Joshua 12

The Kings Conquered by Joshua

1 These [are] the kings of the land whom the {Israelites} defeated, and of whose land they took possession beyond the Jordon {to the east}, from the wadi of Arnon up to Mount Hermon, and all the Arabah to the east:

2 Sihon king of the Amorites, who lived in Heshbon, and ruled from Aroer, which [is] on the edge of the wadi of Arnon, [from] the middle of the valley and half of Gilead, up to the {Jabbok River}, [which marks] the border of the {Ammonites};

3 and the Arabah up to the Kinnereth Sea to the east, and as far as the sea of Arabah, the Salt Sea to the east, {in the direction of} Beth Jeshimoth, and to [the area] southward, {at the foot of} the slopes of Pisgah;

4 the territory of Og king of Bashan, one of the last of the Rephaites, who lived at Ashtaroth and Edrei

5 and ruled over Mount Hermon and Salecah and over all Bashan up to the border of the Geshurites and the Maacathites, and half of Gilead, as far as the border of Sihon king of Heshbon.

6 Moses Yahweh's servant and the {Israelites} defeated them; and Moses Yahweh's servant gave it [as] a possession to the Reubenites, the Gadites, and the half-tribe of Manasseh.

The Kings Conquered by Moses

7 These [are] the kings of the land whom Joshua and the {Israelites} defeated beyond to the Jordan to the west, from Baal Gad in the valley of Lebanon, and up to Mount Halak, [which] rises to Seir. And Joshua gave it [as] a possession to the tribes of Israel according to their allotments,

8 in the hill country, the Shephelah, the Arabah, on the slopes, in the wilderness, and in the Negev; the Hittites, the Amorites, the Canaanites, the Perizzites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites:

9 the king of Jericho, one; the king of Ai, which [is] beside Bethel, one;

10 the king of Jerusalem, one; the king of Hebron, one;

11 the king of Jarmuth, one; the king of Lachish, one;

12 the king of Eglon, one; the king of Gezer, one;

13 the king of Debir, one; the king of Geder, one;

14 the king of Hormah, one; the king of Arad, one;

15 the king of Libnah, one; the king of Adullam, one;

16 the king of Makkedah, one; the king of Bethel, one;

17 the king of Tappuah, one; the king of Hepher, one;

18 the king of Aphek, one; the king of Lasharon, one;

19 the king of Madon, one; the king of Hazor, one;

20 the king of Shimron-meron, one; the king of Acshaph, one;

21 the king of Taanach, one; the king of Megiddo, one;

22 the king of Kedesh, one; the king of Jokneam in Carmel, one;

23 the king of Dor in Naphath Dor, one; the king of Goiim for Gilgal, one;

24 the king of Tirzah, one; all the kings, thirty-one.

Joshua 12 Commentary

Chapter 12

The two kings conquered by Moses. (1-6) The kings whom Joshua smote. (7-24)

Verses 1-6 Fresh mercies must not drown the remembrance of former mercies, nor must the glory of the present instruments of good to the church diminish the just honour of those who went before them, since God is the same who wrought by both. Moses gave to one part of Israel a very rich and fruitful country, but it was on the outside of Jordan. Joshua gave to all Israel the holy land, within Jordan. So the law has given to some few of God's spiritual Israel worldly blessings, earnests of good things to come; but our Lord Jesus, the true Joshua, provided for all the children of promise spiritual blessings, and the heavenly Canaan.

Verses 7-24 We have here the limits of the country Joshua conquered. A list is given of the kings subdued by Israel: thirty-one in all. This shows how fruitful Canaan then was, in which so many chose to throng together. This was the land God appointed for Israel; yet in our day it is one of the most barren and unprofitable countries in the world. Such is the effect of the curse it lies under, since its possessors rejected Christ and his gospel, as was foretold by Moses, ( Deuteronomy 29:23 ) . The vengeance of a righteous God, inflicted on all these kings and their subjects, for their wickedness, should make us dread and hate sin. The fruitful land bestowed on his chosen people, should fill our hearts with hope and confidence in his mercy, and with humble gratitude.

Footnotes

• [a]. Literally "sons/children of Israel"
• [b]. Literally "to the rising of the sun"
• [c]. A valley that is dry most of the year, but contains a stream during the rainy season
• [d]. A dry region that runs south of the Sea of Galilee along the Jordan Valley
• [e]. A valley that is dry most of the year, but contains a stream during the rainy season
• [f]. Literally "Jabbok the wadi"
• [g]. Literally "sons of Ammon" or "children of Ammon"
• [h]. A dry region that runs south of the Sea of Galilee along the Jordan Valley
• [i]. That is, the Sea of Galilee
• [j]. That is, the Dead Sea
• [k]. Literally "the way of"
• [l]. Literally "under"
• [m]. Or Ashdoth Pisgah
• [n]. Hebrew "Geshurite"
• [o]. Hebrew "Maacathite"
• [p]. Literally "sons/children of Israel"
• [q]. Hebrew "Reubenite"
• [r]. Hebrew "Gadite"
• [s]. Literally "sons/children of Israel"
• [t]. Or "white mountain"
• [u]. Or "lowlands"; a geographical region on the western edge of the hills of Judea
• [v]. A dry region that runs south of the Sea of Galilee along the Jordan Valley
• [w]. An arid region south of the Judaean hills
• [x]. Hebrew "Hittite"
• [y]. Hebrew "Amorite"
• [z]. Hebrew "Canaanite"
• [aa]. Hebrew "Perizzite"
• [ab]. Hebrew "Hivite"
• [ac]. Hebrew "Jebusite"

Chapter Summary

INTRODUCTION TO JOSHUA 12

This chapter gives a short account of the conquests made by the Israelites, both in the times of Moses and of Joshua, and first of the kingdom of Sihon and Og on the other side Jordan, in the times of Moses, and which he gave to the two tribes of Reuben and Gad, and the half tribe of Manasseh, and which are particularly described, Jos 12:1-6; and then of the kings and the countries on this side Jordan whom Joshua conquered, Jos 12:7,8; and the names of the thirty one kingdoms are recited, that so it might be exactly known and observed what were afterwards divided among the tribes and possessed by them, Jos 12:9-24.