עִיּוֹן
𐤏𐤉𐤅𐤍
Ion
H5859 noun
SILEX Entry
Definition
Proper noun: Iyon, a place-name referring to a specific settlement or locality in the northern region historically associated with the Israelite tribes. The most common biblical reference is as a town in the territory of Naphtali, mentioned in the context of military campaigns. Its primary lexical meaning is that of a geographical location, without connoting 'ruin' in its attested uses. The semantic range is thus largely limited to its use as a place-name.
Semantic Range
Iyon (proper place-name); a locality in Upper Galilee; possibly connected linguistically to 'ruin' or 'heap,' but functionally used only as a name
Root / Etymology
Derived from the root עִי (ayin), meaning 'ruin' or 'heap.' The suffix וֹן is a common place-name ending in Hebrew that may suggest a diminutive or locative function. Thus, 'Iyon' is likely derived from a term meaning 'ruin' or 'heap,' but in practice does not describe the quality of the place, only its name. Root: ע-י (ayin-yod).
Historical & Contextual Notes
In the Hebrew Bible, Iyon (עִיּוֹן) is attested as a town captured by Ben-Hadad, king of Aram, during the reign of Baasha, king of Israel (1 Kings 15:20; 2 Kings 15:29). It is regularly grouped with the towns of Dan and Abel Beth Maacah, indicating a northern location in Upper Galilee near the territory later known as the Golan region. The placement in Aramean-occupied territory during certain periods suggests a border settlement impacted by regional conflict. Although related etymologically to the root meaning 'ruin,' the term does not, in context, suggest the town was in ruins or so named because of destruction. The later English use of "Palestine" is anachronistic for the biblical context; the text refers most directly to the ancient land inhabited by the Israelite tribes, specifically Naphtali. In translation tradition and in later literature, the name may have been identified with the site Tell Dibbin or nearby locations in modern Lebanon, but such identifications are not lexically intrinsic to the biblical usage. Standard English translations transliterate the name, but the original connotations are otherwise not captured in translation.
Original Strong's Gloss (1890)
from עִי; ruin; Ijon, a place in Palestine; Ijon.
Bantu Hebrew
No Bantu Hebrew comparisons have been submitted for this word yet.
+ Add Bantu Hebrew WordRoot Family
עי (ʿ-y) — heap, ruin, pile
| Strong's | Lemma | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|
| H5857 | עַי | Ruin-Heap (Ai) |
Word Forms
1 distinct form
| SIDANCE | Surface | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | Occurrences |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H5859-01 |
עִיּ֣וֹן | ion | HNp |
Ijon | Iyon | 3 |
Occurrences in Scripture
3 total occurrences
| SIDANCE | Reference | Word | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H5859-01 |
1 Kings 15:20 | עִיּ֣וֹן | ion | HNp |
Ijon | Iyon |
H5859-01 |
2 Kings 15:29 | עִיּ֡וֹן | ion | HNp |
Ijon | Iyon |
H5859-01 |
2 Chronicles 16:4 | עִיּ֣וֹן | ion | HNp |
Ijon | Iyon |