Sihon

Biblical Account

The story of Sihon is told most fully in Numbers 21:21–35 and Deuteronomy 2:24–37. Sihon was king of the Amorites, with his capital at Heshbon. Scripture records that he had earlier fought against the king of Moab and taken his land as far as the Arnon River (Numbers 21:26). Numbers 21:27–30 preserves an ancient poem celebrating this event.

As the wilderness years were drawing to a close, Moses sent messengers to Sihon, asking to pass through only by "the king's high way" without touching the fields or drinking the water of the wells (Numbers 21:22; Deuteronomy 2:26–29). Sihon refused, gathered his army, and fought Israel at Jahaz. He was defeated and killed in the battle. Israel took possession of the land from the Arnon to the Jabbok and then went on to defeat Og, king of Bashan. After this victory Israel encamped in the plains of Moab across the Jordan (Numbers 22:1). Sihon's former territory became the inheritance of the tribes of Reuben and Gad and the half-tribe of Manasseh (Numbers 32:33; Joshua 13:10, 21, 27).

Significance Within Scripture

Sihon is usually mentioned together with Og, and his name serves as a byword for the victories God gave to Israel. Rahab said that when the people of Jericho heard of these events, their hearts melted (Joshua 2:10). Jephthah, in negotiating with the king of Ammon, cited this episode as grounds for Israel's rightful possession of the land (Judges 11:19–22). Nehemiah 9:22 and Psalms 135:11 and 136:19–20 celebrate this victory as one of God's saving acts. His name also appears in Jeremiah 48:45. Sihon is not mentioned by name in the New Testament.

Interpretation and Debated Issues

• Hardening: Deuteronomy 2:30 records that "the LORD thy God hardened his spirit, and made his heart obstinate." Along with the case of Pharaoh, this verse is frequently cited in discussions of predestination and free will. The Reformed tradition generally reads it as a text that reveals God's sovereign decree. The Wesleyan and Arminian traditions often explain it as an act of judicial judgment in which God hardened the heart of one who had already chosen to refuse.
• Destruction: Deuteronomy 2:34 records that the men, women, and children of the cities were utterly destroyed. This passage is discussed in connection with ethical questions about warfare in the Old Testament and the justice of God. Some interpreters regard it as hyperbole characteristic of ancient Near Eastern war rhetoric, while others take it literally.
• Extrabiblical Traditions: Jewish tradition, including the Talmud, reportedly contains accounts that describe Sihon and Og as brothers. The biblical text contains no such information.
• Historicity: Excavation results from the site identified with Heshbon are debated among scholars, a question bound up with the problem of dating the Exodus.

In the Korean Church

In the Korean church, Sihon is usually mentioned not as a subject in his own right but as part of the pair "Sihon and Og." He often appears in sermons in connection with the first victory of the conquest of Canaan and with the call to remember what God has done in the past. In Sunday school curricula, his story is treated as one scene in the wilderness journey and the Exodus narrative.