The meaning of Maon; Maonites in the Bible
(From International Standard Bible Encyclopedia)
ma'-on, ma'-on-its, ma-o'-nits (ma'on; Septuagint: Codex Vaticanus Maor, Maan; Codex Alexandrinus Maon):
(1) A town in the mountain of Judah named along with Carmel and Ziph (Joshua 15:55). It appears again as the home of Nabal, the great flockmaster (I Samuel 25:2). In the genealogical list of 1Ch. 2, Maon stands as the "son" of Shammai and the "father" of Beth-zur (I Chronicles 2:44-45). This evidently means that Shammai was the founder of Maon. About a mile South of el-Karmil, the ancient Carmel, lies Tell Ma'in. This may be confidently identified with Maon, the radicals of the names being the same. It suits the requirements of the narratives in other respects, being near to Carmel, while the surrounding wilderness is still used as the wide pasture land for multitudinous flocks. In this district, the wilderness of Maon, David was hiding when his whereabouts was betrayed to Saul by the men of Ziph (I Samuel 23:24 f.), and only a timely raid by the Philistines delivered him out of that monarch's hands (I Samuel 23:27 ff.).
(2) (Madiam): Maon is named along with the Zidonians and Amalek as having at some time, not mentioned, oppressed Israel (Judges 10:12). The Septuagint "Midian" has been accepted by some scholars as restoring the original text, since, otherwise, the Midianites remain unmentioned. But the Maonites are evidently identical with the Meunim of I Chronicles 4:41 (Revised Version), the pastoral people destroyed by Hezekiah. In II Chronicles 20:1 the King James Version, instead of "other beside the Ammonites" we must read "some of the Meunim," as associated with the Ammonites in the battle with Jehoshaphat. Against them also Uzziah was helped of God (II Chronicles 26:7). They are included among the inhabitants of Mt. Seir (II Chronicles 20:10, II Chronicles 20:23), so that an Edomite tribe is intended. It is natural to connect them with Ma'an, a place on the great pilgrimage road, and now a station on the Damascus-Hejaz Railway, to the Southeast of Petra. It undoubtedly represents an ancient stronghold.
The Maonites appear in the lists of those who returned from exile (Ezra 2:50, the King James Version "Mehunim," the Revised Version (British and American) "Meunim"; Nehemiah 7:52, "Meunim"). These may possibly be the descendants of prisoners taken in the wars of Jehoshaphat and Uzziah, to whom menial tasks may have been appointed in the temple services.
W. Ewing
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