1186. Baal Meon

Lexical Summary

Baal Meon: Baal Meon

Original Word: בַּעַל מְעוֹן
Part of Speech: Proper Name Location
Transliteration: Ba`al M`own
Pronunciation: bah-ahl meh-ohn
Phonetic Spelling: (bah-al meh-one')
KJV: Baal-meon
NASB: Baal-meon
Word Origin: [from H1168 (בַּעַל - Baal) and H4583 (מָעוֹן מָעִין - habitation)]

1. Baal of (the) habitation (of) Baal-Meon, a place East of the Jordan

Strong's Exhaustive Concordance

Baal-meon

From Ba'al and ma'own; Baal of (the) habitation (of) (compare Beyth Ba'al m'own); Baal-Meon, a place East of the Jordan -- Baal-meon.

see HEBREW Ba'al

see HEBREW ma'own

see HEBREW Beyth Ba'al m'own

NAS Exhaustive Concordance

Word Origin
from Baal and maon
Definition
"Baal of (the) habitation," a place E. of the Jordan
NASB Translation
Baal-meon (3).

Brown-Driver-Briggs

בַּ֫עַל מְעוֺן proper name, of a location Numbers 32:38; 1 Chronicles 5:8; Ezekiel 25:9 = בית בעל מעון Joshua 13:17 (compare MI³⁰) = Ma±\în Tristr^{Moab 316} Bd^{Pal 192} Survey^{EP 176}.

Topical Lexicon

Geographical Setting

Baal-meon occupied the elevated plateau east of the Jordan River, about sixteen kilometers southeast of the northern tip of the Dead Sea. The site is commonly identified with modern Khirbet Maʿin in Jordan, overlooking the Wadi Zerqa Maʿin. Situated on the western edge of the ancient kingdom of Moab, the town commanded the trade routes that crossed the Arnon Gorge and descended toward Jericho. Its fertile grazing land made it attractive to pastoral tribes such as Reuben, while its strategic location drew the attention of later Moabite and Babylonian powers.

Biblical Occurrences and Development

• Numbers 32:38—Following the defeat of Sihon and Og, the tribe of Reuben “rebuilt Nebo and Baal-meon—names that were changed—and Sibmah”. The verse records both Israelite occupation and an attempt to strip the town of its pagan associations by renaming it, though the new name is not preserved.
• 1 Chronicles 5:8—Generations later, the genealogy of Reuben notes that “Bela son of Azaz… lived in Aroer, as far as Nebo and Baal-meon.” The notice shows that Baal-meon remained a Reubenite possession during the united monarchy, forming the southeastern border of their holdings.
• Ezekiel 25:9—In the sixth-century oracle against Moab, the Lord vows to “expose the flank of Moab, beginning with its frontier cities—the glory of the land—Beth-jeshimoth, Baal-meon, and Kiriathaim”. By this time the town had reverted to Moabite control and was included among the nation’s “glory,” highlighting both its prominence and its complicity in Moab’s arrogance.

Historical Trajectory

1. Israelite Occupation (fifteenth–tenth centuries BC): After the conquest, Reuben fortified and repurposed several formerly pagan centers. The desire to change Baal-meon’s name (Numbers 32:38) reflects Israel’s broader mandate to eradicate idolatry (Deuteronomy 12:3).
2. Moabite Resurgence (ninth century BC): The Mesha Stele (Moabite Stone) celebrates King Mesha’s capture of “Baal-meon” and its addition of “a water-reservoir,” confirming that Moab regained the city during the divided monarchy and developed its infrastructure.
3. Exilic Period (sixth century BC): Ezekiel’s prophecy shows that Baal-meon stood as a leading Moabite stronghold on the eve of Babylon’s western campaigns. Its downfall demonstrates that no fortress, however illustrious, could shield a nation from divine judgment.

Religious and Theological Significance

• Conflict of Worship: The name itself—“lord of habitation” or “Baal of the dwelling”—ties the town to the Canaanite storm-god. Reuben’s attempted renaming illustrates the tension between inherited idolatrous culture and covenant faithfulness.
• Lesson in Covenant Boundaries: Baal-meon lay beyond the Jordan, geographically removed from the spiritual center at Jerusalem. Its history warns of the spiritual drift that can accompany physical distance from corporate worship, underscoring the importance of wholehearted allegiance to the Lord wherever His people reside.
• Divine Sovereignty over Nations: Ezekiel’s oracle places Baal-meon within a triad of “frontier cities” that exemplify Moab’s pride. The town’s demise under Babylon affirms that “the Most High rules the kingdom of men and gives it to whom He will” (Daniel 4:17).

Archaeological Corroboration

The Mesha Stele (circa 840 BC) refers explicitly to “BMN” (Baal-meon) and documents Moab’s reclamation efforts, preserving the same consonantal root found in Scripture. Pottery, fortification lines, and reservoir remains at Khirbet Maʿin correspond to Iron Age occupation layers, lending tangible support to the biblical record.

Ministry Applications

• Guarding against Syncretism: Believers today are called to demolish spiritual “strongholds” (2 Corinthians 10:4) just as Reuben sought to erase Baal’s name from the town they rebuilt.
• Trusting God’s Justice: The downfall of Baal-meon within Moab’s judgment reminds the church that every nation stands accountable to the Lord’s moral order.
• Holding Territory for God’s Glory: The fluctuating control of Baal-meon challenges Christians to steward their God-given spheres—families, congregations, communities—so that spiritual compromise does not reclaim what Christ has redeemed.

Forms and Transliterations

מְע֖וֹן מְע֛וֹן מְעֽוֹן׃ מעון מעון׃ mə‘ōwn mə·‘ō·wn meon

Englishman's Concordance

Numbers 32:38
HEB: וְאֶת־ בַּ֧עַל מְע֛וֹן מֽוּסַבֹּ֥ת שֵׁ֖ם
NAS: and Nebo and Baal-meon-- [their] names
KJV: And Nebo, and Baalmeon, (their names
INT: and Nebo and Baal-meon changed names

1 Chronicles 5:8
HEB: נְב֖וֹ וּבַ֥עַל מְעֽוֹן׃
NAS: in Aroer, even to Nebo and Baal-meon.
KJV: in Aroer, even unto Nebo and Baalmeon:
INT: even to Nebo and Baal-meon

Ezekiel 25:9
HEB: הַיְשִׁימֹ֔ת בַּ֥עַל מְע֖וֹן [וְקִרְיָתְמָה כ]
NAS: Beth-jeshimoth, Baal-meon and Kiriathaim,
KJV: Bethjeshimoth, Baalmeon, and Kiriathaim,
INT: of the land Beth-jeshimoth Baal-meon Kiriathaim

3 Occurrences

Strong's Hebrew 1186
3 Occurrences

mə·‘ō·wn — 3 Occ.