Mesha

burden; salvation

Mesha

(freedom).

1. The name of one of the geographical limits of the Joktanites when they first settled in Arabia. (Genesis 10:30)
2. The king of Moab who was tributary to Ahab, (2 Kings 3:4) but when Ahab fell at Ramoth-gilead, Mesha refused to pay tribute to his successor, Jehoram. When Jehoram succeeded to the throne of Israel, one of his first acts was to secure the assistance of Jehoshaphat, his father's ally, in reducing the Moabites to their former condition of tributaries. The Moabites were defeated, and the king took refuge in his last stronghold, and defended himself with the energy of despair. With 700 fighting men he made a vigorous attempt to cut his way through the beleaguering army, and when beaten back, he withdrew to the wall of his city, and there, in sight of the allied host, offered his first-born son, his successor in the kingdom, as a burnt offering to Chemosh, the ruthless fire-god of Moab. His bloody sacrifice had so far the desired effect that the besiegers retired from him to their own land. (At Dibon in Moab has lately been discovered the famous Moabite Stone, which contains inscriptions concerning King Mesha and his wars, and which confirms the Bible account. --ED.)
3. The eldest son of Caleb the son of Hezron by his wife Azubah, as Kimchi conjectures. (1 Chronicles 2:42)
4. A Benjamite, son of Shabaraim by his wife Hodesh, who bore him in the land of Moab. (1 Chronicles 8:9)

Mesha

1. A place on the eastern frontier of the territory of Joktan, Genesis 10:30, supposed to have been in the region of Bassora, at the northwest end of the Persian Gulf.

2. A king of Moab, who paid an enormous tribute to Ahab king of Israel, but revolted at his death, 2 Kings 1:1; 3:4-27. Joram the son of Ahab, with the aid of Judah and Edom, made war upon him, and besieged him in his capital. Unable to force his way through the besieging host, King Mesha sought the aid of his gods by sacrificing his own son on the city wall; and the besiegers, horrorstruck at this atrocious act, withdrew in terror, lest some curse should fall on them.

MESHA

me'-sha:

(1) (mesha`; Codex Vaticanus, Marisa; Codex Alexandrinus, Marisas): Caleb's firstborn son, the father of Ziph, probably the ancestor of the Ziphites (1 Chronicles 2:42).

(2) (mesha'; Codex Vaticanus, Misa; Codex Alexandrinus, Mosa): A Benjamite, son of Shaharaim by his wife Hodesh, born in the land of Moab (1 Chronicles 8:9).

(3) (mesha`; Mosa): A king of Moab. All the Biblical information regarding this monarch is contained in 2 Kings 3. Here we gather that Mesha was contemporary with Ahab, Ahaziah and Jehoram. He was tributary to Israel, his annual contribution consisting of 100,000 lambs and 100,000 rams. after the death of Ahab he asserted his independence. Jehoshaphat, king of Judah, and the king of Edom joined forces with Jehoram in an attempt to quell the rebellion at the instance of Elisha, who accompanied the host, water was miraculously provided when the army of the allies was ready to perish of thirst. Mesha came out against them and fell upon the camp. His attack was repulsed with heavy slaughter, and the defeated king was chased by the victors until he took refuge in the great fortress of Kir-hareseth. A vigorous siege was begun. See ing that his case was desperate, Mesha attempted, with 700 men, to break through the lines. Failing in this, he offered his firstborn as a burnt offering upon the wall. Then "there came great wrath upon Israel" (by which, probably, panic is meant), and the besiegers retired, leaving their conquest incomplete.

In his inscription (see MOABITE STONE) Mesha gives an account of his rebellion, naming the places captured and fortified by him. It is not surprising that he says nothing of his defeat by Jehoram and his allies. There is, however, one serious discrepancy. The time Moab was under the supremacy of Israel, during the reign of Omri and half the reign of Ahab, he puts at 40 years. According to Biblical chronology, Omri and Ahab together reigned only 34 years. If, with Mesha, we deduct half the reign of Ahab, the period is reduced to 23 years. It is impossible to add to the length of either reign. So great a difference cannot be explained by the use of round numbers. Why Mesha should wish to increase the time of his people's subjection is not clear, unless, indeed, he thought in this way to magnify the glory of their deliverer.

In Mesha the sentiment of patriotism was wedded to some measure of military capacity. Judging by his inscription, he was also a deeply religious man according to his lights. Substitute "Yahweh" for "Chemosh," and his phraseology might be that of a pious Hebrew king. The sacrifice of his son is at once the mark of the heathen and an index of the strength of his devotion.

(4) (mesha'; Masse): This appears to mark the western boundary of the land occupied by the descendants of Joktan (Genesis 10:30). No certain identification is possible, but several more or less probable have been suggested: e.g.

(a) The Greek Mesene, on the Persian Gulf, not far from the mouth of the Tigris and the Euphrates;

(b) the Syro-Arabian desert, called Mashu in the Assyrian inscriptions; the name here, however, could hardly cover such a vast tract as this; more probably it denoted a place;

(c) Dillmann would alter the vowels and identify it with Massa', a branch of the Ishmaelite stock (Genesis 25:14 1 Chronicles 1:30). This, however, furnishes no clue to the locality, the territory of that tribe being also unidentified.

W. Ewing

Middle district, Vulgate, Messa.

(1.) A plain in that part of the boundaries of Arabia inhabited by the descendants of Joktan (Genesis 10:30).

(2.) Hebrews meysh'a, "deliverance," the eldest son of Caleb (1 Chronicles 2:42), and brother of Jerahmeel.

(3.) Hebrews id, a king of Moab, the son of Chemosh-Gad, a man of great wealth in flocks and herds (2 Kings 3:4). After the death of Ahab at Ramoth-Gilead, Mesha shook off the yoke of Israel; but on the ascension of Jehoram to the throne of Israel, that king sought the help of Jehoshaphat in an attempt to reduce the Moabites again to their former condition. The united armies of the two kings came unexpectedly on the army of the Moabites, and gained over them an easy victory. The whole land was devastated by the conquering armies, and Mesha sought refuge in his last stronghold, Kir-harasheth (q.v.). Reduced to despair, he ascended the wall of the city, and there, in the sight of the allied armies, offered his first-born son a sacrifice to Chemosh, the fire-god of the Moabites. This fearful spectacle filled the beholders with horror, and they retired from before the besieged city, and recrossed the Jordan laden with spoil (2 Kings 3:25-27).

The exploits of Mesha are recorded in the Phoenician inscription on a block of black basalt found at Dibon, in Moab, usually called the "Moabite stone" (q.v.).

4337. Mesha -- "deliverance," a son of Caleb
... << 4336, 4337. Mesha. 4338 >>. "deliverance," a son of Caleb. Transliteration:
Mesha Phonetic Spelling: (may-shah') Short Definition: Mesha. ...
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4852. Mesha -- one extremity of the territory of the Joktanites
... << 4851, 4852. Mesha. 4853 >>. one extremity of the territory of the Joktanites.
Transliteration: Mesha Phonetic Spelling: (may-shaw') Short Definition: Mesha. ...
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4338. Mesha -- "deliverance," king of Moab
... << 4337, 4338. Mesha. 4339 >>. "deliverance," king of Moab. Transliteration:
Mesha Phonetic Spelling: (may-shaw') Short Definition: Mesha. ...
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4331. Mesha -- a Benjamite
... << 4330, 4331. Mesha. 4332 >>. a Benjamite. Transliteration: Mesha Phonetic
Spelling: (may-shaw') Short Definition: Mesha. Word Origin ...
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