Hebrew word · H4266

מַחֲנַיִם

machanayim

Mahanaim

A place-name formed from maḥaneh with the ending -ayim. In ordinary nouns that ending means 'a pair' (eyes, hands). In place-names it sometimes appears without any clear 'two' meaning (e.g. Yerushalayim, Jerusalem). Literally 'two camps' or 'double camp'.

Appears 13 times in 13 verses of the Hebrew Old Testament. ·

What it means

§ Mahanaim = "two camps"

a place east of the Jordan, named from Jacob's encounter with angels

Abridged from Brown, Driver and Briggs, A Hebrew and English Lexicon of the Old Testament (1906), via STEPBible.org (CC BY 4.0).

In depth

From the study of Genesis 32:2

Range of meaning

A place-name formed from maḥaneh with the ending -ayim. In ordinary nouns that ending means 'a pair' (eyes, hands). In place-names it sometimes appears without any clear 'two' meaning (e.g. Yerushalayim, Jerusalem). Literally 'two camps' or 'double camp'.

Against the English

Most versions transliterate it as 'Mahanaim', which hides the meaning. YLT translates it 'Two Camps'. Most study Bibles footnote the meaning.

Used elsewhere in the period

Later a town in Gilead near the Jabbok river. It was on the border of Gad and Manasseh (Josh 13:26, 30) and was a Levitical city (Josh 21:38). Ishbosheth made it his capital (2 Sam 2:8). David fled there from Absalom (2 Sam 17:24, 27). It was the seat of one of Solomon's districts (1 Kgs 4:14). The 'dance of Mahanaim' appears in Song 6:13 (7:1 in Hebrew). Its exact site is debated; Tell edh-Dhahab el-Gharbi on the Jabbok is a common proposal.

From the study of 2 Samuel 17:27

Range of meaning

A place name made from machaneh, 'camp, encampment, army', in the dual form (the Hebrew form for a pair): 'two camps' or 'double camp'. Machaneh can mean a military camp, a traveling company, or an army.

Against the English

English versions just transliterate it as 'Mahanaim', so the reader loses the meaning 'Two Camps' and the stories attached to it.

Used elsewhere in the period

Named by Jacob after he met God's angels: 'This is God's camp' (Gen 32:2). In the same chapter, afraid of his brother Esau, Jacob splits his people into 'two camps' (Gen 32:7–10). A Levitical town in Gad (Josh 21:38). Abner made Ish-bosheth king there (2 Sam 2:8–12). A district center under Solomon (1 Kgs 4:14). It probably appears as 'Mahanaim' in Pharaoh Shoshenq I's list of conquered towns (late 10th century BC). Its exact site near the Jabbok river is debated: Tell edh-Dhahab el-Gharbi is the common proposal.

Similar words

Where it appears

Genesis · 1

  1. Genesis 32:2 מַֽחֲנָֽיִם׃ פ Mahanaim

    When Jacob saw them, he said, “This is the camp of God.” So he named that place Mahanaim.

    Here: It is formed from maḥaneh with a Hebrew ending that normally means 'two of'. So it sounds like 'Two Camps' (YLT translates it that way). This later became a real town east of the Jordan.

Joshua · 3

  1. Joshua 13:26 וּמִֽמַּחֲנַ֖יִם and from Mahanaim

    the territory from Heshbon to Ramath-mizpeh and Betonim, and from Mahanaim to the border of Debir;

  2. Joshua 13:30 מִמַּחֲנַ֨יִם from Mahanaim

    The territory from Mahanaim through all Bashan—all the kingdom of Og king of Bashan, including all the towns of Jair that are in Bashan, sixty cities;

  3. Joshua 21:38 מַחֲנַ֖יִם Mahanaim

    And from the tribe of Gad they were given Ramoth in Gilead, a city of refuge for the manslayer, Mahanaim,

2 Samuel · 6

  1. 2 Samuel 2:8 מַחֲנָֽיִם׃ Mahanaim

    Meanwhile, Abner son of Ner, the commander of Saul’s army, took Saul’s son Ish-bosheth, moved him to Mahanaim,

  2. 2 Samuel 2:12 מִֽמַּחֲנַ֖יִם from Mahanaim

    One day Abner son of Ner and the servants of Ish-bosheth son of Saul marched out from Mahanaim to Gibeon.

  3. 2 Samuel 2:29 מַחֲנָֽיִם׃ Mahanaim

    And all that night Abner and his men marched through the Arabah. They crossed the Jordan, marched all morning, and arrived at Mahanaim.

  4. 2 Samuel 17:24 מַחֲנָ֑יְמָה Mahanaim towards

    Then David went to Mahanaim, and Absalom crossed the Jordan with all the men of Israel.

  5. 2 Samuel 17:27 מַחֲנָ֑יְמָה Mahanaim towards

    When David came to Mahanaim, he was met by Shobi son of Nahash from Rabbah of the Ammonites, Machir son of Ammiel from Lo-debar, and Barzillai the Gileadite from Rogelim.

    Here: The town name means 'two camps'; the ending -ah means 'to/toward'. A fortified Transjordan town that had earlier served as the capital of Saul's son Ish-bosheth (2:8).

  6. 2 Samuel 19:32 בְמַחֲנַ֔יִם in Mahanaim

    Barzillai was quite old, eighty years of age, and since he was a very wealthy man, he had provided for the king while he stayed in Mahanaim.

1 Kings · 2

  1. 1 Kings 2:8 מַחֲנָ֑יִם Mahanaim

    Keep an eye on Shimei the son of Gera, the Benjamite from Bahurim who is with you. He called down bitter curses against me on the day I went to Mahanaim, but when he came down to meet me at the Jordan, I swore to him by the LORD: ‘I will never put you to the sword.’

  2. 1 Kings 4:14 מַחֲנָֽיְמָה׃ Mahanaim <towards>

    Ahinadab son of Iddo in Mahanaim;

1 Chronicles · 1

  1. 1 Chronicles 6:80 מַחֲנַ֖יִם Mahanaim

    And from the tribe of Gad they were given Ramoth in Gilead, Mahanaim,

Word data: STEPBible.org (CC BY 4.0), main text only.