Original Word: מָעוֹן
Part of Speech: proper name; location; masculine; of a people
Transliteration: Ma`own
Pronunciation: mah-OWN
Phonetic Spelling: (maw-ohn')
KJV: Maon, Maonites
NASB: Maon, Maonites
Word Origin: [the same as H4583 (מָעוֹן מָעִין - habitation)]

1. a residence
2. Maon, the name of an Israelite and of a place in Israel

Maon, Maonites

The same as ma'own; a residence; Maon, the name of an Israelite and of a place in Palestine -- Maon, Maonites. Compare Beyth Ba'al m'own, m'uwniy.

see HEBREW ma'own

see HEBREW Beyth Ba'al m'own

see HEBREW m'uwniy

Word Origin
from un
Definition
"habitation," a place in Judah, also a man of Judah, also an enemy of Isr.
NASB Translation
Maon (7), Maonites (1).

II. מָעוֺן proper name

1. location in Judah Joshua 15:55 (P), 1 Samuel 25:2 (ᵐ5 Μααν, Μαων), now Ma`în (Buhl^{Geogr. 163 and references}), 8 miles south of Hebron; hence ׳מִדְבַּר מ 1 Samuel 23:24,25 (twice in verse), so read also 1 Samuel 25:1 (for ᵑ0 פארן) ᵐ5 Th We Dr Bu Klo Kit Löhr; compare

2. masculine in Judah 1 Chronicles 2:45 (twice in verse), ᵐ5 Μεων, Μαων.

3. of a people Judges 10:12 named with Sidonians and Amalek as ancient foes of Israel; possibly intended by writer as = מְעוּנִים q. v.; many read מִדְיָן (ᵐ5^{B A} ᵐ5^L Μαδιαμ); see GFM. — מְעוֺן see בֵּית בַּעַל מְעוֺן; 1 Chronicles 4:41 see מְעוּנִים.

Maon (Strong’s Hebrew 4584)

Geographical Setting and Identification

Maon was a town in the hill country of Judah, southeast of Hebron and near Carmel and Ziph. The site, traditionally identified with Khirbet Maʿin, rises over two thousand feet above sea level, commanding a strategic view of the wilderness that stretches eastward toward the Dead Sea. Its rugged cliffs, caves, and scrubland formed a natural refuge for fugitives and shepherds alike. The district’s sparse rainfall and rough terrain produced ample pasture for sheep and goats, which explains the prominence of pastoralists in the narratives linked to Maon.

Occurrences and Narrative Contexts

1. Conquest allotment (Joshua 15:55) – Listed among the fortified towns assigned to Judah: “Maon, Carmel, Ziph, Juttah.”
2. Period of the Judges (Judges 10:12) – Cited among oppressors whom the LORD defeated on Israel’s behalf: “Sidonians, Amalekites, and Maonites oppressed you, and you cried out to Me, and I delivered you from their hand.”

3–5. David’s wilderness refuge (1 Samuel 23:24–25, twice) – Saul pursued David “in the wilderness of Maon in the Arabah south of Jeshimon,” but the LORD orchestrated a Philistine raid that drew Saul away.
6. Home of Nabal and Abigail (1 Samuel 25:2) – “A man in Maon owned property in Carmel and was very wealthy.” The episode underscores divine vindication and providential marriage.

7–8. Calebite genealogy (1 Chronicles 2:45, twice) – Shammai’s son “Maon was the father of Beth-zur,” rooting the clan within Judah’s covenant heritage.

Davidic Associations

Maon’s topography—caves, clefts, and narrow wadis—proved ideal for David’s evasive tactics. The “Rock of Escape” (1 Samuel 23:28) memorializes the LORD’s timely intervention when Saul nearly encircled David. These events reinforce themes of divine protection, covenant faithfulness, and the shaping of a shepherd-king tested in hardship.

Nabal, Abigail, and Covenant Ethics

The clash between David and Nabal (1 Samuel 25) springs from cultural expectations of hospitality toward those who guarded a landowner’s flocks. Nabal’s scorn showed contempt for the LORD’s anointed, while Abigail’s discernment preserved her household and aligned her with God’s redemptive plan. Maon thus becomes a backdrop for contrasting responses to God’s purposes—folly versus wisdom, arrogance versus humility.

Maon in the Era of the Judges

Judges 10:12 recalls “Maonites” among Israel’s tormentors. Although the text compresses centuries, it highlights a recurrent pattern: when Israel cried out, the LORD saved. The inclusion of Maon in this list may reflect raids originating from the same barren wilderness that later sheltered David, illustrating how geography could alternate between threat and refuge under God’s sovereign hand.

Genealogical Significance

1 Chronicles situates Maon within the Calebite clan, reinforcing Judah’s prominence in messianic expectation. The chronicler’s interest in localities like Maon underscores the LORD’s faithfulness to tribal inheritances, even after exile.

Archaeological and Historical Notes

Surface surveys at Khirbet Maʿin reveal Iron Age pottery, defensive walls, and rock-hewn cisterns, affirming occupation in the period of the United Monarchy. The site’s proximity to Carmel aligns with the biblical linkage of Nabal’s holdings in both locales.

Theological and Ministry Reflections

• Divine Deliverance: Maon’s cliffs became a stage for the LORD’s timely rescue of David, encouraging believers to trust God amid seemingly inescapable pressures.
• Wisdom versus Folly: Abigail’s intercession exemplifies prudent, peacemaking leadership; Nabal typifies the fool who “says in his heart, ‘There is no God.’”
• Faithful Remnant: The Calebite lineage rooted in Maon reminds the Church that God preserves a faithful remnant through whom He advances redemptive history.
• Pastoral Care: Shepherd imagery around Maon foreshadows the Good Shepherd who guides, protects, and provides in life’s wilderness.

Key Verses

Joshua 15:55 – “Maon, Carmel, Ziph, Juttah.”

1 Samuel 23:25 – “Saul and his men went to look for him, but David was told about it and went down to the rock and stayed in the Wilderness of Maon.”

1 Samuel 25:2 – “Now there was a man in Maon whose business was in Carmel, and the man was very wealthy; he had three thousand sheep and a thousand goats, and he was shearing his sheep in Carmel.”

בְּמָע֜וֹן במעון וּמָע֔וֹן וּמָע֖וֹן ומעון מָע֑וֹן מָע֥וֹן ׀ מָעֽוֹן׃ מָעוֹן֙ מעון מעון׃ bə·mā·‘ō·wn bəmā‘ōwn bemaon mā‘ōwn mā·‘ō·wn maon ū·mā·‘ō·wn ūmā‘ōwn umaonInterlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel Texts