פּוּנֹן
𐤐𐤅𐤍𐤍
Punon
H6325 noun
SILEX Entry
Definition
Punon, a settlement or encampment east of the Arabah, identified as a station of the Israelites during their wilderness journey. The word functions as a toponym rather than a common noun, denoting a specific location encountered by the Israelites after leaving Mount Hor. Its precise etymological meaning is uncertain, but it may reflect a local place name preserved in tradition or derived from a geographic feature.
Semantic Range
Punon as a place name; encampment site of the Israelites during the wilderness wanderings
Root / Etymology
Root uncertain. Possibly related to the root פּון (pûn), which is itself rare and of uncertain meaning; the best-attested derivative occurs only in toponyms. There is no securely established root meaning attested elsewhere in Hebrew.
Historical & Contextual Notes
Punon appears only in Numbers 33:42–43 as an Israelite encampment during the wilderness wanderings. Its exact geographic identification remains debated, though some scholars propose a site among the copper-mining regions east of the central Arabah. The term has no broader semantic range and is not reused elsewhere in the Hebrew Bible. Later sources and translations simply transliterate the name. The Hebrew form preserves a non-Israelite or regional designation rather than a uniquely Israelite place-name. English translations (e.g., KJV, NRSV) consistently render it as 'Punon' with no added interpretive gloss, reflecting its status as a proper noun.
Original Strong's Gloss (1890)
from פּוּן; perplexity; Punon, a place in the Desert; Punon.
Bantu Hebrew
No Bantu Hebrew comparisons have been recorded for this word yet.
Root Family
פּון (Punon) — uncertain (possible: to be perplexed, turn, or wander; but not lexicalized in Biblical Hebrew)
Word Forms
2 distinct forms
| SIDANCE | Surface | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | SIBI-P2 | Occurrences |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H6325-01 |
בְּ/פוּנֹֽן | befunon | HR/Np |
at Punon | in Punon | in Punon | 1 |
H6325-02 |
מִ/פּוּנֹ֑ן | mipunon | HR/Np |
from Punon | from Punon | from Punon | 1 |
Occurrences in Scripture
2 occurrences
| SIDANCE | Reference | Word | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | SIBI-P2 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H6325-01 |
Numbers 33:42 | בְּ/פוּנֹֽן | befunon | HR/Np |
at Punon | in Punon | in Punon |
H6325-02 |
Numbers 33:43 | מִ/פּוּנֹ֑ן | mipunon | HR/Np |
from Punon | from Punon | from Punon |