Original Word: מָלוֹן
Part of Speech: Noun Masculine
Transliteration: malown
Pronunciation: mah-LOHN
Phonetic Spelling: (maw-lone')
KJV: inn, place wherelodge, lodging (place)
NASB: lodging place
Word Origin: [from H3885 (לוּן לִין - To lodge)]

1. a lodgment, i.e. caravanserai or encampment

inn, place where

From luwn; a lodgment, i.e. Caravanserai or encampment -- inn, place where...lodge, lodging (place).

see HEBREW luwn

Word Origin
from lun
Definition
a lodging place, inn, khan
NASB Translation
lodging place (8).

מָלוֺן noun masculine lodging-place, inn, khan; — absolute ׳מ Genesis 42:27 5t.; construct מְלוֺן 2 Kings 19:23; Jeremiah 9:1; — lodging-place, inn, khan (?) Genesis 42:27; Genesis 43:21; Exodus 4:24; אֹרְתִים ׳מְ Jeremiah 9:1; = camp (of Israel) for a night, Joshua 4:3 ( + לין), Joshua 4:8; of Assyrians Isaiah 10:29; figurative מְלוֺן קִצֹּה֯ 2 Kings 19:23, i.e. its (Lebanon's) remotest camping-ground, hyperb. of Assyrian conquest; so read probably in "" Isaiah 37:24 for ᵑ0 ׳מְרוֺם ק, compare Di Du Kit Che^Hpt.

Overview of the Motif

מָלוֹן denotes a temporary resting place for travelers—a roadside inn, campsite, or night encampment. In every occurrence Scripture portrays it as a liminal space where God may unexpectedly intervene, where human plans are revealed or redirected, and where memorials to divine faithfulness are established.

Representative Passages

• Genesis 42:27; 43:21 – Joseph’s brothers discover their silver “at the place where they lodged for the night,” exposing both their fear and God’s hidden providence.

• Exodus 4:24 – “Now at a lodging place on the way, the LORD met Moses and was about to kill him.” The journey-pause becomes a moment of covenant enforcement through circumcision (verses 25–26).

• Joshua 4:3, 4:8 – After crossing the Jordan, twelve stones are carried “to the place where you will camp tonight” and there erected, turning a campsite into a perpetual witness that “the hand of the LORD is mighty” (Joshua 4:24).

• Isaiah 10:29 – The Assyrian host “lodges overnight at Geba,” illustrating arrogant encroachment that will soon meet divine judgment (Isaiah 10:33-34).

• Jeremiah 9:2 – The prophet longs for “a traveler’s lodging place in the wilderness” where he could withdraw from faithless Judah, highlighting the nation’s moral collapse.

Historical and Cultural Setting

Ancient Near-Eastern travel required scheduled halts. Caravanserais, caves, walled courtyards, or simply level ground beside a water source served as מָלוֹן. These stops were exposed, lacking the defenses of a city gate. Consequently they became stages where trust in the Lord, rather than human fortification, was tested.

Theological Themes

1. Divine Surveillance and Intervention

In Genesis and Exodus, God uses the lodging place to bring hidden matters to light. Money in the sacks exposes the brothers’ guilt; Moses’ uncircumcised son jeopardizes the mission. What seems a pause in the narrative is actually a crucible of obedience.

2. Memorialization of Salvation

Joshua transforms the campsite into a stone memorial. The fleeting halt becomes an enduring testimony, teaching that moments of transit can crystallize into monuments of remembrance when God acts.

3. Human Presumption versus Divine Sovereignty

The Assyrian boast in 2 Kings 19:23 and Isaiah 10:29 occurs within the imagery of pressing to “the remotest lodging place.” The empire’s confidence in relentless advance is countered by the Lord’s decree of sudden downfall, underscoring that no journey outruns His jurisdiction.

4. Prophetic Lament and Separation

Jeremiah’s yearning for a desert way-station reveals the tension between the call to intercede and the pain of persistent rebellion. The lodging place becomes symbolic of prophetic withdrawal—distance that heightens the seriousness of covenant breach.

Connections within Redemptive History

• The Passover journey motif: As Israel moves from bondage toward promise, God repeatedly meets them “on the way.” The inn at Exodus 4 foreshadows the seriousness of covenant identity that will define the nation at Sinai.

• Typology of Pilgrimage: New Testament teaching describes believers as “sojourners and exiles” (1 Peter 2:11). The transient מָלוֹן prefigures the pilgrim life, calling disciples to readiness for divine engagement at any halt.

• Christ and Hospitality: While מָלוֹן does not appear in the Greek New Testament, the idea resurfaces when the Savior is born because “there was no guest room available” (Luke 2:7). The Messiah’s advent in makeshift accommodations gathers up the Old Testament theme of God working in overlooked places of rest.

Ministry Implications

1. Expectation in Transitional Moments

Journeys, conferences, hospital waiting rooms, or layovers may become modern “lodging places” where the Holy Spirit confronts sin, confirms calling, or plants memorials. Ministers should teach believers to keep spiritual vigilance during life’s pauses.

2. Family and Covenant Responsibility

Zipporah’s decisive action at the inn warns against neglecting covenant signs in the household. Pastoral care must press for wholehearted obedience before public ministry proceeds.

3. Remembrance Practices

Joshua’s stones encourage the establishment of tangible reminders—journals, plaques, communion celebrations—that rehearse God’s acts to ensuing generations.

4. Guarding against Presumption

The Assyrian example cautions leaders against triumphalism. Strategic advances are subject to sudden reversal when pride displaces dependence on the Lord.

Summary

מָלוֹן is more than a roadside stop; it is Scripture’s reminder that the God who guides journeys also inhabits their interruptions. Whether revealing hidden sin, securing covenant faithfulness, marking saving power, or warning against arrogance, the lodging place testifies that every pause in the believer’s path lies under the watchful governance of the Lord.

בַּמָּל֑וֹן בַּמָּל֕וֹן במלון הַמָּל֔וֹן הַמָּל֗וֹן המלון מְל֣וֹן מְלוֹן֙ מָל֣וֹן מלון bam·mā·lō·wn bammaLon bammālōwn ham·mā·lō·wn hammaLon hammālōwn mā·lō·wn maLon mālōwn mə·lō·wn meLon məlōwnInterlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel Texts