Atomic Bible

A city in Judah; home of Nabal and Abigail

Maon

Named in 5 verses across 3 books, first in Joshua 15:55.

מָעוֹןMaon

The name means “house; place of sin.” Hitchcock's Bible Names, 1869

About Maon Written by AI

Maon was a city located in the hill country of Judah (Joshua 15:55), south of Hebron. It is best known as the hometown of Nabal, the wealthy but foolish man who refused to help David and his men (1Sa.25.2). Nabal's wife, Abigail, interceded on his behalf and provided food for David's men, preventing David from taking revenge on Nabal (1Sa.25.18-35). After Nabal's death, David married Abigail (1Sa.25.39-42). Maon is also mentioned as one of the places where David and his men sought refuge from King Saul (1Sa.23.24-25). The wilderness of Maon, located near the city, was one of the areas where David hid from Saul. Additionally, the Maonites are listed among the oppressors of Israel during the time of the judges (Judges 10:12).

Drafted by an AI model for STEPBible's TIPNR (Tyndale House Cambridge, CC BY 4.0). Check it against the verses below.

Easton's Bible Dictionary, 1897

This entry is on the name Maon, and may cover more than one person or place by that name.

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 (1 Sam. 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.

M. G. Easton, Illustrated Bible Dictionary, third edition (1897), public domain, from CrossWire. Shown as written; its Scripture quotes are from older translations.

31.417, 35.117 See it on a map

GenesisMatthewRevelation

Where the Bible names it

  1. Joshua 15:55

    Maon, Carmel, Ziph, Juttah,

  2. Judges 10:12

    Sidonians, Amalekites, and Maonites oppressed you and you cried out to Me, did I not save you from their hands?

  3. 1 Samuel 23:24

    So they set out and went to Ziph ahead of Saul. Now David and his men were in the Wilderness of Maon in the Arabah south of Jeshimon,

  4. 1 Samuel 23:25

    and Saul and his men went to seek him. When David was told about it, he went down to the rock and stayed in the Wilderness of Maon. And when Saul heard of this, he pursued David there.

  5. 1 Samuel 25:2

    Now there was a man in Maon whose business was in Carmel. He was a very wealthy man with a thousand goats and three thousand sheep, which he was shearing in Carmel.

From STEPBible's TIPNR, Tyndale House Cambridge (CC BY 4.0): names, family, references and the AI written article. Verse text is the BSB.