Skip to content
mannafest.faith
Read

Joshua 13:16

in Joshua 13

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,

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

4 notes on this verse

This site's exposition

what Moses had given to the clans of the tribe of Reuben

on Joshua 13:15-23

Verse 22 is the only verse that calls Balaam a diviner, and it sets his death among the slain of Midian, closing Numbers 31:8. Heshbon had been Moab's before Sihon took it at Numbers 21:26, and Isaiah 16:8 and Jeremiah 48 find Moab holding these towns again.

This site's exposition

to the whole plateau beyond Medeba

Reuben's southern line repeats the description of Sihon's kingdom at verse 9, from Aroer on the Arnon. John Gill concludes that Reuben received Sihon's land, though only part of it. The rest goes to Gad at verse 27.

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.

A commentator

Matthew Henry

1662–1714

Commentary on the Whole Bible (1710)

proposed

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 words

Every 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.

  • 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.

Related verses

15 in all, six open

The number beside each verse is how many compiled reference works tie it to this one. The strongest six stand open.

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,5 works1 Samuel 30:28to those in Aroer, Siphmoth, and Eshtemoa;5 works2 Samuel 24:5They crossed the Jordan and camped near Aroer, south of the town in the middle of the valley, and proceeded toward Gad and Jazer.4 worksJoshua 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 the Ammonites), that is, half of Gilead,3 works1 Chronicles 19:7So they hired for themselves thirty-two thousand chariots, as well as the king of Maacah with his troops, who came and camped near Medeba while the Ammonites came from their cities and marched out for battle.3 worksIsaiah 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.2 works
The other 9 cross-references, with their words ▾
Numbers 21:28–30For a fire went out from Heshbon, a blaze from the city of Sihon. It consumed Ar of Moab, the rulers of Arnon’s heights.2 worksNumbers 32:33–38So Moses gave to the Gadites, to the Reubenites, and to the half-tribe of Manasseh son of Joseph the kingdom of Sihon king of the Amorites and the kingdom of Og king of Bashan—the land including its cities and the territory surrounding them.2 worksIsaiah 16:7–9Therefore let Moab wail; let them wail together for Moab. Moan for the raisin cakes of Kir-hareseth, you who are utterly stricken.2 worksDeuteronomy 3:12So 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.2 worksJeremiah 48:21–24Judgment has come upon the high plain—upon Holon, Jahzah, and Mephaath,2 worksIsaiah 15:1–2This is the burden against Moab: Ar in Moab is ruined, destroyed in a night! Kir in Moab is devastated, destroyed in a night!2 worksDeuteronomy 2:36From 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.2 worksIsaiah 16:2Like fluttering birds pushed out of the nest, so are the daughters of Moab at the fords of the Arnon:2 worksIsaiah 17:2The cities of Aroer are forsaken; they will be left to the flocks, which will lie down with no one to fear.2 works

The walk

8 stops

Each 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 15:4

    Heshbon 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,

  • Through

    Joshua 13:9

    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,

    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.”

  • Through

    Joshua 12:2

    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…

    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,…

Where this verse is studied

About Joshua

Joshua Commanding the Sun to Stand Still upon Gibeon, John Martin, 1816, National Gallery of Art. Public domain.
Joshua Commanding the Sun to Stand Still upon Gibeon, John Martin, 1816, National Gallery of Art. Public domain.
Joshua: the study guide →Read Joshua 13 →

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.

Read on in Joshua 13 →