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Sihon

maleExodus

Meaning: “Warrior; sweeping away

The Amorite king of Heshbon who refused Israel passage and attacked them; his defeat gave Israel its first major conquest east of the Jordan.

S

Biography

Sihon was the powerful Amorite king of Heshbon. As Israel journeyed toward Canaan, Moses sent messengers asking peaceful passage through his land. But Sihon refused and "gathered all his people together, and went out against Israel into the wilderness" (Numbers 21:23).

Israel's first conquest east of the Jordan

God gave Sihon and all his people into Israel's hand. They struck him down and took possession of his land from the Arnon to the Jabbok (Numbers 21:24). The defeat of Sihon — and of Og of Bashan soon after — became a celebrated proof of God's power, recited again and again in Israel's worship: "Sihon king of the Amorites: for his mercy endureth for ever" (Psalm 136:19).

Life Timeline

1407 BC

Attacks Israel and is defeated at Jahaz

Numbers 21:23

On the Bible timeline

Sihon belongs to the The Exodus & Wilderness era (c. 1446 BC (early) / 1260 BC (late)).

  1. c. 1446 BC (early) / 1260 BC (late)The Exodus from Egypt
  2. c. 1446 BCThe Law Given at Sinai
  3. c. 1406 BCThe Conquest of Canaan

Themes & lessons from Sihon

Biblical themes that run through the passages where Sihon appears.

Og14×Sihon13×Amorites, the10×Heshbon5×Ar4×Ammonites, the3×Desert, Journey of Israel Through The3×Moabites3×Reubenites3×Song3×Canaanites2×Edrei2×Gad, the Tribe Of2×Holy Land2×Miracles2×Reuben, the Tribe Of2×Topography of Canaan2×Bashan1×

People they appear with

Og9×
Moses4×

Places in their story

Heshbon21×
Bashan8×
River Arnon4×
Gilead3×
Edrei1×
Red Sea1×
Mount Hermon1×
Succoth1×

Scripture Appearances

34 verses in 8 books
Numbers8 verses

Numbers 21:21

And Israel sent messengers unto Sihon king of the Amorites, saying,

Numbers 21:23

And Sihon would not suffer Israel to pass through his border: but Sihon gathered all his people together, and went out against Israel into the wilderness: and he came to Jahaz, and fought against Israel.

Numbers 21:26

For Heshbon was the city of Sihon the king of the Amorites, who had fought against the former king of Moab, and taken all his land out of his hand, even unto Arnon.

Numbers 21:27

Wherefore they that speak in proverbs say, Come into Heshbon, let the city of Sihon be built and prepared:

Numbers 21:28

For there is a fire gone out of Heshbon, a flame from the city of Sihon: it hath consumed Ar of Moab, and the lords of the high places of Arnon.

Numbers 21:29

Woe to thee, Moab! thou art undone, O people of Chemosh: he hath given his sons that escaped, and his daughters, into captivity unto Sihon king of the Amorites.

Numbers 21:34

And the LORD said unto Moses, Fear him not: for I have delivered him into thy hand, and all his people, and his land; and thou shalt do to him as thou didst unto Sihon king of the Amorites, which dwelt at Heshbon.

Numbers 32:33

And Moses gave unto them, even to the children of Gad, and to the children of Reuben, and unto half the tribe of Manasseh the son of Joseph, the kingdom of Sihon king of the Amorites, and the kingdom of Og king of Bashan, the land, with the cities thereof in the coasts, even the cities of the country round about.

Deuteronomy11 verses

Deuteronomy 1:4

After he had slain Sihon the king of the Amorites, which dwelt in Heshbon, and Og the king of Bashan, which dwelt at Astaroth in Edrei:

Deuteronomy 2:24

Rise ye up, take your journey, and pass over the river Arnon: behold, I have given into thine hand Sihon the Amorite, king of Heshbon, and his land: begin to possess it, and contend with him in battle. begin: Heb. begin, possess

Deuteronomy 2:26

And I sent messengers out of the wilderness of Kedemoth unto Sihon king of Heshbon with words of peace, saying,

Deuteronomy 2:30

But Sihon king of Heshbon would not let us pass by him: for the LORD thy God hardened his spirit, and made his heart obstinate, that he might deliver him into thy hand, as appeareth this day.

Deuteronomy 2:31

And the LORD said unto me, Behold, I have begun to give Sihon and his land before thee: begin to possess, that thou mayest inherit his land.

Deuteronomy 2:32

Then Sihon came out against us, he and all his people, to fight at Jahaz.

Deuteronomy 3:2

And the LORD said unto me, Fear him not: for I will deliver him, and all his people, and his land, into thy hand; and thou shalt do unto him as thou didst unto Sihon king of the Amorites, which dwelt at Heshbon.

Deuteronomy 3:6

And we utterly destroyed them, as we did unto Sihon king of Heshbon, utterly destroying the men, women, and children, of every city.

Deuteronomy 4:46

On this side Jordan, in the valley over against Bethpeor, in the land of Sihon king of the Amorites, who dwelt at Heshbon, whom Moses and the children of Israel smote, after they were come forth out of Egypt:

Deuteronomy 29:7

And when ye came unto this place, Sihon the king of Heshbon, and Og the king of Bashan, came out against us unto battle, and we smote them:

Deuteronomy 31:4

And the LORD shall do unto them as he did to Sihon and to Og, kings of the Amorites, and unto the land of them, whom he destroyed.

Joshua7 verses

Joshua 2:10

For we have heard how the LORD dried up the water of the Red sea for you, when ye came out of Egypt; and what ye did unto the two kings of the Amorites, that were on the other side Jordan, Sihon and Og, whom ye utterly destroyed.

Joshua 9:10

And all that he did to the two kings of the Amorites, that were beyond Jordan, to Sihon king of Heshbon, and to Og king of Bashan, which was at Ashtaroth.

Joshua 12:2

Sihon king of the Amorites, who dwelt in Heshbon, and ruled from Aroer, which is upon the bank of the river Arnon, and from the middle of the river, and from half Gilead, even unto the river Jabbok, which is the border of the children of Ammon;

Joshua 12:5

And reigned in mount Hermon, and in Salcah, and in all Bashan, unto the border of the Geshurites and the Maachathites, and half Gilead, the border of Sihon king of Heshbon.

Joshua 13:10

And all the cities of Sihon king of the Amorites, which reigned in Heshbon, unto the border of the children of Ammon;

Joshua 13:21

And all the cities of the plain, and all the kingdom of Sihon king of the Amorites, which reigned in Heshbon, whom Moses smote with the princes of Midian, Evi, and Rekem, and Zur, and Hur, and Reba, which were dukes of Sihon, dwelling in the country.

Joshua 13:27

And in the valley, Betharam, and Bethnimrah, and Succoth, and Zaphon, the rest of the kingdom of Sihon king of Heshbon, Jordan and his border, even unto the edge of the sea of Chinnereth on the other side Jordan eastward.

Judges3 verses

Judges 11:19

And Israel sent messengers unto Sihon king of the Amorites, the king of Heshbon; and Israel said unto him, Let us pass, we pray thee, through thy land into my place.

Judges 11:20

But Sihon trusted not Israel to pass through his coast: but Sihon gathered all his people together, and pitched in Jahaz, and fought against Israel.

Judges 11:21

And the LORD God of Israel delivered Sihon and all his people into the hand of Israel, and they smote them: so Israel possessed all the land of the Amorites, the inhabitants of that country.

1 Kings1 verse

1 Kings 4:19

Geber the son of Uri was in the country of Gilead, in the country of Sihon king of the Amorites, and of Og king of Bashan; and he was the only officer which was in the land.

Nehemiah1 verse

Nehemiah 9:22

Moreover thou gavest them kingdoms and nations, and didst divide them into corners: so they possessed the land of Sihon, and the land of the king of Heshbon, and the land of Og king of Bashan.

Psalms2 verses

Psalms 135:11

Sihon king of the Amorites, and Og king of Bashan, and all the kingdoms of Canaan:

Psalms 136:19

Sihon king of the Amorites: for his mercy endureth for ever:

Jeremiah1 verse

Jeremiah 48:45

They that fled stood under the shadow of Heshbon because of the force: but a fire shall come forth out of Heshbon, and a flame from the midst of Sihon, and shall devour the corner of Moab, and the crown of the head of the tumultuous ones. tumultuous: Heb. children of noise

Frequently asked about Sihon

Who was Sihon in the Bible?

The Amorite king of Heshbon who refused Israel passage and attacked them; his defeat gave Israel its first major conquest east of the Jordan.

What does the name Sihon mean?

The name Sihon means “Warrior; sweeping away”.

What did Sihon do in the Bible?

Sihon served as king of the amorites.

Where does Sihon appear in the Bible?

Sihon is mentioned 34 times across 8 books: Numbers, Deuteronomy, Joshua, Judges, 1 Kings, Nehemiah, Psalms, Jeremiah.

What can we learn from Sihon?

The story of Sihon touches on themes of og, sihon, amorites, the, heshbon — explore each to study the lessons drawn from Sihon's life.

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