Heshbon, an Amorite city conquered by Moses (Num.21.25-30), was allotted to Reuben (Num.32.37; Josh 13:17) but later given to the Levites (Josh 21:39); it was a significant city in the region (Isa.15.4; 16:8-9; Jer.48.2, 34, 45; 49:3).
Heshbon was a prominent Amorite city located about 50 miles east of Jerusalem, in what is now western Jordan. It was the capital of Sihon, king of the Amorites, who had taken it from the Moabites (Num.21.26-30). During the Israelites' journey to Canaan, Moses conquered Heshbon and its surrounding territories (Num.21.25, 34; Deut 1:4; 2:24-30; 3:2, 6; 4:46; 29:7). The city was initially allotted to the tribe of Reuben (Num.32.3, 37; Josh 13:10, 17) but was later given to the tribe of Gad (Josh 13:26) and then to the Levites (Josh 21:39; 1Ch.6.81). Heshbon was a significant city in the region, mentioned in various contexts throughout the Bible (Josh 9:10; 12:2, 5; Judg 11:19, 26; Neh.9.22; Sng.7.4; Isa.15.4; 16:8-9; Jer.48.2, 34, 45; 49:3). Its ruins, known as Hesban, have been excavated by archaeologists, revealing its rich history from biblical times through the Byzantine period.
Approximate location: 31.801, 35.809 · view on a map · on the Bible atlas
Intelligence, a city ruled over by Sihon, king of the Amorites (Josh. 3:10; 13:17). It was taken by Moses (Num. 21:23-26), and became afterwards a Levitical city (Josh. 21:39) in the tribe of Reuben (Num. 32:37). After the Exile it was taken possession of by the Moabites (Isa. 15:4; Jer. 48:2, 34, 45). The ruins of this town are still seen about 20 miles east of Jordan from the north end of the Dead Sea. There are reservoirs in this district, which are probably the “fishpools” referred to in Cant. 7:4.
(stronghold), the capital city of Sihon king of the Amorites. (Numbers 21:26) It stood on the western border of the high plain—Mishor, (Joshua 13:17)—and on the boundary line between the tribes of Reuben and Gad. The ruins of Hesban, 20 miles east of the Jordan, on the parallel of the northern end of the Dead Sea mark the site, as they bear the name; of the ancient Heshbon. There are many cisterns among the ruins. Comp. (Song of Solomon 7:4)
HESH'BON (reason, device), a city originally belonging to the Moabites, but taken by Sihon, king of the Amorites, and made his capital; captured and occupied by the Israelites, Num 21:25-26; situated on the boundary between Reuben and Gad; rebuilt by Reuben and made a Levitical city, then being territorially a Gadite city. Num 32:3, Num 32:37; Deut 1:4; Deut 2:24-30; 2 Sam 3:2,Deut 3:6; Deut 4:46; Deut 29:7; Josh 9:10; 1 Kgs 12:2, Josh 12:5; Josh 13:10-27; Acts 21:39; Jud 11:19, Jud 11:26; 1 Chr 6:81. In later times the Moabites regained possession of Heshbon, so that it is mentioned as a Moabitish town in the prophetic denunciations against that people, Isa 15:4; Isa 16:8-9; Jer 48:2, Jer 48:34, Jer 48:45; Jer 49:3. The ruins of the city still exist some 15 miles east of the northern end of the Dead Sea, on the great table-land of Moab. A small hill rises 200 feet above the general level, and upon this is Heshbon, now called Heshbun. The whole city must have had a circuit of about a mile. The hill is described as "one heap of shapeless ruin." "Jewish stones, Roman arches, Doric pillars, and Saracenic arches are all strangely mingled." -See Tristram, Land of Israel, p. 544. The site was admirably adapted for the capital of a warlike people. It was the key both to the plain of the Jordan and to the mountains of Gilead. East of the city are the remains of water-courses and an enormous cistern, or "fish-pond," which illustrates Cant. Acts 7:4.
HESH'BON (reason, device), a city originally belonging to the Moabites, but taken by Sihon, king of the Amorites, and made his capital; captured and occupied by the Israelites, Num 21:25-26; situated on the boundary
between Reuben and Gad; rebuilt by Reuben and made a Levitical city, then being territorially a Gadite city. Num 32:3, Num 32:37; Deut 1:4; Deut 2:24-30; 2 Sam 3:2,Deut 3:6; Deut 4:46; Deut 29:7; Josh 9:10; 1 Kgs 12:2, Josh 12:5; Josh 13:10-27; Acts 21:39; Jud 11:19, Jud 11:26; 1 Chr 6:81. In later times the Moabites regained possession of Heshbon, so that it is mentioned as a Moabitish town in the prophetic denunciations against that people, Isa 15:4; Isa 16:8-9; Jer 48:2, Jer 48:34, Jer 48:45; Jer 49:3. The ruins of the city still exist some 15 miles east of the northern end of the Dead Sea, on the great table-land of Moab. A small hill rises 200 feet above the general level, and upon this is Heshbon, now called Heshbun. The whole city must have had a circuit of about a mile. The hill is described as "one heap of shapeless ruin." "Jewish stones, Roman arches, Doric pillars, and Saracenic arches are all strangely mingled." -See Tristram, Land of Israel, p. 544. The site was admirably adapted for the capital of a warlike people. It was the key both to the plain of the Jordan and to the mountains of Gilead. East of the city are the remains of water-courses and an enormous cistern, or "fish-pond," which illustrates Cant. Acts 7:4.
Easton (1897), Smith (1863), Hitchcock (1869), Hastings (1898) and Schaff are in the public domain. Parsed text: neuu-org/bible-dictionary-dataset (CC BY 4.0). Headwords and whitespace normalised for this site.
37 verses in 9 books · English text: BSB (change it from the menu at the top) · Strong’s H2809
Israel captured all the cities of the Amorites and occupied them, including Heshbon and all its villages.
Heshbon was the city of Sihon king of the Amorites, who had fought against the former king of Moab and taken all his land as far as the Arnon.
That is why the poets say: “Come to Heshbon, let it be rebuilt; let the city of Sihon be restored.
For a fire went out from Heshbon, a blaze from the city of Sihon. It consumed Ar of Moab, the rulers of Arnonʼs heights.
But we have overthrown them; Heshbon is destroyed as far as Dibon. We demolished them as far as Nophah, which reaches to Medeba.”
But the LORD said to Moses, “Do not fear him, for I have delivered him into your hand, along with all his people and his land. Do to him as you did to Sihon king of the Amorites, who lived in Heshbon.”
“Ataroth, Dibon, Jazer, Nimrah, Heshbon, Elealeh, Sebam, Nebo, and Beon,
The Reubenites built up Heshbon, Elealeh, Kiriathaim,
This was after he had defeated Sihon king of the Amorites, who lived in Heshbon, and then at Edrei had defeated Og king of Bashan, who lived in Ashtaroth.
“Arise, set out, and cross the Arnon Valley. See, I have delivered into your hand Sihon the Amorite, king of Heshbon, and his land. Begin to take possession of it and engage him in battle.
So from the Wilderness of Kedemoth I sent messengers with an offer of peace to Sihon king of Heshbon, saying,
But Sihon king of Heshbon would not let us pass through, for the LORD your God had made his spirit stubborn and his heart obstinate, that He might deliver him into your hand, as is the case this day.
But the LORD said to me, “Do not fear him, for I have delivered him into your hand, along with all his people and his land. Do to him as you did to Sihon king of the Amorites, who lived in Heshbon.”
We devoted them to destruction, as we had done to Sihon king of Heshbon, utterly destroying the men, women, and children of every city.
while they were in the valley across the Jordan facing Beth-peor in the land of Sihon king of the Amorites, who lived in Heshbon and was defeated by Moses and the Israelites after they had come out of Egypt.
When you reached this place, Sihon king of Heshbon and Og king of Bashan came out against us in battle, but we defeated them.
and all that He did to the two kings of the Amorites beyond the Jordan—Sihon king of Heshbon and Og king of Bashan, who reigned in Ashtaroth.
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,
He ruled over Mount Hermon, Salecah, all of Bashan up to the border of the Geshurites and Maacathites, and half of Gilead to the border of Sihon king of Heshbon.
and all the cities of Sihon king of the Amorites who reigned in Heshbon, as far as the border of the Ammonites;
to Heshbon and all its cities on the plateau, including Dibon, Bamoth-baal, Beth-baal-meon,
all the cities of the plateau and all the kingdom of Sihon king of the Amorites, who reigned in Heshbon until Moses killed him and the chiefs of Midian (Evi, Rekem, Zur, Hur, and Reba), the princes of Sihon who lived in the land.
the territory from Heshbon to Ramath-mizpeh and Betonim, and from Mahanaim to the border of Debir;
and in the valley, Beth-haram, Beth-nimrah, Succoth, and Zaphon, with the rest of the kingdom of Sihon king of Heshbon (the territory on the east side of the Jordan up to the edge of the Sea of Chinnereth).
Heshbon, and Jazer—four cities in all, together with their pasturelands.
And Israel sent messengers to Sihon king of the Amorites, who ruled in Heshbon, and said to him, ‘Please let us pass through your land into our own place.’
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?
Heshbon, and Jazer, together with their pasturelands.
You gave them kingdoms and peoples and allotted to them every corner of the land. So they took the land of Sihon king of Heshbon and of Og king of Bashan.
Your neck is like a tower made of ivory; your eyes are like the pools of Heshbon by the gate of Bath-rabbim; your nose is like the tower of Lebanon, facing toward Damascus.
Heshbon and Elealeh cry out; their voices are heard as far as Jahaz. Therefore the soldiers of Moab cry out; their souls tremble within.
For the fields of Heshbon have withered, along with the grapevines of Sibmah. The rulers of the nations have trampled its choicest vines, which had reached as far as Jazer and spread toward the desert. Their shoots had spread out and passed over the sea.
So I weep with Jazer for the vines of Sibmah; I drench Heshbon and Elealeh with my tears. Triumphant shouts have fallen silent over your summer fruit and your harvest.
There is no longer praise for Moab; in Heshbon they devise evil against her: ‘Come, let us cut her off from nationhood.’ You too, O people of Madmen, will be silenced; the sword will pursue you.
There is a cry from Heshbon to Elealeh; they raise their voices to Jahaz, from Zoar to Horonaim and Eglath-shelishiyah; for even the waters of Nimrim have dried up.
“Those who flee will stand helpless in Heshbonʼs shadow, because fire has gone forth from Heshbon and a flame from within Sihon. It devours the foreheads of Moab and the skulls of the sons of tumult.
Wail, O Heshbon, for Ai has been destroyed; cry out, O daughters of Rabbah! Put on sackcloth and mourn; run back and forth within your walls, for Milcom will go into exile together with his priests and officials.
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.