Sihon- Hebrew/Jewish FigureMortal"King of the Amorites"
Also known as: Sichon and סיחון
Description
Amorite king who refused Israel peaceful passage through his land and attacked them. He was defeated in battle by Moses, his territory between the Arnon and Jabbok rivers becoming Israelite possession.
Mythology & Lore
King of the Amorites
Sihon ruled from Heshbon, a city between the Arnon and Jabbok rivers in Transjordan. Before Israel's arrival, he had already proven himself a formidable warrior-king, conquering the Moabites and expanding his territory southward. An ancient victory song preserved in Numbers celebrates Heshbon's conquest: "Come to Heshbon, let it be built; let the city of Sihon be established. For fire came out from Heshbon, flame from the city of Sihon. It devoured Ar of Moab, and swallowed the heights of the Arnon."
The Battle at Jahaz
As Israel approached Amorite territory, Moses sent messengers offering peaceful passage: "Let me pass through your land. We will go only by the road; we will not turn aside to the right or to the left. You shall sell me food for money, that I may eat, and give me water for money, that I may drink." Sihon refused. He gathered his army and marched against Israel at Jahaz.
Deuteronomy adds that God hardened Sihon's spirit and made his heart obstinate, the same language used of Pharaoh during the Exodus. The result was decisive: Israel defeated Sihon and his forces, captured all his cities, and took possession of the land from the Arnon to the Jabbok. His territory became the inheritance of the tribes of Reuben and Gad, the first Israelite holdings east of the Jordan.
Remembered in Worship
Sihon's defeat, paired with Og's, became a fixed element in Israel's psalms of thanksgiving. Psalm 136 incorporates both kings into its litany: "To Sihon king of the Amorites, for his steadfast love endures forever; and Og king of Bashan, for his steadfast love endures forever; and gave their land as a heritage." Sihon was the first king to fall before Israel in open battle.