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מָעוֹן

𐤌𐤏𐤅𐤍

Maon

H4584 noun

SILEX Entry

Root עון to dwell, to reside, to inhabit

Definition

Dwelling or habitation, referring both to a physical abode or permanent residence, and in toponymic use, the name of a specific town located in the hill country of Judah. The term can also denote refuge or a place of shelter in poetic or metaphoric contexts. Additionally, it is used as a personal name in the genealogical lists of the Hebrew Bible.

Semantic Range

dwelling, residence, habitation, abode, refuge, shelter, home, the name of a specific town (Maon), a personal name

Root / Etymology

From the root עו"ן (עון), more securely identified as ע-ו-ן. The root means 'to dwell' or 'to reside,' and מָעוֹן is a nominal form referring to a place where one dwells. Etymologically related words share this basic meaning of habitation or residence; the precise morphological relationship between the root and this particular formation is regular, with מָעוֹן formed as a noun of place.

Historical & Contextual Notes

In the Hebrew Bible, מָעוֹן appears in both common and proper noun forms. As a common noun, it occurs primarily in poetic or liturgical settings (e.g. Psalms), with meaning extending from literal habitation (house, residence) to metaphorical uses (dwelling place of YHWH, refuge). As a proper noun, מָעוֹן denotes a town in the territory of Judah (cf. Joshua 15:55; 1 Samuel 23:24–25, 25:2), notable in the narrative of David and Nabal. The toponymic use also extends to the ethnicon מְעוֹנִי (Maonite/Maonites, referring to the inhabitants or an associated group). The lemma is sometimes compared to or confused with similar sounding words (e.g., בֵּית בַּעַל מְעוֹן, "Beth-Baal-Meon") but should be kept distinct in context. Later translation traditions sometimes render these as 'Maon' or 'Maonites' in English, but the semantic scope in Hebrew is broader. In later periods and poetic usage, the word can acquire spiritual or cosmological associations (i.e., God's dwelling), but primary meaning remains focused on habitation or residence. The word is not closely associated with later religious identity terms, nor does it specifically denote 'Jews' or 'Judaism.'

Original Strong's Gloss (1890)

the same as מָעוֹן; a residence; Maon, the name of an Israelite and of a place in Palestine; Maon, Maonites. Compare בֵּית בַּעַל מְעוֹן, מְעוּנִיlemma מְעוּנָי third vowel, corrected to מְעוּנִי.

Bantu Hebrew

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Root Family

עון (ʿ-w-n) — to dwell, to reside, to inhabit

Strong's Lemma SIBI-P1
H1010 בֵּית בַּעַל מְעוֹן Dwelling-Place
H1186 בַּעַל מְעוֹן Dwelling-place
H4583 מָעוֹן in dwelling-of
H4585 מְעוֹנָה in our dwelling-places
H4587 מְעוֹנֹתַי and Dweller-of-dwellings

Word Forms

3 distinct forms

SIDANCE Surface Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 Occurrences
H4584-02 מָע֥וֹן maon HNp Maon dwelling-place 5
H4584-03 וּ/מָע֔וֹן umaon HC/Np and Maon and Dwelling-place 2
H4584-01 בְּ/מָע֜וֹן bemaon HR/Np in Maon in Dwelling-place 1

Occurrences in Scripture

8 total occurrences

SIDANCE Reference Word Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1
H4584-02 Joshua 15:55 מָע֥וֹן maon HNp Maon dwelling-place
H4584-03 Judges 10:12 וּ/מָע֔וֹן umaon HC/Np and Maon and Dwelling-place
H4584-02 1 Samuel 23:24 מָעוֹן֙ maon HNp of Maon dwelling-place
H4584-02 1 Samuel 23:25 מָע֑וֹן maon HNp Maon dwelling-place
H4584-02 1 Samuel 23:25 מָעֽוֹן maon-2 HNp of Maon dwelling-place
H4584-01 1 Samuel 25:2 בְּ/מָע֜וֹן bemaon HR/Np in Maon in Dwelling-place
H4584-02 1 Chronicles 2:45 מָע֑וֹן maon HNp was Maon dwelling-place
H4584-03 1 Chronicles 2:45 וּ/מָע֖וֹן umaon HC/Np and Maon and Dwelling-place
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