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Mahavite

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What is the meaning of Mahavite in the Bible?

Mahavite was a warrior listed among King David's mighty men, identified in the Masoretic Text as the son of an Ashkeite, with textual variants indicating potential scribal confusion with the figure Eliel.

SIGNIFICANCE

Recognizing Mahavite and the associated textual variants aids in understanding the historical composition of David's military elite and illustrates the challenges of textual transmission in preserving biblical names.

Bible Study Quick-Reference Guide

Genealogy & Community Insight: When reading, notice how the lineage and actions of Mahavite reveal God's preservation of family clans and community records across generations.
Bible Study Reflection Prompts:
  • Why did the biblical author mention Mahavite in this passage?
  • What cultural or historical assumption does Mahavite clarify?

Source Attribution

Built upon the 1915 International Standard Bible Encyclopedia and Easton's Bible Dictionary (1897). Entries have been modernized, checked for academic truthfulness, and shortened for clarity.

How to Cite This Entry

"Mahavite." Ancient Context Dictionary. Accessed 2026. https://ancientcontext.com/context/mahavite/
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