Bible Strands
Joshua 13:21
all the cities of the plateau and all the kingdom of Sihon king of the Amorites, who reigned in Heshbon until Moses killed him and the chiefs of Midian (Evi, Rekem, Zur, Hur, and Reba), the princes of Sihon who lived in the land.
Berean Standard Bible
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Study note
Setting — Joshua records the territorial inventory of the eastern Jordan region during the final land distribution to Reuben, Gad, and half-Manasseh. The narrator lists conquered settlements and defeated rulers as the boundary markers for the allocated inheritance.
The words — The Hebrew עָרֵי הַמִּישׁוֹר ('a.rei ha.mi.shor) literally means "cities of the plain," while מַמְלְכֹּת סִיחוֹן (mam.le.khot si.chon) translates to "kingdom of Sihon." The text explicitly identifies Sihon as the Amorite king who ruled from Heshbon until Moses killed him, then names five Midianite chiefs slain alongside his princes.
The thread — The five Midianite chiefs appear again in Numbers 31:8 alongside the death of Balaam son of Beor. The conquest of Sihon's plateau cities is paralleled in Numbers 21:24, which records Israel taking the land from the Arnon to the Jabbok.
Why it lands — The passage demands recognition of the precise geographic and political boundaries fulfilled by Israel's campaigns. It requires the reader to track how specific conquered leaders and territories map directly onto the inherited land allocations.
Drafted by a language model from the text, its original words and its cross-references, then checked against them. It can still be wrong: open the verse in the app to report it.
The Hebrew words
King James Version
And all the cities of the plain, and all the kingdom of Sihon king of the Amorites, which reigned in Heshbon, whom Moses smote with the princes of Midian, Evi, and Rekem, and Zur, and Hur, and Reba, which were dukes of Sihon, dwelling in the country.
Cross-references
- Numbers 31:8 Among the slain were Evi, Rekem, Zur, Hur, and Reba—the five kings of Midian. They also killed Balaam son of Beor with the sword.
- Deuteronomy 3:10 all the cities of the plateau, all of Gilead, and all of Bashan as far as the cities of Salecah and Edrei in the kingdom of Og.
- Numbers 21:24 And Israel put him to the sword and took possession of his land, from the Arnon to the Jabbok—but only up to the border of the Ammonites, because it was fortified.
- Deuteronomy 2:30 But Sihon king of Heshbon would not let us pass through, for the LORD your God had made his spirit stubborn and his heart obstinate, that He might deliver him into your hand, as is the case this day.