Sigon (or Sikhon [1] ; Heb. סיחן ; according to Fürst - “great”, “strong”, according to Gesenius , “sweeping”, “deposing” [2] ) - Old Testament character ( Num. 21: 21— 31 and others); Amorite king who lost his possessions as a result of his refusal to let the Jews on their way to Canaan land [2] . It was considered a giant [3] .
| Sigon | |
|---|---|
| Floor | |
| Name in other languages | lat Sihon Heb. סיחן |
| Occupation | Amorean king |
| Father | Ahiya |
Bible story
Like the Wasan king Ogu , Sihon was considered a great and powerful king ( Psalm 135: 17-19 ) [1] . Shortly before the arrival of the Israelites, he fought with the Moabite king and robbed him of all the land to the Arnon River ( Num. 21: 26-29 ) [4] .
Sihon's possessions extended from the Arnon River in the south to Yabbok in the north, and from Jordan in the west to the desert in the east ( Num. 21:24 ; Judgment 11:22 ). According to Nav. 12: 3 and 13:27 , part of the Arava desert between Yabbok and Lake Genisaret entered the territory of Sihon. The capital of the kingdom of Sihon was Heshbon (Ebon; Heshbon), conquered by him and the king of Moab ( Num. 21:26 ). [one]
The five Midianite kings slain by the Israelites ( Num. 31: 8 ) were vassals of Sihon ( Nab. 13:21 ). Approaching the promised land , the Israelites asked Sihon for permission to pass through his possessions into the land of Canaan; he refused them and opposed them with an army, but was defeated by Yagats (Yagts; Num. 21: 21–35 ; Deut. 2:26 and so on; Judges 11:19 and so on). [1] [4]
Sihon himself was killed in battle, his capital was taken, and his land was divided between the Israelites [2] . The conquered land was given to the inheritance of the tribe of Reuben and Gad ( Num. 32:33 ; Deut. 29: 7 ). They occupied the whole land of Sihon from Arnon to Yabbok (Javok), to the limits of the Ammonites , and settled in Heshbon and in all the cities that depended on it ( Numbers 21: 30–31 ; Deut. 2: 26–36 ; Nav. 12: 2 —3 ; Jud. 11: 21-23 ) [4] . This area was later called the “land of Sihon” ( 1 Sam. 4:19 ). [one]
The marked victory over Sigon and soon another over Og , the king of Bashan , largely contributed to the Jews in the conquest of Canaan. The memory of the kings was preserved until later times, serving as a powerful means to strengthen faith in the people. “ He ... defeated many nations, and exterminated the kings of the mighty, ” exclaimed the Psalmist: “ Sigon, king of Amor, and Og, king of Bashan, and all the kingdoms of Canaan, and gave their land as a legacy, a legacy to Israel, to his people ” ( Ps. 134: 10-12 ). [2]
In Talmudic literature
According to the Talmud , Sihon is the brother of Og , both of them are sons of Ahiya [3] and grandchildren of the fallen angel Shamkhazai (Nidda, 61a). Sihon is similar to Ogu in its growth and courage (Midr. Agada Hukkat); he is identical with the Canaanite Arad (Numbers 21, 1), and Sihon was his nickname given to him because of his quickness reminiscent of a desert horse (Rosh ha Shana, 3a). [one]
The city of Heshbon (Evon; Heshbon) was so fortified that Sihon could take it away from the Moabite king only thanks to the curse pronounced by Balaam over the besieged army (Midr. Agad, lc) Sihon was defeated only after God subjugated Moses to his angel - the keeper (Ielammedenu, cited in Yalk., Numbers, 764). [one]
See also
- Giants in the Bible
Notes
- ↑ 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Sikhon // Jewish Encyclopedia of Brockhaus and Efron . - SPb. , 1908-1913.
- ↑ 1 2 3 4 Sigon // Biblical Encyclopedia of Archimandrite Nicephorus . - M. , 1891-1892.
- ↑ 1 2 Giants // Jewish Encyclopedia of Brockhaus and Efron . - SPb. , 1908-1913.
- ↑ 1 2 3 Sigon // Brockhaus and Efron Encyclopedic Dictionary : in 86 volumes (82 volumes and 4 additional). - SPb. , 1890-1907.