אֵילוֹן בֵּית חָנָן
𐤀𐤉𐤋𐤅𐤍 𐤁𐤉𐤕 𐤇𐤍𐤍
ʼÊylôwn Bêyth Chânân
H358 noun
SILEX Entry
Definition
Proper noun: A town name signifying 'oak(-grove) of the house of Chanan.' The name designates a geographic location in the lowland region (Shephelah) of ancient Israelite territory, most likely referring to a settlement characterized by or associated with an oak tree or grove, and a house, estate, or lineage named Chanan. The name primarily functions to identify a specific location and does not itself signify inhabitants or political-administrative status.
Semantic Range
(place name) oak(-grove) of the house/estate/family of Chanan; settlement or village distinguished by a significant oak tree and associated with a clan or individual named Chanan; sometimes functioning as a territorial marker; literal and referential geographic designation
Root / Etymology
Compound formed from אֵילוֹן ('oak,' 'oak tree,' 'oak grove'), בֵּית ('house of,' 'place of'), and חָנָן (personal name, possibly meaning 'gracious' or 'favored'). The town is thus named as 'the oak(-grove) of Beth-Chanan.' Derived from the root א־ל־ן (to be strong, robust), ב־י־ת (house, dwelling), and ח־נ־ן (to show favor, be gracious).
Historical & Contextual Notes
The placename אֵילוֹן בֵּית חָנָן occurs in the context of a Judean settlement in the Shephelah, appearing in Joshua 19:43 as part of the allotment to the tribe of Dan, and later in 1 Kings 4:9 under Shaphat's jurisdiction during the United Monarchy. The term is descriptive, typical for Iron Age Israelite toponyms combining a prominent tree (often a landmark) and a house or family estate reference. Later English translations often treat 'Beth-hanan' as if it refers solely to a locality, but the name may imply association with a local lineage or founding figure, Chanan. The term 'oak' echoes frequent Israelite use of significant trees as markers in geography and memory. Later translations and geographical studies sometimes anachronistically place the site in 'Palestine' or 'Judea,' but these expressions reflect later naming conventions and not the historical Iron Age context. The precise identification of the site remains uncertain, with modern proposals placing it near present-day Ayalon or within the coastal plain. The Greek Septuagint transliterates the name, indicating its continued recognition as a proper noun into the post-exilic period. The word does not reflect later religious-ethnic connotations tied to the term 'Jew' or 'Jewish.'
Original Strong's Gloss (1890)
from אֵילוֹן, בַּיִת, and חָנַן; oak-grove of (the) house of favor; Elon of Beth-chanan, a place in Palestine; Elon-bethhanan.
Bantu Hebrew
No Bantu Hebrew comparisons have been submitted for this word yet.
+ Add Bantu Hebrew WordRoot Family
בנה (b-n-h) — to build, construct, establish, build up a family
| Strong's | Lemma | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|
| H1004 | בַּיִת | in the houses |
| H1005 | בַּיִת | the built-house |
| H1006 | בַּיִת | the house |
| H1007 | בֵּית אָוֶן | house-of |
| H1008 | בֵּית־אֵל | in house of |
Word Forms
3 distinct forms
| SIDANCE | Surface | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | Occurrences |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H358-01 |
בֵּ֥ית | beyt | HNp |
Beth | house of | 1 |
H358-03 |
וְ/אֵיל֖וֹן | veeylon | HC/Np |
and Elon | Oak-Grove of the House of Chanan | 1 |
H358-02 |
חָנָֽן | chanan | HNp |
Hanan | he showed favor | 1 |
Occurrences in Scripture
3 total occurrences
| SIDANCE | Reference | Word | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H358-03 |
1 Kings 4:9 | וְ/אֵיל֖וֹן | veeylon | HC/Np |
and Elon | Oak-Grove of the House of Chanan |
H358-01 |
1 Kings 4:9 | בֵּ֥ית | beyt | HNp |
Beth | house of |
H358-02 |
1 Kings 4:9 | חָנָֽן | chanan | HNp |
Hanan | he showed favor |