ma'-a-ka (ma`akhah; Septuagint: Codex Vaticanus Mocha; Codex Alexandrinus Maacha): A small Syrian kingdom adjoining that of Geshur on the western border of Bashan, the inhabitants of which are called Maachathites (the Revised Version (British and American) "Maacathites"), whose territory was taken by Jair (Deuteronomy 3:14 Joshua 12:5). The border of the Geshurites and the Maacathites and all Mt. Hermon were given to the half-tribe of Manasseh (Joshua 13:11). The inhabitants of these kingdoms, however, were not driven out by Israel (Joshua 13:13), and at a later day the children of Ammon hired mercenaries from Maacah for their encounter with David. The armies met near Medeba when the "Syrians" from Maacah found themselves opposed to Joab. That famous captain completely routed them (2 Samuel 10:6; the Septuagint has "Amalek"). In 1 Chronicles 19:6 it is called Aram-maacah, Syria-maachah (the King James Version); and in 1 Chronicles 2:23 "Aram" appears instead of "Maacah."

It evidently lay between Geshur on the South and Hermon on the North, being probably bounded by Jordan on the West, although no certain indication of boundaries is now possible. They would thus be hemmed in by Israel, which accounts for `Geshur and Maacath dwell in the midst of Israel" (Joshua 13:13).It is possible that Abel-beth-maacah may have been a colony founded by men from Maacah.

W. Ewing