The Battle of Jahaz

EA Baker
40 minutes ago
5 min read

Wars of the Bible

The Israelites now arrive on the border of the Amorite territory as they make their way toward the Promised Land. Taking a long, circuitous route, they bypass the lands of Edom, Moab, and Ammon after being rejected by their rulers from passing through their territory. Then they came to the borders of the Amorites ruled by King Sihon.

Asking to pass through these lands along the King’s Highway, an important trade route during this time, King Sihon denies them. But he doesn’t just deny them, he views them as a threat. So much so, he musters his army and marches out to attack the Israelites at Jahaz.

King Sihon Defeated

21 Then Israel sent messengers to Sihon king of the Amorites, saying, 22 “Let me pass through your land. We will not turn aside into field or vineyard. We will not drink the water of a well. We will go by the King's Highway until we have passed through your territory.” 23 But Sihon would not allow Israel to pass through his territory. He gathered all his people together and went out against Israel to the wilderness and came to Jahaz and fought against Israel. 24 And Israel defeated him with the edge of the sword and took possession of his land from the Arnon to the Jabbok, as far as to the Ammonites, for the border of the Ammonites was strong. 25 And Israel took all these cities, and Israel settled in all the cities of the Amorites, in Heshbon, and in all its villages. 26 For Heshbon was the city of Sihon the king of the Amorites, who had fought against the former king of Moab and taken all his land out of his hand, as far as the Arnon. 27

Numbers 21:21–27

King Sihon, the Amorites, and Jahaz

King Sihon was the Amorite ruler of Heshbon, controlling a significant portion of Transjordan as Israel approached Canaan. Biblical accounts describe him as a powerful king who had previously defeated the Moabites and taken their northern territory. When Israel requested peaceful passage along the King’s Highway, Sihon refused, mobilized his army, and marched into the wilderness to confront Israel. His defeat at Jahaz opened the way for Israel to take the entire region from the Arnon River to the Jabbok River.

Ancient ruins with a single standing column amidst scattered stones. Overcast sky and distant fields in the background, creating a serene mood. — Ruins of Tell Hesban, the bibical location of Heshbon.

He ruled over the Amorites, a prominent Northwest Semitic people attested in both biblical literature and Mesopotamian sources. Rather than a single unified nation, they likely consisted of multiple city-states and tribal groups spread across Syria, Canaan, and Transjordan. In the Old Testament, the Amorites often represent strong Canaanite opposition. Sihon’s kingdom is portrayed as an Amorite stronghold, strategically located along the King’s Highway, controlling fertile plains and defended cities.

The Hebrew name Jahaz appears as יַהַּץ (Yahats) or יַהְצָה (Yahatsah). Most lexicons and biblical dictionaries translate the name as “trodden down” or “trampled”, suggesting a place associated with being crushed underfoot, perhaps reflecting its geographic openness or historical conflicts. Additional commentary traditions suggest an Arabic cognate meaning “break” or “split,” reinforcing the idea of a location that was exposed, crossed, or militarily contested.

The exact location of Jahaz remains uncertain, but several proposed sites exist based on biblical geography, archaeological surveys, and the Mesha Stele:

Generally placed north of the Arnon Gorge on the Transjordanian plateau.
Suggested locations include:
- Khirbat Islandar
- Regions near Wadi al-Wāla, southeast of Heshbon
- Areas around the headwaters of Wadi Waleh between the Arnon River and Jebel Humeh.
The Mesha Stele records that the Moabite king Mesha recaptured Jahaz from “Israel,” confirming it was a border city repeatedly fought over—consistent with the biblical description.

Taken together, most scholars place Jahaz in the Moab–Amorite border zone, on an open plain suitable for a large-scale battle such as the one described in Numbers 21.

My Spiritual Takeaways

For such a straightforward reading, it might be hard to understand what we are supposed to take away from it, beyond the historical event itself. But I think we can surmise two things from this reading that serve as good reminders for how God plays a role in our lives.

God fulfills His promises

God had always intended to give the Israelites the Promised Land. As long as they stayed faithful and obeyed, they would enter it. Yet, they stumbled and had to wander in the wilderness for a generation. Yet now, the next generation finally found themselves trying to reach the Promised Land, and bypassed three different territories that would not let them pass.

However, when they came to the Amorite lands, they offered peaceful passage along the King’s Highway and would even pay for food and water. But King Sihon, acting in fear (which we have seen throughout the Bible often leads to disaster) marches out to attack the Israelites. He comes upon them at Jahaz and is defeated.

God brings justice in His way

One of the key revealing passages in these verses is at the very tail end, where we learn that King Sihon had taken the lands the Israelites had just conquered from the Moabites. So, in some sense, it’s God’s justice taking those lands away from the Amorites and giving them to his chosen people.

While it’s always on His time, taking years to sometimes generations, God always delivers justice. We must remember not to take justice into our own hands, for we are mortals, and our desires and passions are always immediate, whereas God works on an eternal timeline. It’s frustrating, but we must be obedient to His justice and not act rashly to deliver ours.

In the next blog, we’ll take a look at the Battle of Edrei against King Og, who ruled over Bashan, a land of many walled cities.