Word Study for H206 (אָוֶן) | Strong's Concordance

ʼÂven /aw'-ven/ Ask about this word

Rootthe same as אָוֶן

Meaningidolatry; Aven, the contemptuous synonym of three places, one in Coele-Syria, one in Egypt (On), and one in Palestine (Bethel)

KJV usageAven. See also אוֹן, בֵּית אָוֶן.

Word Study

In depth

A plain-language study of ʼÂven — the range of meaning it carries, how Scripture actually uses it, and where it points. Written for readers who don’t know the original language.

Core Meaning & Semantic Range

The Hebrew word ʼÂven, represented by H206, is a contemptuous synonym for places associated with idolatry. It appears 3 times across 3 unique verses in the Bible. The term is used to rename locations like Bethel in Palestine and On in Egypt, branding them as sites of iniquity and corruption.

Biblical Occurrences & Contextual Analysis

In its biblical appearances, H206 is consistently linked to sin and divine judgment. The prophet Hosea identifies "the high places also of Aven" as "the sin of Israel" which "shall be destroyed" Hosea 10:8. Amos prophesies that God will "cut off the inhabitant from the plain of Aven" as part of a judgment that includes the people of Syria going into captivity Amos 1:5. Similarly, Ezekiel foretells that "The young men of Aven... shall fall by the sword" and its cities "shall go into captivity" Ezekiel 30:17.

Related Words & Concepts

Several related words clarify the context of judgment surrounding H206:

H1116 bâmâh (an elevation; height, high place, wave): These were sites of illicit worship. The high places of Aven are explicitly marked for destruction Hosea 10:8.
H2403 chaṭṭâʼâh (an offence... and its penalty... sin): This word is used to directly define Aven, with Hosea calling it "the sin of Israel" Hosea 10:8.
H8045 shâmad (to desolate; destory(-uction), bring to nought, overthrow, perish, pluck down, utterly): This describes the ultimate fate of the idolatrous sites associated with Aven Hosea 10:8.
H2719 chereb (drought; also a cutting instrument... as a knife, sword): This is the instrument of judgment brought against the people of Aven Ezekiel 30:17.

Theological Significance

The theological weight of H206 serves as a stark warning against idolatry.

Symbol of Iniquity: Aven is not merely a geographical location but becomes a divine label for any place defined by its sin. It is explicitly called "the sin of Israel" Hosea 10:8, demonstrating that idolatry redefines a place's identity in God's eyes.
Inevitable Judgment: Every mention of Aven is tied to a prophecy of its downfall. Its people face being "cut off" Amos 1:5, falling by the "sword" Ezekiel 30:17, going into "captivity" Ezekiel 30:17, and seeing their places of worship "destroyed" Hosea 10:8.
Desecration of Worship: The judgment on Aven's "altars" H4196 is one of desolation, with thorns and thistles coming up on them, signifying a complete and final end to their profane use Hosea 10:8.

Summary

In summary, H206 'Âven is a powerful biblical term representing more than just a name. It is a symbol for places corrupted by idolatry, serving as a prophetic archetype for sites that provoke divine judgment. Its appearances in scripture consistently connect sinful worship with destruction, captivity, and desolation, illustrating the severe consequences of turning away from God.

How the KJV Renders It

Translation

Strong’s lists the renderings but not their weight. These are counted from the King James text of the tagged verses — the bar under each is how often the translators actually reached for it. Select one to filter the occurrences below.

Grammatical Forms

Morphology

In the Hebrew Old Testament, this word appears as a noun across 3 occurrences, inflected in 2 grammatical forms — each row is one form, and the bar is how often it is that form. Select any form to read what each part of its name means, and to filter the occurrence list to it.

אָוֶן
אָוֶן

Theographic Context

Context

The people, places, and span of history the verses containing this word touch on — drawn from the theographic tagging of Scripture. Select any name to isolate its verses in the occurrence list.

Biblical Distribution

Distribution

Appears in 3 verses across 3 of the 39 books. Most frequent in Ezekiel, Hosea, and Amos (1 verse each); never once in the other 36.

Ezekiel

Hosea

Amos

Every Occurrence

Concordance

Every verse where the word is tagged in the King James text. Filter by book, by the English word the translators chose, by grammatical form, or search within the verses.

Sources. Definition and numbering: James Strong, Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible (1890). Morphology: STEPBible / Tyndale House (CC BY). Verse tagging: the King James text keyed to Strong’s numbers. Every count on this page is computed from the tagged corpus, not estimated.