G717 — Ἀρμαγεδδών

Ἁρμαγεδών (Griesbach Ἁρμαγεδών; WH ἁρ Μαγεδων, see their Introductory § 408; Tdf. Proleg., p. 106) or (so Rec.) Ἁρμαγεδδών, Har-Magedon or Armageddon, indeclinable proper name of an imaginary place: Rev 16:16. Many, following Beza and Glassius, suppose that the name is compounded of äÇø mountain, and îÀâÄãÌå or îÀâÄãÌåï, the Sept. Μαγεδω, Μαγεδδω. Megiddo was a city of the Manassites, situated in the great plain of the tribe of Issachar, and famous for a double slaughter, first of the Canaanites (Jdg 5:19), and again of the Israelites (2Ki 23:29; 2Ch 35:22, cf. Zec 12:11); so that in the Apocalypse it would signify the place where the kings opposing Christ were to be destroyed with a slaughter like that which the Canaanites or the Israelites had experienced of old. But since those two overthrows are said to have taken place ἐπί ὕδατι Μαγεδων (Judges, the passage cited) and ἐν τῷ πεδίῳ Μαγεδων (2 Chronicles, the passage cited), it is not easy to perceive what can be the meaning of the mountain of Megiddo, which could be none other than Carmel. Hence, for one, I think the conjecture of L. Capellus (i. e. Louis Cappel (akin to that of Drusius, see the commentaries)) to be far more easy and probable, viz. that Ἁρμαγεδών is for ἁρμαμεγεδων, compounded of ηψξΰ destruction, and îâãåï. (Wieseler (Zur Gesch. d. N. T. Schrift, p. 188), Hitzig (in Hilgenf. Einl., p. 440 n.), others, revive the derivation (cf. Hiller, Simonis, others) from îÀâÄãÌå òÈø city of Megiddo.)

STRONGS NT 717: Μαγεδων [Μαγεδων (Rev 16:16 WH), see Ἀρμαγεδον.]