בֵּית מְעוֹן (bet ba.al me.on)
bet ba.al me.on
Beth-meon
N:N--LQuick Reference
- Language
- Biblical Hebrew
- Testament
- Old Testament
- Occurrences
- 1 verses
- Root
- —
- Part of speech
- N:N--L
Word Overview
Beth-meon, meaning "house of Meon," appears only once in the Hebrew Bible, listed among the cities assigned to the tribe of Reuben in Numbers 32:38. The name identifies a specific settlement that later came under Moabite control, marking it as a place of shifting political boundaries rather than a center of Israelite religious life.
Lexical sources note that this location is essentially another name for Baal-meon, highlighting how ancient towns often carried multiple titles across different texts. While the city itself holds little narrative weight in Scripture, its mention anchors the detailed geography of the Transjordanian conquests, serving as a tangible marker of the tribal inheritance described in the Pentateuch.
Based on public-domain lexicons (Strong's, Thayer, Gesenius, Brown-Driver-Briggs and others).
What This Word Means for Your Faith
The name Beth-meon translates to "house of Meon" and appears in Numbers 32:38 as part of the land assigned to the tribe of Reuben. This brief mention anchors the historical geography of Israel's settlement in the Transjordan region. It serves as a tangible marker of how specific tribes received their inheritance, grounding the biblical narrative in real places.
Later references, such as in Jeremiah 48:23, place this city under Moabite control, highlighting the shifting political boundaries of the ancient Near East. While Beth-meon does not feature in major theological narratives, its inclusion reminds us that God’s promises were fulfilled in concrete locations. These details provide a sense of historical reality to the events recorded in Scripture.
For believers today, such geographical notes offer a connection to the tangible world of the Bible. They confirm that the stories we read occurred in actual towns and regions. This grounding helps us appreciate the historical context of God’s dealings with His people across different territories and time periods.
How it's translated
How this word is rendered word-by-word in the 1 verses where it appears, by frequency.
- Meon1×
- Beth1×
Forms in the text
The inflected forms of this word as they appear in Scripture, by frequency.
- מְעֽוֹן\׃1×
- בֵּ֥ית1×
Key Verses
-
Jeremiah 48:23
on Kiriathaim, on Beth Gamul, on Beth Meon,
This verse lists Beth-meon among Moabite cities, showing its later political status outside Israelite control.