Lexical Summary
allon: oak, oaks
Original Word: אַלּוֹן
Part of Speech: Noun Masculine
Transliteration: allown
Pronunciation: al-lone'
Phonetic Spelling: (al-lone')
NASB: oak, oaks
Word Origin: [a variation of H436 (אֵלוֹן - oak)]
1. oak
Strong's Exhaustive Concordance
oak
A variation of 'elown -- oak.
see HEBREW 'elown
NAS Exhaustive Concordance
Word Originfrom the same as
allahDefinitionan oak
NASB Translationoak (4), oaks (4).
Brown-Driver-Briggs
Genesis 35:8 ( , , etc.) — absolute
Genesis 35:8 +; construct
ib.; plural
Amos 2:9;
Ezekiel 27:6; construct
Isaiah 2:13;
Zechariah 11:12; — as marking grave of Deborah, Rebekah's nurse
Genesis 35:8 (E); whence called
oak of weeping,
ib. (see Di
on the passage, & below p. 18); elsewhere only in prophets; as marking illicit shrines
Hosea 4:13 ("" , ); as felled
Isaiah 6:13 (in simile; "" ); as furnishing material for making idols
Isaiah 44:14 ("" , , ); as simile for strength ()
Amos 2:9; also
Isaiah 2:13 (as lofty & majestic), compare
Ezekiel 27:6 (as strong, for making oars);
Zechariah 11:2, metaphor of prominent men.
Topical Lexicon
Botanical and Geographic Profile אלון designates the large, deep-rooted hardwoods that dominate the highlands of Israel—especially the evergreen oak (Quercus calliprinos) and the broad-leaved terebinth (Pistacia palaestina). These trees flourish on rocky slopes from Bashan to the Shephelah, reaching great age, resisting drought, and providing shade, acorns, tannin, and durable timber.
Survey of Biblical Occurrences
• Genesis 35:8 – The death of Deborah, Rebekah’s nurse, is memorialized “below Bethel, under the oak,” named Allon-bacuth, “Oak of Weeping,” fixing family grief to a living landmark.
• Isaiah 2:13; 6:13; 44:14 – Isaiah uses the oak to frame both arrogant pride and holy remnant.
• Ezekiel 27:6 – Tyre imports “oaks of Bashan” for her ship decks, advertising commercial power.
• Hosea 4:13 – Israel’s apostasy centers on idol altars “under oaks,” exposing counterfeit worship.
• Amos 2:9 – The LORD reminds Israel, “I destroyed the Amorite before them, whose height was like the cedars, and he was strong as the oaks.”
• Zechariah 11:2 – The prophet hears the “oaks of Bashan” wail when judgment fells national greatness.
Covenantal Landmarks and Sacred Memory
Patriarchs and judges often selected prominent oaks as covenantal signposts (compare Genesis 12:6; Joshua 24:26, where a different Hebrew term is used). The tree’s permanence bound heaven’s promises to earth’s geography, enabling later generations to locate history, rehearse testimonies, and embrace continuity.
Symbol of Strength, Pride, and Permanence
Oak imagery speaks of vigor and steadfastness:
• Strength granted – “He was strong as the oaks” (Amos 2:9).
• Strength judged – “Against all the cedars of Lebanon, lofty and lifted up, and against all the oaks of Bashan” (Isaiah 2:13). The same solidity that evokes security becomes a target when man exalts himself above God.
Idolatrous Groves and Counterfeit Worship
Canaanite religion exploited lofty trees as natural sanctuaries. Hosea condemns Israel for sacrificing “on the tops of mountains, burning sacrifices on the hills, under oak, poplar, and terebinth” (Hosea 4:13). The oak thus becomes a moral test: will Israel worship the Creator or the creation?
Prophetic Remnant Motif
Isaiah 6:13 employs a double image—judgment and hope—“Like an oak when felled, the stump remains, so the holy seed is the stump.” Even after devastating exile, God preserves a remnant rooted like an oak stump that will sprout anew. The tree’s regenerative power mirrors resurrection life, anticipating the righteous Branch (Isaiah 11:1).
Economic and Imperial Reach
Ezekiel pictures Tyre’s fleets decked with oak planks. International demand for Bashan hardwood indicates Israel’s strategic resources and the way creation serves human dominion. Yet Tyre’s fall warns that economic glory detached from covenant righteousness cannot stand.
Pastoral and Ministry Applications
1. Legacy and Discipleship – Planting oaks on church grounds or mission fields visibly enacts Psalm 1, inviting believers to become “oaks of righteousness” (Isaiah 61:3).
2. Memorialization – Christian cemeteries traditionally line avenues with oaks, echoing Genesis 35:8’s “Oak of Weeping,” affirming hope amid sorrow.
3. Environmental Stewardship – The persistent oak reminds the church that dominion entails care, not exploitation (Genesis 2:15).
4. Warning Against Pride – Isaiah’s felled oaks call congregations to humble dependence on Christ, lest stature become stumbling.
Summary
אלון threads through Scripture as a living parable: rooted permanence, covenant memory, and divine strength; yet also a stage for human pride and idolatry. Its enduring stump assures that even after judgment, God’s holy seed will rise, pointing ultimately to the crucified and risen Savior whose kingdom, like the oak, will stand forever.
Forms and Transliterations
אַלּ֧וֹן אַלּוֹנִים֙ אַלּוֹנֵ֣י אַלּוֹנֵ֥י אלון אלוני אלונים הָֽאַלּ֑וֹן האלון וְאַלּ֔וֹן וְכָאַלּ֗וֹן ואלון וכאלון כָּֽאַלּוֹנִ֑ים כאלונים ’al·lō·w·nê ’al·lō·w·nîm ’al·lō·wn ’allōwn ’allōwnê ’allōwnîm alLon alloNei alloNim hā’allōwn hā·’al·lō·wn haalLon kā’allōwnîm kā·’al·lō·w·nîm kaalloNim vealLon vechaalLon wə’allōwn wə·’al·lō·wn wə·ḵā·’al·lō·wn wəḵā’allōwn
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