THE FULL ARTICLE — from the International Standard Bible Encyclopedia

The International Standard Bible Encyclopedia (1915), general editor James Orr — public domain, printed whole.

beth-mer'-hak (beth ha-merchaq; en oiko to makran, literally "a place (house) that was far off" (2Sa 15:17 the Revised Version, margin "the Far House")): A place mentioned in the account of David's flight from Absalom. No town of this name is known on the route which he followed. Some scholars think the name denotes simply the outermost of the houses of the city.