Maacah (fl. 931 BCE)
Maacah (fl. 931 bce)
Biblical woman . Name variations: Maachah; Michaiah. Daughter of Abishalom; third wife of Rehoboam, king of Judah (r. 931–913 bce); children—four sons: Abijah; Attai; Ziza; and Shelomith.
Characterized as a strong-willed woman, Maacah was the third and favorite wife of Rehoboam, king of Judah. They had four sons, the eldest of whom, Abijah, succeeded his father as king. Maacah retained her position as queen-mother for many years, until her grandson Asa had her removed.
There is conflicting information in the Bible surrounding the names Maacah and Michaiah. In 2 Chr. 13:2, Michaiah is identified as the mother of Abijah and the daughter of Uriel of Gibeah, but in 1 Kings 15:2, Abijah's mother is said to be Maachah, the daughter of Abishalom. "The explanation is that Maachah is just a variation of the name Michaiah, and that Abishalom is probably the same as Absalom, the son of David," writes M.G. Easton. "It is probable that 'Uriel of Gibeah' married Tamar , the daughter of Absalom (2 Sam. 14:27), and by her had Maachah. The word 'daughter' in 1 Kings 15:2 will thus, as it frequently elsewhere does, mean grand-daughter."