Original Word: מַרְאֵשָׁה
Part of Speech: Proper Name Location
Transliteration: Mar'eshah
Pronunciation: mah-ray-shah
Phonetic Spelling: (mar-ay-shaw')
KJV: Mareshah
NASB: Mareshah
Word Origin: [formed like H4761 (מַראָשָׁה - Possession)]

1. summit
2. Mareshah, the name of two Israelites and of a place in Israel

Mareshah

Or Mareshah {mar-ay-shaw'}; formed like mar'ashah; summit; Mareshah, the name of two Israelites and of a place in Palestine -- Mareshah.

see HEBREW mar'ashah

Word Origin
of uncertain derivation
Definition
a place in Judah, also two Isr.
NASB Translation
Mareshah (8).

מָרֵשָׁה and (Joshua 15:44) מָרֵאשָׁה proper name, of a location (etymology dubious) in (the Shephelah of) Judah, Micah 1:15 (where named with אַכְזִיבּ etc.), Joshua 15:44 (id.), compare 2 Chronicles 11:8; 2 Chronicles 14:8; 2 Chronicles 14:9; 2 Chronicles 20:37; so apparently (as proper name, masculine in Geneal. scheme) 1 Chronicles 2:42; 1 Chronicles 4:21. — compare 2Macc 12:35 (Μαρισα), 1 Macc 5:66 (read Μαρισα for Σαμαρια, compare Var. Apocrypha). — Joseph^{Ant. xii. 8}, 6 (Μαρισσα). ᵐ5 A Joshua 15:44 Μαρησὰ ᵐ5^L βαρσηα; ᵐ5 1 Chronicles 2:42 Μαρἑἰσα ᵐ5^L Μαρησα, etc. Probably = modern Mer¹sh1mile South of Beit Jibrin (Eleutheropolis), compare Rob^{BR ii. 31} Be^{1Chronicles 2:42} GASm^{Geogr. 233} (who identify with (גַּת) מוֺרֶשֶׁת Micah 1:14 q. v. below ירשׁ above, but see Lag^{Ono.n. 139, 141, 279, 282}) Buhl^{Geogr. 192}.

מִרְשַׁ֫עַת see רשׁע מֹרַשְׁתִּי see ירשׁ.

מָרֵאשָׁה, מָרֵשָׁה proper name, of a location.

Geographical Setting

Located in the Shephelah—the rolling lowlands between the Judean hill country and the Philistine plain—Mareshah occupied a strategic ridge roughly twenty-four miles (thirty-eight kilometers) southwest of Jerusalem and two miles south of modern Beth-Guvrin. Its position overlooked the vital north–south route that linked the coastal highway with Hebron, making the town a forward sentinel for Judah.

Early Allotment within Judah

Joshua 15:44 lists Mareshah among “nine cities with their villages” assigned to Judah’s tribe in the lowland district. From the outset the town formed part of Israel’s covenant inheritance, anchoring the nation’s western defenses and commerce.

Genealogical Connections

Two references place Mareshah in the family records of Judah:
• 1 Chronicles 2:42 names Mareshah as a descendant of Caleb through Mesha, showing the town’s name adopted as a personal honorific, possibly reflecting ownership or founding rights.
• 1 Chronicles 4:21 calls Laadah “the father of Mareshah,” tying the site to the distinguished Shelahite clan and hinting at an artisan guild of “linen workers at Beth Ashbea.” These notices preserve Judah’s memory that Mareshah was not merely soil but a legacy entrusted to particular households.

Fortified Stronghold under Rehoboam

After the northern tribes seceded, Rehoboam strengthened Judah’s frontier: “Gath, Mareshah, Ziph” (2 Chronicles 11:8). Archaeology confirms the Chronicler’s report—massive casemate walls and a six-chamber gate at Tel Maresha date to the early tenth century B.C. The king’s policy shows prudent stewardship: he fortified what the Lord had allotted, acknowledging that covenant promises do not preclude responsible preparation.

The Clash with Zerah the Cushite

Mareshah’s most notable episode occurred in the reign of Asa. “Zerah the Cushite came against them… and they advanced as far as Mareshah” (2 Chronicles 14:9). Asa responded in faith: “So Asa marched out… in the Valley of Zephathah near Mareshah” (14:10). The ensuing victory, gained when “the LORD struck down the Cushites” (14:12), illustrates how trust in God secures the defenses human kings labor to build. The valley floor south of the tell still conveys the panorama of the battle.

Home of a Prophetic Voice

During Jehoshaphat’s later years, Eliezer “of Mareshah” confronted the king’s ungodly alliance with Israel’s Ahaziah (2 Chronicles 20:37). The prophet’s uncompromising word—“the LORD has broken what you have made”—and the immediate wrecking of the Tarshish fleet underscore that true security lies not in political coalitions but in covenant fidelity. Mareshah thus produced both soldiers and seers, a reminder that spiritual vigilance must accompany martial readiness.

Warning through Micah

Micah 1:15 employs wordplay on the town’s name: “I will again bring a conqueror against you, O people of Mareshah.” Situated on Judah’s western threshold, Mareshah epitomized the nation’s vulnerability to foreign invasion whenever it lapsed into sin. The prophet’s oracle turns the city into a moral signpost: self-reliance invites conquest, but repentance secures God’s shelter.

Archaeological Insights

Hellenistic Maresha, later resettled beneath Tel Sandahannah, yielded subterranean complexes, oil presses, and ostraca bearing Aramaic and Greek names. Although later than the biblical period, these finds illuminate the region’s enduring prosperity and cosmopolitan character, corroborating Scripture’s picture of a coveted crossroads. The earlier Iron-Age layers, scarcer but present, align with the fortified city Rehoboam established and the eighth-century population Micah addressed.

Ministry Implications

1. Heritage stewardship: Mareshah’s repeated appearance in lineage lists and fortification records calls believers to honor and guard the spiritual patrimony entrusted to them.
2. Faith over force: Asa’s triumph shows that military strength must bow to prayerful dependence.
3. Prophetic accountability: Eliezer’s courage models pastoral duty to confront compromises that jeopardize God’s blessing.
4. Watchfulness: Micah’s woe warns congregations on cultural frontiers—where ideas, trade, and temptations converge—to cling to holiness lest they be overrun.

Summary

Mareshah stands as a sentinel city, a battlefield, a prophetic pulpit, and a genealogical marker. From Joshua to Micah it testifies that God gifts territory and legacy, but His people must fortify them with obedience, rely on Him in crisis, and heed His prophetic word to remain secure.

וּמָֽרֵאשָׁ֑ה ומראשה לְמָרֵשָֽׁה׃ למרשה׃ מִמָּ֣רֵשָׁ֔ה מָֽרֵשָׁ֑ה מָרֵשָֽׁה׃ מָרֵשָׁ֑ה מָרֵשָׁ֖ה ממרשה מרשה מרשה׃ lə·mā·rê·šāh ləmārêšāh lemareShah mā·rê·šāh mārêšāh mareShah mim·mā·rê·šāh miMareShah mimmārêšāh ū·mā·rê·šāh ūmārêšāh umareShahInterlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel Texts