Original Word: מַחְסֵיָה
Part of Speech: Proper Name Masculine
Transliteration: Machceyah
Pronunciation: makh-seh-YAH
Phonetic Spelling: (makh-say-yaw')
KJV: Maaseiah
NASB: Mahseiah
Word Origin: [from H4268 (מַחֲסֶה מַחסֶה - refuge) and H3050 (יָהּ - LORD)]

1. refuge of (i.e. in) Jah
2. Machsejah, an Israelite

Maaseiah

From machaceh and Yahh; refuge of (i.e. In) Jah; Machsejah, an Israelite -- Maaseiah.

see HEBREW machaceh

see HEBREW Yahh

Word Origin
from machaseh and Yah
Definition
"Yah is a refuge," an Isr.
NASB Translation
Mahseiah (2).

מַחְסֵיָה proper name, masculine (׳י is a refuge) ancestor of Baruch and Seraiah Jeremiah 32:12 (Baer ׳מַחֲס) Jeremiah 51:59.

Machseiah

Biblical context

Machseiah appears twice, both times within the autobiographical material of the prophet Jeremiah (Jeremiah 32:12; Jeremiah 51:59). In each reference he is identified as the grandfather of two trusted aides of Jeremiah—Baruch and Seraiah—through his son Neriah. The family’s presence alongside Jeremiah during pivotal prophetic actions situates Machseiah within the faithful remnant in the last years of the Kingdom of Judah.

Historical setting

The references fall during Zedekiah’s troubled reign (circa 597–586 BC). Jerusalem is under Babylonian threat, yet Jeremiah continues to proclaim both imminent judgment and ultimate restoration. The purchase of a field (Jeremiah 32) and the prophetic denouncement of Babylon (Jeremiah 51) frame Machseiah’s family as witnesses to the unfolding word of the Lord. Their association with legal documents, royal journeys, and prophetic scrolls places them among Judah’s literate and administratively skilled households at a time when such abilities were crucial to the preservation of covenant knowledge.

Theological significance of the name

The very form of the name proclaims confidence that the Lord Himself is a hiding place in times of distress. This confession aligns seamlessly with Jeremiah’s message that God will shelter a repentant people even as He disciplines the nation. The name thus functions as a lived testimony amid crisis: while Babylonian armies encircle Jerusalem, a family bears a name that quietly asserts divine refuge.

Occurrences in Jeremiah

• Jeremiah 32:12: “I gave this deed to Baruch son of Neriah, the son of Mahseiah, in the presence of my kinsman Hanamel, the witnesses who signed the deed, and all the Jews sitting in the courtyard of the guard.”

 – Here Machseiah’s grandson Baruch receives the title deed that symbolizes Judah’s future hope. The generational chain from Machseiah to Neriah to Baruch underscores how God works through families to secure and transmit His promises.

• Jeremiah 51:59: “This is the message that Jeremiah the prophet gave to the staff officer Seraiah son of Neriah, the son of Mahseiah, when he went with Zedekiah king of Judah to Babylon in the fourth year of his reign.”

 – Seraiah, another grandson, carries a scroll foretelling Babylon’s downfall, emphasizing that the refuge proclaimed in the name would ultimately be realized through the downfall of Judah’s oppressor.

Ministry implications

1. Faithful lineage: Machseiah’s family illustrates the blessing of multi-generational devotion. Baruch’s steadfast recording of prophecy and Seraiah’s obedient delivery of judgement both stem from a household grounded in trust that God is a shelter.
2. Quiet influence: Though Machseiah never speaks, his influence is traceable in the character and reliability of his descendants, reminding believers of the unseen impact of private faithfulness.
3. Symbol of hope: In Jeremiah 32 the field purchase shows that “houses and fields and vineyards will again be bought in this land” (Jeremiah 32:15). The presence of Machseiah’s line at that transaction ties the promise of national restoration to a family whose very name echoes refuge.

Lessons for contemporary believers

• Names—and the truths they carry—shape identity. Bearing witness to God as refuge equips believers to stand firm amid cultural upheaval.
• God often works through supportive roles. Machseiah never steps into the prophetic spotlight, yet his descendants serve crucial purposes in the transmission of Scripture.
• Generational faithfulness can anchor communities. In periods when society seems to unravel, families rooted in the Lord’s protection become conduits of stability, preserving and forwarding God’s redemptive agenda.

In sum, Machseiah’s brief appearance in Scripture offers a portrait of quiet but enduring faith, demonstrating how the conviction that the Lord is a refuge can ripple through generations and support the unfolding of God’s prophetic word.

מַחְסֵיָה֒ מחסיה machseYah maḥ·sê·yāh maḥsêyāhInterlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel Texts