A town in the territory of Reuben, located on the rim of the valley of the Arnon River.
About Aroer (of Reuben)
A Transjordanian (east of the Jordan River) city existing from Moses’s time until the fall of Jerusalem in 586 BC. Aroer was one of the cities that Israel conquered from Sihon the Amorite and Og the Bashanite. Aroer was on the southern border of the area assigned to the tribes of Gad and Reuben and to half of Manasseh’s tribe (Joshua 13:9). It was located on the northern rim of the large Arnon Canyon (Deuteronomy 2:36; 3:12; 4:48; Joshua 13:9). Aroer was likely rebuilt after Israel destroyed it (compare Joshua 12:2; Numbers 32:34).
Aroer was the hub city for a number of villages (Judges 11:26). It was the city from which the census began under King David (2 Samuel 24:5). The Moabites gained control of it during the later monarchy and kept it until the time of Jeremiah (Jeremiah 48:19). King Hazael of Damascus captured Aroer, assuring Syrian control of Transjordan (2 Kings 10:33).
Aroer has been identified with a mound beside the village ’Ara’ir. This location is about 4.8 kilometers (three miles) southeast of Dibon on the east side of the ancient north-south Transjordan highway.
Key References
From 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.
extending from Aroer on the rim of the Arnon Valley as far as Mount Siyon (that is, Hermon),
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 the Ammonites), that is, half of Gilead,
All Scripture References (13)
Numbers (1)
And the Gadites built up Dibon, Ataroth, Aroer,
Deuteronomy (3)
From 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.
So 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.
extending from Aroer on the rim of the Arnon Valley as far as Mount Siyon (that is, Hermon),
Joshua (3)
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 the Ammonites), that is, half of Gilead,
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,
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,
Judges (1)
For three hundred years Israel has lived in Heshbon, Aroer, and their villages, as well as all the cities along the banks of the Arnon. Why did you not take them back during that time?
2 Samuel (1)
They crossed the Jordan and camped near Aroer, south of the town in the middle of the valley, and proceeded toward Gad and Jazer.
2 Kings (1)
from the Jordan eastward through all the land of Gilead (the region of Gad, Reuben, and Manasseh), and from Aroer by the Arnon Valley through Gilead to Bashan.
1 Chronicles (1)
and Bela son of Azaz, the son of Shema, the son of Joel. They settled in Aroer and as far as Nebo and Baal-meon.
Isaiah (1)
The cities of Aroer are forsaken; they will be left to the flocks, which will lie down with no one to fear.
Jeremiah (1)
Stand by the road and watch, O dweller of Aroer! Ask the man fleeing or the woman escaping, ‘What has happened?’