Bible Encyclopedias
Plain of the Pillar

International Standard Bible Encyclopedia

( מצּב אלון , 'ēlōn muccābh ; Codex Vaticanus reads πρὸς τῇ βαλάνῳ τῇ εὑρετῇ τῆς στάσεως τῆς ἐν Σικίμοις , prós tḗ balánō tḗ heuretḗ tḗs stáseos tḗs en Sikı́mois ; Codex Alexandrinus omits τῆ εὑρετῇ , te heureté , and the second τῆς , tḗs ): With the Revised Version margin we must read "terebinth of the pillar," the place where the men of Shechem and Beth-millo made Abimelech king ( Judges 9:6 ). This was one of the sacred trees of which there seem to have been several near Shechem. See MEONENIM , OAK OF . "The pillar" may possibly have been the great stone which Joshua set up "under the oak that was by the sanctuary of Yahweh" (Joshua 24:26 ).