Maoch

Biblical Record

Maoch appears only once, in 1 Samuel 27:2. The verse records that David, fleeing from Saul's pursuit, "passed over with the six hundred men that were with him unto Achish, the son of Maoch, king of Gath." Gath was one of the principal cities of the Philistines. Apart from his name, Scripture says nothing about Maoch's life or deeds, nor whether he ever reigned as king. His name serves only to identify his son Achish.

Significance Within Scripture

In the Old Testament, a father's name is often recorded to distinguish a person from others of the same name or to make that person's identity clear. Maoch's name likewise serves to identify Achish. Maoch is not mentioned in the New Testament.

Interpretation and Issues

• The referent of "king of Gath": In some translations, including the Korean Bible, the wording read on its own could be taken as applying the title "king of Gath" to Maoch. However, the context and the surrounding accounts (1 Samuel 21 and 27) present Achish as the king of Gath. The text does not say whether Maoch was a king.
• Relationship to Maachah: 1 Kings 2:39 mentions "Achish son of Maachah king of Gath" in the time of Solomon. Scholars hold two views. One holds that Maoch and Maachah are variant forms of the same name and that both passages refer to the same Achish. The other, pointing to the long interval between the two accounts, regards them as different individuals (for example, members of the same family in successive generations). Neither view has been conclusively established.
• Various suggestions have been offered regarding the meaning of the name Maoch, but there is no consensus.

In Korean Churches

In Korean churches, no sermons or Sunday school materials devoted specifically to Maoch have been identified. His name is typically encountered only in passing, as the father of Achish, when the account of David's flight to Gath is studied.