הֲדַדְרִמּוֹן
Hadad-Rimmon, a place in Palestine
Definition
Hadad-Rimmon is a proper noun referring to a location in Palestine, mentioned only once in the Bible in Zechariah 12:11. The name likely designates a specific town or region, possibly in the plain of Megiddo, associated with mourning. It is famously referenced as the site of a great lamentation, comparable to the mourning for the slain King Josiah at Megiddo (2 Chronicles 35:22-25). The name itself is a compound of two divine or royal names, Hadad (a Canaanite storm god) and Rimmon (a Syrian deity), suggesting a place of ancient pagan worship that later became a byword for profound grief in Israel's prophetic literature.
Biblical Usage
This word is used only once in the Old Testament, in Zechariah 12:11. It is used in a prophetic context of future mourning, providing a geographical reference point to illustrate the intensity and widespread nature of a coming lamentation in Jerusalem. The verse compares this future mourning to the historic, well-known mourning that occurred at Hadad-Rimmon.
Etymology
The name is a compound of two elements: 'Hadad' (H1908), the name of an ancient Northwest Semitic storm and fertility god, often identified with Baal, and 'Rimmon' (H7417), meaning 'pomegranate' but also the name of a Syrian deity (see 2 Kings 5:18). The combined form 'Hadad-Rimmon' likely originated as a place name honoring or associated with these pagan gods, reflecting the syncretistic religious environment of ancient Canaan.
Semantic Range
Hadad-Rimmon is theologically significant as a symbol of profound, national grief used by the prophet Zechariah. Its mention connects a future, spiritual mourning over a pierced one (Zechariah 12:10) with a past, historical tragedy (the death of the righteous King Josiah). This links God's redemptive plans with Israel's concrete history. Understanding this Hebrew place name enriches reading by showing how prophets used known locations and past events to illustrate the depth of repentance and divine revelation promised for the future.
In its original setting, 'Hadad-Rimmon' would have been recognized as a real geographical location, likely in the Jezreel Valley near Megiddo. Its name, combining two pagan deities, served as a reminder of Canaan's idolatrous past. For Zechariah's audience, referencing it evoked not just a place, but the specific memory of a catastrophic national loss—the death of the beloved reforming king, Josiah, in battle at Megiddo. This made it a powerful cultural shorthand for unparalleled mourning.
Megiddo (Meggidô, H4023) — The nearby city/valley where King Josiah was slain, with which Hadad-Rimmon's mourning is closely associated.
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.
Full methodology & sources →