Original Word: אַלּוֹן
Part of Speech: Proper Name
Transliteration: Allown
Pronunciation: al-lone'
Phonetic Spelling: (al-lone')
KJV: Allon
NASB: Allon
Word Origin: [the same as H437 (אַלּוֹן - oak)]

1. Allon, an Israelite, also a place in Israel

Allon

The same as 'allown; Allon, an Israelite, also a place in Palestine -- Allon.

see HEBREW 'allown

Word Origin
from the same as allah
Definition
a Simeonite
NASB Translation
Allon (1).

אַלּוֺן proper name, masculine (oak) a Simeonite 1 Chronicles 4:37 (on Joshua 19:33 see אֵלוֺן p. 18).

Meaning and Symbolic Resonance

“Allon” is linked with the imagery of a sturdy, deeply rooted oak. Throughout Scripture the oak evokes endurance, covenant remembrance, and places of decisive meeting with God (Genesis 35:8; Isaiah 61:3). The name therefore carries a quiet reminder of strength derived from the Lord and permanence anchored in His promises.

Occurrences in Scripture

1. Joshua 19:33 – a landmark on the northern border of Naphtali.
2. 1 Chronicles 4:37 – an ancestor in the tribe of Judah.

These two brief mentions set Allon within both geographical and genealogical frameworks of Israel’s life.

Geographical Boundary Marker (Joshua 19:33)

“When their border went from Heleph, from the oak in Zaanannim, including Adami Nekeb and Jabneel, as far as Lakkum, and ended at the Jordan.” (Joshua 19:33)

Here the “oak in Zaanannim” (Hebrew: Allon-zaanannim) fixes the territorial limits granted to Naphtali. Boundaries in Joshua are covenantal gifts: tangible confirmations that “the land is the Lord’s” (Leviticus 25:23) and that He faithfully allots inheritance to His people. The solitary oak, standing for generations, embodies God’s unchanging determination to establish Israel in the land sworn to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.

Family Line in Judah (1 Chronicles 4:37)

“Ziza son of Shiphi, son of Allon, son of Jedaiah, son of Shimri, son of Shemaiah.” (1 Chronicles 4:37)

The Chronicler draws attention to otherwise forgotten families who nevertheless share equally in God’s redemptive story. Allon appears mid-list, illustrating that every link in the covenant lineage matters. Such genealogies underscore divine fidelity: though individuals pass, the promise moves forward until fulfilled in the Messiah (Matthew 1:1-17).

Broader Biblical Context of Oaks

• Covenant encounter: The oak of Mamre where Abraham built an altar (Genesis 13:18).
• Memorial of mourning: The oak below Bethel where Deborah, Rebekah’s nurse, was buried (Genesis 35:8).
• Site of judgment: The oak in Ophrah where Gideon destroyed the Baal altar (Judges 6:11, 25-26).

While Allon itself is not these trees, its shared symbolism invites readers to trace how God repeatedly uses everyday features of creation to mark divine interventions, memorialize His works, and call His people back to wholehearted devotion.

Ministry and Devotional Insights

1. Certainty of inheritance: Just as a single oak pinpointed a boundary line, believers have a sure inheritance in Christ that “can never perish, spoil, or fade” (1 Peter 1:4).
2. Intergenerational faithfulness: Genealogies remind congregations to value obscure saints whose quiet obedience sustains the advance of the gospel.
3. Visible testimonies: An oak silently testifies year after year; likewise, a congregation’s physical presence in a community can become a living landmark of God’s grace.

Christological and Eschatological Connections

Isaiah foretells that those comforted by the Anointed One will be called “oaks of righteousness, the planting of the Lord, that He may be glorified” (Isaiah 61:3). Allon’s durability adumbrates the permanence believers receive through union with the resurrected Christ. Future glory is not a vague hope but a fixed boundary drawn by the Lamb’s sacrificial work, as immovable as an ancient tree set by the Creator’s decree.

Summary

Allon, though mentioned only twice, folds into the grand tapestry of Scripture as both a physical landmark and a family name. In the land it witnesses to God’s unchanging covenant boundaries; in the lineage it witnesses to God’s unbroken generational grace. The oak’s emblem of steadfast strength calls the Church to stand firm in faith, root deep in God’s Word, and serve as living memorials to His enduring promises.

אַלּ֛וֹן אלון מֵֽאֵל֜וֹן מאלון ’al·lō·wn ’allōwn alLon mê’êlōwn mê·’ê·lō·wn meeLonInterlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel Texts