Location
Overview
The Arnon is a deep river-gorge running west into the Dead Sea. It was the recognized border between Moab to the south and the Amorites to the north, and Israel's crossing of it opened the eastern campaign.
The border of Moab
"Arnon is the border of Moab, between Moab and the Amorites" (Numbers 21:13). Israel was careful not to take Moab's land, camping on the far side of the Arnon.
The book of the wars of the LORD
The crossing is marked by a quotation from a lost source: "Wherefore it is said in the book of the wars of the LORD... what he did in the Red sea, and in the brooks of Arnon" (Numbers 21:14).
Into the land of Sihon
North of the Arnon lay the kingdom of Sihon the Amorite, whom Israel defeated, taking the land "from Arnon unto Jabbok" (Numbers 21:24) — the first territory Israel possessed.
Events Here
Israel crosses the Arnon, the border of Moab
Scripture References
23 versesNumbers6 verses
Numbers 21:13
From thence they removed, and pitched on the other side of Arnon, which is in the wilderness that cometh out of the coasts of the Amorites: for Arnon is the border of Moab, between Moab and the Amorites.
Numbers 21:14
Wherefore it is said in the book of the wars of the LORD, What he did in the Red sea, and in the brooks of Arnon, What: or, Vaheb in Suphah
Numbers 21:24
And Israel smote him with the edge of the sword, and possessed his land from Arnon unto Jabbok, even unto the children of Ammon: for the border of the children of Ammon was strong.
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 21:28
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 22:36
And when Balak heard that Balaam was come, he went out to meet him unto a city of Moab, which is in the border of Arnon, which is in the utmost coast.
Deuteronomy6 verses
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 2:36
From Aroer, which is by the brink of the river of Arnon, and from the city that is by the river, even unto Gilead, there was not one city too strong for us: the LORD our God delivered all unto us:
Deuteronomy 3:8
And we took at that time out of the hand of the two kings of the Amorites the land that was on this side Jordan, from the river of Arnon unto mount Hermon;
Deuteronomy 3:12
And this land, which we possessed at that time, from Aroer, which is by the river Arnon, and half mount Gilead, and the cities thereof, gave I unto the Reubenites and to the Gadites.
Deuteronomy 3:16
And unto the Reubenites and unto the Gadites I gave from Gilead even unto the river Arnon half the valley, and the border even unto the river Jabbok, which is the border of the children of Ammon;
Deuteronomy 4:48
From Aroer, which is by the bank of the river Arnon, even unto mount Sion, which is Hermon,
Joshua4 verses
Joshua 12:1
Now these are the kings of the land, which the children of Israel smote, and possessed their land on the other side Jordan toward the rising of the sun, from the river Arnon unto mount Hermon, and all the plain on the east:
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 13:9
From Aroer, that is upon the bank of the river Arnon, and the city that is in the midst of the river, and all the plain of Medeba unto Dibon;
Joshua 13:16
And their coast was from Aroer, that is on the bank of the river Arnon, and the city that is in the midst of the river, and all the plain by Medeba;
Judges4 verses
Judges 11:13
And the king of the children of Ammon answered unto the messengers of Jephthah, Because Israel took away my land, when they came up out of Egypt, from Arnon even unto Jabbok, and unto Jordan: now therefore restore those lands again peaceably.
Judges 11:18
Then they went along through the wilderness, and compassed the land of Edom, and the land of Moab, and came by the east side of the land of Moab, and pitched on the other side of Arnon, but came not within the border of Moab: for Arnon was the border of Moab.
Judges 11:22
And they possessed all the coasts of the Amorites, from Arnon even unto Jabbok, and from the wilderness even unto Jordan.
Judges 11:26
While Israel dwelt in Heshbon and her towns, and in Aroer and her towns, and in all the cities that be along by the coasts of Arnon, three hundred years? why therefore did ye not recover them within that time?
2 Kings1 verse
2 Kings 10:33
From Jordan eastward, all the land of Gilead, the Gadites, and the Reubenites, and the Manassites, from Aroer, which is by the river Arnon, even Gilead and Bashan. eastward: Heb. toward the rising of the sun even: or, even to Gilead and Bashan
Isaiah1 verse
Isaiah 16:2
For it shall be, that, as a wandering bird cast out of the nest, so the daughters of Moab shall be at the fords of Arnon. cast: or, a nest forsaken
Jeremiah1 verse
Jeremiah 48:20
Moab is confounded; for it is broken down: howl and cry; tell ye it in Arnon, that Moab is spoiled,
Archaeology & History
The Arnon is the modern Wadi Mujib in Jordan, a dramatic canyon cutting down to the eastern shore of the Dead Sea. Its gorge made a natural frontier, and it is named on the 9th-century BC Moabite Stone (Mesha Stele) as a boundary that King Mesha of Moab fortified.
People who appear here
Frequently asked about River Arnon
Where is River Arnon today?
Today, River Arnon corresponds to Wadi Mujib, Jordan.
What does the name River Arnon mean?
The name River Arnon means “Rushing stream”.
What happened at River Arnon in the Bible?
Key biblical events at River Arnon include israel crosses the arnon, the border of moab.
Where is River Arnon first mentioned in the Bible?
River Arnon is first mentioned in Numbers 21:13.
How often is River Arnon mentioned in the Bible?
River Arnon is mentioned in 23 verses across 7 books: Numbers, Deuteronomy, Joshua, Judges, 2 Kings, Isaiah, Jeremiah.
What was the River Arnon?
A deep river-gorge (modern Wadi Mujib) that formed the border between Moab and the Amorites. Israel crossed it on the way to defeating Sihon.
Why is the Arnon important?
It marked the southern boundary of the Amorite kingdom Israel first conquered, "from Arnon unto Jabbok," east of the Jordan.