Hebrew word · H1194

בְּעֹן

uve'on

Beon

Found only here. It is almost universally identified with Baal-meon (Num 32:38; 1 Chr 5:8; Ezek 25:9), Beth-baal-meon (Josh 13:17) and Beth-meon (Jer 48:23). The base word māʿôn means 'dwelling, lair'.

Appears once in the Hebrew Old Testament. · Updated October 31, 2026

What it means

Beon = "in the dwelling: indwelling"

a place or city in Reuben

Another name of ba.al me.on (בַּ֫עַל מְעוֹן "Baal-meon" H1186)

Abridged from Brown, Driver and Briggs, A Hebrew and English Lexicon of the Old Testament (1906), via STEPBible.org (CC BY 4.0).

In depth

From the study of Numbers 32:3

Range of meaning: Found only here. It is almost universally identified with Baal-meon (Num 32:38; 1 Chr 5:8; Ezek 25:9), Beth-baal-meon (Josh 13:17) and Beth-meon (Jer 48:23). The base word māʿôn means 'dwelling, lair'.
Against the English: All versions keep 'Beon'. A few modern study notes point the reader to Baal-meon.
Used elsewhere in the period: Mesha Stele line 9: 'I built Baal-meon and made the reservoir in it.' Line 30 mentions Beth-baal-meon. The Septuagint here reads 'Baian'.

Where it appears

Numbers · 1

Numbers 32:3 וּבְעֹֽן׃ and Beon

“Ataroth, Dibon, Jazer, Nimrah, Heshbon, Elealeh, Sebam, Nebo, and Beon,

Here: Almost certainly Baal-meon (32:38), modern Maʿin, south-west of Madaba. Either the name was shortened or the letters were damaged in copying. The list ends here, and v. 4 goes on to say what all these places have in common.

Word data: STEPBible.org (CC BY 4.0), main text only.