Meaning
Mahanaim a town on the east of the Jordan. The name signifies two hosts or two camps,and was given to it by Jacob, because he there met "the angels of God." (Gen 32:1; Gen 32:2) We next meet with it in the records of the conquest. (Josh 13:26; Josh 13:30) It was within the territory of Gad, (Josh 21:38; Josh 21:39) and therefore on the south side of the torrent Jabbok. The town with its "suburbs" was allotted to the service of the Merarite Levites. (Joshua 21:39; 1Chronicles 6:80) Mahanaim had become in the time of the monarchy a place of mark. (2Sam 2:8; 2Sam 2:12) David took refuge there when driven out of the western part of his kingdom by Absalom. (2Samuel 17:24; 1Kings 2:8) Mahanaim was the seat of one of Solomon’s commissariat officers. (1Kings 4:14) and it is alluded to in the song which bears his name. ch. (Solomon 6:13) There is a place called Mahneh among the villages of the part of Jordan, through its exact position is not certain.
