First Chronicles 12:13 lists Machbannai among the Gadite warriors who defected to David at Ziklag. These were fierce fighters described as having 'faces like lions' and being 'swift as gazelles on the mountains.' Machbannai is listed eighth among eleven Gadite chiefs. The name's etymology is uncertain, though the form suggests it may derive from a root related to concealment or building. His inclusion among David's early supporters from the Transjordanian tribes shows the breadth of David's coalition even before he became king.