Aroer

Aroer is a town on the edge of a river valley, and Deuteronomy places it exactly: “by the brink of the river of Arnon.” As Israel moved north on the east side of the Jordan, Moses used it as a marker for how far the conquest had reached. Numbers 32 says the children of Gad built it, and Deuteronomy 3 tells how this land was given to the Reubenites and the Gadites. A man named in 1 Chronicles 11 is called an Aroerite, so the town also gave someone his name.

4 verses

Numbers

Numbers 32:34

And the children of Gad built Dibon, and Ataroth, and Aroer,

Deuteronomy

Deuteronomy 2:36

From Aroer, which is by the brink of the river of Arnon, and from the city that is by the river, even unto Gilead, there was not one city too strong for us: the LORD our God delivered all unto us:

Deuteronomy 3:12

And this land, which we possessed at that time, from Aroer, which is by the river Arnon, and half mount Gilead, and the cities thereof, gave I unto the Reubenites and to the Gadites.

1 Chronicles

1 Chronicles 11:44

Uzzia the Ashterathite, Shama and Jehiel the sons of Hothan the Aroerite,

From Easton's Bible Dictionary

Matthew George Easton, 1897

Ruins. (1.) A town on the north bank of the Arnon (Deut. 4:48; Judg. 11:26; 2 Kings 10:33), the southern boundary of the kingdom of Sihon (Josh. 12:2). It is now called Arair, 13 miles west of the Dead Sea.

(2.) One of the towns built by the tribe of Gad (Num. 32:34) “before Rabbah” (Josh. 13:25), the Ammonite capital. It was famous in the history of Jephthah (Judg. 11:33) and of David (2 Sam. 24:5). (Comp. Isa. 17:2; 2 Kings 15:29.)

(3.) A city in the south of Judah, 12 miles south-east of Beersheba, to which David sent presents after recovering the spoil from the Amalekites at Ziklag (1 Sam. 30:26, 28). It was the native city of two of David’s warriors (1 Chr. 11:44). It is now called Ar’arah.

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From Smith's Bible Dictionary

William Smith, 1884

(ruins).

(1.) A city on the torrent Arnon, the southern point of the territory of Sihon king of the Amorites and afterwards of the tribe of Reuben, (2:36; 3:12; 4:48; Joshua 12:2; 13:9,16; Judges 11:26; 2 Kings 10:33; 1 Chronicles 5:8) but later again in possession of Moab. (Jeremiah 48:19) It is the modern Ara’ir , upon the very edge of the precipitous north bank of the Wady Mojeb .

(2.) Aroer, "that is “facing” Rahbah" (Rabbah of Ammon), a town built by and belonging to Gad. (Numbers 32:34; Joshua 13:25; 2 Samuel 24:5) This is probably the place mentioned in (Judges 11:33) which was shown in Jerome’s time.

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(3.) Aroer, in (Isaiah 17:2) if a place at all, must be still farther north than either of the two already named.

(4.) A town in Judah, named only in (1 Samuel 30:28) perhaps Wady Ar’arah , on the road from Petra to Gaza.