English · KJV
H4343

מַכְבֵּנָא

Makbênâʼ /mak-bay-naw'/ Ask about this word
Rootfrom the same as כַּבּוֹן
Meaningknoll; Macbena, a place in Palestine settled by him
KJV usageMachbenah.

Word Study

In depth

A plain-language study of Makbênâʼ — the range of meaning it carries, how Scripture actually uses it, and where it points. Written for readers who don’t know the original language.

Core Meaning & Semantic Range

The Hebrew word Makbênâʼ, represented by H4343, identifies a place in Palestine. The term is defined as a knoll and appears as Machbenah in scripture. Its usage is extremely specific, appearing only 1 time in 1 unique verse within the Old Testament.

Biblical Occurrences & Contextual Analysis

The sole appearance of H4343 is within a genealogical record in 1 Chronicles. The verse states that Sheva was "the father of Machbenah" 1 Chronicles 2:49. This places Machbenah as a town or settlement founded or populated by a man named Sheva. The context of the passage is the lineage of Caleb, where several individuals are named as the "father" of various towns, including Shaaph, the father of Madmannah, and an unnamed father of Gibea.

Related Words & Concepts

Several related words from the surrounding text provide a fuller picture of the context:

  • H7724 Shᵉvâʼ (Sheva): This is the name of the Israelite identified as the father of Machbenah, directly linking the person to the place 1 Chronicles 2:49.
  • H1 ʼâb (father): Used to denote Sheva's role as the founder or chief of the settlement of Machbenah 1 Chronicles 2:49.
  • H4089 Madmannâh (Madmannah): A place in Palestine mentioned in parallel to Machbenah, founded by Shaaph 1 Chronicles 2:49.
  • H1388 Gibʻâʼ (Gibea): Another place name mentioned in the same list, reinforcing the theme of towns being established by specific ancestral figures 1 Chronicles 2:49.
  • H3612 Kâlêb (Caleb): The entire genealogy in which Machbenah is mentioned is connected to this prominent Israelite figure 1 Chronicles 2:49.

Theological Significance

While a minor place name, the mention of H4343 carries significance within the biblical narrative.

  • Genealogical Precision: Its inclusion demonstrates the importance placed on preserving the detailed lineage and settlement history of the tribes of Israel, particularly that of Judah.
  • Founding of Towns: The term "father of Machbenah" highlights the practice of individuals establishing communities and giving their names or heritage to those locations. This connects the people directly to the land they inherited.
  • Historical Record: The mention of Machbenah, alongside Madmannah and Gibea, provides a specific, grounded detail that contributes to the larger historical account of how the land of Canaan was settled by the descendants of Caleb 1 Chronicles 2:49.

Summary

In summary, H4343 is a proper noun for a location, Machbenah. Its single reference in scripture serves a distinct purpose: to document the settlement of the land by an individual named Sheva within the broader genealogy of Caleb's descendants. It is a small but precise thread in the rich tapestry of Israel's historical and geographical records.

How the KJV Renders It

Translation

Strong’s lists the renderings but not their weight. These are counted from the King James text of the tagged verses — the bar under each is how often the translators actually reached for it. Select one to filter the occurrences below.

Grammatical Forms

Morphology

In the Hebrew Old Testament, this word appears as a noun across 1 occurrence, inflected in 1 grammatical form — each row is one form, and the bar is how often it is that form. Select any form to read what each part of its name means, and to filter the occurrence list to it.

  • מַכְבֵּנָה

Related Words

Related

Other entries the study above points to — each one is drawn from a reference it makes. Follow the trail to see how the words connect.

H7724 שְׁוָא from the same as שָׁוְא; false; Sheva, an Israelite; Sheva. H1 אָב a primitive word; father, in a literal and immediate, or figurative and remote application; chief, (fore-) father(-less) H4089 מַדְמַנָּה a variation for מַדְמֵנָה; Madmannah, a place in Palestine; Madmannah. H1388 גִּבְעָא by permutation for גִּבְעָה; a hill; Giba, a place in Palestine; Gibeah. H3612 כָּלֵב perhaps a form of כֶּלֶב, or else from the same root in the sense of forcible; Caleb, the name of three Israelites; Cale

Theographic Context

Context

The people, places, and span of history the verses containing this word touch on — drawn from the theographic tagging of Scripture. Select any name to isolate its verses in the occurrence list.

Biblical Distribution

Distribution

1 verse, all in 1 Chronicles — and none of the other 38 Old Testament books.

Every Occurrence

Concordance

Every verse where the word is tagged in the King James text. Filter by book, by the English word the translators chose, by grammatical form, or search within the verses.

Sources. Definition and numbering: James Strong, Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible (1890). Morphology: STEPBible / Tyndale House (CC BY). Verse tagging: the King James text keyed to Strong’s numbers. Every count on this page is computed from the tagged corpus, not estimated.