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H207 · Hebrew · Old Testament
אוֹנוֹ
Ono
Proper noun, masculine
Ono (a city in Benjamin)

Definition

The Hebrew word Ono (אוֹנוֹ) is a proper noun referring to a city in the territory of Benjamin, located near the coastal plain. It appears in lists of cities repopulated after the Babylonian exile and in the time of Nehemiah, where it is mentioned alongside Lod and the Valley of the Craftsmen.

Usage & Theological Significance

Ono is most dramatically known from Nehemiah's rebuilding narrative. The enemies of the restoration — Sanballat, Tobiah, and Geshem — sent a message to Nehemiah: "Come, let us meet together in one of the villages on the plain of Ono" (Nehemiah 6:2). This was a trap. Nehemiah's response — "I am carrying on a great project and cannot go down. Why should the work stop?" — is one of Scripture's great models of focused perseverance against distraction. The city thus represents the temptation to abandon the Lord's work for lesser pursuits.

Key Bible Verses

Nehemiah 6:2 Sanballat and Geshem sent me this message: 'Come, let us meet together in one of the villages on the plain of Ono.'
Nehemiah 6:3 So I sent messengers to them with this reply: 'I am carrying on a great project and cannot go down. Why should the work stop while I leave it and go down to you?'
Nehemiah 7:37 The descendants of Lod, Hadid, and Ono: 721.
Ezra 2:33 Of Lod, Hadid, and Ono: 725.
1 Chronicles 8:12 Shemed built Ono, Lod, and its surrounding villages.

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External Resources

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