Aroer, a city in the territory of Gad, built by the Gadites.
Also known as Aroerite
Aroer was a city located in the territory allotted to the tribe of Gad, east of the Jordan River. According to Numbers 32:34, the Gadites built Aroer, along with other cities in the region, after the conquest of the land under Moses' leadership.
Aroer is mentioned in Joshua 13:25 as part of the description of Gad's territory, situated near the border with the Ammonites. The city is also noted in the account of Jephthah's victory over the Ammonites, where he is said to have struck them from Aroer to Minnith (Judges 11:33).
During King David's reign, Aroer is mentioned in the context of the census he conducted, which began at Aroer and continued throughout the regions east of the Jordan (2Sa.24.5). The city was also the hometown of Shamgar, one of David's mighty men (1Ch.11.44).
The prophet Isaiah mentions Aroer in his prophecy concerning Damascus, stating that the cities of Aroer will be forsaken (Isaiah 17:2). This suggests that Aroer, along with other cities in the region, would face judgment and desolation.
Aroer's significance in the Bible lies in its association with the tribe of Gad and its location in the Transjordan region. The city's mention in various contexts, from the initial settlement of the land to the reigns of David and the prophetic messages, highlights its enduring presence throughout Israel's history.
Approximate location: 31.962, 35.911 · view on a map · on the Bible atlas
7 verses in 6 books · English text: BSB (change it from the menu at the top) · Strong’s H6177
And the Gadites built up Dibon, Ataroth, Aroer,
The territory of Jazer, all the cities of Gilead, and half the land of the Ammonites as far as Aroer, near Rabbah;
With a great blow he devastated twenty cities from Aroer to the vicinity of Minnith, as far as Abel-keramim. So the Ammonites were subdued before the Israelites.
They crossed the Jordan and camped near Aroer, south of the town in the middle of the valley, and proceeded toward Gad and Jazer.
and Bela son of Azaz, the son of Shema, the son of Joel. They settled in Aroer and as far as Nebo and Baal-meon.
Uzzia the Ashterathite, Shama and Jeiel the sons of Hotham the Aroerite,
The cities of Aroer are forsaken; they will be left to the flocks, which will lie down with no one to fear.
Names, family links and references: STEPBible TIPNR (Tyndale House Cambridge, CC BY 4.0). Short descriptions were drafted with AI assistance by STEPBible. Family links follow STEPBible’s scholarly decisions where genealogies are ambiguous.