436. elon

Lexical Summary

elon: oak, oaks

Original Word: אֵלוֹן
Part of Speech: Noun Masculine
Transliteration: elown
Pronunciation: ay-lone'
Phonetic Spelling: (ay-lone')
KJV: plain See also H0356
NASB: oak, oaks
Word Origin: [prolonged from H352 (אַיִל - Ram)]

1. an oak or other strong tree

Strong's Exhaustive Concordance

plain

Prolonged from 'ayil; an oak or other strong tree -- plain. See also 'Eylown.

see HEBREW 'ayil

see HEBREW 'Eylown

NAS Exhaustive Concordance

Word Origin
prol. from ayil
Definition
a terebinth
NASB Translation
oak (6), oaks (4).

Brown-Driver-Briggs

I. אֵלוֺן noun [feminine] terebinth (= אֵלָה) — ׳א construct Genesis 12:6 4t.; plural construct אֵלוֺנֵי Genesis 13:18 3t. — terebinth (or other tall tree, compare below on 1 Samuel 10:3; Judges 4:5), marking shrine, & hence used in topographic designations; מוֺרֶה ׳א (teacher's terebinth) Genesis 12:6 (see Di) so Deuteronomy 11:30; מְעוֺנְנִים ׳א (eonjurors' tereb.) Judges 9:37; distinguished by owner or ruler מַמְרֵא ׳א Genesis 13:18; Genesis 14:13; Genesis 18:1; by neighbouring town (ב)צענים Judges 4:11; compare בְּצַעֲנַנִּים ׳א Joshua 19:33 (editions אַלּוֺן, but see Norzi Baer Di.); מֻצָּב אֲשֶׁר בִּשְׁכֶם ׳אֵ Judges 9:6 (compare אֵלָה Genesis 35:4); תָּבוֺר ׳א 1 Samuel 10:3 read דְּבוֺרָה ׳א (& compare אַלּוֺן בָּכוּת Genesis 35:8, & תֹּמֶר דְּבוֺרָה Judges 4:5) compare Ew^{Geschichte iii. 31} Th Di Genesis 35:8 (see also below אַלּוֺן).

Topical Lexicon

Nature of the Term

אֵלוֹן most often designates a distinctive single oak or an identifiable stand of oaks that functions as a fixed landmark. Unlike the generic word for “tree,” אֵלוֹן points to a tree large enough, ancient enough, or revered enough to become a place-name. The contexts show that such oaks served as gathering sites, covenant centers, territorial markers and, at times, locations of idolatrous practice.

Geographical Distribution

Every occurrence lies in the hill country of central or northern Israel—Shechem, Hebron, the foothills of Ephraim, the Jezreel Valley and Mount Tabor. These sites all sit astride historic trade and migration routes, so the oaks naturally became reference points for travelers, shepherds and armies.

Key Biblical Occurrences and Themes

1. The Oak of Moreh, Shechem (Genesis 12:6; Deuteronomy 11:30)
• First Canaanite landmark Abraham encountered after entering the land.
• God’s promise of the land immediately follows, tying the oak to covenant revelation.
• Later, Moses cites the same oak when instructing Israel about blessings and curses, binding the past promise to the future conquest.

2. The Oaks of Mamre, Hebron (Genesis 13:18; 14:13; 18:1)
• Abram pitches his tent, builds an altar, receives divine reassurance and entertains the LORD’s messengers under these oaks.
• Thus the tree becomes emblematic of worship, hospitality and covenant fellowship.
• By Genesis 18 it is the settled home of the patriarch, underscoring God’s faithfulness over decades.

3. The Oak of Zaanannim near Kedesh (Judges 4:11)
• Heber the Kenite withdraws from his clan and encamps by this oak, setting the stage for Jael’s pivotal act against Sisera.
• The narrative stresses a marginal family finding space at a well-known tree, showing how even peripheral choices may serve God’s larger deliverance.

4. The Coronation Oak at Shechem (Judges 9:6, 9:37)
• The leaders of Shechem crown Abimelech beside “the oak that stood by the pillar.”
• Later, that same oak marks the spot from which Gaal sees Abimelech’s troops descending.
• A landmark once linked with covenant (Joshua 24:26) is here exploited for an illegitimate kingship, warning that sacred places do not guarantee holy decisions.

5. The Oak of Tabor (1 Samuel 10:3)
• Samuel directs Saul to this oak where three pilgrims confirm the prophet’s word.
• The episode knits prophetic promise, sacrificial provision and royal calling together at a recognizable tree on the ascent to Bethel.

6. Elon the Zebulunite (Judges 12:12)
• The judge’s personal name is identical to the noun, hinting that parents commemorated a noteworthy oak in Zebulun.
• His burial in Aijalon (“place of oaks”) doubles the emphasis, suggesting deep regional attachment to such trees.

Spiritual and Theological Significance

• Covenant Memory: From Abraham at Moreh to Joshua’s covenant stone at Shechem, the oak operates as a mnemonic device anchoring God’s words in physical space.
• Revelation and Hospitality: Under Mamre’s canopy, Abraham models eager welcome to the Lord and trusts the improbable promise of a son (Genesis 18).
• Warning against Syncretism: As Israel drifted, high trees like these became sites of Canaanite worship (compare Hosea 4:13). The same feature that once aided remembrance could foster compromise.
• Justice and Kingship: Abimelech’s rise and fall around the Shechem oak illustrates that leadership established by manipulation collapses under divine judgment.

Practical Ministry Insights

1. Establish Spiritual Landmarks

Recognizing how God has acted in particular places encourages believers to mark answered prayer and covenant renewal today—whether in church, home or mission field.

2. Cultivate Hospitality

Abraham’s table beneath the oaks of Mamre anticipates Hebrews 13:2. Congregations can imitate this open-handed welcome, expecting God to work through ordinary meals.

3. Guard Holy Spaces

The shift from Joshua’s covenant stone to Abimelech’s coronation warns pastors and elders that buildings, traditions or reputations do not secure orthodoxy; vigilant faithfulness does.

4. Remember God’s Faithfulness across Generations

The same oak appears when Abram enters Canaan and when Moses speaks on Moab’s plains centuries later. Teaching children the accounts tied to their church or family heritage follows this biblical pattern of multi-generational remembrance.

Related Passages for Further Study

Joshua 24:26; 2 Samuel 18:9-10; Isaiah 61:3; Hosea 4:13; Ezekiel 6:13.

Summary

אֵלוֹן highlights how a single living monument can serve divine revelation, covenant renewal and communal identity—yet can also be distorted for idolatry or self-exaltation. Whether for patriarchs, judges or kings, the oak stands as a silent witness to the God who calls, confirms, judges and redeems.

Forms and Transliterations

אֵל֣וֹן אֵל֥וֹן אֵלוֹנֵ֥י אלון אלוני בְּאֵֽלֹנֵ֜י בְּאֵלֹנֵ֖י בְּאֵלֹנֵ֥י באלני ’ê·lō·w·nê ’ê·lō·wn ’êlōwn ’êlōwnê bə’êlōnê bə·’ê·lō·nê beeloNei eLon eloNei

Englishman's Concordance

Genesis 12:6
HEB: שְׁכֶ֔ם עַ֖ד אֵל֣וֹן מוֹרֶ֑ה וְהַֽכְּנַעֲנִ֖י
NAS: of Shechem, to the oak of Moreh.
KJV: of Sichem, unto the plain of Moreh.
INT: of Shechem far to the oak of Moreh now the Canaanite

Genesis 13:18
HEB: וַיָּבֹ֛א וַיֵּ֛שֶׁב בְּאֵלֹנֵ֥י מַמְרֵ֖א אֲשֶׁ֣ר
NAS: and dwelt by the oaks of Mamre,
KJV: and dwelt in the plain of Mamre,
INT: and came and dwelt the oaks of Mamre which

Genesis 14:13
HEB: וְהוּא֩ שֹׁכֵ֨ן בְּאֵֽלֹנֵ֜י מַמְרֵ֣א הָאֱמֹרִ֗י
NAS: Now he was living by the oaks of Mamre
KJV: for he dwelt in the plain of Mamre
INT: now he was living the oaks of Mamre the Amorite

Genesis 18:1
HEB: אֵלָיו֙ יְהוָ֔ה בְּאֵלֹנֵ֖י מַמְרֵ֑א וְה֛וּא
NAS: appeared to him by the oaks of Mamre,
KJV: appeared unto him in the plains of Mamre:
INT: about now the LORD the oaks of Mamre he

Deuteronomy 11:30
HEB: הַגִּלְגָּ֔ל אֵ֖צֶל אֵלוֹנֵ֥י מֹרֶֽה׃
NAS: Gilgal, beside the oaks of Moreh?
KJV: Gilgal, beside the plains of Moreh?
INT: Gilgal beside the oaks Moreh

Judges 4:11
HEB: אָהֳל֔וֹ עַד־ אֵל֥וֹן [בַּצְעַנִּים כ]
NAS: as far away as the oak in Zaanannim,
KJV: his tent unto the plain of Zaanaim,
INT: his tent far as the oak Zaannannim which

Judges 9:6
HEB: לְמֶ֑לֶךְ עִם־ אֵל֥וֹן מֻצָּ֖ב אֲשֶׁ֥ר
NAS: king, by the oak of the pillar
KJV: king, by the plain of the pillar
INT: king by the oak of the pillar which

Judges 9:37
HEB: בָּ֔א מִדֶּ֖רֶךְ אֵל֥וֹן מְעוֹנְנִֽים׃
NAS: by the way of the diviners' oak.
KJV: come along by the plain of
INT: comes the way oak of the diviners'

Judges 12:12
HEB: וַיָּ֖מָת אֵל֣וֹן הַזְּבֽוּלֹנִ֑י וַיִּקָּבֵ֥ר
INT: died the oak the Zebulunite was buried

1 Samuel 10:3
HEB: וּבָ֙אתָ֙ עַד־ אֵל֣וֹן תָּב֔וֹר וּמְצָא֤וּךָ
NAS: as far as the oak of Tabor,
KJV: from thence, and thou shalt come to the plain of Tabor,
INT: will come far as the oak of Tabor will meet

10 Occurrences

Strong's Hebrew 436
10 Occurrences

bə·’ê·lō·nê — 3 Occ.
’ê·lō·wn — 6 Occ.
’ê·lō·w·nê — 1 Occ.