Zalmon

At a Glance

Proper name; multiple biblical referents; requires context to identify whether a person or place is meant.

Key Points

• 1) Appears as a man in David’s warrior lists. 2) Appears as Mount Zalmon in Judges 9 and Psalm 68. 3) The exact geographical identification is uncertain.

Description

Zalmon is a biblical proper name that appears in the Old Testament for more than one referent. It is used for a warrior listed among David’s mighty men and for Mount Zalmon, which is mentioned in connection with Judges 9:48 and Psalm 68:14. Because the name is sparsely attested and the mountain’s exact location is uncertain, the entry is best handled as a brief disambiguation-style proper-name page rather than as a doctrinal or thematic article. The name should not be confused with other similar names unless the immediate context supports that identification.

Biblical Context

In the biblical text, Zalmon appears in narrative and poetic settings rather than as a theological category. One use is among the lists of David’s warriors, showing the name as a personal identifier. Another use is geographical, where Mount Zalmon serves as a location reference in historical narrative and in poetry.

Historical Context

Ancient Israelite naming could apply the same or similar forms to both people and places. The mountain reference likely points to a local high place known to the original audience, but its precise modern location cannot be established with confidence.

Jewish and Ancient Context

Later readers and interpreters generally treated Zalmon as a name whose meaning depended on context. Ancient geographical identifications vary, and the limited references do not allow a detailed reconstruction of the place or person behind every occurrence.

Primary Key Texts

• 2 Samuel 23:28
• 1 Chronicles 11:29
• Psalm 68:14
• Judges 9:48

Secondary Key Texts

• 1 Chronicles 11:29 is the parallel list to 2 Samuel 23:28
• Psalm 68:14 and Judges 9:48 provide the mountain references.

Original Language Note

Hebrew צַלְמוֹן (Ṣalmôn), traditionally transliterated Zalmon; the name may be related to the idea of shade or darkness, though the exact derivation is not certain.

Theological Significance

Zalmon itself is not a doctrine, but it illustrates how Scripture preserves real names and places within its historical record. Its value is mainly in supporting the concreteness and literary texture of the biblical narrative.

Philosophical Explanation

As a dictionary entry, Zalmon shows why context matters in language: one form can refer to more than one subject, and the reader must use the passage to determine whether a person or a place is intended.

Interpretive Cautions

Do not collapse all references into a single identification without context. Do not assume the exact location of Mount Zalmon. Some English resources and textual discussions may vary between Zalmon and similar names, so the passage should govern the identification.

Major Views

The main questions are whether the listed references should be read as distinct uses of the same name and how Mount Zalmon should be identified geographically. The biblical text itself gives only limited detail.

Doctrinal Boundaries

This entry concerns a proper name and a place-name; it does not establish doctrine and should not be used as the basis for theological speculation.

Practical Significance

The entry helps readers track names accurately in genealogies, warrior lists, and historical or poetic passages, reducing confusion when a biblical name is used for more than one referent.

Related Entries

• David’s mighty men
• Judges 9
• Psalm 68
• Mounts and hills in Scripture

See Also

• Salmon
• proper names in Scripture
• biblical geography