פְּלוֹנִי
𐤐𐤋𐤅𐤍𐤉
Peloni
H6397 noun
SILEX Entry
Definition
A gentilic adjective or designation meaning 'Pelonite,' used to denote a person associated with a place or ancestor called Palon, although the concrete location or individual is unknown. Occurs as an ethnicon in lists of warriors. The term serves to identify affiliation or origin without additional detail, due to the obscurity of the underlying toponym or lineage.
Semantic Range
an inhabitant or descendant of Palon; related to a (likely) unknown place or family Palon; by extension, a gentilic designation for a military figure from an obscure location
Root / Etymology
Derived from an otherwise unattested root related to פָּלָה (pālah), 'to separate' or 'distinguish,' but the actual connection is uncertain. The term פְּלוֹנִי (Pᵉlôwnîy) appears to be a gentilic formation based on a hypothetical name 'Palon' or a place likewise called Palon. As no such location or personal name is otherwise known from biblical or extra-biblical sources, the etymology remains uncertain beyond the formal patronymic structure.
Historical & Contextual Notes
פְּלוֹנִי is attested only in 1 Chronicles 11:27 and 27:10, each time designating a military figure among David's mighty men and leaders. The term reflects a common ancient Israelite practice of identifying persons by presumed family or geographic origin, even when the original referent may already have been obscure to later compilers. No reliable identification for 'Palon' exists in biblical geography or genealogy, and the word's occurrence is functionally limited to these listings. Standard English translations typically render the term as 'Pelonite,' directly transliterating the Hebrew due to the lack of further information. Since the referent is unknown, the word offers little in the way of semantic development or later historical usage. In rabbinic and later Hebrew, unrelated homonymous forms (פְּלוֹנִי) emerge as generic placeholders (e.g., 'so-and-so'), but the biblical usage as a gentilic should not be confused with these.
Original Strong's Gloss (1890)
patronymically from an unused name (from פָּלָה) meaning separate; a Pelonite or inhabitant of an unknown Palon; Pelonite.
Bantu Hebrew
No Bantu Hebrew comparisons have been submitted for this word yet.
+ Add Bantu Hebrew WordRoot Family
פלה (p-l-h) — to separate, to distinguish
Word Forms
1 distinct form
| SIDANCE | Surface | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | Occurrences |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H6397-01 |
הַ/פְּלוֹנִֽי | hapeloni | HTd/Ngmsa |
the Pelonite | the Palonite | 3 |
Occurrences in Scripture
3 total occurrences
| SIDANCE | Reference | Word | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H6397-01 |
1 Chronicles 11:27 | הַ/פְּלוֹנִֽי | hapeloni | HTd/Ngmsa |
the Pelonite | the Palonite |
H6397-01 |
1 Chronicles 11:36 | הַ/פְּלֹנִֽי | hapeloni | HTd/Ngmsa |
the Pelonite | the Palonite |
H6397-01 |
1 Chronicles 27:10 | הַ/פְּלוֹנִ֖י | hapeloni | HTd/Ngmsa |
the Pelonite | the Palonite |