Location
Overview
Dibon stood on the Moabite tableland north of the Arnon. It changed hands between Israel and Moab and became a focus of prophetic oracles against Moab.
Won, settled, and lost
Taken from Sihon in the conquest, Dibon was rebuilt by the tribe of Gad (hence "Dibon-gad," Numbers 32:34; 33:45) and assigned to Reuben (Joshua 13:17), before reverting to Moab.
The lament of Moab
The prophets named it in Moab's mourning: "he is gone up to Bajith, and to Dibon, the high places, to weep" (Isaiah 15:2); "O inhabitant of Dibon, come down from thy glory, and sit in thirst" (Jeremiah 48:18).
The Moabite Stone
At Dibon, King Mesha of Moab left his own account of throwing off Israel's rule — the famous Moabite Stone — a striking ancient parallel to the events of 2 Kings 3.
Events Here
Isaiah names Dibon in his oracle of Moab’s mourning
Scripture References
11 versesNumbers5 verses
Numbers 21:30
We have shot at them; Heshbon is perished even unto Dibon, and we have laid them waste even unto Nophah, which reacheth unto Medeba.
Numbers 32:3
Ataroth, and Dibon, and Jazer, and Nimrah, and Heshbon, and Elealeh, and Shebam, and Nebo, and Beon,
Numbers 32:34
And the children of Gad built Dibon, and Ataroth, and Aroer,
Numbers 33:45
And they departed from Iim, and pitched in Dibongad.
Numbers 33:46
And they removed from Dibongad, and encamped in Almondiblathaim.
Joshua2 verses
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 13:17
Heshbon, and all her cities that are in the plain; Dibon, and Bamothbaal, and Bethbaalmeon, Bamothbaal: or, the high places of Baal, and house of Baalmeon
Nehemiah1 verse
Nehemiah 11:25
And for the villages, with their fields, some of the children of Judah dwelt at Kirjatharba, and in the villages thereof, and at Dibon, and in the villages thereof, and at Jekabzeel, and in the villages thereof,
Isaiah1 verse
Isaiah 15:2
He is gone up to Bajith, and to Dibon, the high places, to weep: Moab shall howl over Nebo, and over Medeba: on all their heads shall be baldness, and every beard cut off.
Jeremiah2 verses
Jeremiah 48:18
Thou daughter that dost inhabit Dibon, come down from thy glory, and sit in thirst; for the spoiler of Moab shall come upon thee, and he shall destroy thy strong holds.
Jeremiah 48:22
And upon Dibon, and upon Nebo, and upon Bethdiblathaim,
Archaeology & History
Dibon is modern Dhiban in Jordan, where in 1868 the "Moabite Stone" (Mesha Stele) was discovered — a 9th-century BC inscription in which King Mesha of Moab boasts of rebelling against Israel and names the God of Israel (YHWH) and the "house of David." It is one of the most important extra-biblical inscriptions ever found.
Frequently asked about Dibon
Where is Dibon today?
Today, Dibon corresponds to Dhiban, Jordan.
What happened at Dibon in the Bible?
Key biblical events at Dibon include isaiah names dibon in his oracle of moab’s mourning.
Where is Dibon first mentioned in the Bible?
Dibon is first mentioned in Numbers 21:30.
How often is Dibon mentioned in the Bible?
Dibon is mentioned in 11 verses across 5 books: Numbers, Joshua, Nehemiah, Isaiah, Jeremiah.
What is the Moabite Stone?
A 9th-century BC inscription found at Dibon in which King Mesha of Moab records his revolt against Israel; it names Israel’s God and the "house of David," paralleling 2 Kings 3.
Where is Dibon?
On the Moabite plateau north of the Arnon gorge, at modern Dhiban in Jordan.