Reference: Maon
American
A town in the edge of the hill-country of Judah, Jos 15:55, near which Nabal lived and David took refuge from Saul, 1Sa 23:24-25; 25:2. Dr Robinson finds it the ruinous place called Main, seven miles south by east from Hebron.
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Easton
habitation, a town in the tribe of Judah, about 7 miles south of Hebron, which gave its name to the wilderness, the district round the conical hill on which the town stood. Here David hid from Saul, and here Nabal had his possessions and his home (1Sa 23:24-25; 25:2). "Only some small foundations of hewn stone, a square enclosure, and several cisterns are now to be seen at Maon. Are they the remains of Nabal's great establishment?" The hill is now called Tell M'ain.
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Fausets
1. A city in the mountains of Judah (Jos 15:55). In the waste pasture ("wilderness") of Maon in the plain S. of Jeshimon, at the hill of Hachilah, David narrowly escaped Saul through the Ziphites' treachery (1Sa 23:19,24-25). Saul was on one side of the mountain, David on the other, when a message announcing a Philistine invasion called Saul away; the rock that separated the pursuer and the pursued was called "Sela-hammahlekoth," the rock of divisions. Nabal's flocks fed on the pastures of Maon and the adjoining Carmel (1Sa 25:2).
He conducted his sheepshearing at Carmel, because he was there near good water in the plain between Hebron and Carmel, the finest plain in the hill country of Judah, that which Achsah desired of Caleb her father; for she wanted, besides the arid south land (Negeb), "springs of water," and received this "field" or cultivated plain with "upper and nether springs." Now Mat, a conical hill, seven miles S. of Hebron. On the same level as Tell Zif; the passage 1Sa 23:24-25, refers to the wady el War, "valley of rocks," a rugged place having its head close to Tell Main; the long ridges running E. to the Dead Sea are a fit site for David's escape. (Conder, Palestine Expl.)
2. In Jg 10:12, "the Maonites did oppress you," the Mehunim of 2Ch 26:7 may be meant, the inhabitants of Mann (translated for "habitations," 1Ch 4:41, Meunites, who were strangers there), a city near Petra, E. of wady Muss. Otherwise, a "Maon" tribe, of which Maon city was a remnant, near Amalek, dispossessed by Caleb, may have oppressed Israel subsequently under the judges. But thus all notice of Israel's great oppressor Midian would be omitted; and Septuagint in both the best manuscripts read for "the Maonites" in Jg 10:12 "Midian."
No Hebrew manuscript existing supports this. In 2Ch 20:1, "with them (other) beside the Ammonites," or as others translated "others who dwelt aside from (i.e. beyond) the Ammonites," namely, tribes in the Syro-Arabian desert bordering upon Ammon on the N. and E.; compare 2Ch 20:2 (Keil). But 2Ch 20:10,22, mentioning inhabitants of Mount Seir or Edom among the invaders, favor Hiller's alteration of Meeha'amonim into Meehame'unim, the Maonites of Mann near the Edomite Petra; E. of wady Muss, in the mountainous region W. of the Arabah. The Maonites are mentioned instead of the Edomites, to imply that not only Edomites but tribes from other parts of Mount Seir joined the invasion. The Maonites probably were of non Edomitic origin.
3. Descendant of Caleb, son of Shammai, father of founder of Bethzur (1Ch 2:45).
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Morish
Ma'on
1. City in the highlands of Judah, to the 'wilderness' of which David and his men resorted when pursued by Saul. Jos 15:55; 1Sa 23:24-25; 25:2. Identified with ruins at Main, 31 25' N, 35 7 E.
2. Son of Shammai, a descendant of Caleb. 1Ch 2:45.
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Smith
Ma'on
(habitation), one of the cities of the tribe of Judah, in the district of the mountains.
Its interest for us lies in its connection with David.
The name of Maon still exists in Main, a lofty conical hill, south of and about seven miles distant from Hebron.