SEHON (Hebr. Sīhôn; Gk. Σηδόν). — Amorite king of Hesebon, beyond the Jordan. Even before their arrival from the desert in Canaan, the Israelites had conquered certain territories between the Jordan, the Jabbok, and the Arnon, inhabited by Ammonites and Moabites (Num. 21:26–30; Iudc. 11:15 ff.). Since the King denied the Hebrews passage, they decided to force their way with arms: in a few engagements S. was overwhelmed and killed, and his territories became an Israelite possession (Num. 21:21 ff.; 32:33; Deut. 1:4; 2:24 ff.; 3:2–6; 4:46; 29:7; 31:4; cf. Ios. 2:10, etc.).
There is still mention of the “land of S. the Amorite,” meaning the regions formerly under his rule, in the Solomonic period (I Reg. 4:19) and probably still in the time of Jeremiah (Ier. 48:45, alluding to Num. 21:28: in Jeremiah, instead of “from the midst [mibbên] of S.,” one should probably read “of the house” [mibbêth], that is, “city or region of S.”).