בַּעַל מְעוֹן
𐤁𐤏𐤋 𐤌𐤏𐤅𐤍
Baal Meon
H1186 noun
SILEX Entry
Definition
A toponym meaning 'Baal of Meon' or 'Lord of the dwelling/place,' denoting a specific settlement east of the Jordan River, associated with the tribal lands of Reuben. The term combines 'Baal,' a title for a Canaanite deity often used generically for 'lord/master,' and 'Meon,' likely meaning 'dwelling' or 'habitation.' Hence, the name identifies either a sanctuary dedicated to the deity Baal at a place called Meon or a place regarded as 'the habitation of Baal.' In context, Baal-Meon refers exclusively to this locality, not to an individual or divine being.
Semantic Range
proper place name east of the Jordan, settlement associated with the deity Baal, habitation or sanctuary named for Baal, town within tribal allotment of Reuben, later Moabite locality
Root / Etymology
A compound of בַּעַל ('lord, master, possessor; Baal'—from root בעל meaning 'to possess, rule over') and מְעוֹן ('habitation, dwelling'—from root עון/עון meaning 'to reside, dwell'). Thus, the place name means 'Lord of habitation' or 'Baal of the dwelling.'
Historical & Contextual Notes
Baal-Meon is mentioned in the territorial lists for the tribe of Reuben (Numbers 32:38; Joshua 13:17; 1 Chronicles 5:8). In Iron Age contexts, the use of 'Baal' in place names is common in the southern Levant, indicating either actual worship of the Canaanite storm god Baal or using 'baal' generically as 'lord/master' of a locality. In the biblical account, Baal-Meon lay among the 'cities of the plain' east of the Dead Sea, within the region later associated with Moab (cf. Ezekiel 25:9). The presence of a sanctuary or major habitation site is likely but not confirmed archaeologically. The English Bibles often transliterate rather than translate the name, but earlier English tradition sometimes renders it as 'the place of habitation' or similar. The related name Beth-Baal-Meon (בֵּית־בַּעַל מְעוֹן) appears in Joshua 13:17, meaning 'house of Baal of Meon,' possibly indicating a larger settlement or temple complex.
Original Strong's Gloss (1890)
from בַּעַל and מָעוֹן; Baal of (the) habitation (of) (compare בֵּית בַּעַל מְעוֹן); Baal-Meon, a place East of the Jordan; Baal-meon.
Bantu Hebrew
No Bantu Hebrew comparisons have been submitted for this word yet.
+ Add Bantu Hebrew WordRoot Family
בעל (b-ʿ-l) — to possess, to own, to rule, to have dominion
| Strong's | Lemma | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|
| H1010 | בֵּית בַּעַל מְעוֹן | master |
| H1120 | בָּמוֹת | master |
| H1166 | בָּעַל | I possessed |
| H1167 | בַּעַל | master |
| H1168 | בַּעַל | master |
Word Forms
3 distinct forms
| SIDANCE | Surface | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | SIBI-P2 | Occurrences |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H1186-02 |
מְע֛וֹן | meon | HNp |
-meon | Dwelling-place | Baal Meon | 3 |
H1186-01 |
בַּ֧עַל | baal | HNp |
Baal | master | Baal Meon | 2 |
H1186-03 |
וּ/בַ֥עַל | uvaal | HC/Np |
and Baal | and possessor of | and Baal Meon | 1 |
Occurrences in Scripture
6 occurrences
| SIDANCE | Reference | Word | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | SIBI-P2 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H1186-01 |
Numbers 32:38 | בַּ֧עַל | baal | HNp |
Baal | master | Baal Meon |
H1186-02 |
Numbers 32:38 | מְע֛וֹן | meon | HNp |
Meon | Dwelling-place | Baal Meon |
H1186-01 |
Ezekiel 25:9 | בַּ֥עַל | baal | HNp |
Baal- | master | Baal Meon |
H1186-02 |
Ezekiel 25:9 | מְע֖וֹן | meon | HNp |
meon | Dwelling-place | Baal Meon |
H1186-03 |
1 Chronicles 5:8 | וּ/בַ֥עַל | uvaal | HC/Np |
and Baal | and possessor of | and Baal Meon |
H1186-02 |
1 Chronicles 5:8 | מְעֽוֹן | meon | HNp |
-meon | Dwelling-place | Baal Meon |