Bible Dictionaries
Arnon

Holman Bible Dictionary

(ahr' nahn) Place name meaning, “rushing river” or “river flooded with berries.” River forming border of Moab and Amorites (Numbers 21:13 ). Sihon, the Amorite king, ruled from the Arnon to the Jabbok (Numbers 21:24 ), land which Israel took under Moses. The Arnon then served as the southern limit of territory Israel took east of the Jordan River (Deuteronomy 3:8 ). It became the southern border of the tribe of Reuben (Joshua 13:16 ). The king of the Ammonites tried to retake the Arnon in Jephthah's day, but God's Spirit led Jephthah to victory (Judges 11:12-33 ). Hazael, king of Damascus, retook the territory from Jehu of Israel (841-814 B.C.). Isaiah pictured Moab as scattered baby birds trying to cross the Arnon (Isaiah 16:2 ). Jeremiah called for a messenger to announce Moab's defeat by the Arnon (Jeremiah 48:20 ). Near the Dead Sea, the Arnon is large and deep, one of Palestine's impressive sights. The wide river valley rises 1700 feet to the top of the cliffs above. The modern name is wadi-el-Mojib.