Boy Old Testament Rare
Machi
poor; a smiter
מָכִי ma.khi
Machi (Hebrew: מָכִי, ma.khi) means “poor; a smiter”, by traditional interpretation. It appears once, at Numbers 13:15. In 2025 it was given to 5 children in the United States. Use is falling away. Appears in the same passages as Ammiel.
The bearer in scripture
One person in scripture bears this name.
-
Machi
father of Geuel
Scripture against society
The two measures, side by side
At a glance
- Verses
- 1 across 1 book
- Bearers
- 1 one person only
- Testament
- Old
- Era
- Exodus
- Hapax
- Yes occurs exactly once
Using it today
Based on 2025 births across the United States.
| Measure | Value | Reading |
|---|---|---|
| Given in 2025 | 5 | Falling |
| All-time total | 340 | Since records begin in 1880 |
| Peak | 34 in 2006 | Its highest year on record |
In scripture
| Fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| First appears | Numbers 13:15 |
Names connected to this one
- Geuel co-occurrence Appears with Geuel in Numbers 13.
- Gaddi co-occurrence Appears in the same passages as Gaddi.
- Gaddiel co-occurrence Appears in the same passages as Gaddiel.
- Joseph co-occurrence Appears in the same passages as Joseph.
- Gemalli co-occurrence Appears in the same passages as Gemalli.
- Hori co-occurrence Appears in the same passages as Hori.
- Ammiel co-occurrence Appears in the same passages as Ammiel.
- Igal co-occurrence Appears in the same passages as Igal.
Origin & meaning
A man living at the time of Egypt and Wilderness, only mentioned at Num.13.15;
father of: Geuel (H1345)
§ Machi = "decrease"
father of Geuel the Gadite who was one of the 12 spies of Israel
Machi was the father of Geuel, a scout from the tribe of Gad sent to explore Canaan.
The biblical story
Machi is mentioned in the book of Numbers as the father of Geuel, who was one of the twelve scouts sent by Moses to explore the land of Canaan (Num.13.15). Each scout was chosen as a leader from their respective tribes, and Geuel represented the tribe of Gad. The scouts were tasked with surveying the land, assessing its fertility, and gathering information about the inhabitants (Num.13.17-20). Upon their return, the scouts reported that the land was bountiful but the inhabitants were powerful, which discouraged the Israelites and led to their refusal to enter the land (Num.13.25-33). As a result, God condemned the generation to wander in the wilderness for forty years (Num.14.26-35).
Key verses
Machi appears in 1 verse. Here are some of the most notable:
-
Of the tribe of Gad, Geuel the son of Machi.
Numbers 13:15
Show all 1 reference
Numbers (1)
- Numbers 13:15