מְעוּנִי
𐤌𐤏𐤅𐤍𐤉
Meuni
H4586 noun
SILEX Entry
Definition
A member of the people or group called Meunim, likely referring to the inhabitants of Maon or the Meunite people. The term designates individuals associated with a specific ethnic or geographic group rather than a family lineage. The word appears only in plural form and is used as a gentilic designation.
Semantic Range
a member of the Meunim or Meunite people, an inhabitant of Maon, a gentilic designation for a group bordering Israel or included among temple servants in post-exilic community
Root / Etymology
The noun מְעוּנִי appears to derive as a patronymic or gentilic from the probable place name מָעוֹן (Maon), possibly meaning 'someone from Maon' or 'belonging to Maon.' The exact identification of the root is uncertain as it could relate to עון (to lodge, dwell) but is most plausibly connected to the geographic or ethnic designation from a settlement called Maon or a similarly named people group. The final forms מְעוּנִי and מְעִינִי (variants appearing in Chronicles) reflect dialectical or textual developments. The root is most likely עון or מעון, with the root meaning 'to reside' or 'dwelling,' but the noun itself indicates affiliation with a group or place rather than the root meaning directly.
Historical & Contextual Notes
The Meunim (מְעוּנִים) are mentioned in biblical texts as a people group originating either from Maon (a location in southern Judah or possibly elsewhere), or as an ethnically distinct group bordering Israel and Edom. In 2 Chronicles, they are described among groups troubling Israel during the monarchy (2 Chr 20:1; 26:7), and in Ezra and Nehemiah, Meunim appear in post-exilic context among those returning to Judea from Babylonian exile, specifically listed among the Nethinim (temple servants). The term is purely ethnogeographic in its original context and does not denote religious or later ethnic identities such as 'Jew' or 'Judean.' English translations vary in rendering the term, sometimes opting for 'Meunites,' 'Meunim,' or 'inhabitants of Maon,' and sometimes erroneously connecting it with other people-groups such as the Maonites. The form does not persist beyond biblical references and becomes obscure in later post-biblical literature. It is distinct from similar terms for inhabitants of other locations (gentilics), and does not denote a family or tribal designation in the standard Israelite pattern.
Original Strong's Gloss (1890)
lemma מְעוּנָי third vowel, corrected to מְעוּנִי; or מְעִינִי; probably patrial from מָעוֹן; a Meunite, or inhabitant of Maon (only in plural); Mehunim(-s), Meunim.
Bantu Hebrew
No Bantu Hebrew comparisons have been submitted for this word yet.
+ Add Bantu Hebrew WordRoot Family
מעון (m-ʿ-w-n) — to dwell, to lodge, dwelling place
Word Forms
5 distinct forms
| SIDANCE | Surface | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | Occurrences |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H4586-03 |
מְעוּנִ֖ים | meunim | HNgmpa |
Meunim | Maon-dwellers | 2 |
H4586-05 |
וְ/הַ/מְּעוּנִֽים | vehameunim | HC/Td/Ngmpa |
and the Meunites | and the Meunite men | 1 |
H4586-04 |
מעינים | mynym | HNgmpa |
Meunim | Maon-dwellers | 1 |
H4586-01 |
הַ/מְּעוּנִ֨ים | hameunim | HTd/Ngmpa |
the Meunites | the Maonites | 1 |
H4586-02 |
ה/מעינים | hmynym | HTd/Ngmpa |
the Meunites | the Maon-dwellers | 1 |
Occurrences in Scripture
6 total occurrences
| SIDANCE | Reference | Word | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H4586-04 |
Ezra 2:50 | מעינים | mynym | HNgmpa |
Meunim | Maon-dwellers |
H4586-03 |
Ezra 2:50 | מְעוּנִ֖ים | meunim | HNgmpa |
Meunim | Maon-dwellers |
H4586-03 |
Nehemiah 7:52 | מְעוּנִ֖ים | meunim | HNgmpa |
Meunim | Maon-dwellers |
H4586-02 |
1 Chronicles 4:41 | ה/מעינים | hmynym | HTd/Ngmpa |
the Meunites | the Maon-dwellers |
H4586-01 |
1 Chronicles 4:41 | הַ/מְּעוּנִ֨ים | hameunim | HTd/Ngmpa |
the Meunites | the Maonites |
H4586-05 |
2 Chronicles 26:7 | וְ/הַ/מְּעוּנִֽים | vehameunim | HC/Td/Ngmpa |
and the Meunites | and the Meunite men |