Bible Encyclopedias
Pelonite

Cyclopedia of Biblical, Theological and Ecclesiastical Literature

(Heb. with the art. hap-Peloni', הִפְּלוֹנַי, as if from a place or man Pelon. otherwise unknown; Sept. n Φελωνί v. r. Φαλλωνί, 1 Chronicles 11:27; Φελλωνί , 1 Chronicles 11:36; ἐκ Φαλλοῦς, 1 Chronicles 27:10; Vulg. Phalonites, Phelonites, Phallonites). Two of David's mighty men, Helez and Ahijah, are called Pelonites (1 Chronicles 11:27; 1 Chronicles 11:36). From 1 Chronicles 27:10 it appears that the former was of the tribe of Ephraim, and "Pelonite" would therefore be an appellation derived from his place of birth or residence. But in the Targum of rabbi Joseph it is evidently regarded as a patronymic, and is rendered in the last-mentioned passage "of the seed of Pelan." In the list of 2 Samuel 23 Helez is called (2 Samuel 23:26) "the Paltite," that is, as Bertheau (on 1 Chronicles 11) conjectures, of Beth-Palet, or Beth-Phelet, in the south of Judah. But it seems probable that "Pelonite" is the correct reading. (See PALTITE). "Ahijah the Pelonite" appears in 2 Samuel 23:34 as "Eliam the son of Ahithophel the Gilonite," of which the former is a corruption; "Ahijah" forming the first part of "Ahithophel," annd "Pelonite" and "Gilonite" differing only by פ and ג - If we follow the Sept. of 1 Chronicles 27, the place from which Helez took his name would be of the form Phallu, but there is no trace of it elsewhere, and the Sept. must have had a differently pointed text. In Heb. פְּלנַי, peloni, as an appellative, corresponds to the Greek δεῖνα, "such a one:" it still exists in Arabic and in the Spanish Don Fulano, Mr. So-and-so.

Bibliography Information
McClintock, John. Strong, James. Entry for 'Pelonite'. Cyclopedia of Biblical, Theological and Ecclesiastical Literature. https://www.studylight.org/​encyclopedias/​eng/​tce/​p/pelonite.html. Harper & Brothers. New York. 1870.