Arnon

Lore & Background

Arnon appears repeatedly as a defining geographical marker in the narratives of Israel's journey and conquest. In Numbers 21, the Israelites camped on the other side of Arnon, which is described as the border between Moab and the Amorites (Numbers 21:13). The region is also poetically referenced in the ancient 'book of the wars of the LORD,' which recalls what the LORD did at the Red Sea and the brooks of Arnon (Numbers 21:14). The Amorite king Sihon, based in Heshbon, had previously conquered Moabite territory as far as Arnon (Numbers 21:26), and later Israel defeated Sihon and took possession of the land from Arnon to the Jabbok River (Numbers 21:24).

Reader's Guide

The passages portray Arnon primarily as a boundary and a point of transition. In Numbers and Deuteronomy, it marks the southern limit of the Amorite kingdom of Sihon and the northern limit of Moab (Numbers 21:13, 21:26). God commands Israel to cross the river Arnon to begin possessing Sihon's land (Deuteronomy 2:24). After the conquest, the territory from Aroer on the bank of Arnon up to Gilead and Mount Hermon is described as taken from the two Amorite kings (Deuteronomy 3:8, 3:12). The river also serves as a reference point for the land given to the tribes of Reuben and Gad (Deuteronomy 3:16). In Joshua, Arnon is again used to define the conquered lands of Sihon and the allotment to the tribes (Joshua 12:1-2, 13:9, 13:16). The consistent use of Arnon as a geographical anchor emphasizes its role in demarcating territorial claims and divine fulfillment.

Did You Know?

• Arnon is explicitly called the border between Moab and the Amorites (Numbers 21:13).
• The 'book of the wars of the LORD' mentions what the LORD did at the brooks of Arnon (Numbers 21:14).
• The Amorite king Sihon took all of Moab's land up to Arnon (Numbers 21:26).
• Israel's conquest extended from the river Arnon to Mount Hermon (Deuteronomy 3:8).