Jalon is a name found in the King James Bible, appearing 1 time in the text.
Who This Was
Jalon is a descendant of Judah whose name appears once in the King James Bible, in the genealogies of the tribe of Judah recorded in 1 Chronicles. He is listed among the sons of Ezra: “And the sons of Ezra were, Jether, and Mered, and Epher, and Jalon” (1 Chronicles 4:17). The passage is part of a larger section (1 Chronicles 4:1–23) that traces the family lines of Judah, the tribe from which King David and, ultimately, the Messiah would come. These genealogies served to document tribal inheritance and to preserve the identity of God’s covenant people after the return from exile.
Beyond his name in this single list, Scripture records nothing of Jalon’s life, words, or deeds. He appears only as one entry in a lineage, named alongside his brothers Jether, Mered, and Epher. The same verse notes that a woman—apparently connected to this family line—bore Miriam, Shammai, and Ishbah, who is identified as “the father of Eshtemoa,” a town in the hill country of Judah. Jalon himself is given no further notice; he is simply a link in the chain of Judah’s descendants.
What Scripture says of Jalon, then, is minimal: he was a son of Ezra, a member of the tribe of Judah, and part of the generations that carried the covenant line forward. He lived, was counted among God’s people, and was remembered in the record of Israel. The silence surrounding him is not unusual; most names in these genealogies receive no narrative at all. His significance lies not in what he did but in the place he held within the family of Judah.
The Name
The Hebrew name rendered “Jalon” in the King James Bible is not one whose meaning is clearly established. Suggested connections have been made to a root meaning “to lodge” or “to abide,” which would yield something like “he lodges” or “sojourner,” but this is uncertain and not firmly recoverable. Because the name appears only here and carries no explanatory note in Scripture, no meaning can be stated with confidence. It is best to say plainly that the meaning of Jalon’s name is obscure.
A Closing Thought
Most of us will never be remembered by crowds. Like Jalon, we may appear only as a name in someone’s record, a single line in a longer story. Yet that line mattered: he belonged to Judah, to the people through whom God brought salvation. Faithfulness is not measured by how much is written about us, but by whether we are found in the family of God. Your quiet place in His story is not forgotten; the One who numbers the stars also knows your name.
At a Glance
- Gender: Male
- Testament: Old
- Mentions in the KJV: 1
Where It Appears in Scripture
- 1 Chronicles 4:17 — And the sons of Ezra were, Jether, and Mered, and Epher, and Jalon: and she bare Miriam, and Shammai, and Ishbah the father of Eshtemoa.