{
  "id": "dict_004332",
  "term": "Pelonite",
  "slug": "pelonite",
  "letter": "P",
  "entry_type": "historical_identifier",
  "entry_family": "theological_term",
  "depth_profile": "standard",
  "short_definition": "A biblical identifying label attached to certain Old Testament names; its exact referent is uncertain.",
  "simple_one_line": "Pelonite is a Bible-era label whose precise meaning or origin is not clearly explained in Scripture.",
  "tooltip_text": "An uncertain Old Testament identifier attached to named individuals in list passages.",
  "aliases": [],
  "scripture_references": [],
  "original_language_terms": [],
  "related_entries": [],
  "see_also": [
    "Helez",
    "Paltite"
  ],
  "lede_intro": "Pelonite is a minor biblical identifier used in Old Testament lists. Scripture does not clearly explain whether it refers to a clan, place, or other designation, so the term should be handled cautiously.",
  "at_a_glance_definition": "Old Testament identifying label of uncertain origin.",
  "at_a_glance_key_points": [
    "Appears in biblical list material",
    "Likely functions as a clan-, place-, or family-based designation",
    "Scripture does not define the term explicitly",
    "Useful as a historical identifier, not a distinct theological concept"
  ],
  "description_academic_short": "Pelonite appears in Old Testament personal identifications, likely functioning as a clan-, family-, or place-based designation. Because Scripture gives little explanation, the term is best treated as a minor historical identifier rather than a theological term.",
  "description_academic_full": "Pelonite is an Old Testament designation attached to certain named individuals in list material. Its precise origin is uncertain, but it likely identifies a family, clan, or geographic association. Because the Bible does not clearly explain the label, interpreters should avoid dogmatism. The term has historical value for reading the biblical records carefully, but it does not function as a distinct theological concept. This makes it better suited to a minor historical or onomastic entry than to a theological one, though the exact editorial handling may still require taxonomy review.",
  "background_biblical_context": "The term appears in Old Testament warrior and administrative lists, where brief identifying labels are often attached to personal names. In context, it helps distinguish individuals, but the text does not stop to explain the label itself.",
  "background_historical_context": "Ancient Hebrew records often preserve clan, town, or family identifiers alongside personal names. Pelonite likely belongs to that kind of administrative or genealogical usage, though the specific historical referent remains debated.",
  "background_jewish_ancient_context": "Second Temple and later Jewish readers would likely have understood the term as a local or familial identifier, but Scripture does not preserve enough information to reconstruct it with confidence.",
  "key_texts_primary": [
    "2 Samuel 23:26",
    "1 Chronicles 11:27"
  ],
  "key_texts_secondary": [
    "1 Chronicles 27:10"
  ],
  "original_language_note": "The underlying Hebrew form and derivation are uncertain. The label may reflect a place-name, clan-name, or another personal designation, but Scripture does not explain it directly.",
  "theological_significance": "Pelonite has little direct theological significance. Its value is mainly historical and textual, reminding readers that biblical lists preserve real people and concrete identity markers.",
  "philosophical_explanation": "This entry is best understood as an onomastic or historical identifier, not as a doctrinal category. The term illustrates how Scripture uses compact labels to anchor names in real historical settings.",
  "interpretive_cautions": "Do not overstate the meaning of the term. Avoid claims of certainty about its origin, and do not turn an uncertain label into a doctrinal point. The safest reading is descriptive, not speculative.",
  "major_views_note": "Most interpreters treat Pelonite as an obscure identifier whose exact sense is lost or disputed. The main question is whether it preserves a clan, place, or textual variant rather than a theological meaning.",
  "doctrinal_boundaries": "No doctrine should be built on this term. It should be treated as a historical label within the biblical text, with its referent left modestly uncertain where Scripture is silent.",
  "practical_significance": "Pelonite encourages careful reading of biblical name lists and a willingness to live with some unresolved historical details without forcing certainty where the text does not provide it.",
  "meta_description": "Pelonite is an obscure Old Testament identifier attached to certain names in biblical lists; its exact meaning is uncertain.",
  "public_url": "/companion-bible-dictionary/pelonite/",
  "json_url": "/companion-bible-dictionary/data/dictionary/pelonite.json",
  "final_disposition": "PUBLISH_CANONICAL"
}