Original Word: מְגִדּוֹן
Part of Speech: Proper Name Location
Transliteration: Mgiddown
Pronunciation: meh-ghid-DOHN
Phonetic Spelling: (meg-id-done')
KJV: Megiddo, Megiddon
Word Origin: [from H1413 (גָּדַד - cut)]

1. rendezvous
2. Megiddon or Megiddo, a place in Israel

Megiddo, Megiddon

(Zech. 'abdan or Mgiddow {meg-id-do'}; from gadad; rendezvous; Megiddon or Megiddo, a place in Palestine -- Megiddo, Megiddon.

see HEBREW 'abdan

see HEBREW gadad

מְגִדּוֺ and (Zechariah 12:11) מְגִדּוֺן proper name, of a location (connection with above √ not clear; ᵐ5 Μαγεδδω, Μεκεδω, Μαγεδω, etc.; ᵑ9 Mageddo; Assyrian Magadû, Magidû COT^Gloss Dl^{Pa 287}) old Canaanitish city, assigned to Manasseh 1 Kings 4:12; 1 Kings 9:15; 2 Kings 9:27; 2 Kings 23:29,30; ׳מֶלֶךְ מ Joshua 12:21; ׳ישְׁבֵי מ Joshua 17:11 = Judges 1:27; ׳מֵי מ Judges 5:19; ׳בִּקְעַת מ Zechariah 12:11; 2Chronicles 35:22; — modern Lejjûn (=Legio) Rob^{BR ii. 329 f.}364Bd^{Pal 229}.

גדה (cut, cut or tear away ?).

Location and Geography

Megiddon (Megiddo) stood at the western edge of the Jezreel Valley where the Carmel range meets the Galilean hills, commanding the Via Maris—the ancient coastal highway linking Egypt and Mesopotamia—and the road running east-west across the valley. The city overlooked the fertile Plain of Esdraelon and controlled the mountain pass of Nahal Iron, making it one of the most strategically placed sites in the land promised to Israel.

Strategic Military Importance

Because every imperial army that wished to pass through Canaan had to funnel past Megiddo, the city became synonymous with decisive conflict. Scripture repeatedly notes its kings (Joshua 12:21) and its surrounding “settlements” (Joshua 17:11), underscoring both its fortified status and its satellite villages. From the Canaanite period until late in the monarchy, Megiddo was treated as a linchpin in national defense and a staging ground for royal projects, such as Solomon’s network of chariot cities (1 Kings 9:15).

Megiddo in the Conquest and Settlement of Canaan

Joshua recorded Megiddo among the defeated Canaanite kings, yet the victory was not fully consolidated. Manasseh “failed to drive out the inhabitants… and the Canaanites stubbornly remained” (Judges 1:27). This lingering stronghold illustrates the spiritual danger of incomplete obedience; compromise in the conquest left Israel with recurring pockets of idolatry and military pressure.

Role in the Period of the Judges

The prophetess Deborah celebrated the Lord’s deliverance when “the kings of Canaan fought at Taanach by the waters of Megiddo, but they took no plunder of silver” (Judges 5:19). The battle, fought in open country beneath Megiddo’s tell, highlighted the Lord’s mastery over chariot forces and reminded Israel that trust in Him outweighed technological advantage.

Megiddo and the United Monarchy

By Solomon’s reign, Megiddo served as one of three key fortress-cities (1 Kings 9:15) with massive six-chambered gates and stables large enough to quarter hundreds of horses. Archaeological discoveries of grain silos, water systems, and administrative buildings corroborate the biblical portrait of Megiddo as a northern administrative center that projected royal authority and facilitated trade.

Megiddo under the Divided Kingdoms

Ahaziah king of Judah fled to Megiddo after Jehu’s surprise coup and “died there” (2 Kings 9:27). About three centuries later Josiah confronted Pharaoh Neco “on the Plain of Megiddo, and there he was shot by archers” (2 Chronicles 35:22). Josiah’s death precipitated national sorrow and hastened Judah’s slide toward exile. The phrase “mourning for Hadad-rimmon in the plain of Megiddo” (Zechariah 12:11) became a proverbial benchmark for public lament.

Tragic Deaths and National Mourning

Josiah’s passing at Megiddo forced Judah to grapple with dashed reform hopes. Shaphan’s son Jeremiah composed dirges for the slain king (2 Chronicles 35:25), and Zechariah later used the same imagery to describe the future penitence of Israel when “they will look on Me, the One they have pierced” (Zechariah 12:10). Thus Megiddo stands as both a literal battlefield and a symbol of heartfelt repentance.

Prophetic and Eschatological Echoes

Revelation 16:16 foresees the kings of the earth gathering at “Armageddon” (Har-Megiddo, “mountain of Megiddo”). John’s choice of name employs Megiddo’s historic reputation to portray the climactic clash between the Lord and rebellious nations. The prophecy does not necessarily indicate the precise geographic tel, but it borrows the city’s established imagery of decisive warfare and divine intervention.

Archaeological Remains and Historical Corroboration

Twenty-six occupation layers have been identified at Tell el-Mutesellim (Megiddo). Finds include Late Bronze Age temples, Iron Age stables, a sophisticated water shaft similar to that at Hazor, and inscriptions referencing Egyptian Pharaohs Thutmose III and Shishak—confirming Megiddo’s continuous role in imperial campaigns and matching the biblical timeline. These remains affirm Scripture’s accuracy in portraying a major fortified complex.

Ministry Reflections and Contemporary Application

1. Incomplete conquest (Judges 1:27) warns believers against tolerating sin that eventually enslaves.
2. Deborah’s victory at Megiddo encourages reliance on God when facing seemingly superior opposition.
3. Josiah’s fall reminds leaders that zeal must be tempered by discerning obedience to the Lord’s word.
4. The prophetic use of Megiddo points to God’s sovereign control over history’s final outcome, inspiring hope and perseverance.

Megiddon’s consistent biblical theme is that the Lord alone determines the fate of nations. Whether in Canaanite defeat, Israelite triumph, or tragic royal death, every event at Megiddo drives the reader to recognize God’s unmatched authority and to submit to His redemptive purposes.

בִּמְגִדּ֔וֹ במגדו וּמְגִדּ֑וֹ ומגדו מְגִדּ֑וֹ מְגִדּ֖וֹ מְגִדּ֥וֹ מְגִדּֽוֹ׃ מְגִדּֽוֹן׃ מִמְּגִדּ֔וֹ מגדו מגדו׃ מגדון׃ ממגדו bim·ḡid·dōw bimgidDo bimḡiddōw mə·ḡid·dō·wn mə·ḡid·dōw megidDo megidDon məḡiddōw məḡiddōwn mim·mə·ḡid·dōw mimegidDo mimməḡiddōw ū·mə·ḡid·dōw umegidDo ūməḡiddōwInterlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel Texts