Mahanaim

Biblical References

• The place named by Jacob: The town appears in Genesis 32:1-2. As Jacob was returning from Haran to Canaan, he met the angels of God. He said, "This is God's host: and he called the name of that place Mahanaim." Afterward, before meeting his brother Esau, he divided his people and livestock into two bands (Genesis 32:7-10), and after crossing the ford of the Jabbok he wrestled at Peniel (Genesis 32:22-30).
• A tribal boundary and a Levitical city: In Joshua 13:26, 30, Mahanaim appears as a boundary point between the territories of the tribe of Gad and the half-tribe of Manasseh. Joshua 21:38 and 1 Chronicles 6:80 record it as one of the cities that the tribe of Gad gave to the Levites.
• Ish-bosheth's capital: After the death of Saul, his army commander Abner brought Saul's son Ish-bosheth to Mahanaim and made him king (2 Samuel 2:8-9). Ish-bosheth reigned for two years (2:10).
• David's refuge: When Absalom rebelled, David fled to Mahanaim. There Shobi, Machir, and Barzillai the Gileadite, a supporter of David, brought him food and supplies (2 Samuel 17:24-29; 19:32). David was sitting between the gates of the city when he received the news of Absalom's death (2 Samuel 18:24-33). David later recalled that Shimei had cursed him "in the day when I went to Mahanaim" (1 Kings 2:8).
• An administrative center under Solomon: Among the twelve officers appointed by Solomon, Ahinadab was in charge of Mahanaim (1 Kings 4:14).
• Song of Solomon: Song of Solomon 6:13 contains an expression rendered in some translations as "the dance of Mahanaim."

Background

The name is the dual form of a Hebrew word meaning a camp or military encampment. Because the dual form denotes a pair, Mahanaim is commonly interpreted as "two camps."

The town was located in the region of Gilead, east of the Jordan River. Judging from the narrative of Genesis, it appears to have been not far from the Jabbok River. However, scholars differ on which archaeological site it corresponds to, and its precise location has not yet been determined.

Because it lay at a distance from the political centers west of the Jordan, it served as a base or place of refuge both after the defeat of Saul's house and when David was driven out.

Significance in Scripture as a Whole

Mahanaim is remembered in connection with two narratives. First, it was the place where Jacob, in the midst of his fear just before meeting his brother, received assurance of God's protection. Second, it was the place where kings took refuge during times of turmoil in the kingdom of Israel.

The place name does not appear in the New Testament. In preaching, it is sometimes read together with the following passages under the theme of angels guarding believers:

• Psalms 34:7
• 2 Kings 6:17: the scene in which the servant of Elisha sees horses and chariots of fire
• Hebrews 1:14

However, connecting these passages directly with Mahanaim is a matter of interpretation rather than of the biblical text itself.

Interpretations and Debates

• What the "two camps" refers to: There are several interpretations.
• The view that they are God's camp and Jacob's camp
• The view that connects them with the two bands into which Jacob later divided his company
• A view preserved in traditional Jewish commentary, which reads the two camps as the band of angels that had guarded Jacob outside the land and the band of angels that came to meet him within the land

The text itself explains the name only with the words "This is God's host." It does not state how many angels there were or what they did.

• Song of Solomon 6:13: Some read the word as a place name and take the phrase to refer to a dance performed there. Other translations treat it as a common noun and render it "the dance of two camps (companies)"; the KJV reads "the company of two armies." The interpretation differs greatly depending on whether the Song of Solomon is read literally or allegorically (figuratively).

In the Korean Church

Drawing on the idea that "God's host is with us," the name is sometimes used for churches, mission organizations, worship teams, and prayer groups. In preaching, Genesis 32 is frequently used as a text on the theme of trusting in God's protection in the face of crisis.