Lexical Summary
Ono: Ono
Original Word:אוֹנוֹ
Part of Speech:Proper Name Location
Transliteration:Ownow
Pronunciation:OH-no
Phonetic Spelling:(o-no')
KJV: Ono
NASB:Ono
Word Origin:[prolonged fromH202 (אוֹן - strength)]
1. strong
2. Ono, a place in Israel
Strong's Exhaustive Concordance
Ono
Or (shortened);Onow {o-no'}; prolonged from'own; strong; Ono, a place in Palestine -- Ono.
see HEBREW'own
NAS Exhaustive Concordance
Word Originfrom the same as
onDefinition"vigorous," a city in Benjamin
NASB TranslationOno (5).
Brown-Driver-Briggs
(
vigorous, for ) city in Benjamin
Ezra 2:33;
Nehemiah 7:37;
Nehemiah 11:35;
1 Chronicles 8:12; valley of same name
Nehemiah 6:2; probably
Kefr `Anâ, northwest of Lydda, Survey
11, 251.
Topical Lexicon
Geographical SettingOno was a fortified town situated on the western edge of the tribal territory of Benjamin, just north-west of Lod (Lydda) and adjacent to the coastal plain. The “plain of Ono” (Nehemiah 6:2) was a fertile, open valley that provided a natural corridor between the Judean highlands and the Mediterranean trade routes. Its position at a frontier between Benjamin and the Philistine plain explains both its economic value and its vulnerability to hostile intrigue.
Scriptural Occurrences
1 Chronicles 8:12 records the town’s founding within the genealogy of Benjamin. The name re-emerges in post-exilic lists of returnees (Ezra 2:33;Nehemiah 7:37) and in the resettlement roster (Nehemiah 11:35). The plain becomes the setting of Sanballat’s failed conspiracy against Nehemiah (Nehemiah 6:2).
Founding by Benjamites
“Shemed … built Ono and Lod and its towns” (1 Chronicles 8:12). The verse reveals three truths:
1. Ono was deliberately established as part of an urban network with Lod.
2. The builders were Benjamite; thus Ono functioned as a strategic eastern outpost for the tribe.
3. The mention of associated “towns” (daughters) points to a wider district under Ono’s oversight, demonstrating early administrative organization within Benjamin.
Ono in the Return from Exile
After the Babylonian captivity, 725 men from “Lod, Hadid, and Ono” returned with Zerubbabel (Ezra 2:33). A comparable total of 721 is preserved byNehemiah 7:37, showing textual consistency across lists composed decades apart. These repatriates rebuilt their ancestral holdings despite economic hardship and the regional instability of Persian-era Palestine. Their commitment underscores the covenantal bond between land promise and tribal identity.
Nehemiah 11:35 further notes repopulation “in Lod, Ono, and in the Valley of the Craftsmen,” implying that skilled laborers clustered near Ono. The location therefore contributed materially to Jerusalem’s reconstruction by supplying artisans, agriculture, and trade.
The Plain of Ono and Nehemiah's Resolve
“Sanballat and Geshem sent me a message: ‘Come, let us meet together in one of the villages on the plain of Ono.’ But they were planning to harm me” (Nehemiah 6:2). The plain’s openness made it ideal for ambush. Nehemiah’s refusal teaches:
• Discernment—he read the enemy’s intent without direct revelation.
• Prioritization—“I am doing a great work and cannot come down” (Nehemiah 6:3). Kingdom labor must not be derailed by seemingly reasonable invitations.
• Courage—he risked offending regional powers but trusted God to vindicate obedience.
Every ministry faces its “plain of Ono,” where diversion and compromise are offered under polite cover. The episode calls believers to cling to mandate, test motives, and remain watchful (1 Peter 5:8).
Prophetic Echoes and Messianic Connections
Though minor, Ono participates in the broader prophetic vision of restored Israel. The reoccupation of Benjamin’s cities fulfills words likeJeremiah 32:44, “Fields will be bought in this land,” anticipating Messiah’s kingdom in which every tribal allotment is secure (Ezekiel 48). Ono’s survival through exile and peril typifies the preservation of a remnant leading to the advent of Jesus Christ, Himself descended from exilic returnees (Matthew 1;Luke 3).
Lessons for Faith and Ministry
1. God values places of seeming insignificance; Ono’s builders and returnees are named in Scripture, affirming His detailed remembrance (Hebrews 6:10).
2. Strategic locations invite both opportunity and opposition; faithful stewardship requires vigilance.
3. Community rebuilding after judgment mirrors spiritual renewal: repentance, restoration, and re-engagement in covenant work.
4. Leadership must balance openness with prudence; Nehemiah’s response is a template for navigating political and spiritual pressures today.
Thus Ono, though mentioned only five times, models covenant faithfulness, strategic discernment, and the unbroken continuity of God’s redemptive plan from the tribes of Israel to the Church’s mission.
Forms and Transliterations
אוֹנ֑וֹ אוֹנ֔וֹ אונו וְאוֹנ֔וֹ וְאוֹנ֖וֹ ואונו ’ō·w·nōw ’ōwnōw oNo veoNo wə’ōwnōw wə·’ō·w·nōw
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