Joshua 12

1 Now these are the kings of the land, whom the children of Yisra'el struck, and possessed their land beyond the Yarden toward the sunrise, from the valley of the Arnon to Mount Hermon, and all the `Aravah eastward:

2 Sichon king of the Amori, who lived in Heshbon, and ruled from `Aro`er, which is on the edge of the valley of the Arnon, and [the city that is in] the middle of the valley, and half Gil`ad, even to the river Yabbok, the border of the children of `Ammon;

3 and the `Aravah to the sea of Kinnarot, eastward, and to the sea of the `Aravah, even the Salt Sea, eastward, the way to Beit-Hayshimot; and on the south, under the slopes of Pisgah:

4 and the border of `Og king of Bashan, of the remnant of the Refa'im, who lived at `Ashtarot and at Edre`i,

5 and ruled in Mount Hermon, and in Salkhah, and in all Bashan, to the border of the Geshuri and the Ma`akhati, and half Gil`ad, the border of Sichon king of Heshbon.

6 Moshe the servant of the LORD and the children of Yisra'el struck them: and Moshe the servant of the LORD gave it for a possession to the Re'uveni, and the Gadi, and the half-tribe of Menashsheh.

7 These are the kings of the land whom Yehoshua and the children of Yisra'el struck beyond the Yarden westward, from Ba`al-Gad in the valley of Levanon even to Mount Halak, that goes up to Se`ir; and Yehoshua gave it to the tribes of Yisra'el for a possession according to their divisions;

8 in the hill-country, and in the lowland, and in the `Aravah, and in the slopes, and in the wilderness, and in the South; the Hittite, the Amori, and the Kana`ani, the Perizzi, the Hivvi, and the Yevusi:

9 the king of Yericho, one; the king of `Ai, which is beside Beit-El, one;

10 the king of Yerushalayim, one; the king of Hevron, one;

11 the king of Yarmut, one; the king of Lakhish, one;

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

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

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

15 the king of Livna, one; the king of `Adullam, one;

16 the king of Makkedah, one; the king of Beit-El, one;

17 the king of Tappuach, one; the king of Hefer, one;

18 the king of Afek, one; the king of Lassharon, one;

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

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

21 the king of Ta`nakh, one; the king of Megiddo, one;

22 the king of Kedesh, one; the king of Yokne`am in Karmel, one;

23 the king of Dor in the height of Dor, one; the king of Goyim in Gilgal, one;

24 the king of Tirtzah, 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.

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.