Heshbon
חֶשְׁבּוֹן · chesh.bon · H2809“invention; industry” Hitchcock's 186937 mentions in 9 books, most in Joshua (9)
Where it is
31.80° N, 35.81° E
Coordinates and map: OpenBible.info Bible Geocoding · CC BY 4.0 · drawn without map tiles
Mentioned most in
Counted from 37 references · STEPBible, Tyndale House Cambridge · CC BY 4.0
About this place
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.
Article: STEPBible, Tyndale House Cambridge · CC BY 4.0
Every mention
37 references, counted from STEPBible, Tyndale House Cambridge · CC BY 4.0 · verse text: World English Bible (public domain)
Numbers8 mentions
Numbers 21:25Israel took all these cities. Israel lived in all the cities of the Amorites, in Heshbon, and in all its villages.Numbers 21:26For Heshbon was the city of Sihon the king of the Amorites, who had fought against the former king of Moab, and taken all his land out of his hand, even to the Arnon.Numbers 21:27Therefore those who speak in proverbs say, “Come to Heshbon. Let the city of Sihon be built and established;Numbers 21:28for a fire has gone out of Heshbon, a flame from the city of Sihon. It has devoured Ar of Moab, The lords of the high places of the Arnon.Numbers 21:30We have shot at them. Heshbon has perished even to Dibon. We have laid waste even to Nophah, Which reaches to Medeba.”Numbers 21:34Yahweh said to Moses, “Don’t fear him, for I have delivered him into your hand, with all his people, and his land. You shall do to him as you did to Sihon king of the Amorites, who lived…Numbers 32:3“Ataroth, Dibon, Jazer, Nimrah, Heshbon, Elealeh, Sebam, Nebo, and Beon,Numbers 32:37The children of Reuben built Heshbon, Elealeh, Kiriathaim,
Deuteronomy8 mentions
Deuteronomy 1:4after he had struck Sihon the king of the Amorites who lived in Heshbon, and Og the king of Bashan who lived in Ashtaroth, at Edrei.Deuteronomy 2:24“Rise up, take your journey, and pass over the valley of the Arnon. Behold, I have given into your hand Sihon the Amorite, king of Heshbon, and his land; begin to possess it, and contend…Deuteronomy 2:26I sent messengers out of the wilderness of Kedemoth to Sihon king of Heshbon with words of peace, saying,Deuteronomy 2:30But Sihon king of Heshbon would not let us pass by him, for Yahweh your God hardened his spirit and made his heart obstinate, that he might deliver him into your hand, as it is today.Deuteronomy 3:2Yahweh said to me, “Don’t fear him; for I have delivered him, with all his people and his land, into your hand. You shall do to him as you did to Sihon king of the Amorites, who lived at…Deuteronomy 3:6We utterly destroyed them, as we did to Sihon king of Heshbon, utterly destroying every inhabited city, with the women and the little ones.Deuteronomy 4:46beyond the Jordan, in the valley opposite Beth Peor, in the land of Sihon king of the Amorites, who lived at Heshbon, whom Moses and the children of Israel struck when they came out of…Deuteronomy 29:7When you came to this place, Sihon the king of Heshbon and Og the king of Bashan came out against us to battle, and we struck them.
Joshua9 mentions
Joshua 9:10and all that he did to the two kings of the Amorites who were beyond the Jordan, to Sihon king of Heshbon and to Og king of Bashan, who was at Ashtaroth.Joshua 12:2Sihon king of the Amorites, who lived in Heshbon, and ruled from Aroer, which is on the edge of the valley of the Arnon, and the middle of the valley, and half Gilead, even to the river…Joshua 12:5and ruled in Mount Hermon, and in Salecah, and in all Bashan, to the border of the Geshurites and the Maacathites, and half Gilead, the border of Sihon king of Heshbon.Joshua 13:10and all the cities of Sihon king of the Amorites, who reigned in Heshbon, to the border of the children of Ammon;Joshua 13:17Heshbon, and all its cities that are in the plain; Dibon, Bamoth Baal, Beth Baal Meon,Joshua 13:21all the cities of the plain, and all the kingdom of Sihon king of the Amorites, who reigned in Heshbon, whom Moses struck with the chiefs of Midian, Evi, Rekem, Zur, Hur, and Reba, the…Joshua 13:26and from Heshbon to Ramath Mizpeh, and Betonim; and from Mahanaim to the border of Debir;Joshua 13:27and in the valley, Beth Haram, Beth Nimrah, Succoth, and Zaphon, the rest of the kingdom of Sihon king of Heshbon, the Jordan’s bank, to the uttermost part of the sea of Chinnereth beyond…Joshua 21:39Heshbon with its pasture lands, Jazer with its pasture lands: four cities in all.
Judges2 mentions
Judges 11:19Israel sent messengers to Sihon king of the Amorites, the king of Heshbon; and Israel said to him, ‘Please let us pass through your land to my place.’Judges 11:26Israel lived in Heshbon and its towns, and in Aroer and its towns, and in all the cities that are along the side of the Arnon for three hundred years! Why didn’t you recover them within…
1 Chronicles1 mention
Song of Solomon1 mention
Isaiah3 mentions
Isaiah 15:4Heshbon cries out with Elealeh. Their voice is heard even to Jahaz. Therefore the armed men of Moab cry aloud. Their souls tremble within them.Isaiah 16:8For the fields of Heshbon languish with the vine of Sibmah. The lords of the nations have broken down its choice branches, which reached even to Jazer, which wandered into the wilderness.…Isaiah 16:9Therefore I will weep with the weeping of Jazer for the vine of Sibmah. I will water you with my tears, Heshbon, and Elealeh: for on your summer fruits and on your harvest the battle shout…
Jeremiah4 mentions
Jeremiah 48:2The praise of Moab is no more. In Heshbon they have devised evil against her: ‘Come! Let’s cut her off from being a nation.’ You also, Madmen, will be brought to silence. The sword will…Jeremiah 48:34From the cry of Heshbon even to Elealeh, even to Jahaz they have uttered their voice, from Zoar even to Horonaim, to Eglath Shelishiyah; for the waters of Nimrim will also become desolate.Jeremiah 48:45“Those who fled stand without strength under the shadow of Heshbon; for a fire has gone out of Heshbon, and a flame from the middle of Sihon, and has devoured the corner of Moab, and the…Jeremiah 49:3“Wail, Heshbon, for Ai is laid waste! Cry, you daughters of Rabbah! Clothe yourself in sackcloth. Lament, and run back and forth among the fences; for Malcam will go into captivity, his…
What the dictionary says
Intelligence, a city ruled over by Sihon, king of the Amorites (Josh. 3:10; 13:17).
Easton's Bible Dictionary (1897)
Read the article →Sources
- STEPBible TIPNR · Translators Individualised Proper Names with all References · CC BY 4.0 · github.com/STEPBible/STEPBible-Data
- OpenBible.info Bible Geocoding · CC BY 4.0 · www.openbible.info/geo/
- Hitchcock's Bible Names Dictionary (1869) · Public domain