כִּידוֹן
Kidon, a place in Palestine
Definition
Kidon (כִּידוֹן) is a proper noun referring to a specific location in ancient Palestine. It is mentioned only once in the Old Testament as the site of a significant incident involving the Ark of the Covenant. The name itself is identical to the Hebrew word for 'javelin' or 'dart' (H3591), though the place name is distinct. In its sole biblical occurrence, it is the location where Uzzah reached out to steady the Ark and was struck down by God (1 Chronicles 13:9).
Biblical Usage
This word is used only once in the entire Old Testament, in 1 Chronicles 13:9. It functions strictly as a geographical place name, identifying the threshing floor where the oxen carrying the Ark of the Covenant stumbled. The context is the narrative of King David's first attempt to bring the Ark to Jerusalem, which was interrupted by this tragic event. No other biblical books reference this location.
Etymology
The word כִּידוֹן (Kidon) as a place name is derived from the identical common noun (H3591) meaning 'javelin' or 'dart.' This suggests the location may have been associated with hunting, warfare, or a pointed geographical feature. The name likely originated from a descriptive term for the area, though the exact reason for the association is not specified in the biblical text.
Semantic Range
While the place name itself is not theologically loaded, its single occurrence is theologically significant. The event at the threshing floor of Kidon (1 Chronicles 13:9) underscores the holiness of God and the serious consequences of treating holy things with irreverence, even with good intentions. It serves as a pivotal lesson on proper worship and reverence for God's presence, which directly informed David's subsequent, successful attempt to transport the Ark according to God's law (1 Chronicles 15).
A threshing floor was a common, open-air agricultural site used for separating grain from chaff. By the time of this event, the threshing floor of Kidon was likely a known landmark. The incident there would have culturally highlighted the tension between a common, profane workspace and the extraordinary holiness of the Ark, which represented God's very presence. The sudden divine judgment in such a mundane setting would have been shocking and memorable.
No direct synonyms as a proper place name. The related common noun is כִּידוֹן (kiydown, H3591) — a javelin or dart, the word from which the place name is derived.
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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