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Mamre

biblical_place_and_person theological_term standard

Mamre is a biblical place near Hebron closely associated with Abraham; Scripture also uses the name for an Amorite ally of Abraham.

At a Glance

Mamre refers primarily to the area near Hebron where Abraham lived, worshiped, and received the Lord's appearance. The name also belongs to an Amorite ally of Abraham.

Key Points

Description

In Scripture, Mamre usually refers to the region near Hebron marked by the oaks or terebinths of Mamre, a place closely connected with Abraham's life and worship. Genesis places Abraham there after separating from Lot, records his altar there, and associates the location with the Lord's appearance to him. The name is also used for Mamre the Amorite, one of Abraham's allies. Because the term functions chiefly as a historical and geographic designation within the patriarchal narratives, it should be classified as a biblical place/person entry rather than as a theological term.

Biblical Context

Mamre appears in the patriarchal narratives as a location tied to Abraham's settlement, worship, hospitality, and covenant life. It is part of the larger biblical geography of southern Canaan around Hebron.

Historical Context

The exact site of Mamre is not certain, but it is generally understood as a locality or district near ancient Hebron. The text presents it as a real place within the world of the early patriarchs.

Jewish and Ancient Context

Later Jewish readers associated Mamre with the remembered geography of Abraham's life and with the sacred history of the patriarchs. Scripture itself uses the name straightforwardly, without turning it into a symbolic or doctrinal category.

Primary Key Texts

Secondary Key Texts

Original Language Note

Hebrew מַמְרֵא (Mamre), used as a proper name for both a place and a person. The etymology is uncertain.

Theological Significance

Mamre is not a doctrine, but it anchors key moments in Abraham's account—land, promise, hospitality, altar, and divine visitation—in real geography.

Philosophical Explanation

Mamre illustrates how biblical revelation is historically situated: God speaks and acts in actual places with real people, not in abstraction.

Interpretive Cautions

Do not confuse Mamre the place with Mamre the Amorite. The exact archaeological location is uncertain, so the entry should describe the biblical function of the name without overclaiming. Avoid turning the place-name into hidden symbolism.

Major Views

Most interpreters treat Mamre as a locality near Hebron, perhaps a district or grove associated with a chieftain's territory. The main interpretive issue is location, not meaning: in the biblical text it functions as a real setting for Abraham's life.

Doctrinal Boundaries

Mamre supports the historical setting of the patriarchal narratives but does not by itself establish doctrine. Any theological use should remain secondary to the plain sense of the passage.

Practical Significance

Mamre reminds readers that God's promises were worked out in ordinary places and ordinary days. Abraham's worship and obedience were rooted in real life, not detached from it.

Related Entries

See Also

Data

Machine-readable JSON for Mamre

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