Topical Encyclopedia
Geographical Significance:The Arnon is a significant river mentioned in the Bible, serving as a natural boundary in the ancient Near East. It is located east of the Jordan River and flows into the Dead Sea. The river's course runs through a deep gorge, which has historically made it a formidable natural barrier. The Arnon is identified with the modern-day Wadi Mujib in Jordan.
Biblical References:The Arnon is frequently mentioned in the Old Testament as a boundary marker. In
Numbers 21:13, the Israelites camped by the Arnon during their wilderness journey: "From there they set out and camped on the other side of the Arnon, in the wilderness that extends into Amorite territory. The Arnon is the border between Moab and the Amorites." This passage highlights the river's role as a dividing line between the territories of Moab and the Amorites.
In
Deuteronomy 2:24, God commands the Israelites to cross the Arnon as they prepare to take possession of the land: "Arise, set out, and cross the Arnon. See, I have delivered Sihon the Amorite, king of Heshbon, and his land into your hands. Begin to take possession of it, and engage him in battle." This directive underscores the river's strategic importance in the conquest of Canaan.
Historical Context:The Arnon served as a boundary for the tribes of Reuben and Gad, as described in
Joshua 13:16: "Their territory was from Aroer on the rim of the Arnon Gorge, and from the city in the middle of the gorge, and the whole plateau past Medeba." This allocation of land was part of the division of territories among the Israelite tribes after their entry into the Promised Land.
Cultural and Theological Implications:The Arnon's role as a boundary is not only geographical but also symbolic. It represents the demarcation between the people of God and the surrounding nations. The river's mention in various military campaigns and territorial descriptions emphasizes God's providence and faithfulness in leading the Israelites to the land He promised to their ancestors.
Prophetic and Poetic References:In the prophetic literature, the Arnon is mentioned in
Isaiah 16:2, where the Moabites are described as fleeing across the river: "Like fluttering birds pushed from the nest, so are the daughters of Moab at the fords of the Arnon." This imagery conveys a sense of urgency and distress, reflecting the broader themes of judgment and deliverance found in the prophetic books.
Conclusion:The Arnon River, with its deep gorge and strategic location, played a crucial role in the history and narrative of the Israelites. Its frequent mention in the Bible underscores its importance as a geographical, cultural, and theological landmark in the biblical landscape.
Hitchcock's Bible Names Dictionary
Arnonrejoicing; sunlight
Smith's Bible Dictionary
Arnon(roaring), the river or torrent which formed the boundary between Moab and the Amorites, on the north of Moab, (Numbers 21:13,14,24,26;Judges 11:22) and afterwards between Moab and Israel (Reuben). (2:24,36;3:8,12,16;4:48;Joshua 12:1,2;13:9,16;Judges 11:13,26) There can be no doubt that theWady el-Mojeb of the present day is the Arnon. Its principal source is nearKatrane , on the Haj route.
ATS Bible Dictionary
ArnonA river rising in the mountains east of the Dead Sea, into which it flows. It is now called Wady Modjeb, and anciently divided the territories of the Moabites in turn from those of the Ammonites, Amorites, and Reubenites,Numbers 21:13;Joshua 13:16. It flows in a deep and wild ravine of the same name. Burckhardt, after reaching the ruins of Aroer, which stand on the edge of the precipice at the foot of which the Arnon flows, says, "From hence a footpath leads down to the river. The view which the Modjeb presents is very striking. From the bottom, where the river runs through a narrow stripe of verdant level about forty yards across, the steep and barren banks arise to a great height, covered with immense blocks of stone which have rolled down from the upper strata; so that, when viewed from above, the valley looks like a deep chasm, formed by some tremendous convulsion of the earth, into which there seems to be no possibility of descending to the bottom. The distance from the edge of one precipice to that of the opposite one, is about two miles in a straight line."
He was thirty-five minutes in descending to the riverbed. Here the heat of midsummer is extreme, and the river becomes almost dried up; but in the rainy season there is an impetuous torrent.
Easton's Bible Dictionary
Swift, the southern boundary of the territory of Israel beyond Jordan, separating it from the land of Moab (
Deuteronomy 3:8, 16). This river (referred to twenty-four times in the Bible) rises in the mountains of Gilead, and after a circuitous course of about 80 miles through a deep ravine it falls into the Dead Sea nearly opposite Engedi. The stream is almost dry in summer. It is now called el-Mujeb. The territory of the Amorites extended from the Arnon to the Jabbok.
International Standard Bible Encyclopedia
ARNONar'-non ('arnon; Arnon): Is first mentioned inNumbers 21:24 as the border between Moab and the Amorites. "The valleys of Arnon" in the next verse undoubtedly indicate the numerous wadies contributary to the main stream. It formed the southern boundary of the land assigned to Reuben (Deuteronomy 3:12). The city of Aroer stood on the northern edge of the valley (Deuteronomy 2:36Judges 12:2, etc.). Arnon was claimed by the Ammonites as having marked the southern limit of their territory when Israel invaded the land (Judges 11:13). They, however, had already been driven out by the Amorites, and the region north of Arnon was held by Sihon. From the inscription of Mesha on the Moabite Stone we gather that Moab had established herself on the north of the Arnon before the time of Omri. Under Omri and Ahab she was confined to the south of the river. A rebellion under Mesha was put down by Jehoram son of Ahab (2 Kings 3), and the expedition of Hazael against Israel reached the valley of the Arnon (2 Kings 10:33). But according to Mesha he regained for Moab the lost land; and this agrees withIsaiah 15, 16, where cities north of Arnon are located in Moab, e.g. Heshbon.
The modern name of Arnon is Wady el-Mojib, which enters the Dead Sea from the East about 11 miles North of el-Lisan. Some 13 miles East of the Dead Sea two streams, Seil es-Sa`ideh from the South, and Wady Enkeileh from the East, unite their waters and flow westward in the bottom of an enormous trench. The waters of Wady Welch come in from the Northeast. A wide stretch of country thus drains into the valley by means of a great network of smaller wadies-the "valleys of Arnon." The "fords of the Arnon" (Isaiah 16:2) were doubtless crossed by Mesha's highway which he claims to have built in Arnon; and may be marked by the traces of the old Roman road and bridge immediately to the West of where, on the northern edge of the Wady, stands `Ara`ir, the ancient Aroer.
W. Ewing
Strong's Hebrew
769.Arnon -- "a roaring stream," a wadi and stream in Moab... 768, 769.
Arnon. 770 . "a roaring stream," a wadi and stream in Moab.
Transliteration:
Arnon Phonetic Spelling: (ar-nohn') Short Definition:
Arnon.
...Library
How Moses Conquered Sihon and Og Kings of the Amorites, and...
... The people mourned for Aaron thirty days, and when this mourning was over, Moses
removed the army from that place, and came to the riverArnon, which, issuing...
The Nations of the South-East
... of Moab. The land north of theArnon became Amorite; but the Ammonite frontier
was too well defended to be broken through. The kingdom...
Barnaba Epistole
... legei kurios. pleres eimi holokautomaton, kai steararnon kai haima tauron
kai tragon ou boulomai, oud' an erchesthe ophthenai moi....
The Northern Coast of Judea. Beth-Horon.
... shall see the place, where the Israelites passed through the sea, where they passed
through Jordan, where they passed by the rivers ofArnon, or those great...
The Hebrews and the Philistines --Damascus
... comprised, besides the Hauran, the plain watered by the Yarrnuk; and to the south
that of Heshbon, containing the district lying around theArnon, and the...
The Witness of Balaam to Israel
... And when Balak heard that Balaam was come, he went out to meet him unto the city
of Moab, which is on the border ofArnon, which is in the utmost part of the...
The Eighteenth Theban Dynasty
... divided into regiments of unequal strength, each of which usually bore the name
of some god"as, for example, the regiment of Ra or of Phtah, ofArnon or of...
The First Chaldaean Empire and the Hyksos in Egypt
... table-land, slightly undulating and intersected in all directions by the affluents
of the Jordan and the Dead Sea"the Yarmuk,* the Jabbok,** and theArnon...
Solomon's Temple Spiritualized
... The temple was built at Jerusalem, on Mount Moriah, in the threshing-floor ofArnon
the Jebusite; whereabout Abraham offered up Isaac; there where David met...
The Journey of the Three Holy Kings to Bethlehem
The Life of the Blessed Virgin Mary. <....
Thesaurus
Arnon (23 Occurrences)... It is now called el-Mujeb. The territory of the Amorites extended from the
Arnon to the Jabbok. Int. Standard Bible Encyclopedia.
ARNON.
...Arnon's (1 Occurrence)
... Multi-Version ConcordanceArnon's (1 Occurrence). Numbers 21:28 For a fire
is gone out of Heshbon, a flame from the city of Sihon...
Gorge (19 Occurrences)
... Deuteronomy 2:24 "Rise up, take your journey, and pass over the valley of theArnon:
behold, I have given into your hand Sihon the Amorite, king of Heshbon...
Aro'er (15 Occurrences)
... Deuteronomy 2:36 From Aroer, which is on the edge of the valley ofArnon, and from
the city that is in the valley, even unto Gilead, there was not a city too...
Aroer (17 Occurrences)
... Easton's Bible Dictionary Ruins. (1.) A town on the north bank of theArnon
(Deuteronomy 4:48; Judges 11:26; 2 Kings 10:33), the southern boundary of the...
Rim (18 Occurrences)
... Deuteronomy 2:36 From Aroer, which is on the edge of the valley of theArnon, and
from the city that is in the valley, even to Gilead, there was not a city too...
Jabbok (7 Occurrences)
... Numbers 21:24 Israel struck him with the edge of the sword, and possessed his land
from theArnon to the Jabbok, even to the children of Ammon; for the border...
Nahaliel (1 Occurrence)
... i-el (nachali'el, "torrent valley of God"; Codex Vaticanus Manael; Codex Alexandrinus
Naaliel): A place where Israel encamped on the way fromArnon to Jericho...
Ravine (26 Occurrences)
... Deuteronomy 2:36 From Aroer, which is on the bank of the riverArnon, and the city
that is in the ravine even to Gilead, there was not one city too strong for...
Sihon (34 Occurrences)
... The whole country on the east of Jordan, from theArnon to the Jabbok, was possessed
by the Amorites, whose king, Sihon, refused to permit the Israelites to...
Resources
What is the Book of the Wars of the Lord? | GotQuestions.orgWho were the Moabites? | GotQuestions.orgWhat is the significance of Moab in the Bible? | GotQuestions.orgBible Concordance •
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