. David believed this and restored to Ziba the property lost. Not till many days after did the lame prince get his chance to give David his own version of the story. He met David on his return from quelling Absalom's rebellion. He had not dressed his feet, trimmed his beard nor washed his clothes since the hour of David's departure (2 Samuel 19:24). At David's anxious request Mephibosheth told his story: his servant had deceived him; he wanted to go with David, had even asked for his beast to be saddled; but Ziba had left him, and had slandered him to the king. But he would not plead his cause any more; David is "as an angel of God"; whatever he decides will be well! (2 Samuel 19:26,2 Samuel 19:27). Thus characteristically continued the speech of this lame, broken, humble man, son of a proud family (2 Samuel 19:28). David wearily settled the matter by dividing the property between the prince and his servant, the prince expressing utmost content that Ziba should take all so long as David remained friendly (2 Samuel 19:29,2 Samuel 19:30). That David accepted Mephibosheth's explanation and was drawn out in heart toward the character of the broken man is shown by the fact that when some expiation from Saul's household was considered necessary to turn away the famine sent by an offended deity, Mephibosheth is spared when other members of Saul's household were sacrificed (2 Samuel 21:7). The character of Mephibosheth well illustrates the effect of continued disaster, suspicion and treachery upon a sensitive mind.

Henry Wallace

Merab

me'-rab (merabh "increase"; Merob): The elder daughter of Saul (1 Samuel 14:49), promised, though not by name, to the man who should slay the Philistine Goliath (1 Samuel 17:25). David did this and was afterward taken by Saul to court (1 Samuel 18:2), where he was detained in great honor. Merab was not, however, given to him as quickly as the incident would lead one to expect, and the sequel showed some unwillingness on the part of some persons in the contract to complete the promise. The adulation of the crowd who met David on his return from Philistine warfare and gave him a more favorable ascription than to Saul (1 Samuel 18:6–16) awoke the angry jealousy of Saul. He "eyed David from that day and forward" (1 Samuel 18:9). Twice David had to "avoid" the "evil spirit" in Saul (1 Samuel 18:11). Saul also feared David (1 Samuel 18:12), and this led him to incite the youth to more dangerous deeds of valor against the Philistines by a renewed promise of Merab. He will have David's life, but rather by the hand of the Philistines than his own (1 Samuel 18:17). Merab was to be the bait. But now another element complicated matters--Michal's love for David (1 Samuel 18:20), which may have been the retarding factor from the first. At any rate Merab is finally given to Adriel the Meholathite (1 Samuel 18:19). The passage in 2 Samuel 21:8 doubtless contains an error--Michal's name occurring for that of her sister Merab--though the Septuagint, Josephus, and a consistent Hebrew text all perpetuate it, as well as the concise meaning of the Hebrew word Yaladh, which is a physiological word for bearing children, and cannot be translated "brought up." A Targum explanation reads: "The 5 sons of Merab (which Michal, Saul's daughter brought up) which she bare," etc. Another suggestion reads the word "sister" after Michal in the possessive case, leaving the text otherwise as it stands. It is possible that Merab died comparatively young, and that her children were left in the care of their aunt, especially when it is said she herself had none (2 Samuel 6:23). The simplest explanation is to assume a scribal error, with the suggestion referred to as a possible explanation of it. The lonely Michal (2 Samuel 6:20–23) became so identified with her (deceased) sister's children that they became, in a sense, hers.

Henry Wallace

Meraiah

me-ra'-ya, me-ri'-a (merayah, "contumacious"): A priest in the time of Joiakim son of Jeshua, and head of the priestly house of Seraiah to which Ezra belonged (Nehemiah 12:12; compare Ezra 7:1).

Meraioth

me-ra'-yoth, me-ri'-oth (merayoth): The name varies much in the Greek.

(1) A Levite, a descendant of Aaron (1 Chronicles 6:6 Ezra 7:3), called "Memeroth" in 1 Esdras 8:2; and "Marimoth" in 2 Esdras 1:2.

(2) The son of Ahitub and father of Zadok (1 Chronicles 9:11).

(3) A priestly house of which, in the days of Joiakim, Helkai was head (Nehemiah 12:15). In Nehemiah 12:3 the name is given as "Meremoth."

Meran

me'-ran.

See MERRAN.

Merari

me-ra'-ri (merari, "bitter"; Mararei):

(1) The 3rd son of Levi, his brothers, Gershon and Kohath, being always mentioned together with him (Genesis 46:11; Exodus 6:16). He was among those 70 who went down to Egypt with Jacob (Genesis 46:8,Genesis 46:11; compare 46:26 and Exodus 1:5).

(2) The family of Merari, descendants of above, and always (with one exception, for which see MERARITES) spoken of as "sons of Merari" in numerous references, such as 1 Chronicles 6:1,1 Chronicles 6:16,1 Chronicles 6:19,1 Chronicles 6:29, which only repeat without additional information the references to be found in the body of this article. We early find them divided into two families, the Mahli and Mushi (Exodus 6:19; Numbers 3:17,Numbers 3:20,Numbers 3:33). At the exodus they numbered, under their chief Zuriel, 6,200, and they were assigned the north side of the tabernacle as a tenting-place (Numbers 3:34,Numbers 3:35), thus sharing in the honor of those who immediately surrounded the tabernacle--the south side being given to the Kohathites, the west to the Gershonites, and the east--toward the sun-rising--being reserved for Moses, Aaron and his sons (Numbers 3:23,Numbers 3:29,Numbers 3:35,Numbers 3:38). To the Merarites was entrusted the care of the boards, bars, pillars, sockets, vessels, pins and cords of the tabernacle (Numbers 3:36,Numbers 3:37; Numbers 4:29–33). They and the Gershonites were "under the hand" of Ithamar, son of Aaron, the sons of Gershon having charge of the softer material of the tabernacles --curtains, covers, hangings, etc. (Numbers 3:25,Numbers 3:26). When reckoned by the number fit for service, i.e. between 30 and 50 years, the sons of Merari were 3,200 strong (Numbers 4:42–45). Because of the weight of the material in their charge they were allowed 4 wagons and 8 oxen for carriage (Numbers 7:8). In marching, when the tabernacle was taken down, the standard of Judah went first (Numbers 10:14); then followed the Merarites bearing the tabernacle (Numbers 10:17), and after them came the standard of Reuben (Numbers 10:18). After the settlement in Canaan they had 12 cities assigned them out of Gad, Reuben and Zebulun (Joshua 21:7,Joshua 21:34–40; 1 Chronicles 6:63,1 Chronicles 6:77–81), just as the other two branches of Levi's family had their 12 cities respectively assigned out of the other tribes (Joshua 21:1–45). The names of these Merarite cities are given (loc. cit.), and among them is Ramoth-gilead, one of the cities of refuge (Joshua 21:38). It is evident from 1 Chronicles 6:44–47; 1 Chronicles 16:41; 1 Chronicles 25:1,1 Chronicles 25:3,1 Chronicles 25:6,1 Chronicles 25:9,1 Chronicles 25:11,1 Chronicles 25:15,1 Chronicles 25:19,1 Chronicles 25:21 f; compare 15:6,17-19 that they had charge under Ethan or Jeduthun of the temple music in the service. In David's time Asaiah was their chief (1 Chronicles 15:6). Himself and 220 of the family helped David to bring up the Ark. David divided the Levites into courses among the Gershonites, Kohathites and Merarites (1 Chronicles 23:6; compare 23:21-23; 24:26-30). The functions of certain Merarites are described in 1 Chronicles 26:10–19. They also took part in cleansing the temple in Hezekiah's time (2 Chronicles 29:12) as well as in the days of Josiah (2 Chronicles 34:12), helping to repair the house of the Lord. Among the helpers of Ezra, too, we find some of them numbered (Ezra 8:18,Ezra 8:19). The family seems to have played a very important part in keeping steady and true such faithfulness as remained in Israel.

(3) The father of Judith (Judith 8:1; 16:7).

Henry Wallace

Merarites

me-ra'-rits (merari, "bitter"): The descendants of MERARI (which see), son of Levi. The only place where this form of the word occurs is Numbers 26:57. Elsewhere they are always referred to as "sons of Merari."

Merathaim

mer-a-tha'-im (merathayim "double rebellion"): A name used for Babylon in Jeremiah 50:21. According to Delitzsch it may be equivalent to the Babylonian Marratun, i.e. land by the nar Marratu, "the bitter river" (Persian Gulf) = Southern Babylonia (OHL, under the word).

Merchandise

mur'-chan-diz

(1) `amar

(2) cachar,

(3) cachar,

(4) cechorach,

(5) rekhullah,

(6) ma`arabh,

(7) markoleth;

(8) emporia

(9) emporion,

(10) gomos)

: There seem to be 4 distinct meanings of the word according to the Revised Version (British and American), namely: (1) The products, i.e. goods or things sold or exchanged, and so merchandise in the present-day usage:

(a) cachar is translated thus in Proverbs 31:18; Isaiah 23:18;

(b) cachar is translated thus in Isaiah 45:14; these two are from a root meaning "to travel around as a peddler";

(c) rekhullah, translated thus in Ezekiel 26:12, from a root meaning "to travel for trading purposes";

(d) ma`arabh, translated thus in Ezekiel 27:9,Ezekiel 27:27,Ezekiel 27:33,Ezekiel 27:34, from a root meaning "to intermix, to barter";

(e) markoleth, translated thus in Ezekiel 27:24 (the above 5 Hebrew words are all used to designate the goods or wares which were bartered);

(f) `amar, occurring in Deuteronomy 21:14; Deuteronomy 24:7, translated in the King James Version "make merchandise of," but in the Revised Version (British and American) "deal with as a slave," or the Revised Version margin "deal with as a chattel";

(g) emporia, translated "merchandise" in Matthew 22:5;

(h) emporion, likewise in John 2:16 (the same Greek word is used in 2 Peter 2:3 for the American Standard Revised Version "make merchandise of you");

(i) gomos, "merchandise," margin "cargo."

(2) The process of trade itself, i.e. the business: rekhullah has in it the root meaning of "itinerant trading", and so in Ezekiel 28:16 the correct translation is not "merchandise," as in the King James Version, but "traffic," "abundance of thy traffic," i.e. doing a thriving business: "trade was good."

(3) The place of trading, i.e. emporium, mart, etc.: cechorah in Ezekiel 27:15 is translated "mart." In John 2:16 reference is made to the "house of merchandise."

(4) The profits of trading: In Proverbs 3:14, cachar is translated "gaining." Referring to wisdom, "For the gaining of it is better than the gaining of silver, and the profit thereof than fine gold"; the King James Version "merchandise."

William Edward Raffety

Merchant; Merchantman

mur'-chant, mur'-chant-man.

See COMMERCE; MERCHANDISE; TRADE.

Mercury; Mercurius

mur'-ku-ri, mer-ku'ri-us: The translation of Hermes, in Acts 14:12: "They called Barnabas, Jupiter; and Paul, Mercury, because he was the chief speaker." Hermes was the god of eloquence (and also of theft), the attendant, messenger and spokesman of the gods. The more commanding presence of Barnabas (compare 2 Corinthians 10:10) probably caused him to be identified with Zeus (the Roman Jupiter), while his gift of eloquence suggested the identification of Paul with Hermes (the Roman Mercury). The temple of Jupiter was before Lystra, and to him the Lycaonians paid their chief worship. Compare the legend of Baucis and Philemon (Ovid, Metam. viii.611 f).

See HERMES; JUPITER; GREECE, RELIGION IN ANCIENT.

M. O. Evans

Mercy-Seat, The

mur'-si-set (kapporeth; New Testament hilasterion, Hebrews 9:5): The name for the lid or covering of the ark of the covenant (Exodus 25:17, etc.). The Old Testament term means "covering," then, like the New Testament word, "propitiatory" (compare kipper, "to cover guilt," "to make atonement"). The ark contained the two tables of stone which witnessed against the sin of the people. The blood of sacrifice, sprinkled on the mercy-seat on the great day of atonement, intercepted, as it were, this condemning testimony, and effected reconciliation between God and His people. See ATONEMENT; ATONEMENT, DAY OF; PROPITIATION; ARK OF THE COVENANT. In Romans 3:25, Jesus is said to be set forth as "a propitiation (literally, "propitiatory"), through faith, in his blood," thus fulfilling the idea of the mercy-seat (compare Hebrews 9:5,Hebrews 9:7,Hebrews 9:11,Hebrews 9:12, etc.).

W. Shaw Caldecott

Mercy; Merciful

mur'-si, mur'-si-fool (checedh, racham, chanan; eleos, eleeo, oiktirmos): "Mercy" is a distinctive Bible word characterizing God as revealed to men.

In the Old Testament it is most often the translation of checedh, "kindness," "loving-kindness" (see LOVINGKINDNESS), but rachamim, literally, "bowels" (the sympathetic region), and chanan, "to be inclined to," "to be gracious," are also frequently translated "mercy"; eleos, "kindness," "beneficence," and eleeo, "to show kindness," are the chief words rendering "mercy" in the New Testament; oiktirmos, "pity," "compassion," occurs a few times, also oiktirmon, "pitiful," eleemon, "kind," "compassionate," twice; hileos, "forgiving," and anileos, "not forgiving," "without mercy," once each (Hebrews 8:12; James 2:13).

(1) Mercy is

(a) an essential quality of God (Exodus 34:6,Exodus 34:7; Deuteronomy 4:31; Psalms 62:12, etc.); it is His delight (Micah 7:18,Micah 7:20; Psalms 52:8); He is "the Father of mercies" (2 Corinthians 1:3), "rich in mercy" (Ephesians 2:4), "full of pity, and merciful" (James 5:11);

(b) it is associated with forgiveness (Exodus 34:7; Numbers 14:18; 1 Timothy 1:13,1 Timothy 1:16);

(c) with His forbearance (Psalms 145:8, "Yahweh is gracious and merciful, slow to anger and of great lovingkindness"; compare Romans 2:4; Romans 11:32);

(d) with His covenant (1 Kings 8:23; Nehemiah 1:5), with His justice (Psalms 101:1), with His faithfulness (Psalms 89:24), with His truth (Psalms 108:4); mercy and truth are united in Proverbs 3:3; Proverbs 14:22, etc. (in Psalms 85:10 we have "Mercy and truth are met together");

(e) it goes forth to all (Psalms 145:9, "Yahweh is good to all; and his tender mercies are over all his works"; compare 145:16, "Thou openest thine hand, and satisfiest the desire of every living thing," the Revised Version margin "satisfiest every living thing with favor");

(f) it shows itself in pitying help (Exodus 3:7; Ezra 9:9 f), supremely in Christ and His salvation (Luke 1:50,Luke 1:54,Luke 1:58; Ephesians 2:4);

(g) it is abundant, practically infinite (Psalms 86:5,Psalms 86:15; Psalms 119:64);

(h) it is everlasting (1 Chronicles 16:34,1 Chronicles 16:41; Ezra 3:11; Psalms 100:5; 136 repeatedly).

(2) "Mercy" is used of man as well as of God, and is required on man's part toward man and beast (Deuteronomy 25:4; Psalms 37:21; Psalms 109:16; Proverbs 12:10; Daniel 4:27; Micah 6:8; Matthew 5:7, "Blessed are the merciful: for they shall obtain mercy"; 25:31-46; Lu 6:36, "Be ye merciful, even as your Father is merciful"; Lu 10:30 f, the Good Samaritan; Luke 14:12–16; James 3:17).

(3) In the New Testament "mercy" (eleos, usually the Septuagint translation of checedh) is associated with "grace" (charis) in the apostolical greetings and elsewhere. Trench points out that the difference between them is that the freeness of God's love is the central point of charis, while eleos has in view misery and its relief; charis is His free grace and gift displayed in the forgiveness of sins--extended to men as they are guilty; His eleos (is extended to them) as they are miserable. The lower creation may be the object of His mercy (eleos), but man alone of His grace (charis); he alone needs it and is capable of receiving it (Synonyms of the New Testament, 163 f).

(4) From all the foregoing it will be seen that mercy in God is not merely His pardon of offenders, but His attitude to man, and to the world generally, from which His pardoning mercy proceeds. The frequency with which mercy is enjoined on men is specially deserving of notice, with the exclusion of the unmerciful from sonship to the all-merciful Father and from the benefits of His mercifulness. Shakespeare's question, "How canst thou hope for mercy rendering none?" is fully warranted by our Lord's teaching and by Scripture in general; compare especially the parable of the Unmerciful Servant (Matthew 18:21–35).

(5) As the rule, the American Standard Revised Version has "lovingkindness" for "mercy" when checedh is used of God, and "kindness" when it is used of men in relation to each other. "Compassion" (translation of racham) is also in several instances substituted for "mercy" (Isaiah 9:17; Isaiah 14:1; Isaiah 27:11; Jeremiah 13:14; Jeremiah 30:18), also "goodness" (translation of checedh referring to man) (Hosea 4:1; Hosea 6:6).

W. L. Walker

Mered

me'-red (meredh, "rebellion"; Septuagint has at least four variants in 1 Chronicles 4:17,1 Chronicles 4:18): A descendant of Judah through Caleb, and mentioned as a "son of Ezrah" (1 Chronicles 4:17).

Revised Version, rightly following the orthography of the Hebrew which has here the Hebrew letter he (h) instead of 'aleph (') , as in the name of the well-known Ezra, saves us from confusing this Ezrah with the other by giving him the correct terminal letter. Moreover, even if the question of spelling were waived, the absence of the mention of children in any known passages of the life of the scribe Ezra should settle the question, since this passage (1 Chronicles 4:17) is associated with progeny.

A difficulty meets us in 1 Chronicles 4:18, where Mered is mentioned as taking to wife "Bithiah the daughter of Pharaoh." That Pharaoh is not the proper name of some individual but the official title of Egypt's sovereign seems evident from the fact that the King James Version margin and the Revised Version (British and American) text agree in translating the other wife of Mered as "the Jewess," rather than as a proper name Jehudijah, as if to distinguish the "Jewess" from the Egyptian. Probably "Hodiah" also is a corruption of Jehudijah in 1 Chronicles 4:19, and should be translated again "the Jewess." Targums and traditions have so changed and transposed and "interpreted" this passage that a sufficiently confused text has become worse confounded, and the only solid fact that emerges is that once a comparatively obscure Judahite (though the founder of several towns--Gedor, Soco, Eshtemoa, etc., 4:18) married an Egyptian princess, whether as a captive or a freewoman we do not know.

See BITHIAH.

Henry Wallace

Meremoth

mer'-e-moth, me-re'-moth (meremoth, "heights"; Mereimoth):

(1) Son of Uriah (Ezra 8:33), who was head of the 7th course of priests appointed by David (1 Chronicles 24:10, Hakkoz = Koz; compare Nehemiah 3:4,Nehemiah 3:21). The family of Koz were among those unable to prove their pedigree on the return from Babylon, and were therefore deposed as polluted (Ezra 2:61,Ezra 2:62). Meremoth's division of the family must, however, have been scatheless, for he is employed in the temple after the return as weigher of the gold and the vessels (Ezra 8:33), a function reserved for priests alone (Ezra 8:24–28). He takes a double part in the reconstruction under Nehemiah, first as a builder of the wall of the city (Nehemiah 3:4), then as a restorer of that part of the temple abutting on the house of Eliashib the priest (Nehemiah 3:21); "Marmoth" in 1 Esdras 8:62.

(2) A member of the house of Bani, and, like so many of that house, among those who married and put away foreign wives (Ezra 10:36). He seems to be named Carabasion (!) in the corresponding list of 1 Esdras 9:34.

(3) The name occurs in Nehemiah 10:5 among those who "seal the covenant" with Nehemiah (Nehemiah 10:1). It may there be the name of an individual (in which case there were 4 of the name), or it may be a family name. Certainly a "Meremoth" came back under Zerubbabel 100 years before (Nehemiah 12:3), and the signatory in question may be either a descendant of the same name or a family representative. The name recurs later in the same list (Nehemiah 12:15) as "Meraioth" through a scribal error confusing the two Hebrew letters yodh (y) and cholem (o) for mem (m). A comparison of Nehemiah 12:1–3 and 12:12-15 shows clearly that it is the same person. Note that in 12:15 "Helkai" is the name of the contemporary leader.

(4) For Meremoth (1 Esdras 8:2 the King James Version).

See MEMEROTH.

Henry Wallace

Merib-Baal

mer-ib-ba'-al (meribhba`al; also meri-bha`al, "Baal contends"): The spelling varies in a single verse; 1 Chronicles 9:40 contains the name twice: first, in the first form above; second, in the second form. The name is given also in 1 Chronicles 8:34. It is the other name of MEPHIBOSHETH (2) (which see).

In Jeremiah 11:13 and Hosea 9:10 the terms "Baal" and "Bosheth" seem to stand in apposition, the latter form being a slightly contemptuous alternative rendered "shame." This is akin to other like changes, such as Esh-baal for Ish-bosheth, Jerub-besheth for Jerub-baal, etc. The change in the first part of the name could occur through a clerical confusion of the Hebrew aspirate pe (p) and resh (r) in Hebrew.

Henry Wallace

Meribah

mer'-i-ba, me-re'-ba.

See MASSAH AND MERIBAH.

Meribath-Kadesh; Meriboth-Kadesh

mer'-i-bath-ka'-desh, mer'-i-both-k (Ezekiel 48:28; Ezekiel 47:19): The southern limit of Ezekiel's ideal land of Israel.

See MERIBAH.

Merodach

me-ro'-dak, mer'-o-dak (merodhakh): The supreme deity of the Babylonians (Jeremiah 50:2); the Nimrod of Genesis 10:8–12; and among the constellations, Orion.

See ASTRONOMY, sec. II, 11; BABYLONIA AND ASSYRIA, RELIGION OF; NIMROD.

Merodach-Baladan

me-ro'-dak-bal'-a-dan, mer'-o-dak-b. (mero'dhakh bal'adhan; Marodach Baladan): The son of Baladan, is mentioned in Isaiah 39:1, as a king of Babylon who sent an embassy to Hezekiah, king of Judah, apparently shortly after the latter's illness, in order to congratulate him on his recovery of health, and to make with him an offensive and defensive alliance. This Merodach-baladan was a king of the Chaldeans of the house of Yakin, and was the most dangerous and inveterate foe of Sargon and his son Sennacherib, kings of Assyria, with whom he long and bitterly contested the possession of Babylon and the surrounding provinces. Merodach-Baladan seems to have seized Babylon immediately after the death of Shalmaneser in 721 BC; and it was not till the 12th year of his reign that Sargon succeeded in ousting him. From that time down to the 8th campaign of Sennacherib, Sargon and his son pursued with relentless animosity Merodach-Baladan and his family until at last his son Nabushumishkun was captured and the whole family of Merodach-Baladan was apparently destroyed. According to the monuments, therefore, it was from a worldly point of view good politics for Hezekiah and his western allies to come to an understanding with Merodach-Baladan and the Arameans, Elamites, and others, who were confederated with him. From a strategical point of view, the weakness of the allied powers consisted in the fact that the Arabian desert lay between the eastern and western members of the confederacy, so that the Assyrian kings were able to attack their enemies when they pleased and to defeat them in detail.

R. Dick Wilson

Merom, Waters Of

me'-rom (me-merom; hudor Marron or hudor Merron): The place which was the scene of Joshua's victory over Jabin and his confederates (Joshua 11:7), commonly identified with Lake Huleh in the upper part of the Jordan valley, but with doubtful propriety. Josephus says (Ant., V, i, 18) that the camp of the allies was at Beroth in upper Galilee, and that Beroth was not far from Kadesh, which is upon the summit of the Galilean hills. According to the Scriptural account, the pursuit was to Sidon and Hazor on the West of the mountains (see HAZOR), while the names of the confederates are those of places in lower Galilee and the maritime plain. It seems improbable that a force of chariots should be brought over to be hemmed in by the rugged mountains which border the narrow plain of Huleh on both sides, plains that are made still narrower by the swamps surrounding the lake (see JORDAN VALLEY) in Joshua's time, when they were much larger than they are now after having been filled with the accumulation of sediment brought down by mountain streams for 3,000 years. Conder, with much reason, supposes the "waters of Merom" to be the perennial stream Wady el-Melek, near Shimrom-Merom (Semunieh), 5 miles West of Nazareth. Were Lake Huleh referred to, the proper phrase would be Sea (yam) of Merom, rather than waters (mayim).

George Frederick Wright

Meronothite

me-ron'-thit, me-ro'-no-thit (meronothi, root meaning "fertility"): The designation of two persons in the Old Testament:

(1) Jehdeiah, who was in charge of the royal asses under David (1 Chronicles 27:30).

(2) Jadon who was among the repairers of the wall under Nehemiah (Nehemiah 3:7). No place of the name Meronoth can be identified. That Jadon worked on the wall near Gibeonites and Mizpahites affords no clear clue to the place, unless it be shown that there was some geographical rota in the wall repairers.

Meroz

me'-roz (meroz; Codex Vaticanus, Meroz; Codex Alexandrinus, Mazor): This name occurs only once in Scripture. The angel of the Lord is represented as invoking curses upon Meroz because the inhabitants "came not to the help of Yahweh" on the day of Deborah and Barak's victory (Judges 5:23). It is a strange fate, shared with Chorazin, to be preserved from oblivion only by the record of a curse. The bitterness in the treatment of Meroz, not found in the references to any of the other delinquents, must be due to the special gravity of her offense. Reuben, Gilead and Da were far away. This, however, is not true of Asher, who was also absent. Perhaps Meroz was near the field of battle and, at some stage of the conflict, within sight and hearing of the strife. If, when Zebulun "jeopardized their lives unto the death, and Naphtali, upon the high places of the field," they turned a deaf ear and a cold heart to the dire straits of their brethren, this might explain the fierce reproaches of Deborah.

Meroz may possibly be identified with el-Murussus, a mud-built village about 5 miles Northwest of Beisan, on the slopes to the North of the Vale of Jezreel. If the Kedesh where Heber's tent was pitched be identical with Qadish to the West of the Sea of Galilee, Sisera's flight, avoiding the Israelites in the neighborhood of Mt. Tabor, may have carried him past el-Murussus. If the inhabitants had it in their power to arrest him, but suffered him to escape (Moore, "Jgs," ICC, 163), such treachery to the na tion's cause might well rouse the indignation of the heroic prophetess.

W. Ewing

Merran

mer'-an (Merran; the King James Version Meran): Many identifications have been suggested on the assumption that the text as it stands is correct. Some of these are the Sidonian Meareh (Grotius), Marane, a city of which Pliny speaks as being near the Red Sea (Keil), and the desert of Mahrah in Arabia (Fritzsche). It is very probable, however, that the name represents an error in transcription from the original Semitic text, confusing the Hebrew letter daleth ("d") with the Hebrew letter resh ("r"), so that we should read Meddan, or Medan, i.e. Midian. The phrase will then run, "the merchants of Midian and Teman" (Baruch 3:23). The merchants of Midian are referred to in Genesis 37:28.

W. Ewing

Meruth

me'-ruth.

See EMMERUTH.

Mesaloth

mes'-a-loth (Messaloth, Maisaloth): A place mentioned in the account of the march of Bacchides and Alcimus into Judah, as "in Arbela" (1 Macc 9:2). If Arbela be identical with Irbil or Irbid on the southern lip of Wady el-Chamam, West of the Sea of Galilee, this fixes the locality; but no name resembling Mesaloth has been found.

Mesech

me'-sek.

See MESHECH.

Mesha

me'-sha:

(1) (mesha`; Codex Vaticanus, Marisa; Codex Alexandrinus, Marisas): Caleb's firstborn son, the father of Ziph, probably the ancestor of the Ziphites (1 Chronicles 2:42).

(2) (mesha'; Codex Vaticanus, Misa; Codex Alexandrinus, Mosa): A Benjamite, son of Shaharaim by his wife Hodesh, born in the land of Moab (1 Chronicles 8:9).

(3) (mesha`; Mosa): A king of Moab. All the Biblical information regarding this monarch is contained in 2Ki 3. Here we gather that Mesha was contemporary with Ahab, Ahaziah and Jehoram. He was tributary to Israel, his annual contribution consisting of 100,000 lambs and 100,000 rams. after the death of Ahab he asserted his independence. Jehoshaphat, king of Judah, and the king of Edom joined forces with Jehoram in an attempt to quell the rebellion at the instance of Elisha, who accompanied the host, water was miraculously provided when the army of the allies was ready to perish of thirst. Mesha came out against them and fell upon the camp. His attack was repulsed with heavy slaughter, and the defeated king was chased by the victors until he took refuge in the great fortress of Kir-hareseth. A vigorous siege was begun. Seeing that his case was desperate, Mesha attempted, with 700 men, to break through the lines. Failing in this, he offered his firstborn as a burnt offering upon the wall. Then "there came great wrath upon Israel" (by which, probably, panic is meant), and the besiegers retired, leaving their conquest incomplete.

In his inscription (see MOABITE STONE) Mesha gives an account of his rebellion, naming the places captured and fortified by him. It is not surprising that he says nothing of his defeat by Jehoram and his allies. There is, however, one serious discrepancy. The time Moab was under the supremacy of Israel, during the reign of Omri and half the reign of Ahab, he puts at 40 years. According to Biblical chronology, Omri and Ahab together reigned only 34 years. If, with Mesha, we deduct half the reign of Ahab, the period is reduced to 23 years. It is impossible to add to the length of either reign. So great a difference cannot be explained by the use of round numbers. Why Mesha should wish to increase the time of his people's subjection is not clear, unless, indeed, he thought in this way to magnify the glory of their deliverer.

In Mesha the sentiment of patriotism was wedded to some measure of military capacity. Judging by his inscription, he was also a deeply religious man according to his lights. Substitute "Yahweh" for "Chemosh," and his phraseology might be that of a pious Hebrew king. The sacrifice of his son is at once the mark of the heathen and an index of the strength of his devotion.

(4) (mesha'; Masse): This appears to mark the western boundary of the land occupied by the descendants of Joktan (Genesis 10:30). No certain identification is possible, but several more or less probable have been suggested: e.g.

(a) The Greek Mesene, on the Persian Gulf, not far from the mouth of the Tigris and the Euphrates;

(b) the Syro-Arabian desert, called Mashu in the Assyrian inscriptions; the name here, however, could hardly cover such a vast tract as this; more probably it denoted a place;

(c) Dillmann would alter the vowels and identify it with Massa', a branch of the Ishmaelite stock (Genesis 25:14; 1 Chronicles 1:30). This, however, furnishes no clue to the locality, the territory of that tribe being also unidentified.

W. Ewing

Meshach

me'-shak (meshakh): Possibly the Sumerian form of the Babylonian Cil-Asharidu, "the shadow of the prince," just as Shadrach probably means "the servant of Sin," and Abednego the "servant of Ishtar." Meshach was one of the three Hebrew companions of Daniel, whose history is given in the first chapters of the Book of Daniel.

See, further, under SHADRACH.

Meshech; Mesech

me'-shek, me'-sek (meshekh, "long," "tall"; Mosoch): Son of Japheth (Genesis 10:2; 1 Chronicles 1:5; 1 Chronicles 1:17 is a scribal error for "Mash"; compare Genesis 10:22,Genesis 10:23). His descendants and their dwelling-place (probably somewhere in the neighborhood of armenia (Herodotus iii.94)) seem to be regarded in Scripture as synonyms for the barbaric and remote (Psalms 120:5; compare Isaiah 66:19, where Meshech should be read instead of "that draw the bow"). It is thought that the "Tibareni and Moschi" of the classical writers refer to the same people. Doubtless they appear in the annals of Assyria as enemies of that country under the names Tabali and Mushki--the latter the descendants of Meshech and the former those of Tubal to whom the term "Tibareni" may refer in the clause above. This juxtaposition of names is in harmony with practically every appearance of the word in Scripture. It is seldom named without some one of the others--Tubal, Javan, Gog and Magog. It is this which forms a good justification for making the suggested change in Isaiah 66:19, where Meshech would be in the usual company of Tubal and Javan. Ezekiel mentions them several times, first, as engaged in contributing to the trade of Tyre (Tiras of Genesis 10:2?), in "vessels of brass" and--very significantly--slaves; again there is the association of Javan and Tubal with them (Ezekiel 27:13); second, they are included in his weird picture of the under-world: "them that go down into the pit" (Ezekiel 32:18,Ezekiel 32:26). They are mentioned again with Gog and Magog twice as those against whom the prophet is to "set his face" (Ezekiel 38:2,Ezekiel 38:3; Ezekiel 39:1).

Henry Wallace

Meshelemiah

me-shel-e-mi'-a (meshelemyah, "Yah repays"): Father of Zechariah, one of the porters of the tabernacle (1 Chronicles 9:21; 1 Chronicles 26:1,1 Chronicles 26:2,1 Chronicles 26:9). In the latter passage Meshelemiah, with a final "-u", is credited with "sons and brethren, valiant men, 18." He is the "Shelemiah" of 1 Chronicles 26:14, the "Shallum" of 1 Chronicles 9:17,1 Chronicles 9:19,1 Chronicles 9:31, and the "Meshullam" of Nehemiah 12:25.

Meshezabel

me-shez'-a-bel (meshezebhe'el, "God a deliverer"; the King James Version Meshezabeel, me-shez'-a-bel):

(1) A priest, ancestor of Meshullam, who assisted Nehemiah in rebuilding the wall of Jerusalem (Nehemiah 3:4).

(2) One of the chiefs of the people giving name to the family which sealed the covenant with Nehemiah (Nehemiah 10:21).

(3) A descendant of Judah through Zerah, and father of Pethahiah (Nehemiah 11:24).

Meshillemith

me-shil'-e-mith (meshillemith, "retribution"): A priest, son of Immer, ancestor, according to 1 Chronicles 9:12, of Adaiah and Pashhur, and according to Nehemiah 11:13, of Amashai. In the latter passage this name is spelled MESHILLEMOTH (which see).

Meshillemoth

me-shil'-e-moth, me-shil'-e-moth (meshillemoth, "recompense"):

(1) An Ephraimite ancestor of Berechiah, chief of the tribe, in the reign of Pekah (2 Chronicles 28:12).

(2) The "Meshillemith" of Nehemiah 11:13.

Meshobab

me-sho'-bab (meshobhabh): A Simeonite (1 Chronicles 4:34). This name heads the list of those who, for the sake of wider pasturelands, occupied a Hamitic settlement in the neighborhood of Gerar (Mount GEDOR (which see)), and a Maonite settlement in Edomite territory (1 Chronicles 4:39–41). The latter event is dated in the days of Hezekiah (see Curtis, Chronicles, in the place cited.).

Meshullam

me-shul'-am (meshullam, "resigned" or "devoted"; compare Arabic Muslim; Mesollam): An Old Testament name very common in post-exilic times.

(1) The grandfather of Shaphan (2 Kings 22:3).

(2) A son of Zerubbabel (1 Chronicles 3:19).

(3) A Gadite (1 Chronicles 5:13).

(4) (5) (6) Three Benjamites (1 Chronicles 8:17; 1 Chronicles 9:7,1 Chronicles 9:8).

(7) The father of Hilkiah (1 Chronicles 9:11; Nehemiah 11:11).

(8) A priest, son of Meshillemith (1 Chronicles 9:12); the parallel list (Nehemiah 11:13) omits the name.

(9) A Kohathite appointed by Josiah as one of the overseers to direct the repairs of the temple (2 Chronicles 34:12).

(10) One of the chief men sent by Ezra to procure Levites to go up with him to Jerusalem (Ezra 8:16; compare 1 Esdras 8:44).

(11) A Levite opposed to Ezra's regulations anent marriage with foreigners (Ezra 10:15; 1 Esdras 9:14).

(12) One of those who had married foreign wives (Ezra 10:29; compare 1 Esdras 9:30).

(13) One of the repairers of the wall (Nehemiah 3:4,Nehemiah 3:30). His daughter was married to Jehohanan, the son of Tobiah the Ammonite (Nehemiah 6:18).

(14) One of the repairers of the Old Gate (Nehemiah 3:6).

(15) A supporter of Ezra at the reading of the Law (Nehemiah 8:4).

(16) One of those who subscribed the Covenant (Nehemiah 10:20).

(17) A priest who subscribed the Covenant (Nehemiah 10:7).

(18) (19) Two priests at the time of the high priest Joiakim (Nehemiah 12:13,Nehemiah 12:16).

(20) A porter at the time of the high priest Joiakim (Nehemiah 12:25).

(21) A processionist at the dedication of the wall of Jerusalem (Nehemiah 12:33).

John A. Less

Meshullemeth

me-shul'-e-meth (meshullemeth): The wife of King Manasseh and mother of Amon (2 Kings 21:19). She is further designated "daughter of Haruz of Jotbah." This is the earliest instance of the birthplace being added to the designation of the queen mother. The name is properly the feminine of the frequently occurring MESHULLAM (which see).

Mesobaite

me-so'-ba-it.

See MEZOBAITE.

Mesopotamia

mes-o-ta'-mi-a.

See SYRIA.

Mess

mes (mas'eth): Any dish of food sent (Latin missum; French messe) to the table. It occurs in the Old Testament in Genesis 43:34 (twice); 2 Samuel 11:8 English Versions of the Bible, and in the New Testament in Hebrews 12:16, translating brosis.