1. Joshua 13:31 (ESV)
  2. Exposition

Who was Machir and why is he mentioned?

Joshua 13:31 (ESV)

31 and half Gilead, and Ashtaroth, and Edrei, the cities of the kingdom of Og in Bashan. These were allotted to the people of Machir the son of Manasseh for the half of the people of Machir according to their clans.

Machir was a son of Manasseh, a grandson of Joseph (Genesis 50:23). His descendants had earlier captured the region of Gilead (Numbers 32:39–40; Deuteronomy 3:15). Machir is most likely mentioned because he was a prominent and well-known individual from this tribe.1