{
  "id": "dict_003411",
  "term": "Maacah",
  "slug": "maacah",
  "letter": "M",
  "entry_type": "biblical_proper_name",
  "entry_family": "theological_term",
  "depth_profile": "standard",
  "short_definition": "Maacah is a biblical proper name used for several people and for a territorial region in the Old Testament.",
  "simple_one_line": "A Bible name that refers to more than one person and to a region, so context is needed to identify the right referent.",
  "tooltip_text": "A repeated Old Testament name: several people are called Maacah, and the name also appears as a place or region.",
  "aliases": [],
  "scripture_references": [],
  "original_language_terms": [],
  "related_entries": [
    "Absalom",
    "Geshur",
    "Aram",
    "Davidic line",
    "Genealogy"
  ],
  "see_also": [
    "Proper names in the Old Testament",
    "Biblical place names",
    "Genealogies"
  ],
  "lede_intro": "Maacah is a recurring Old Testament name used for multiple individuals and for a region associated with Aramean territory. Because the same name refers to more than one referent, readers must use context to determine which Maacah is in view.",
  "at_a_glance_definition": "A repeated biblical proper name for several people and a region.",
  "at_a_glance_key_points": [
    "Used for multiple individuals in genealogical and royal narratives",
    "also used for a territorial designation",
    "not a theological concept in itself",
    "context determines the referent."
  ],
  "description_academic_short": "Maacah is a biblical proper name that appears in several distinct contexts in the Old Testament. It designates more than one individual, including figures in royal and genealogical lines, and also a region associated with Aramean territory. The term is best treated as a name-disambiguation entry rather than as a theological term.",
  "description_academic_full": "Maacah is not a single theological concept but a biblical proper name used in multiple Old Testament settings. Scripture applies the name to several different people, including women connected with royal and genealogical lines, and also to a territorial or regional designation associated with Aramean territory. This makes context essential: the meaning of the name depends on the passage in which it appears. As a dictionary entry, Maacah functions best as a disambiguation heading that helps readers distinguish the various persons and the place bearing the same name.",
  "background_biblical_context": "The Old Testament uses the name Maacah in genealogical lists, royal-family narratives, and territorial notices. Some references point to women in Israelite or surrounding royal lines, while others point to a region named Maacah in accounts involving Israel's northern boundaries and conflicts.",
  "background_historical_context": "In the ancient Near Eastern setting, it was common for the same name to be borne by different individuals and for place names to overlap with personal names. Maacah therefore reflects ordinary biblical naming practice rather than a unique theological category.",
  "background_jewish_ancient_context": "Second Temple and later Jewish readers would have understood Maacah as a name requiring contextual identification. Genealogies and historical narratives often preserve such names without explanation, assuming the reader will distinguish the referent from the surrounding context.",
  "key_texts_primary": [
    "Gen 22:24",
    "2 Sam 3:3",
    "1 Kgs 15:2, 10, 13",
    "1 Chr 2:48",
    "1 Chr 8:29",
    "Deut 3:14",
    "Josh 12:5",
    "2 Sam 10:6"
  ],
  "key_texts_secondary": [
    "Other genealogical and historical notices where the same name appears in related family or regional contexts."
  ],
  "original_language_note": "Hebrew מַעֲכָה (Ma‘akhah), used as both a personal name and a place name.",
  "theological_significance": "Maacah has no major doctrinal content in itself, but it illustrates the importance of careful reading in biblical narrative and genealogy. Distinguishing people, places, and family lines helps preserve the coherence of the historical record.",
  "philosophical_explanation": "This is a naming and classification issue rather than a conceptual one. A proper interpretation depends on identifying which referent a text intends, using literary and historical context.",
  "interpretive_cautions": "Do not collapse all occurrences of Maacah into one person or one location. The same spelling may refer to different individuals or to a region, and each passage must be read on its own terms.",
  "major_views_note": "Most readers and interpreters treat Maacah as a disambiguation heading covering multiple biblical referents: several persons and one territorial designation.",
  "doctrinal_boundaries": "No direct doctrinal claim should be built from the name itself. Any theological use must come from the specific passage in which a particular Maacah appears.",
  "practical_significance": "The entry helps Bible readers track genealogies, royal family connections, and geographic references without confusion. It also models careful, context-based interpretation.",
  "meta_description": "Maacah is a biblical proper name used for several people and for a region in the Old Testament; context determines the referent.",
  "public_url": "/companion-bible-dictionary/maacah/",
  "json_url": "/companion-bible-dictionary/data/dictionary/maacah.json",
  "final_disposition": "PUBLISH_CANONICAL"
}