Original Word: עיּוֹן
Part of Speech: Proper Name Location
Transliteration: `Iyown
Pronunciation: ee-YONE
Phonetic Spelling: (ee-yone')
KJV: Ijon
NASB: Ijon
Word Origin: [from H5856 (עִי - heap of ruins)]

1. ruin
2. Ijon, a place in Israel

Ijon

From iy; ruin; Ijon, a place in Palestine -- Ijon.

see HEBREW iy

Word Origin
of uncertain derivation
Definition
a place in Naphtali
NASB Translation
Ijon (3).

עִיוֺן proper name, of a location Αιν, in Naphtali; — 1 Kings 15:20 2Chronicles 16:4; 2 Kings 15:29 (on 2 Samuel 24:6 see דָּן a above). Perhaps = Tell Dibbin, on the plateau Merj ±ayyûn (Buhl^{Geogr. 11, 110}), between the Lî‰ânî and the „¹sbânî (Id^{ib. 237 f.})

Geographical Setting

Iyyon (often Anglicized “Ijon”) was a fortified town in the northern reaches of Israel, strategically set in the high-valley region of Naphtali. Nestled on a trade corridor between Tyre and Damascus, the site commanded both commercial traffic and military passage through upper Galilee. Its elevation gave natural defenses, explaining why foreign kings repeatedly targeted it when striking at Israel’s northern flank.

Biblical Narrative Context

1. During the reign of Asa of Judah, Ben-hadad of Aram intervened against the Northern Kingdom: “He attacked Ijon, Dan, Abel-beth-maacah, and all Kinnereth, along with all the land of Naphtali” (1 Kings 15:20). The seizure of Iyyon punctured Baasha’s blockade of Judah, demonstrating how the Lord used international politics to safeguard David’s line even amid divided kingdoms.
2. A generation later Tiglath-pileser III repeated the pattern: “He captured Ijon … and led the people to Assyria” (2 Kings 15:29). This campaign marked the beginning of Israel’s exile, validating prophetic warnings that covenant unfaithfulness would invite foreign domination (Deuteronomy 28:49-52).
3. 2 Chronicles 16:4 parallels the first account, substituting Abel-beth-maacah’s alternate name Abel-maim and underscoring the chronicler’s interest in temple-centered faithfulness versus political alliances. Iyyon thus appears in Scripture precisely at moments when kings relied on human diplomacy rather than wholehearted trust in the Lord.

Historical Significance and Lessons

• Indicator of Northern Vulnerability: Whenever Iyyon fell, a cascade of towns soon followed. Its capture signaled that Israel’s defenses had failed and that judgment was advancing from the north, the traditional direction of invasion in prophetic literature (Jeremiah 1:14).
• Fulfillment of Covenant Curses: The town’s repeated loss illustrates Leviticus 26:17, where God warned that enemies would rule over an unfaithful Israel. Tiglath-pileser’s deportations, beginning with frontier towns like Iyyon, made the warning visible.
• Validation of Prophetic Witness: Hosea, active in the same era, denounced reliance on foreign treaties (Hosea 7:11). The swift collapse of Iyyon under Assyrian assault proved the futility of such strategies and highlighted the sufficiency of trusting the covenant-keeping God.

Thematic Insights

Fortified though it was, Iyyon could not withstand armies permitted by the Lord. The episodes remind readers that true security lies not in geography or human alliances but in covenant fidelity. Meanwhile, the Lord’s use of Aramean and Assyrian kings to discipline His people shows His sovereign rule over all nations (Proverbs 21:1).

Ministry Applications

• Spiritual Fortresses: Churches and believers often erect modern “fortifications”—finances, programs, or reputations—yet, like Iyyon, these can crumble if trust shifts from the Lord to human means.
• Warnings Heeded: Teaching the accounts of Iyyon encourages congregations to heed Scripture’s warnings promptly, lest small compromises open the door to greater defeat.
• Hope in Discipline: Even in judgment the Lord preserved a remnant. Iyyon’s fall, though tragic, was part of a redemptive trajectory that culminated in exile, restoration, and ultimately the Messiah, who secures an unassailable kingdom (Hebrews 12:28).

Related Places and Events

Iyyon is consistently listed alongside Dan and Abel-beth-maacah, towns forming a defensive triangle in northern Israel. Their shared fate in both Aramean and Assyrian invasions underscores the systematic dismantling of Israel’s border defenses prior to the 722 B.C. fall of Samaria.

Summary

Iyyon’s brief biblical footprint teaches enduring lessons. Its walls could not shield an unfaithful nation, yet its account showcases the Lord’s righteous judgment and redemptive purposes. For modern readers, Iyyon stands as both a warning against misplaced confidence and an invitation to steadfast reliance on the God who alone grants true security.

עִיּ֡וֹן עִיּ֣וֹן עיון ‘î·yō·wn ‘îyōwn iYonInterlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel Texts