Joshua 12

Territory East of the Jordan

1 The Israelites struck down the following kings of the land and took possession of their land beyond the Jordan to the east and from the Arnon Valley to Mount Hermon, including all the Arabah eastward:

2 Sihon king of the Amorites lived in Heshbon. He ruled [over the territory] from Aroer on the rim of the Arnon Valley, along the middle of the valley, and half of Gilead up to the Jabbok River (the border of the Ammonites),

3 the Arabah east of the Sea of Chinnereth^[a] to the Sea of the Arabah (that is, the Dead Sea), eastward through Beth-jeshimoth and southward^[b] below the slopes of Pisgah.

4 Og^[c] king of Bashan, of the remnant of the Rephaim, lived in Ashtaroth and Edrei.

5 He ruled over Mount Hermon, Salecah, all Bashan up to the Geshurite and Maacathite border, and half of Gilead to the border of Sihon, king of Heshbon.

6 Moses the Lord's servant and the Israelites struck them^[d] down. And Moses the Lord's servant gave their land as an inheritance to the Reubenites, Gadites, and half the tribe of Manasseh.^[e]

Territory West of the Jordan

7 Joshua and the Israelites struck down the following kings of the land beyond the Jordan to the west, from Baal-gad in the valley of Lebanon to Mount Halak, which ascends toward Seir (Joshua gave their land as an inheritance to the tribes of Israel according to their allotments:

8 the hill country, the Judean foothills,^[f] the plain,^[g] the slopes, the desert, and the Negev of the Hittites, Amorites, Canaanites, Perizzites, Hivites, and Jebusites):

9 the king of Jericho one the king of Ai, which is next to 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 Achshaph 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 Naphoth-dor^[h] one the king of Goiim in Gilgal^[i] one

24 the king of Tirzah one [the total number of] all kings: 31

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]. The Sea of Galilee
• [b]. Or and from Teman
• [c]. LXX; MT reads The territory of Og
• [d]. Nm 21:21-35; Dt 2:26-3:11; 29:7
• [e]. Dt 3:12-17; 29:8
• [f]. Or the Shephelah
• [g]. Or the Arabah
• [h]. Or in the Slopes of Dor
• [i]. LXX reads Galilee

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.