Machir

A grandson of the patriarch Joseph. He was the firstborn son of Manasseh through his Aramean concubine (Genesis 50:23; 1 Chronicles 7:14). Machir was the father of Gilead and the founder of the Machirite clan (Numbers 26:29). His descendants defeated the Amorites who lived in the land of Gilead east of the Jordan River during the time of Moses (Numbers 32:39). Later, Joshua assigned them this land along with Bashan for an inheritance (Deuteronomy 3:15; Joshua 17:1–3). In Judges 5:14, the whole tribe of Manasseh is called by this name.

A son of Ammiel who lived in Lo-debar. Lo-debar was a town east of the Jordan River. Machir provided shelter for Mephibosheth (2 Samuel 9:4–5). Later, Machir, together with Shobi and Barzillai, brought supplies for David and his people when David was running away from his son Absalom (2 Samuel 17:27).