מְעוֹנֹתַי
𐤌𐤏𐤅𐤍𐤕𐤉
Meonotay
H4587 noun
SILEX Entry
Definition
Meonothai: a personal name, likely meaning 'dweller' or 'inhabitant.' Used as the name of an Israelite mentioned in genealogical records, with the underlying sense of someone associated with a place of dwelling, lodging, or habitation. The semantic range centers upon personal naming rather than the common noun senses.
Semantic Range
personal name with implied meaning 'dweller' or one associated with a dwelling, proper name in genealogies, not used in common noun sense
Root / Etymology
From the Hebrew root עון (ע-ו-ן), as in מְעוֹנָה (meʻonah), meaning 'dwelling place' or 'habitation.' The form מְעוֹנֹתַי (Meonothai) is a plural possessive, which could be interpreted as 'my dwellings/habitations' or 'he of the dwellings.' Derived as a personal name, it may either reflect a family associated with a specific location or serve as a theophoric or toponymic marker. The actual formation as a proper name does not seem to indicate literal possession, but rather likely functions as a naming convention common in Hebrew genealogies. The root עון means 'to lodge, dwell, inhabit.'
Historical & Contextual Notes
Meonothai appears in the genealogical listing of the tribe of Judah in 1 Chronicles 4:14, identifying a descendant of Caleb. The personal name is ultimately formed from the same root as מְעוֹנָה (meʻonah, 'dwelling'), a common noun seen elsewhere in biblical Hebrew. Naming children or families after notable places or concepts related to dwelling or habitation was common in First Temple period Israelite lineage texts, reflecting either a family’s settlement history, a hoped-for blessing, or a toponymic connection. Standard English translations leave this as a proper name (Meonothai) and do not attempt to convey its literal etymological or semantic sense, as the context in Chronicles is genealogical rather than descriptive. Later traditions do not associate this figure with 'Jewish' or Judean ethnic or religious identities, as the context is solidly monarchic/tribal Israelite. There are no indications in the text that the name indicates a broader people group or city, though later traditions sometimes speculate connections to locations named Meonah or Maon. The plural possessive structure (-tai) is uncommon for proper names and may indicate unique regional or family significance in this particular genealogy.
Original Strong's Gloss (1890)
plural of מְעוֹנָה; habitative; Meonothai, an Israelite; Meonothai.
Bantu Hebrew
No Bantu Hebrew comparisons have been submitted for this word yet.
+ Add Bantu Hebrew WordRoot Family
עון (ʿ-w-n) — to dwell, to inhabit, to lodge
| Strong's | Lemma | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|
| H1010 | בֵּית בַּעַל מְעוֹן | Dwelling-Place |
| H1186 | בַּעַל מְעוֹן | Dwelling-place |
| H4583 | מָעוֹן | in dwelling-of |
| H4584 | מָעוֹן | in Dwelling-place |
| H4585 | מְעוֹנָה | in our dwelling-places |
Word Forms
1 distinct form
| SIDANCE | Surface | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | Occurrences |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H4587-01 |
וּ/מְעוֹנֹתַ֖י | umeonotay | HC/Np |
And Meonothai | and Dweller-of-dwellings | 1 |
Occurrences in Scripture
1 total occurrence
| SIDANCE | Reference | Word | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H4587-01 |
1 Chronicles 4:14 | וּ/מְעוֹנֹתַ֖י | umeonotay | HC/Np |
And Meonothai | and Dweller-of-dwellings |