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אַלּוֹן

𐤀𐤋𐤅𐤍

ʼallôwn

H437 noun

SILEX Entry

Root אָלֵן to be strong, to be robust, to be mighty

Definition

A large, durable tree, most commonly identified as an oak (Quercus) but in some contexts could refer generally to any strong or prominent tree. The term often designates a notable tree serving as a landmark, meeting place, or site of significant events in biblical narrative. In some cases, the word may refer collectively to groves or stand-alone trees of ritual, social, or historical importance.

Semantic Range

oak tree, large or strong tree, landmark tree, prominent tree, site of memorial or covenant, sometimes collectively as grove of significant trees

Root / Etymology

From the Hebrew root אָלוֹן ('ayin-lamed-nun), associated with strength or robustness, probably in reference to the sturdiness and prominence of oak trees. Though אַלּוֹן and אֵלוֹן are variants of the same root, their usage can overlap. The core sense of the root is 'to be strong' or 'to be robust.'

Historical & Contextual Notes

Throughout the Hebrew Bible, אַלּוֹן most often describes large and prominent oak trees, frequently serving as geographic or cultural landmarks, burial sites, or locations of covenant rituals. For example, the famous 'oak of Moreh' (Genesis 12:6, 35:4), which marks key covenantal events. The term sometimes overlaps with אֵלוֹן, and distinguishing between the two can be challenging since both refer to large hardwood trees (mainly oaks or terebinths), and some translations use these terms interchangeably. Some modern translations capture the reference to a specific species (oak), but ancient readers might have understood the term more broadly as 'sturdy tree,' including both oaks and terebinths. The prominence of these trees in the landscape contributed to their selection as shrines, meeting locations, and memorial sites, especially in patriarchal and monarchic periods. Later, these sites could accrue cultic significance. In translation tradition, 'oak' is a common rendering, but this sometimes obscures the possibility of broader reference in certain contexts.

Original Strong's Gloss (1890)

a variation of אֵלוֹן; {an oak or other strong tree}; oak.

Bantu Hebrew

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Root Family

אלן (ʾ-l-n) — strength, robustness, might

Strong's Lemma SIBI-P1
H438 אַלּוֹן Oak
H440 אֵלוֹנִי the Elonite
H494 אֶלְנָתָן El-has-given

Word Forms

7 distinct forms

SIDANCE Surface Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 Occurrences
H437-02 אַלּוֹנֵ֥י aloney HNcmpc oaks oaks of 2
H437-07 וְ/כָ/אַלּ֗וֹן vekhaalon HC/Rd/Ncmsa and like an oak and like a mighty oak 1
H437-06 וְ/אַלּ֔וֹן vealon HC/Ncmsa and oak and mighty oak 1
H437-01 אַלּ֧וֹן alon HNcmsa oak mighty oak 1
H437-05 כָּֽ/אַלּוֹנִ֑ים kaalonim HRd/Ncmpa oaks mighty oaks 1
H437-03 אַלּוֹנִים֙ alonim HNcmpa oaks mighty oaks 1
H437-04 הָֽ/אַלּ֑וֹן haalon HTd/Ncmsa the oak the mighty oak 1

Occurrences in Scripture

8 total occurrences

SIDANCE Reference Word Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1
H437-04 Genesis 35:8 הָֽ/אַלּ֑וֹן haalon HTd/Ncmsa the oak the mighty oak
H437-02 Isaiah 2:13 אַלּוֹנֵ֥י aloney HNcmpc oaks oaks of
H437-07 Isaiah 6:13 וְ/כָ/אַלּ֗וֹן vekhaalon HC/Rd/Ncmsa and like an oak and like a mighty oak
H437-06 Isaiah 44:14 וְ/אַלּ֔וֹן vealon HC/Ncmsa and oak and mighty oak
H437-03 Ezekiel 27:6 אַלּוֹנִים֙ alonim HNcmpa oaks mighty oaks
H437-01 Hosea 4:13 אַלּ֧וֹן alon HNcmsa oak mighty oak
H437-05 Amos 2:9 כָּֽ/אַלּוֹנִ֑ים kaalonim HRd/Ncmpa oaks mighty oaks
H437-02 Zechariah 11:2 אַלּוֹנֵ֣י aloney HNcmpc O oaks oaks of
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