אֵילוֹן
Elon, the name of a place in Palestine, and also of one Hittite, two Israelites
Definition
The Hebrew word אֵילוֹן (ʼÊylôwn) is a proper noun primarily used as a place name and a personal name. As a place, it refers to a town in the territory of the tribe of Dan (Joshua 19:43). As a personal name, it identifies several individuals: a Hittite who became the father-in-law of Esau (Genesis 26:34), a son of Zebulun (Genesis 46:14, Numbers 26:26), and an Israelite judge from the tribe of Zebulun (Judges 12:11-12). The name is derived from the word for 'oak' or 'terebinth,' suggesting a location or person associated with a prominent tree or grove.
Biblical Usage
The word is used seven times in the Old Testament, appearing in narrative contexts within Genesis, Numbers, Joshua, and Judges. Its usage as a personal name is more frequent (six occurrences) than as a place name (one occurrence in Joshua 19:43). The personal names appear in genealogical lists (Genesis 46:14, Numbers 26:26), historical narratives about Esau's marriages (Genesis 26:34, 36:2), and the account of the judges (Judges 12:11-12). There is no significant pattern beyond its function as an identifier.
Etymology
The name אֵילוֹן (ʼÊylôwn) is derived from the root אַיִל (ʼayil, H352), meaning 'ram,' but by extension 'strength' or 'chief,' and more directly from the related noun אֵלָה (ʼêlâh, H424) or אַלּוֹן (ʼallôwn, H437), meaning 'oak' or 'terebinth.' It is a locative or personal name meaning 'oak-grove' or 'strong one,' indicating a place characterized by large trees or a person associated with strength or a specific location.
Semantic Range
In the ancient Near East, significant trees like oaks and terebinths were often landmarks, meeting places, or sites of religious significance (e.g., Genesis 12:6, 35:4). Naming a place or person after such a tree (or grove) connected them to a known, durable natural feature, possibly implying stability, prominence, or a specific geographical identifier. The Hittite name Elon (Genesis 26:34) also reflects the intercultural connections and marriages within the patriarchal narratives.
אַלּוֹן (ʼallôwn, H437) — Another word for 'oak,' used more generally for the tree itself. אֵלָה (ʼêlâh, H424) — Typically 'terebinth' or 'oak,' another tree name used for places and objects.
Word Details
How this works
Hebrew definitions are from Brown-Driver-Briggs (1906) and Strong's Exhaustive Concordance (1890), both public domain. BDB was groundbreaking for its era but reflects 19th-century assumptions about Semitic etymology. Modern scholarship (HALOT, DCH) has revised many entries. Use these definitions as a starting point for exploration, not as the final word on a term's meaning in context.
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