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מְגִדּוֹן

𐤌𐤂𐤃𐤅𐤍

Megidon

H4023 noun

SILEX Entry

Root גדד to cut, attack, invade (root 의미); unrelated for place name Megiddo itself

Definition

Proper noun designating a specific ancient city in the Jezreel Valley of the southern Levant, commonly known as Megiddo. The name is used in biblical texts to refer both to the city itself and occasionally its environs. In Zechariah 12:11, the form מְגִדּוֹן (Megiddon) appears, likely a variant or poetic form of Megiddo. The city's semantic range in the Hebrew Bible centers on its identification as a significant fortified site and locus of key historical and prophetic events.

Semantic Range

city of Megiddo, territory around Megiddo, location of historical battles, site of prophetic mourning; poetic or variant form of Megiddo in Zechariah

Root / Etymology

Derived from the root גָּדַד (gadad), meaning 'to cut, attack, invade', though the connection is uncertain and may reflect a folk etymology rather than historical linguistic development. The ending -ון forms a place-name. The exact historical origin of the name is disputed, with some scholars suggesting a non-Hebrew (possibly Canaanite) origin unrelated to the root גָּדַד.

Historical & Contextual Notes

Megiddo was a prominent Canaanite and later Israelite city-state, well-documented archaeologically and referenced in multiple biblical contexts (notably Judges, Kings, and Chronicles) as a strategic military site due to its control over the Via Maris trade route. The spelling מְגִדּוֹן occurs only in Zechariah 12:11 in a prophetic lament, whereas מְגִדּוֹ appears elsewhere. The form Megiddon in Zechariah may reflect dialectal, poetic, or late Biblical Hebrew features; it is possibly linked to the same city but could denote a broader area or symbolize significant mourning—some translations adopt 'Megiddon' to mirror the Hebrew form. Later English renderings such as 'Megiddo' and the apocalyptic 'Armageddon' (from Har Megiddo, 'mountain of Megiddo') derive from this place name but develop distinct eschatological connotations in post-biblical and Christian literature.

Original Strong's Gloss (1890)

(Zechariah אַבְדָן) or מְגִדּוֹ; from גָּדַד; rendezvous; Megiddon or Megiddo, a place in Palestine; Megiddo, Megiddon.

Bantu Hebrew

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Root Family

גדד (g-d-d) — cutting, attacking, invading

Strong's Lemma SIBI-P1
H1412 גֻּדְגֹּדָה the Gash-Gorge
H1413 גָּדַד you will gash yourself
H1414 גְּדַד Hew down!
H1415 גָּדָה his cut-formed riverbanks
H1416 גְּדוּד in the raiding band

Word Forms

5 distinct forms

SIDANCE Surface Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 Occurrences
H4023-02 מְגִדּ֖וֹ megido HNp Megiddo Megiddo 8
H4023-04 מִ/מְּגִדּ֔וֹ mimegido HR/Np from Megiddo from Megiddo 1
H4023-03 מְגִדּֽוֹן megidon HNp Megiddo Megiddon 1
H4023-01 בִּ/מְגִדּ֔וֹ bimegido HR/Np at Megiddo in Megiddo 1
H4023-05 וּ/מְגִדּ֑וֹ umegido HC/Np and Megiddo and Megiddo 1

Occurrences in Scripture

12 total occurrences

SIDANCE Reference Word Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1
H4023-02 Joshua 12:21 מְגִדּ֖וֹ megido HNp Megiddo Megiddo
H4023-02 Joshua 17:11 מְגִדּ֖וֹ megido HNp Megiddo Megiddo
H4023-02 Judges 1:27 מְגִדּ֖וֹ megido HNp Megiddo Megiddo
H4023-02 Judges 5:19 מְגִדּ֑וֹ megido HNp Megiddo Megiddo
H4023-05 1 Kings 4:12 וּ/מְגִדּ֑וֹ umegido HC/Np and Megiddo and Megiddo
H4023-02 1 Kings 9:15 מְגִדּ֖וֹ megido HNp Megiddo Megiddo
H4023-02 2 Kings 9:27 מְגִדּ֖וֹ megido HNp to Megiddo Megiddo
H4023-01 2 Kings 23:29 בִּ/מְגִדּ֔וֹ bimegido HR/Np at Megiddo in Megiddo
H4023-04 2 Kings 23:30 מִ/מְּגִדּ֔וֹ mimegido HR/Np from Megiddo from Megiddo
H4023-03 Zechariah 12:11 מְגִדּֽוֹן megidon HNp Megiddo Megiddon
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