Aroer, a city situated on the edge of the Arnon Valley, near the border between Israel and Moab.
Aroer was a city located on the northern edge of the Arnon Valley, in what is now modern-day Jordan. It is mentioned several times in the Old Testament, often in the context of defining territorial boundaries and military campaigns.
In Deu.2.36, Aroer is described as being on the edge of the Arnon Valley, marking the southern limit of the territory conquered by the Israelites from King Sihon of the Amorites. This area was later allotted to the tribe of Reuben (Deu.3.12; Joshua 13:9, 16).
Aroer is also mentioned in the description of the extent of King Sihon's territory, which stretched from the Arnon to the Jabbok (Joshua 12:2). During the time of the judges, Jephthah reminded the Ammonites that Israel had possessed the land from Aroer to the Jabbok for three hundred years (Judges 11:26).
In the reign of Jehu, king of Israel, the territory from Aroer was lost to Hazael, king of Aram (2Ki.10.33). The prophet Jeremiah also mentions Aroer in his prophecy concerning Moab, calling upon the inhabitants of Aroer to ask about the destruction that has come upon them (Jeremiah 48:19).
Aroer's significance in the Bible lies in its strategic location along the Arnon Valley, serving as a boundary marker and a point of reference in territorial descriptions. Its frequent mention in the context of military campaigns and territorial allotments underscores its importance as a key city in the region.
Approximate location: 31.471, 35.822 · view on a map · on the Bible atlas
9 verses in 5 books · English text: BSB (change it from the menu at the top) · Strong’s H6177
From Aroer on the rim of the Arnon Valley, along with the city in the valley, even as far as Gilead, not one city had walls too high for us. The LORD our God gave us all of them.
So at that time we took possession of this land. To the Reubenites and Gadites I gave the land beyond Aroer along the Arnon Valley, and half the hill country of Gilead, along with its cities.
extending from Aroer on the rim of the Arnon Valley as far as Mount Siyon (that is, Hermon),
Sihon king of the Amorites, who lived in Heshbon. He ruled from Aroer on the rim of the Arnon Valley, along the middle of the valley, up to the Jabbok River (the border of the Ammonites), that is, half of Gilead,
The area from Aroer on the rim of the Arnon Valley, along with the city in the middle of the valley, the whole plateau of Medeba as far as Dibon,
The territory from Aroer on the rim of the Arnon Valley, along with the city in the middle of the valley, to the whole plateau beyond Medeba,
For three hundred years Israel has lived in Heshbon, Aroer, and their villages, as well as all the cities along the banks of the Arnon. Why did you not take them back during that time?
from the Jordan eastward through all the land of Gilead (the region of Gad, Reuben, and Manasseh), and from Aroer by the Arnon Valley through Gilead to Bashan.
Stand by the road and watch, O dweller of Aroer! Ask the man fleeing or the woman escaping, ‘What has happened?’
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.