Joshua 13:16
in Joshua 13The 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,
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
And their border was from Aroer, that is on the edge of the valley of the Arnon, and the city that is in the middle of the valley, and all the plain by Medeba;
KJV
And their coast was from Aroer, that is on the bank of the river Arnon, and the city that is in the midst of the river, and all the plain by Medeba;
⋯
This verse in Joshua 13
Commentary
3 notes on this verseThis site's exposition
unto the tribe of the children
on Joshua 13:15-23
Reuben's towns carry the names of the gods Israel had fallen to a generation before. Bamoth-baal and Beth-baal-meon at verse 17 and Beth-peor at verse 20 are Baal's high places, Numbers 25:1-3 records what Israel did at Baal-peor, and Deuteronomy 34:6 buries Moses in a valley over against Beth-peor. Verse 22 is the only place in Scripture that calls Balaam a soothsayer, and it sets his death among the slain of Midian, which closes Numbers 31:8. Heshbon at the head of the list had been Moab's before Sihon took it at Numbers 21:26, and Isaiah 16:8 and Jeremiah 48 find Moab holding these same towns again long after Reuben is gone.
The record, by era
The Puritans and the Awakening2 voices
And their coast was from Aroer that is on the bank of the river Arnon,.... As the country of Sihon is described, Jos 13:9; from whence it appears that it was his country which was given to Reuben, though not all of it: and the city that is in the midst of the river; See Gill on Jos 13:9, and all the plain by Medeba; which reached unto Dibon, Jos 13:9.
If they had been appointed to a lot entire by themselves, Moses would have served them first, not because it was his own tribe, but because it was God's; but they must be provided for in another manner; their habitations must be scattered in all the tribes, and their maintenance brought out of all the tribes, and God himself was the portion both of their inheritance and of their cup, Deut. x.
The words behind it
17 Hebrew wordsEvery Hebrew word of this verse in the order it stands, with what it means and the door to its own study. The last column counts the times a word stands in the whole Bible: the rarer the word, the more the places it appears belong together.
| Hebrew | Sound | Meaning | Word study | In the Bible |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| וַיְהִ֨י | vayhi | and it belonged | H1961 → | 3559 times |
| לָהֶ֜ם | lahem | to <the> them | ||
| הַגְּב֗וּל | hagevul | the territory | H1366 → | 240 times |
| מֵעֲרוֹעֵ֡ר | mearoer | from Aroer | H6177 → | 16 times |
| אֲשֶׁר֩ | ʾasher | which | H834 → | 5497 times |
| עַל־ | ʾal- | [is] on | H5921 → | 5755 times |
| שְׂפַת־ | sefat- | [the] edge of | H8193 → | 176 times |
| נַ֨חַל | nachal | [the] wadi of | H5158 → | 141 times |
| אַרְנ֜וֹן | ʾarnon | Arnon | H769 → | 25 times |
| וְהָעִ֨יר | vehair | and the city | H5892 → | 1090 times |
| אֲשֶׁ֧ר | ʾasher | which | H834 → | 5497 times |
| בְּתוֹךְ־ | betokh- | [is] in [the] middle of | H8432 → | 418 times |
| הַנַּ֛חַל | hanachal | the wadi | H5158 → | 141 times |
| וְכָל־ | vekhol | and all | H3605 → | 5413 times |
| הַמִּישֹׁ֖ר | hamishor | the plain | H4334 → | 23 times |
| עַל־ | ʾal- | at | H5921 → | 5755 times |
| מֵידְבָֽא׃ | meideva' | Medeba | H4311 → |
וַיְהִ֨יand it belonged
vayhiH1961 →3559 times
לָהֶ֜םto <the> them
lahem
הַגְּב֗וּלthe territory
hagevulH1366 →240 times
מֵעֲרוֹעֵ֡רfrom Aroer
mearoerH6177 →16 times
אֲשֶׁר֩which
ʾasherH834 →5497 times
עַל־[is] on
ʾal-H5921 →5755 times
שְׂפַת־[the] edge of
sefat-H8193 →176 times
נַ֨חַל[the] wadi of
nachalH5158 →141 times
אַרְנ֜וֹןArnon
ʾarnonH769 →25 times
וְהָעִ֨ירand the city
vehairH5892 →1090 times
אֲשֶׁ֧רwhich
ʾasherH834 →5497 times
בְּתוֹךְ־[is] in [the] middle of
betokh-H8432 →418 times
הַנַּ֛חַלthe wadi
hanachalH5158 →141 times
וְכָל־and all
vekholH3605 →5413 times
הַמִּישֹׁ֖רthe plain
hamishorH4334 →23 times
עַל־at
ʾal-H5921 →5755 times
מֵידְבָֽא׃Medeba
meideva'H4311 →
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
The walk
8 stopsEach card is a verse this one points to, and under it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it.
Through
Isaiah 15:4Heshbon and Elealeh cry out; their voices are heard as far as Jahaz. Therefore the soldiers of Moab cry out; their souls tremble within.
it leads to
- Jeremiah 48:34
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.
- Jonah 4:3
And now, O LORD, please take my life from me, for it is better for me to die than to live.”
- Judges 11:20
But Sihon would not trust Israel to pass through his territory. So he gathered all his people, encamped in Jahaz, and fought with Israel.
- 1 Kings 19:4
while he himself traveled on a day’s journey into the wilderness. He sat down under a broom tree and prayed that he might die. “I have had enough, LORD,” he said. “Take my life,…
- Numbers 32:3–4
“Ataroth, Dibon, Jazer, Nimrah, Heshbon, Elealeh, Sebam, Nebo, and Beon,
- Jeremiah 48:34
Through
Joshua 13:9The 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,
it leads to
- Numbers 21:30
But we have overthrown them; Heshbon is destroyed as far as Dibon. We demolished them as far as Nophah, which reaches to Medeba.”
- Numbers 21:30
Through
Joshua 12:2Sihon 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…
it leads to
- Genesis 32:22
During the night Jacob got up and took his two wives, his two maidservants, and his eleven sons, and crossed the ford of the Jabbok.
- Judges 11:13
The king of the Ammonites answered Jephthah’s messengers, “When Israel came up out of Egypt, they seized my land, from the Arnon to the Jabbok and all the way to the Jordan. Now, therefore,…
- Genesis 32:22
About Joshua

This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763); Keil and Delitzsch, Biblical Commentary on the Old Testament: Joshua, Judges, Ruth and Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible.
