Who is…
Machir

also known as: Ma’chir or Makir

Meaning: sold

This is the name of 2 related biblical men.

Machir, son of Manasseh

He is Manasseh’s firstborn son (Joshua 17:1) and is known for his leadership. He was born by his father’s Aramean concubine (1 Chronicles 7:14; not named in Scripture).

Machir was born in Egypt during the patriarchal period. Genesis 50:23 explicitly states that Joseph (who lived to 110 years old) “saw Ephraim’s children of the third generation; the children also of Machir the son of Manasseh were brought up upon Joseph’s knees,” indicating that Machir himself had children (at least grandchildren of Joseph) before Joseph’s death. This places Machir’s birth and early adulthood in Egypt, likely during or shortly after the years of plenty/famine under Joseph’s administration as the pharaoh’s right hand man.

His descendants are referred to under the name of Machirites. Very little personal detail is given about Machir as an individual—no stories of his exploits, speeches, or family dramas appear in the narrative books. Instead, the Bible emphasizes his descendants’ military prowess and territorial contributions during the conquest and settlement of Canaan.

The Machirites (the “sons of Machir”) are credited with capturing Gilead east of the Jordan River (Transjordan) from the Amorites during the wilderness period or early conquest. Numbers 32:39, 40 records: “The descendants of Machir son of Manasseh went to Gilead, captured it and drove out the Amorites who were there. So Moses gave Gilead to Machir son of Manasseh, and he settled there.” Deuteronomy 3:15 and Joshua 13:31 confirm this allotment of “half Gilead” (plus parts of Bashan) to his line because “he was a man of war” (Joshua 17:1).

The Machirites became a major division within the half-tribe of Manasseh that settled east of the Jordan. The land was strategically important—frontier territory exposed to Aramean/Syrian, Assyrian, and nomadic threats—making the grant a reward for proven bravery and a practical defense measure for Israel.

In the Song of Deborah (Judges 5:14), “Machir” is invoked poetically as a tribal contingent that joined the battle against Sisera and the Canaanite kings, standing alongside other tribes like Ephraim and Benjamin. This suggests the name became synonymous with the eastern Manassehites’ martial reputation, even if Machir himself had died centuries earlier.

Wife and family

Machir’s wife is Maacah (also spelled Maachah). She is the sister of Huppim and Shuppim (Benjaminite figures from 1 Chronicles 7:12–15). This reflects inter-tribal marriage alliances. Some translations have minor textual ambiguities (e.g., whether Machir arranged marriages for Huppim/Shuppim or took Maacah as wife), but the consensus is that Maacah was Machir’s wife.

Machir is the father of Gilead (Numbers 26:29).

His brother is Asriel (aka Ashriel) (Hebrew: אַשְׂרִיאֵל, meaning: Helped by God), who was also born by his father’s concubine. Asriel is the founder of the clan called the Asrielites (Numbers 26:31).

Relatives

Q & A

Machir, a descendant of the above Machir

He lived at Lo-debar, where he maintained Prince Jonathan’s son Mephibosheth till he was taken under the care of David (2 Samuel 9:4), and where he afterwards gave shelter to David himself when he was a fugitive (2 Sam. 17:27).

Q & A
Article Version: March 26, 2026