Lexical Definition
מְעוּנִי Mᵉʻûwnîy (meh-oo-nee') Meunite N:N--LG
or מְעִינִי Mᵉʻîynîy (meh-eenee'); probably patrial from מָעוֹן
Mehunim(-s), Meunim.
- § Mehunim or Meunim = "habitations"
- a Meunite, or inhabitant of Maon (only in plural)
1) a people who lived south of Canaan
2) a group of returning exiles, perhaps descendants of 1
Extended Information
- People descended from Meunit of the Canaanites, first mentioned at 1Ch.4.41
- Also named: am.mo.ni (עַמּוֹנִי "Meunite" עַמּוֹנִי)
Brown-Driver-Briggs
מְעוּנִים proper name, of a people Me`unim, Me`unites (usually connected with מָעוֺן, (see עון), but dubious, compare BuhlEdom. 41 f.); — a people South (SE ?) of Canaan (compare Buhll.c.); — ׳הַמּ 2Chr 26:7 and 1Chr 4:41 Qr (Kt המעינים, ᵐ5B τοὺς Μιναίους, ᵐ5L τ. Κιναίους; read also מֵהַמְּעוּנִים 2Chr 20:1 (for ᵑ0 מֵהָעַמּוֺנִים), so ᵐ5B A (ᵐ5L Αμμανιειμ), Ew Be Ke Ot Kau Kit; בְּנֵימְֿעוּנִים (among Nethinim who went back with Zerubbabel) Ezra 2:50 = Neh 7:52 are perhaps descendants of those named above (2Chr 26:7). ᵐ5 οἱ Μιναῖοι, but against ׳מ = Mineans (GlaserSkizze ii. 450 f. and others) see SprengerZMG xliv (1890), 505. [מָעוּף] see עיף. מָעוֺר see עור.
מעינים 1Chr 4:41 Kt see מְעוּנִים.
Brown-Driver-Briggs References
| Book | Refs |
|---|---|
| 1 Chronicles | 4:41 |
| 2 Chronicles | 20:1 · 26:7 |
| Ezra | 2:50 |
| Nehemiah | 7:52 |
Profile
Group • From Canaan • A people group who were enemies of Israel.
People from Meunit(?)
The Meunites were a people group who lived near Israel and were enemies of God's people (1Ch.4.41; 2Ch.26.7; 20.1).
- People from Meunit(?) of the Canaanites, first mentioned at 1Ch.4.41;
- referred to as Meunites or Meunite (KJV= Mehunite) מְעוּנִי, or Meunite (KJV= "beside") עַמּוֹנִי.
The Meunites are mentioned in the books of Chronicles as a people group who lived in the vicinity of Israel and were enemies of God's people. In the time of King Hezekiah, the Simeonites attacked and defeated the Meunites, destroying their tents and dwellings (1Ch.4.41). Later, during the reign of King Uzziah, God helped him against the Meunites (2Ch.26.7). In the days of King Jehoshaphat, the Meunites joined with the Moabites and Ammonites to attack Judah, but God caused them to turn against each other, resulting in their defeat (2Ch.20.1, 22-23). The exact location and origin of the Meunites are not specified in the Bible, but they appear to have been a nomadic or semi-nomadic people who lived in the regions east and south of Israel.