Lexical Summary
makon: Place, foundation, dwelling, habitation
Original Word:מָכוֹן
Part of Speech:Noun Masculine
Transliteration:makown
Pronunciation:mah-KONE
Phonetic Spelling:(maw-kone')
KJV: foundation, habitation, (dwelling-, settled) place
NASB:place, foundation, area, dwelling place, foundations
Word Origin:[fromH3559 (כּוּן - established)]
1. (properly) a fixture, i.e. a basis
2. (generally) a place
3. (especially) an abode
Strong's Exhaustive Concordance
foundation, settled place
Fromkuwn; properly, a fixture, i.e. A basis; generally a place, especially as an abode -- foundation, habitation, (dwelling-, settled) place.
see HEBREWkuwn
NAS Exhaustive Concordance
Word Originfrom
kunDefinitiona fixed or established place, foundation
NASB Translationarea (1), dwelling place (1), foundation (3), foundations (1), place (11).
Brown-Driver-Briggs
Daniel 8:11 (chiefly in poetry); — absolute
Exodus 15:17 2t.; construct
1 Kings 8:39 10t.; suffix
Isaiah 18:4,
Ezra 2:68; plural suffix
Psalm 104:5; —
fixed place of s abode on earthExodus 15:17 (song),1 Kings 8:13 2Chronicles 6:2 (poetic fragment: see and DrIntr. 182); =place, orsite of God's houseEzra 2:68;Isaiah 4:5, apparently =all the extent of Mt. Zion; redund. (si vera lectio)Daniel 8:11and the place of his sanctuary shall be thrown down (on difficulties of see, see Bev); of heavens1 Kings 8:39,43,49 2Chronicles 6:30,33,39, comparePsalm 33:14; aloneIsaiah 18:4; figurativePsalm 89:15, soPsalm 97:2.
foundation, only plural, in poetryPsalm 104:5.
Topical Lexicon
Semantic Range and Conceptual BackgroundThe noun denotes a prepared, fixed, or established place. In Scripture it functions as a theological marker for stability, permanence, and covenant presence, whether on earth, in heaven, or in creation itself.
Usage in the Exodus Hymn
Exodus 15:17 inaugurates the term by celebrating the LORD’s victory over Egypt: “You will bring them in and plant them on the mountain of Your inheritance—the place, O LORD, You have prepared for Your dwelling, the sanctuary, O LORD, Your hands have established”. The word links redemption to the promise of a settled location where God and His people meet, foreshadowing both the land and the Temple.
Solomon’s Prayer and the Temple Dedication
Seven occurrences cluster in Solomon’s dedication prayer (1 Kings 8:13, 39, 43, 49; mirrored in2 Chronicles 6:2, 30, 33, 39). Solomon distinguishes between the earthly house he has built and the heavenly “dwelling place.” Intercession flows from the earthly altar to the heavenly throne, confirming the Temple as the ordained conduit of mercy. The repetition underscores that answered prayer depends not on human architecture but on the immutable heavenly habitation of God.
Chronicler’s Emphasis on Covenant Presence
The parallel passages in 2 Chronicles heighten corporate responsibility: national sin or exile drives the people to pray toward the “place of Your dwelling.” The Chronicler thus connects proper worship, repentance, and restoration to the recognition of God’s fixed throne, encouraging post-exilic Israel to value both Temple and Torah.
Post-Exilic Resonance
Ezra 2:68 records returning exiles who “gave freewill offerings for the house of God, to erect it on its original foundation.” The term evokes continuity; the restored Temple stands on the same divine footing as Solomon’s, assuring the remnant that covenant promises endure despite historical upheaval.
Psalms: Cosmic Foundations and Moral Order
Psalm 33:14 pictures Yahweh surveying the nations “from His dwelling place”;Psalm 104:5 celebrates Him who “set the earth on its foundations, never to be moved.”Psalm 89:14 andPsalm 97:2 declare that “Righteousness and justice are the foundation of Your throne.” Together, the psalmists apply the term to creation’s stability and to the ethical stability that flows from God’s unchanging character. Worshipers gain confidence: the moral and physical universe rests on an unshakable base.
Prophetic Visions of Shelter and Judgment
Isaiah 4:5 foresees a future Jerusalem where the Lord “will create over all of Mount Zion and over those who assemble there a cloud of smoke by day and a glowing flame of fire by night.” The established “canopy” recalls wilderness guidance yet points to eschatological security.Isaiah 18:4 portrays God quietly overseeing world events “from His dwelling place,” affirming His sovereign timing in judgment and salvation.
Daniel’s Apocalyptic Perspective
Daniel 8:11 describes the self-exalting little horn that “took away from Him the daily sacrifice, and the place of His sanctuary was thrown down.” The attempted desecration stresses the enemy’s goal to disrupt the divinely appointed dwelling, yet later visions assure that God will restore His holy place and vindicate His people.
Ministry and Devotional Applications
• Worship centers on God’s fixed throne; corporate prayer is anchored in confidence that He “hears from heaven.”
• Spiritual stability arises when believers ground their lives in the unchanging character of God rather than shifting cultural sands.
• The Temple’s typology culminates in Christ, who tabernacled among us and now prepares an eternal dwelling for His people (John 1:14; 14:2).
• Pastors may call congregations to be “living stones” (1 Peter 2:5), reflecting the security and holiness of the divine dwelling in daily conduct.
Forms and Transliterations
בִמְכוֹנִ֑י במכוני וּמָכ֥וֹן ומכון מְכ֣וֹן מְכ֤וֹן מְכ֥וֹן מְכ֨וֹן מְכוֹנֶ֑יהָ מְכוֹנֽוֹ׃ מִֽמְּכוֹן־ מִמְּכ֣וֹן מָכ֥וֹן מָכ֧וֹן מכון מכונו׃ מכוניה ממכון ממכון־ ḇim·ḵō·w·nî ḇimḵōwnî mā·ḵō·wn maChon māḵōwn mə·ḵō·w·ne·hā mə·ḵō·w·nōw mə·ḵō·wn meChon mechoNeiha mechoNo məḵōwn məḵōwnehā məḵōwnōw mim·mə·ḵō·wn mim·mə·ḵō·wn- mimeChon mimməḵōwn mimməḵōwn- ū·mā·ḵō·wn umaChon ūmāḵōwn vimchoNi
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