Who was Mamre in the bible?
Mamre was an Amorite ally of Abram, mentioned in Genesis 13–14 and in Genesis burial-location references near Hebron/Machpelah.
Where Mentioned
Abram “lived by the oaks of Mamre, which are in Hebron” (Genesis 13:18). Several passages locate Machpelah “before Mamre (that is, Hebron)” (Genesis 23:19).
Learn More →In Abram’s War
During Abram’s rescue of Lot, Mamre is named among those due a share: “Aner, Eshcol, and Mamre. Let them take their portion” (Genesis 14:24). Genesis 14:13 says, “They were allies of Abram.”
Learn More →Mamre is identified (in the lexicon gloss) as an Amorite, and in Scripture his name is linked both to a person allied with Abram and to a landmark used to describe locations around Hebron. The name is also used in place-descriptions connected with the “oaks of Mamre” and with the burial site at Machpelah.
Mamre in Scripture
The first mention places Abram at a well-known landmark associated with Mamre:
“Abram moved his tent, and came and lived by the oaks of Mamre, which are in Hebron, and built an altar there to Yahweh.” (Genesis 13:18)
In the narrative of war in Genesis 14, Mamre appears as an Amorite connected with Abram’s location and alliances. After the coalition of kings attacked the cities of the plain and carried off captives and goods, news reached Abram where he was living:
“One who had escaped came and told Abram, the Hebrew. At that time, he lived by the oaks of Mamre, the Amorite, brother of Eshcol and brother of Aner. They were allies of Abram.” (Genesis 14:13)
Genesis 14 sets the broader scene with a list of kings and the outbreak of conflict: “In the days of Amraphel, king of Shinar; Arioch, king of Ellasar; Chedorlaomer, king of Elam; and Tidal, king of Goiim,” (Genesis 14:1) “they made war” (Genesis 14:2). The opposing group is also named, and the battleground identified: “All these joined together in the valley of Siddim (also called the Salt Sea).” (Genesis 14:3)
The chapter describes a period of subjection and revolt—“They served Chedorlaomer for twelve years, and in the thirteenth year they rebelled.” (Genesis 14:4)—followed by a campaign that struck multiple peoples and regions (Genesis 14:5–7). The kings of Sodom and its allies met the invaders in battle “in the valley of Siddim” (Genesis 14:8), but were routed: “the kings of Sodom and Gomorrah fled” (Genesis 14:10). The victors then plundered the cities: “They took all the goods of Sodom and Gomorrah, and all their food, and went their way.” (Genesis 14:11)
Lot was taken in the raid: “They took Lot, Abram’s brother’s son, who lived in Sodom, and his goods, and departed.” (Genesis 14:12) This is the crisis that brings Abram into action, and it is at this moment that Mamre is mentioned as part of Abram’s local setting and alliance network (Genesis 14:13). Abram responded by pursuing the raiders with his trained men, attacking by night, and recovering captives and property (Genesis 14:14–16).
After Abram’s return, the chapter recounts encounters with other figures (Genesis 14:17–20) and a conversation with the king of Sodom about spoils (Genesis 14:21). Abram refused to take wealth for himself—“I will not take a thread nor a sandal strap nor anything that is yours” (Genesis 14:23)—but he did specify that his allies should receive their share. Mamre is named among them:
“I will accept nothing from you except that which the young men have eaten, and the portion of the men who went with me: Aner, Eshcol, and Mamre. Let them take their portion.” (Genesis 14:24)
Outside Genesis 14, “Mamre” repeatedly marks a location used to orient the reader to the region of Hebron and the burial place associated with the field and cave of Machpelah. In the account of the field’s being formally secured, the boundary description uses Mamre as a reference point:
“So the field of Ephron, which was in Machpelah, which was before Mamre, the field, the cave which was in it, and all the trees that were in the field, that were in all of its borders, were deeded” (Genesis 23:17)
The same passage clarifies the place-name connection with Hebron:
“After this, Abraham buried Sarah his wife in the cave of the field of Machpelah before Mamre (that is, Hebron), in the land of Canaan.” (Genesis 23:19)
Later references continue to locate the burial cave in relation to Mamre. When Abraham died, the text states:
“Isaac and Ishmael, his sons, buried him in the cave of Machpelah, in the field of Ephron, the son of Zohar the Hittite, which is near Mamre,” (Genesis 25:9)
Mamre is also named as a destination tied to Isaac:
“Jacob came to Isaac his father, to Mamre, to Kiriath Arba (which is Hebron), where Abraham and Isaac lived as foreigners.” (Genesis 35:27)
In Jacob’s final instructions about his own burial, the cave is again identified by its position “before Mamre” and by the purchase of the field:
“in the cave that is in the field of Machpelah, which is before Mamre, in the land of Canaan, which Abraham bought with the field from Ephron the Hittite as a burial place.” (Genesis 49:30)
Finally, in the report of Jacob’s burial, the location is described similarly, with “near Mamre”:
“for his sons carried him into the land of Canaan, and buried him in the cave of the field of Machpelah, which Abraham bought with the field, as a possession for a burial site, from Ephron the Hittite, near Mamre.” (Genesis 50:13)
Multiple uses of “Mamre”
The verses associate “Mamre” with both a person and a place-marker.
Mamre the Amorite (a person): In Genesis 14, Mamre is presented as an Amorite connected with the “oaks of Mamre,” and he is named as “brother of Eshcol and brother of Aner,” with the additional note, “They were allies of Abram.” (Genesis 14:13) He is also listed among those entitled to a “portion” from the campaign alongside Abram: “Aner, Eshcol, and Mamre.” (Genesis 14:24)
Mamre as a geographic reference: In Genesis 13:18 Abram lived “by the oaks of Mamre, which are in Hebron.” The burial site at Machpelah is repeatedly described in relation to Mamre: it is “before Mamre (that is, Hebron)” (Genesis 23:19), “near Mamre” (Genesis 25:9), “before Mamre” again (Genesis 49:30), and “near Mamre” (Genesis 50:13). Genesis 35:27 further aligns Mamre with “Kiriath Arba (which is Hebron).”
Name and Meaning
The Hebrew form is מַמְרֵא, transliterated Mamre’ and pronounced mam-ray’. Strong’s derivation explains the name as coming from H4754 “in the sense of vigor,” with the sense “lusty,” and it also notes a component idea connected with mara’ (מָרָא), “to rebel,” described as coming “through the idea of mal.” The lexicon gloss identifies Mamre as an Amorite.
Observation
In these passages, Mamre is remembered both as an Amorite ally of Abram—“They were allies of Abram” (Genesis 14:13)—and as a fixed point for describing where Abram lived and where the family burial place lay “before Mamre (that is, Hebron)” (Genesis 23:19).
Frequently Asked Questions
What does the name Mamre mean?
Mamre means “lusty,” from a sense of vigor.
How many times does Mamre appear in the Bible?
Mamre appears 9 times.
Who was Mamre?
Mamre is identified as an Amorite. In Genesis 14:13, Abram is described as living by the oaks of Mamre, the Amorite.
Where was Mamre located?
Mamre is associated with Hebron; Genesis 23:19 describes Machpelah as being “before Mamre (that is, Hebron), in the land of Canaan.”
Explore Further
If you found this page about Mamre interesting and would like to discover more about other biblical characters, explore our comprehensive Encyclopedia of Biblical Characters. For those looking to delve deeper into the Greek origins of these names and terms, our Greek Lexicon is an invaluable resource.
Sources: Name and occurrence data from Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance and STEPBible reference data (CC BY). Scripture quotations from the World English Bible (public domain).
