Baal-Hamon

I am inclined to think that this was not an idol, but a place; for the church, celebrating the glories of her Solomon, saith, that he had a vineyard at Baal - hamon (Song 8. 11.) Hamon, is people, multitudes, or riches. So that Baal - hamon may be rendered, lord or master of a troop, or people. We all apprehend, that "the vineyard of the Lord of hosts is the house, of Israel; and the men of Judah his pleasant plant." (Isa. v. 7.)

Ba´al-Ham´on, a place where Solomon is said to have had a vineyard (Son 8:11). There was a place called Hamon, in the tribe of Asher (Jos 19:28), which Ewald thinks was the same as Baal-Hamon. The book of Judith (Jdt 8:3) places a Balamon or Belamon in central Palestine, which suggests another alternative,

("the owner of a multitude".) Tthe sun god, and a city where Solomon had a vineyard with a multitude of vines. In Mount Ephraim, not far N. of Samaria (compare Isa 28:1; Son 8:11).

(Hebrews Ba il Hamon’, בּעִל הָמוֹן. place of multitude; Sept. Βεελαμών), a place where Solomon is said to have had an extensive vineyard (Son 8:11). Rosenmüller (Alterth. I, 2:281) conceives that if this Baal-hamon was the name of a place that actually existed, it may be reasonably supposed identical with Baal-gad or Heliopolis; for Hamon was a chief Phoenician god (Davis, Carthage, p. 256, 262), perhaps the Ammon of the Eyptians (see Nah 3:8), whom the Greeks identialed with Jupiter (Bib. Geog. 2, 253). We are not inclined to lay much stress on this conjecture (see Iken, Dissert. philo. in loc.), which, however, is adopted by Schwarz (Palest. p. 61). SEE BAAL-GAD. There was a place called Hammoan, in the tribe of Asher (Jos 19:28), which Ewald (Comment. in loc.) thinks was the same as Baal- hamon; but there is little probability in this conjecture. The book of Judith (8:3) places a Balamon (Βαλαμών) or Belamon (Βελαμών) in central Palestine, near Dothaim, and therefore in the mountains of Ephraim, not far north of Samaria. SEE BALAMO. If it be the same place (see Gesenius, Thes. Heb. p. 225), this vineyard may have been in one of the “fat valleys” of the “drunkards of Ephraim, who are overcome with wine,” to which allusion is made in Isa 28:1. It appears to have been situated among the eminences south-east of Jenin. SEE BETH-HAGGAN; SEE BAALIM

By: Morris Jastrow, Jr., Frants Buhl

A place mentioned in Cant. viii. 11, in which passage Solomon is said to have had a vineyard there: its identity is unknown. Graetz proposes to read "Baal-hermon" for "Baalhamon"; but this is mere conjecture. Balamon (Judith viii. 3), with which Delitzsch and others have sought to identify it, is apparently the Old Testament Ibleam, or Bileam, and the modern Bel'ame, a moderately fruitful valley south of the great plain of Jezreel. Bickell and Cheyne eliminate the word, to preserve the meter.

BAAL-HAMON.—The unknown site of Solomon’s vineyard (Son 8:11).

bā-al-hā´mon. See BAAL. (1).