Sihon (Amorite king)
The Defeated King of the Amorites
Sihon was the king of the Amorites who ruled in Heshbon east of the Jordan. He refused to let Israel pass through his land and was defeated by the Israelites under Moses' leadership. His defeat became a significant testimony to God's power and a precursor to the conquest of Canaan.
Key events
Refused Israel Passage
When Israel asked for permission to pass peacefully through his land on the way to Canaan, Sihon refused and gathered his army to fight against them.
21Israel sent messengers to Sihon king of the Amorites with this word:
וַיִּשְׁלַ֤ח יִשְׂרָאֵל֙ מַלְאָכִ֔ים אֶל־סִיחֹ֥ן מֶֽלֶךְ־הָאֱמֹרִ֖י לֵאמֹֽר׃
22"Let us pass through your land. We will not turn aside into any field or vineyard, nor drink water from any well. We will travel along the King's Highway until we have passed through your territory."
אֶעְבְּרָ֣ה בְאַרְצֶ֗ךָ לֹ֤א נִטֶּה֙ בְּשָׂדֶ֣ה וּבְכֶ֔רֶם לֹ֥א נִשְׁתֶּ֖ה מֵ֣י בְאֵ֑ר בְּדֶ֤רֶךְ הַמֶּ֙לֶךְ֙ נֵלֵ֔ךְ עַ֥ד אֲשֶֽׁר־נַעֲבֹ֖ר גְּבֻלֶֽךָ׃
23But Sihon would not let Israel pass through his territory. He mustered his whole army and marched out into the wilderness against Israel. When he reached Jahaz, he fought with Israel.
וְלֹא־נָתַ֨ן סִיחֹ֣ן אֶת־יִשְׂרָאֵל֮ עֲבֹ֣ר בִּגְבֻלוֹ֒ וַיֶּאֱסֹ֨ף סִיחֹ֜ן אֶת־כָּל־עַמּ֗וֹ וַיֵּצֵ֞א לִקְרַ֤את יִשְׂרָאֵל֙ הַמִּדְבָּ֔רָה וַיָּבֹ֖א יָ֑הְצָה וַיִּלָּ֖חֶם בְּיִשְׂרָאֵֽל׃
Defeated at Jahaz
Sihon marched out against Israel at Jahaz but was completely defeated. Israel took all his land from the Arnon to the Jabbok.
23But Sihon would not let Israel pass through his territory. He mustered his whole army and marched out into the wilderness against Israel. When he reached Jahaz, he fought with Israel.
וְלֹא־נָתַ֨ן סִיחֹ֣ן אֶת־יִשְׂרָאֵל֮ עֲבֹ֣ר בִּגְבֻלוֹ֒ וַיֶּאֱסֹ֨ף סִיחֹ֜ן אֶת־כָּל־עַמּ֗וֹ וַיֵּצֵ֞א לִקְרַ֤את יִשְׂרָאֵל֙ הַמִּדְבָּ֔רָה וַיָּבֹ֖א יָ֑הְצָה וַיִּלָּ֖חֶם בְּיִשְׂרָאֵֽל׃
24Israel put him to the sword and took possession of his land from the Arnon to the Jabbok, as far as the Ammonites, for the border of the Ammonites was strongly held.
וַיַּכֵּ֥הוּ יִשְׂרָאֵ֖ל לְפִי־חָ֑רֶב וַיִּירַ֨שׁ אֶת־אַרְצ֜וֹ מֵֽאַרְנֹ֗ן עַד־יַבֹּק֙ עַד־בְּנֵ֣י עַמּ֔וֹן כִּ֣י עַ֔ז גְּב֖וּל בְּנֵ֥י עַמּֽוֹן׃
25Israel captured all these towns and settled in all the cities of the Amorites, including Heshbon and its surrounding villages.
וַיִּקַּח֙ יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל אֵ֥ת כָּל־הֶעָרִ֖ים הָאֵ֑לֶּה וַיֵּ֤שֶׁב יִשְׂרָאֵל֙ בְּכָל־עָרֵ֣י הָֽאֱמֹרִ֔י בְּחֶשְׁבּ֖וֹן וּבְכָל־בְּנֹתֶֽיהָ׃
The Conquest of Heshbon
The Israelites captured Heshbon, Sihon's capital city, and all the cities in the Amorite kingdom were settled by Israel.
25Israel captured all these towns and settled in all the cities of the Amorites, including Heshbon and its surrounding villages.
וַיִּקַּח֙ יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל אֵ֥ת כָּל־הֶעָרִ֖ים הָאֵ֑לֶּה וַיֵּ֤שֶׁב יִשְׂרָאֵל֙ בְּכָל־עָרֵ֣י הָֽאֱמֹרִ֔י בְּחֶשְׁבּ֖וֹן וּבְכָל־בְּנֹתֶֽיהָ׃
26For Heshbon was the city of Sihon king of the Amorites, who had fought against the former king of Moab and taken from him all his land as far as the Arnon.
כִּ֣י חֶשְׁבּ֔וֹן עִ֗יר סִיחֹ֛ן מֶ֥לֶךְ הָאֱמֹרִ֖י הִ֑וא וְה֣וּא נִלְחַ֗ם בְּמֶ֤לֶךְ מוֹאָב֙ הָֽרִאשׁ֔וֹן וַיִּקַּ֧ח אֶת־כָּל־אַרְצ֛וֹ מִיָּד֖וֹ עַד־אַרְנֹֽן׃
31So Israel settled in the land of the Amorites.
וַיֵּ֙שֶׁב֙ יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל בְּאֶ֖רֶץ הָאֱמֹרִֽי׃
32After Moses had sent men to spy out Jazer, the Israelites captured its surrounding villages and drove out the Amorites who were there.
וַיִּשְׁלַ֤ח מֹשֶׁה֙ לְרַגֵּ֣ל אֶת־יַעְזֵ֔ר וַֽיִּלְכְּד֖וּ בְּנֹתֶ֑יהָ *ויירש **וַיּ֖וֹרֶשׁ אֶת־הָאֱמֹרִ֥י אֲשֶׁר־שָֽׁם׃
Moses' Reflection on the Victory
Moses reminded the people how God gave them victory over Sihon and how they destroyed all his cities at the Lord's command.
30But Sihon king of Heshbon would not let us pass through, for the LORD your God had hardened his spirit and made his heart obstinate, in order to give him into your hand, as he has now done.
וְלֹ֣א אָבָ֗ה סִיחֹן֙ מֶ֣לֶךְ חֶשְׁבּ֔וֹן הַעֲבִרֵ֖נוּ בּ֑וֹ כִּֽי־הִקְשָׁה֩ יְהוָ֨ה אֱלֹהֶ֜יךָ אֶת־רוּח֗וֹ וְאִמֵּץ֙ אֶת־לְבָב֔וֹ לְמַ֛עַן תִּתּ֥וֹ בְיָדְךָ֖ כַּיּ֥וֹם הַזֶּֽה׃ ס
31And the LORD said to me, "See, I have begun to give Sihon and his land over to you. Begin to take possession, so that you may occupy his land."
וַיֹּ֤אמֶר יְהוָה֙ אֵלַ֔י רְאֵ֗ה הַֽחִלֹּ֙תִי֙ תֵּ֣ת לְפָנֶ֔יךָ אֶת־סִיחֹ֖ן וְאֶת־אַרְצ֑וֹ הָחֵ֣ל רָ֔שׁ לָרֶ֖שֶׁת אֶת־אַרְצֽוֹ׃
32Then Sihon came out against us with all his people to do battle at Jahaz.
וַיֵּצֵא֩ סִיחֹ֨ן לִקְרָאתֵ֜נוּ ה֧וּא וְכָל־עַמּ֛וֹ לַמִּלְחָמָ֖ה יָֽהְצָה׃
33And the LORD our God gave him over to us, and we struck him down along with his sons and all his people.
וַֽיִּתְּנֵ֛הוּ יְהוָ֥ה אֱלֹהֵ֖ינוּ לְפָנֵ֑ינוּ וַנַּ֥ךְ אֹת֛וֹ וְאֶת־*בנו **בָּנָ֖יו וְאֶת־כָּל־עַמּֽוֹ׃
34At that time we captured all his cities and devoted every city to destruction—men, women, and children. We left no survivor.
וַנִּלְכֹּ֤ד אֶת־כָּל־עָרָיו֙ בָּעֵ֣ת הַהִ֔וא וַֽנַּחֲרֵם֙ אֶת־כָּל־עִ֣יר מְתִ֔ם וְהַנָּשִׁ֖ים וְהַטָּ֑ף לֹ֥א הִשְׁאַ֖רְנוּ שָׂרִֽיד׃
35We took only the livestock as our plunder, along with the spoil of the cities we captured.
רַ֥ק הַבְּהֵמָ֖ה בָּזַ֣זְנוּ לָ֑נוּ וּשְׁלַ֥ל הֶעָרִ֖ים אֲשֶׁ֥ר לָכָֽדְנוּ׃
36From Aroer on the rim of the Arnon Valley, and from the city in the valley, as far as Gilead, there was no town too strong for us. The LORD our God gave them all over to us.
מֵֽעֲרֹעֵ֡ר אֲשֶׁר֩ עַל־שְׂפַת־נַ֨חַל אַרְנֹ֜ן וְהָעִ֨יר אֲשֶׁ֤ר בַּנַּ֙חַל֙ וְעַד־הַגִּלְעָ֔ד לֹ֤א הָֽיְתָה֙ קִרְיָ֔ה אֲשֶׁ֥ר שָׂגְבָ֖ה מִמֶּ֑נּוּ אֶת־הַכֹּ֕ל נָתַ֛ן יְהוָ֥ה אֱלֹהֵ֖ינוּ לְפָנֵֽינוּ׃
The Land Distributed to the Tribes
Sihon's former territory was given to the tribes of Reuben and Gad as their inheritance east of the Jordan.
33So Moses gave to the Gadites, the Reubenites and the half-tribe of Manasseh son of Joseph the kingdom of Sihon king of the Amorites and the kingdom of Og king of Bashan—the whole land with its cities and the territory around them.
וַיִּתֵּ֣ן לָהֶ֣ם ׀ מֹשֶׁ֡ה לִבְנֵי־גָד֩ וְלִבְנֵ֨י רְאוּבֵ֜ן וְלַחֲצִ֣י ׀ שֵׁ֣בֶט ׀ מְנַשֶּׁ֣ה בֶן־יוֹסֵ֗ף אֶת־מַמְלֶ֙כֶת֙ סִיחֹן֙ מֶ֣לֶךְ הָֽאֱמֹרִ֔י וְאֶת־מַמְלֶ֔כֶת ע֖וֹג מֶ֣לֶךְ הַבָּשָׁ֑ן הָאָ֗רֶץ לְעָרֶ֙יהָ֙ בִּגְבֻלֹ֔ת עָרֵ֥י הָאָ֖רֶץ סָבִֽיב׃
12At that time we took possession of this land. I gave the Reubenites and the Gadites the territory from Aroer on the edge of the Arnon Valley, along with half the hill country of Gilead and its cities.
וְאֶת־הָאָ֧רֶץ הַזֹּ֛את יָרַ֖שְׁנוּ בָּעֵ֣ת הַהִ֑וא מֵעֲרֹעֵ֞ר אֲשֶׁר־עַל־נַ֣חַל אַרְנֹ֗ן וַחֲצִ֤י הַֽר־הַגִּלְעָד֙ וְעָרָ֔יו נָתַ֕תִּי לָרֽ͏ֻאוּבֵנִ֖י וְלַגָּדִֽי׃
Remembered in the Psalms
The victory over Sihon was celebrated in Israel's songs of praise as evidence of God's faithful love and mighty deeds for his people.
11Sihon king of the Amorites, Og king of Bashan, and all the kingdoms of Canaan—
לְסִיח֤וֹן ׀ מֶ֤לֶךְ הָאֱמֹרִ֗י וּ֭לְעוֹג מֶ֣לֶךְ הַבָּשָׁ֑ן וּ֝לְכֹ֗ל מַמְלְכ֥וֹת כְּנָֽעַן׃
19Sihon, king of the Amorites; his steadfast love endures forever.
לְ֭סִיחוֹן מֶ֣לֶךְ הָאֱמֹרִ֑י כִּ֖י לְעוֹלָ֣ם חַסְדּֽוֹ׃
20And Og, king of Bashan; his steadfast love endures forever.
וּ֭לְעוֹג מֶ֣לֶךְ הַבָּשָׁ֑ן כִּ֖י לְעוֹלָ֣ם חַסְדּֽוֹ׃
Mentioned in the Bible (29)
Numbers 21:21Numbers 21:23Numbers 21:26Numbers 21:27Numbers 21:28Numbers 21:29Numbers 21:34Numbers 32:33Deuteronomy 1:4Deuteronomy 2:24Deuteronomy 2:26Deuteronomy 2:30Deuteronomy 2:31Deuteronomy 2:32Deuteronomy 3:2Deuteronomy 3:6Deuteronomy 4:46Deuteronomy 29:6Deuteronomy 31:4Joshua 9:10Joshua 13:10Joshua 13:21Judges 11:19Judges 11:201 Kings 4:19Nehemiah 9:22Psalms 135:11Psalms 136:19Jeremiah 48:45