Lexical Summary
Arnon: Arnon
Original Word:אַרְנוֹן
Part of Speech:Proper Name Location
Transliteration:Arnown
Pronunciation:ar-NONE
Phonetic Spelling:(ar-nohn')
KJV: Arnon
NASB:Arnon
Word Origin:[fromH7442 (רָנַן - sing for joy)]
1. a brawling stream
2. the Arnon, a river east of the Jordan, also its territory
Strong's Exhaustive Concordance
Arnon
Or Arnon {ar-nohn'}; fromranan; a brawling stream; the Arnon, a river east of the Jordan, also its territory -- Arnon.
see HEBREWranan
NAS Exhaustive Concordance
Word Originfrom the same as
AranDefinition"a roaring stream," a wadi and stream in Moab
NASB TranslationArnon (25).
Brown-Driver-Briggs
, , wady & stream in Moab (MI , Thes Add Rob Ges MV derive from , i.e.
the rushing, roaring stream) —
Numbers 21:13 (twice in verse) + 12 t.,
Numbers 21:14 10t. — called boundary between Moab & Amorites
Numbers 21:13;
Judges 11:18,22 compare
Numbers 22:36; often
Deuteronomy 2:24,36;
Deuteronomy 3:8,12,16;
Deuteronomy 4:48;
2 Kings 10:33;
Joshua 12:1,2;
Joshua 13:9,16;
Numbers 21:14, i.e. the stream-ravines that unite to form Arnon, compare Di; also
heights of ArnonNumbers 21:28;
fords of ArnonIsaiah 16:2; elsewhere
Numbers 21:13,24,26;
Judges 11:13,18,26; synonym of Moab
Jeremiah 48:20; (compare Tristr
Moab 125 f.; modern
Môjib).
II. (√ assumed for following word, compare Sta§ 208 c; DlPr 125 argues for √ (so Thes), on ground of an Assyrianêrû, synonym ofêrênu).
Topical Lexicon
Geographical Identity and Physical FeaturesArnon designates the deep, winding gorge that carries seasonal torrents from the Moabite plateau into the eastern side of the Dead Sea. Modern Wadi Mujib, it divides the highlands of Moab from those further north and cuts a dramatic canyon more than 900 meters deep. The biblical writers consistently treat the river and its valley (Hebrew expressions alternate between “wadi,” “brook,” and “valley”) as a fixed natural landmark—easily defensible, difficult to ford, and therefore an ideal frontier.
Strategic Boundary Marker in the Wilderness March
When Israel neared Canaan from the south-east, the Arnon became the first clear border the nation reached after decades in the desert. “From there they went on to Beer… and from Beer to Mattanah… to the slopes of Pisgah that face the wasteland” (Numbers 21:16-20), culminating at the Arnon (Numbers 21:13). The “Book of the Wars of the LORD” (Numbers 21:14) cited the crossing as an early witness to Yahweh’s military acts, demonstrating His providence even before Israel engaged Sihon.
Conquest under Moses: Southern Limit of Amorite Territory
The battles with Sihon turned the Arnon into the southern frontier of newly captured Amorite land: “Israel took all the land of the Amorites, from the Arnon to the Jabbok” (Numbers 21:24). The brook thus framed the northern edge of Moab (Numbers 21:26-28) and fixed Moab’s king Balak on the defensive (Numbers 22:36). Deuteronomy reiterates the boundary at least five times (Deuteronomy 2:24, 2:36; 3:8, 3:12, 3:16), underscoring its canonical importance.
Inheritance of the Transjordan Tribes
When the tribes of Reuben and Gad, along with the half-tribe of Manasseh, received their portions east of the Jordan, the Arnon formed the southern limit of Reubenite territory: “We took possession of this land… from Aroer on the rim of the Arnon Valley” (Deuteronomy 3:12). Joshua echoes the settlement record (Joshua 12:1-2; 13:9, 13:16). The gorge supplied pastureland, water, and natural security—gifts that the Mosaic covenant highlighted as tangible evidence of God’s fulfilled promise (Joshua 21:45).
A Contested Frontier with Moab and Ammon
Centuries later, Jephthah reminded the Ammonite king that Israel had never seized land from Moab or Ammon south of the Arnon (Judges 11:13, 18-26). His historical review reveals how deeply the river valley had become embedded in Israel’s legal memory. Even hostile neighbors tacitly accepted its authority as a border.
Arnon in Royal and Prophetic History
2 Kings 10:33 records Hazael of Aram pressing southward “from the Jordan eastward, all the land of Gilead… even from Aroer by the Arnon,” showing how the brook still defined Israel’s extremity eight centuries after the conquest. Prophetic oracles employ the gorge symbolically:
• “Like fluttering birds pushed from the nest, so are the daughters of Moab at the fords of the Arnon” (Isaiah 16:2). The image highlights panic at Moab’s last refuge.
• Jeremiah announces Moab’s humiliation: “Moab is disgraced… weep, proclaim by the Arnon that Moab is destroyed” (Jeremiah 48:20). The valley serves as the broadcast point of judgment.
Theological Reflections and Ministry Insights
1. Boundary ordained by God: The repeated phrase “from the Arnon to the Jabbok” illustrates that territorial limits are ultimately set by the LORD (Acts 17:26 finds an echo here). Respect for divine boundaries—geographical or moral—remains a covenant principle.
2. Memorial of deliverance: The crossing of the Arnon precedes the victories over Sihon and Og, early proofs that “the battle belongs to the LORD” (1 Samuel 17:47). Believers trace present security to past acts of grace.
3. Moral warning: Isaiah and Jeremiah turn the Arnon into a stage for Moab’s downfall. A frontier that once sheltered Moab from Israel offers no shelter from divine judgment. Safety lies not in geography but in covenant faithfulness.
4. Encouragement to intercessory leadership: Just as Moses and later Jephthah articulated Israel’s rights at the Arnon, pastors and parents today must articulate gospel boundaries—explaining the faith’s historical foundations to the next generation (Psalm 78:5-7).
Summary
Arnon is more than a riverbed in Scripture. It is a divinely appointed landmark, a testimony to God’s military might, a boundary securing covenant inheritance, and a pulpit from which prophets proclaim judgment and hope. Its 25 mentions knit wilderness journey, conquest, tribal life, monarchy, and prophecy into a single storyline—one that ultimately directs readers to the God who rules the borders of nations and the hearts of people.
Forms and Transliterations
אַרְנ֑וֹן אַרְנ֔וֹן אַרְנ֖וֹן אַרְנ֜וֹן אַרְנֹ֔ן אַרְנֹ֖ן אַרְנֹ֗ן אַרְנֹ֛ן אַרְנֹ֜ן אַרְנֹֽן׃ אַרְנֹן֒ אַרְנֽוֹן׃ אַרְנוֹן֙ ארנון ארנון׃ ארנן ארנן׃ בְאַרְנ֔וֹן בארנון לְאַרְנֽוֹן׃ לארנון׃ מֵֽאַרְנֹ֗ן מֵֽאַרְנוֹן֙ מֵאַרְנ֥וֹן מארנון מארנן ’ar·nō·wn ’ar·nōn ’arnōn ’arnōwn arnOn ḇə’arnōwn ḇə·’ar·nō·wn lə’arnōwn lə·’ar·nō·wn learNon mê’arnōn mê’arnōwn mê·’ar·nō·wn mê·’ar·nōn mearNon vearNon
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