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Bible Encyclopedias
Mephaath
Cyclopedia of Biblical, Theological and Ecclesiastical Literature
or [some Mepha'ath] (Hebrews Meypha'ath, מֵיפִעִת, prob. splendor; once defectively written מֵפִעִת . Joshua 13:18, and once [Kethib] מוֹפִעִת, Jeremiah 48:21; Sept. Μηφάαθ in Josh., Φαάθ v. r. Μαεφλά in Chron. And Μαφάς v. r. Μωφάθ in Jer.), a Levitical (Merarite) city (Joshua 21:37; 1 Chronicles 6:79) of the tribe of Reuben (Joshua 13:18), doubtless originally (like Heshbon, of which it formed a dependency) in the hands of the Amorites (Numbers 21:26), but afterwards belonging to Moab (Jeremiah 48:21); probably situated near Kedemoth and Jahazah, in connection with which it is always mentioned. Eusebius (Onomast.) calls it Mephath (Μηφάθ), and states that it was still occupied by a Roman garrison as a defence against the Arabs of the neighboring desert. As the name implies a conspicuous position, the site may possibly correspond with that of the modern village with ruins on an eminence marked as Umn el- Weled on Van de Velde's Map, east of Medeba. "The extended, and possibly later, form of the name which occurs in Chronicles and Jeremiah, as if Mey Phaath, ‘ waters of Phaath,' may be, as in other cases, an attempt to fix an intelligible meaning on an archaic or foreign word;" although the fuller form appears to be radical (so both Gesenius and Ftirst, from
יָפִע, to glitter, be eminent).
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McClintock, John. Strong, James. Entry for 'Mephaath'. Cyclopedia of Biblical, Theological and Ecclesiastical Literature. https://www.studylight.org/encyclopedias/eng/tce/m/mephaath.html. Harper & Brothers. New York. 1870.
