Now these are the kings of the land, whom the children of Israel struck, and possessed their land beyond the Jordan toward the sunrise, from the valley of the Arnon to Mount Hermon, and all the Arabah eastward: Sihon king of the Amorites, who lived in Heshbon, and ruled from Aroer, which is on the edge of the valley of the Arnon, and the middle of the valley, and half Gilead, even to the river Jabbok, the border of the children of Ammon; and the Arabah to the sea of Chinneroth, eastward, and to the sea of the Arabah, even the Salt Sea, eastward, the way to Beth Jeshimoth; and on the south, under the slopes of Pisgah: and the border of Og king of Bashan, of the remnant of the Rephaim, who lived at Ashtaroth and at Edrei, and ruled in Mount Hermon, and in Salecah, and in all Bashan, to the border of the Geshurites and the Maacathites, and half Gilead, the border of Sihon king of Heshbon.
Moses the servant of Yahweh and the children of Israel struck them. Moses the servant of Yahweh gave it for a possession to the Reubenites, and the Gadites, and the half-tribe of Manasseh. These are the kings of the land whom Joshua and the children of Israel struck beyond the Jordan westward, from Baal Gad in the valley of Lebanon even to Mount Halak, that goes up to Seir. Joshua gave it to the tribes of Israel for a possession according to their divisions;
in the hill country, and in the lowland, and in the Arabah, and in the slopes, and in the wilderness, and in the South; the Hittite, the Amorite, and the Canaanite, the Perizzite, the Hivite, and the Jebusite:
John Calvin 1540 · Public Domain On v1 1. NOW these are the kings, etc This chapter…
1. NOW these are the kings, etc This chapter does not need a lengthened exposition, as it only enumerates the kings of whose territories the Israelites gained possession. Two of them are beyond the Jordan, Og and Sihon, whose rule was extensive; in the land of Canaan there are thirty-one. But though each of those now summarily mentioned was previously given more in detail, there is very good reason for here placing before our eyes as it were a living picture of the goodness of God, proving that there had been a complete ratification and performance of the covenant made with Abraham as given in the words, “Unto thy seed will I give this land.” (Genesis 12:7; Genesis 13:15; Genesis 15:18) This living image of the grace of God is here set before us as if the reality were actually present. Joshua was eighty years of age when he entered the land. In this aged man how could there be so much vigor as to fit him for carrying on so many wars and enduring the fatigues of warfare, had not celestial virtue furnished him with more than mortal strength? And were not his uninterrupted career of victory, his success under all circumstances, the ease, free from doubt and uncertainty, with which he stormed cities, the rapidity of his movements, and his inflexible firmness — were not all these clear evidences of the hand of God, just as if it had appeared from heaven?
The object of defining the countries by their boundaries was to give a better display of the divine power by setting forth their extent; but this of course was only for those to whom their site was known. Hence, for any one not acquainted with the geography to dwell upon the names, would be vain and foolish curiosity. I admit, indeed, that it is useful to pay attention to the places with which, from their being often mentioned in Scripture, our knowledge ought to be somewhat more familiar, as when the boundaries are fixed by the brook Jabok, in the district of Lebanon and the lake of Gennesaret, here called the Sea of Cineroth, and elsewhere Cinereth. For a slight attention will help us to understand the narrative. If we cannot go farther, let us leave those who are better skilled to give a more searching discussion of what is beyond our reach. But although the dominions of these petty kings were narrow and not very populous, we shall however see that many towns were annexed to their principal cities; their number may be ascertained especially from what is said of the lot of the Levites. On the other hand, if we reflect how one small territory could receive and maintain old men, women, and children, nay, a great part of the people with their domestic animals, we cannot fail to admire the inestimable goodness of God which prevented all things from being thrown into complete and irremediable confusion.
John Calvin's Commentaries (1540-1563) — public domain. Text from the Calvin Translation Society English edition (1840s-50s) via the Christian Classics Ethereal Library (ccel.org). Calvin's coverage is partial (roughly two-thirds of the Bible); uncommented books and verses are honest gaps, never fabricated. The 19th-century editor's footnotes and remarks are omitted so the notes are faithfully Calvin's own voice.
Geneva Bible translators 1599 · Public Domain On vv1, 3, 7, 8 From Gilgal where Joshua camped.
From Gilgal where Joshua camped.
Geneva Bible (1599) marginal notes — public domain.
John Trapp 1656 · Public Domain On vv1–8 Jos 12:1 Now these [are] the kings of the…
Jos 12:1 Now these [are] the kings of the land, which the children of Israel smote, and possessed their land on the other side Jordan toward the rising of the sun, from the river Arnon unto mount Hermon, and all the plain on the east:
Ver. 1. Now these are the kings.] Here we have the epilogue of Israel’s wars under Moses and Joshua; together with a catalogue of the countries which they conquered, and the kings whom they slew.
John Trapp, A Commentary or Exposition upon All the Books of the Old and New Testament (1647–1656) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
Matthew Poole 1685 · Public Domain On vv1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 8 On the east of Jordan, called the plain, Deu…
On the east of Jordan, called the plain, Deu 1:1, and the plains of Moab, Deu 34:1.
Matthew Poole's English Annotations on the Holy Bible (1683–1685) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.
Matthew Henry 1710 · Public Domain On vv1, 7 Joshua, or whoever else is the historian before he…
Joshua, or whoever else is the historian before he comes to sum up the new conquests Israel had made, in these verses receives their former conquests in Moses's time, under whom they became masters of the great and potent kingdoms of Sihon and Og. Note, Fresh mercies must not drown the remembrance of former mercies, nor must the glory of the present instruments of good to the church be suffered to eclipse and diminish the just honour of those who have gone before them, and who were the blessings and ornaments of their day. Joshua's services and achievements are confessedly great, but let not those under Moses be overlooked and forgotten, since God was the same who wrought both, and both put together proclaim him the Alpha and Omega of Israel's great salvation. Here is, 1. A description of this conquered country, the measure and bounds of it in general (Jos 12:1): From the river Arnon in the south, to Mount Hermon in the north. In particular, here is a description of the kingdom of Sihon (Jos 12:2, Jos 12:3), and that of Og, Jos 12:4, Jos 12:5. Moses had described this country very particularly (Deu 2:36; Deu 3:4, etc.), and this description here agrees with his. King Og is said to dwell at Ashtaroth and Edrei (Jos 12:4), probably because they were both his royal cities; he had palaces in both, and resided sometimes in one and sometimes in the other; one perhaps was his summer seat and the other his winter seat. But Israel took both from him, and made one grave to serve him that could not be content with one palace. 2. The distribution of this country. Moses assigned it to the two tribes and a half, at their request, and divided it among them (Jos 12:6), of which we had the story at large, Num. 32. The dividing of it when it was conquered by Moses is here mentioned as an example to Joshua what he must do now that he had conquered the country on this side Jordan. Moses, in his time, gave to one part of Israel a very rich and fruitful country, but it was on the outside of Jordan; but Joshua gave to all Israel the holy land, the mountain of God's sanctuary, within Jordan: so the law conferred upon some few of God's spiritual Israel external temporal blessings, which were earnests of good things to come; but our Lord Jesus, the true Joshua, has provided for all the children of promise spiritual blessings - the privileges of the sanctuary, and the heavenly Canaan. The triumphs and grants of the law were glorious, but those of the gospel far exceed in glory.
Matthew Henry's Commentary on the Whole Bible (1708–1710) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.
John Gill 1763 · Public Domain On vv1–8 Now these are the kings of the land which…
Now these are the kings of the land which the children of Israel smote,.... In the days of Moses, as Jarchi remarks, and as it clearly appears from what follows:
and possessed, their land on the other side Jordan toward the rising of the sun; on the east of the land of Canaan:
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from the river Arnon unto the mount Hermon, and all the plain on the east; Arnon was the border of Moab between them and the Amorites, Num 21:13; and from hence to Hermon, a mountain adjoining to Lebanon, lay the country of the two kings of the Amorites after mentioned, Deu 3:8; and the plain on the east were the plains of Moab, which lay to the east of Jordan.
John Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible (1746–1763) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.
John Wesley 1765 · Public Domain On vv1, 2, 3, 4, 6, 8 The conquests of Israel, under Moses, ver. 1-6. Under…
The conquests of Israel, under Moses, ver. 1-6. Under Joshua, ver. 7-24.
Plain on the east - On the east of Jordan, called the plain, Deut. i, 1.
John Wesley, Explanatory Notes Upon the Whole Bible (1754–1765) — public domain. Text via the GEBible commentary corpus.
Adam Clarke 1810 · Public Domain On vv1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7 A list of the kings on the east of…
CHAPTER XII
A list of the kings on the east of Jordan, which were conquered
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by MOSES, with their territories, 1-6.
A list of those on the west side of Jordan, conquered by JOSHUA,
in number thirty-one, 7-24.
NOTES ON CHAP. XII
Verse 1. From the river Arnon unto Mount Hermon] Arnon was the boundary of all the southern coast of the land occupied by the Israelites beyond Jordan; and the mountains of Hermon were the boundaries on the north. Arnon takes its rise in the mountains of Gilead, and having run a long way from north to south falls into the Dead Sea, near the same place into which Jordan discharges itself.
And all the plain on the east] All the land from the plains of Moab to Mount Hermon.
Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible (1810–1826) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.
Joseph Benson 1811 · Public Domain On vv1, 6, 8 Jos 12:1-2. These are the kings of the land…
Jos 12:1-2. These are the kings of the land — This summary account of Israel’s conquests comes in here not only as a conclusion of the history of the wars of Canaan, that we might at one view see what they had gotten; but as a preface to the history of the dividing of Canaan, that all those territories might be placed together before the reader’s view, which they were now to make the distribution of. All the plain on the east — That is, on the east of Jordan, called the plain, Deu 1:1. From the middle of the river — Ar, which was no part of Sihon’s dominions, but belonged to the Moabites, (Deu 2:9-18,) appears to have been situated in the middle of the river Arnon, (Deu 2:36; Deu 3:16,) and therefore the middle of the river is properly here mentioned as the bound of Sihon’s dominion on that side. But it is not unusual even among us for a river to be divided between two lords, and for their territories or jurisdictions to meet in the middle of the river. Some, however, prefer rendering תוךְ הנחל, tock hannachal, between the river; namely, that he reigned over some territory which was situated between different streams of that river. Half Gilead — Hebrew, And the half Gilead; that is, half the country of Gilead, over which Sihon’s dominion, which began at Arnon, extended, ending at Jabbok, beyond which river was the other half of Gilead, which belonged to Og.
Joseph Benson's Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1811–1818) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
Albert Barnes 1834 · Public Domain On vv1, 7 All the plain on the east - i. e.…
All the plain on the east - i. e. the Arabah or depressed tract along the east bank of Jordan, the modern El-Ghor (see Num 22:1).
Jos 12:2
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From the middle of the river - i. e. as appears from Jos 13:9, Jos 13:16, “from the city that is in the midst of the river;” namely,, Ar Moab (see Deu 2:36).
Jos 12:3
From the plain - Render “over the plain;” for the words describe not one of the boundaries of Sihon’s kingdom, but part of the territory included in it, i. e. the eastern portion of the Ghor, between the Sea of Tiberias and the Dead Sea.
Albert Barnes' Notes on the Bible (1834–1885) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.
Haydock's Catholic Bible Commentary 1859 · Public Domain On vv1, 2, 3, 4, 7, 8 Wilderness. Hebrew, "all the plain country (Arabia) on the…
Wilderness. Hebrew, "all the plain country (Arabia) on the east."
George Leo Haydock (1774–1849), Haydock's Catholic Family Bible and Commentary, 1859 edition — public domain. Excludes Psalms (Douay-Rheims chapter numbering differs from Protestant) and Deuterocanonical books (Catholic canon only).
Lange's Commentary on the Holy Scriptures 1864 · Public Domain On v1 Catalogue of all the Kings Conquered under the Command…
SECTION THIRD
Catalogue of all the Kings Conquered under the Command of Moses and Joshua in East and West Palestine
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12
1. Catalogue of the Kings Conquered in Hast Palestine
Jos_12:1-6
1Now1 these are the kings of the land, which the children of Israel smote, and possessed their land on the other side [of the] Jordan toward the rising of the sun, from 2the river2 Arnon, unto Mount Hermon, and all the plain on the east: Sihon, king of the Amorites, who dwelt in Heshbon, and ruled from Aroer, which is upon the bank of the river Arnon and from the middle of the river, and from half Gilead, even unto the river Jabbok which is the border of the children of Ammon, 3and from the plain to the Sea of Cinneroth on the east, and unto the sea of the plain, even the Salt Sea on the east, the way to Beth-jeshimoth [LXX: ὁδὸν τὴν κατὰ ’Ασειμώθ; Vulg.: per viam quœ ducit Bethsimoth]; and from the south, under Ashdoth-pisgah. 4And the coast [border] of Og, king of Bashan, which [who] was of the remnant of the giants, that dwelt at Ashtaroth and at Edrei, 5And reigned in Mount Hermon, and in Salcah, and in all Bashan, unto the border of the Geshurites, and the Maachathites, and half Gilead, [where] the border [was] of Sihon king of Heshbon.
6Them did [omit: them did] Moses the servant of the Lord [Jehovah], and the children [sons] of Israel smite [smote them]: and Moses the servant of the Lord [Jehovah] gave it for a possession unto the Reubenites, and [to] the Gadites, and [to] the half tribe of Manasseh.
2. Catalogue of the Kings Conquered in West Palestine
Jos_12:7-24
7And these are the kings of the country [land] which [whom] Joshua and the children of Israel smote on this [the other] side of [the] Jordan on the west, from Baal-Gad in the valley of Lebanon, even unto the Mount Halak [Bald-mountain] that goeth up to Seir; which Joshua gave [Fay, correctly: and Joshua gave it] unto the tribes of Israel for a possession according to their divisions: 8In the mountains [on the mountain], and in the valleys, and in the plains [the lowland], and in the springs [on the foot-hills], and in the wilderness, and in the south-country; the Hittites, the Amorites, and the Canaanites, the Perizzites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites:
9 The king of Jericho, one;
The king of Ai, which is beside Beth-el, 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 Beth-el, 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;
he king of Megiddo, one;
22 The king of Kedesh, one;
The king of Jokneam of Carmel, one;
23 The king of Dor in the coasts of [Naphoth] Dor, one;
The king of the nations of Gilgal, one;
24 The king of Tirzah, one;
All the kings thirty and one.
EXEGETICAL AND CRITICAL
This twelfth chapter forms a separate section, the third of the first part of our book, and contains a list of all the kings conquered by Moses and Joshua in East and West Palestine. It falls into two subdivisions: (1) a catalogue of the kings conquered east of the Jordan (Jos_12:1-6); (2) a catalogue of the kings conquered in Palestine proper (Jos_12:7-24).
1. Catalogue of those Conquered East of the Jordan (Jos_12:1-6). From the water-course of Arnon unto Mount Hermon, and all the plain [Arabah or Jordan valley] on the East. The Arnon (אַרְנוֹן for רְנוֹן the rushing), Num_2:13; Deu_3:8; Deu_3:12; Deu_3:16; Deu_4:48; Isa_16:2; Jer_48:20, now the Wady Modscheh, formed the southern boundary of the territory governed by Sihon the king of the Amorites, afterwards the southern boundary of Reuben, as of all Eastern Palestine, against Moab. It flows, in part, through a deep rocky bed, into the Dead Sea. Its source, at least that of the main branch of the Arnon, the Wady el-Safijeh, lies near Kutraneh (Katrane) on the route of the pilgrims from Mecca to Damascus.
To Mount Hermon. According to the Arab. חֶרְמוֹן means a prominent mountain ridge, “perhaps prop, nose” (Gesen.). According to Deu_3:9, it was called by the Amorites שְׂנִיר, by the Sidonians, שִׁרְיוֹן (but comp. 1Ch_5:23), and according to Deu_4:48, it was also the same as שִׂיאֹן. Plur. תֶרְמֹנִים. Psa_42:7, because it consists of several mountains. In the Psalm referred to, we have a vivid description of the mountain landscape on Hermon; but “the land of splendor, of heaven-towering mountains, and of glorious streams, offers no compensation to the heart of the Psalmist, for the humbler hills of Zion where his God abides (Hitzig, Psa_68:17). At the present time the mountain is called Jebel es-Scheikh. Its height reaches over 9,000 feet. The summit is covered with eternal snow (von Raumer p. 33; Robinson, iii. 344, 357),3 carefully to be distinguished from this Hermon proper, is the “little Hermon,” so called, which is not mentioned in the Bible. The name originated with Jerome, who misunderstood the plural תרמנים, in Psa_42:7. He gave that name to the Jebel ed-Duhy (Robinson u. s. 171, 172).
All the plain (הערבה) on the East. By the Arabah (Deu_1:1; Deu_2:8; 2Sa_4:7; 2Ki_25:4,) where it has the article, as in these passages, is meant not, in general, a dry steppe, a wilderness, as in Isa_33:9; Jer_50:12; Jer_51:43, but, as Robinson (ii. 599, 600) has shown, the whole of the great valley from the sea of Galilee to the Ælanitic Gulf. It is now (see above on Jos_11:17) called the Ghor, northward from the. “bald mountain,” and el-Arabah only from that mountain to its southern extremity. This great valley has again different parts which are designated as עֲרָבוֹת, e.g. in our book, Jos_5:10 the עַרְבּוֹת of Jericho; 2Ki_25:5, the עַרְבּוֹת of Moab. Here also we have to do with a portion of the Arabah, the portion namely “on the east,” that is on the eastern bank of the Jordan. In general, this valley is a “solitary desert” (Rob. ii. 265), particularly horrid, south of the Dead Sea. The only exceptions are the small places in the northern part, “over which the Jordan and occasional springs spread an extraordinary fertility” (Rob. ii. 265, 266).
Jos_12:2. Sihon, king of the Amorites, stands first on the list of Canaanite princes subjugated by Moses and Joshua (see above Jos_2:10). He dwelt at Heshbon, Jos_13:26; Jos_21:39; Num_21:26 ff., which name properly signifies prudence (Eccl. 12:25, 27; Ecc_9:10); now Hesban or Hüsban. The ruins of the old city lie on a hill having a magnificent prospect, towards the Dead Sea, and over toward Bethlehem;4 toward the south and east with no limit but the horizon. Heshbon belonged originally to the Moabites (Num_21:26), then to the Amorites, as is evident from our book, and other places, and was allotted to the trans-Jordanic tribes (see below on Jos_13:17; Jos_21:39 comp. with 1Ch_7:31). In the days of Isaiah and Jeremiah, Heshbon belonged again to the Moabites (Isa_15:4; Isa_16:9; Jer_48:2; Jer_48:45-47). At a later period, according to Josephus (Ant. xiii. 15, 4), the Jews once more possessed it. Heshbon appears to have had a very strong position, to which the expressions Jer_48:45-47 refer. The ruins have a compass, according to von Raumer’s authority, of more than a mile.
Jos_12:2. The territory of Sihon is now described in full accordance with Num_21:24, as extending from the Arnon to the Jabbok. Here again Aroer is particularly mentioned, which [lies] upon the bank of the brook Arnon, and in the middle of the brook, עַרֹעֵר and עֲרוֹעֵר, from ערר (to be bare, naked), lies on the north side of the Arnon, and like Heshbon is indicated by Jeremiah (Jer_48:19) as a Moabite city. It was allotted to Reuben, Jos_13:9; Jos_13:16. The city lay, as our passage shows, partly on and partly in the Arnon, i.e. on an island, now Araayr. Carefully to be distinguished from another city Aroer, Jos_13:25, and from a third city Aroer (1Sa_30:26; 1Sa_30:28), in the tribe of Judah (Rob. ii. 618), to which David sent presents after the recovery of the booty taken at Ziklag.
Half Gilead.גִּלְעָד according to Gen_31:48 = גַּלְעֵד, hill of testimony, perhaps rather an appellative for hard, rough region, as Gesenius thinks, which however does not suit with Num_32:1; Jer_8:22; Jer_46:11; Jer_50:19; Son_4:1; Son_6:4. Properly the word denotes a mountain on the south bank of the Jabbok (Gen_31:21-48; Son_4:1), with a city of the same name, now Jebel Dschelaad, then the immediate vicinity of this mountain (Num_32:1; Deu_2:37), and finally, the whole mountain region between the Arnon and the Jabbok, now called Belka. It was bounded on the north by Bashan, on the south by Moab. The designation “land of Gilead” is used inexactly, Deu_34:1, where it includes also Bashan, likewise in 2Ki_10:33; 1Ki_4:19, and often. In such cases, by Gilead is meant the whole land east of the Jordan, so far as it was possessed by the Israelites, Jos_22:9; Jos_22:13; Jos_22:15; Jdg_5:17 (von Raumer, p. 229 ff.). See Introd. p. 25.
Even unto the brook Jabbok, now Wady Lerka, then יַבֹּק, from בָּקַק, to pour out, gush forth, = gushing-brook. The word is, according to Simonis, to whom Gesenius assents, the Chald. form for יָבֹק. In Gen_32:2 there is a play upon the word אָבַק, to wrestle. The Jabbok is here to be viewed as a twofold boundary, (1) in its lower course, a boundary toward the north, (2) in its upper course (Nahr Ammon) as a boundary toward the east against the children of Ammon. A glance at the map will at once show the actual relations.
Jos_12:3. Over the plain (the Arabah) to the sea of Cinneroth on the east,i.e. over the eastern part of the Jordan valley, as far as the sea of Cinneroth. Here כִּנּרוֹת, elsewhere also כִּנַּרוֹת, or כִּנֶּרֶת (perhaps equivalent to כִּנּוֹר, cithera), so called after the city of this name (Jos_11:2; Jos_19:35); in the N.T., the sea of Galilee (Mat_4:18; Mat_15:29; Mar_1:16; Mar_7:31), sea of Gennesareth (Luk_5:1, derived from Kinnereth or Kinnaroth); in John, sea of Tiberias (Jos_6:1, Jos_21:1), from the city of Tiberias; now Bahr Taberieh. The sea is “about thirteen geographical miles long and six broad.” The climate is tropical, since the level is from six hundred and twenty-five to seven hundred [Robinson, seven hundred] feet below that of the Mediterranean (Rusegger, iii. 213; Robinson, iii. 264, 313 ff). Its beauty is well known (Seetzen, p. 348), and has been described by Renan, in his “Life of Jesus,” in the most glowing colors. Robinson expresses himself more moderately (iii. 255): “The lake presents, indeed, a beautiful sheet of limpid water, in a deep, depressed basin…… The hills are rounded and tame, with little of the picturesque in their form…… Whoever looks here for the magnificence of the Swiss lakes, or the softer beauty of those of England and the United States, will be disappointed.” In the O. T. it is mentioned, besides this passage, only Num_34:11; Deu_3:17. [Add Smith’s Bible Dict., art. “Gennesaret, Lake of.”]
And unto the sea of the plain (Arabah), the salt sea on the east, the way to Beth-jeshimoth. While this eastern part of the Jordan valley is bounded on the north by the lake of Gennesaret, it is in like manner bounded on the south by the Salt Sea, i.e. the Dead Sea, near which (Num_33:48) Beth-jeshimoth lay. To that point the Israelite camp reached from Shittim. It be longed to Reuben (Jos_13:20), later to Moah again, Eze_25:9.
And in the south under the foot-hills of Pisgah. On אַשְׁדּוֹת פ׳ comp. Jos_10:40. Mount Pisgah, “a part of the mountain of Abarim,” lies to one looking from Jericho, beyond Beth-jeshimoth, in a southeasterly direction, at the northern end of the Dead Sea. Its highest point is Nebo, which is sometimes called “Mount Abarim” (Deu_32:49), as though its summit, and again, “the top of Pisgah” (Deu_3:27; Deu_34:1), comp. Knobel on Num_21:11. The relation between Abarim, Pisgah, and Nebo is, with Knobel, to be conceived of as if Abarim were the whole mountain range lying east of the Dead Sea, Pisgah a part of it, namely, the northeastern, and Nebo the highest point of Pisgah. This seems to me more simple than with von Raumer (p. 72), to separate Abarim and Pisgah, and then assume that Nebo belonged to Abarim as its (north) western portion, and to Mount Pisgah as its eastern highest extremity.5 The region which sloped along the foot of Mount Pisgah formed the southern boundary of the kingdom of Sihon.
Jos_12:4-6, follow the borders of the kingdom of Og, king of Bashan. Ashtaroth, and Ashtaroth karnaim (קַרְנַיִם), Gen_14:5, where were giants; according to Jos_9:10, the residence of Og; now Tel Ashtareh. The hill (Tel) rises, according to von Raumer (p. 243), to a height of from fifty to a hundred feet above the plain, in which ruins lie scattered. At the foot of the hill are ancient wall-foundations and copious springs.
Edrei. Here Og was slain, Num_21:33-35; Deu_3:1-3. By the Greeks it was called Adraa; by the Crusaders, Adratum, also Civitas Bernardi de Stampis; by Abulfeda, Adsraat; now Draa, a desert basalt city without inhabitants, on a height (von Raumer, p. 247).
Jos_12:5. Salcah, conquered by the Israelites, Deu_3:10. Now Szalthat, with eight hundred houses and a castle on basalt rocks, on the southern border of Hauran; uninhabited, like Edrei. Porter saw from the castle of Salcha fourteen [“upwards of thirty,” Giant Cit. of Bash. p. 76] villages, in part appearing to be newly built, but entirely deserted (ii. 183, ap. von Raumer).
Over all Bashan unto the border of the Geshurites and the Maachathites. The Maachathites dwelt on the southwest slope of Hermon, at the sources of the Jordan. “Maachati urbs Amorrhœorum super Jordanem (περὶ τὸν ’Ιορδάνην, Euseb.) juxta montem Hermon.” The Geshurites also are to be sought on Mount Hermon, near the present Jedur, on the eastern fall of the mountain. See Ton Raumer, p. 227, and Menke’s Bibelatlas, plate 3. Here was the north boundary of Bashan. The east border is denoted (see above) by Salcah, the south by the half Gilead, where) the border (was) of Sihon king of Heshbon, i.e. by the Jabbok (Jos_12:2). Toward the west it extended to the sea of Tiberias; see von Raumer, p. 226 ff. Bashan and Batanæa are by no means identical, as von Raumer has shown (ubi sup.). Bashan was famous for its oak forests (Isa_2:13; Eze_27:6), and fat cattle; hence the bullocks, the rams of Bashan (Deu_32:14; Amo_4:1; Psa_22:13). The waters descending from the Hauran fertilize the level land in its northeastern part, which was afterwards inhabited by the tribe of Manasseh.
Jos_12:6. Comp. Numbers 32.
2. Catalogue of the Kings vanquished in the Country West of the Jordan (Jos_12:7-24). Verses 7 and 8, coinciding with Jos_11:16; Jos_10:40-42, introduce the narrative. The Plain (ערבה) is the western part of the Ghor (Gen_13:10); the wilderness (מִדְבָּר) lies in the province of Judah, and Benjamin (Jos_15:61; Jos_18:11; Mat_3:3; Mat_4:1; Mat_11:7; Mar_1:3; Luk_3:4.)
Jos_12:9. The kings are enumerated generally in the order in which they were conquered. First, accordingly, the kings of Jericho, Ai, Jerusalem, Hebron, Jarmuth, Lachish, Eglon, and Gezer, in regard to which Jos_6:2 ff; Jos_8:29; Jos_10:1-5; Jos_10:33 may be compared. Then follows Jos_12:13, the king of Debir, Jos_10:39, after him still in the same verse the king of Geder. גֶּדֶר is called also גְדֵרָה, and belonged to the lowland of Judah. Not hitherto recognized.
Jos_12:14. Hormah, earlier Zephat (Jdg_1:17). Robinson (ii. 616, N.) seeks the city near the pass es-Sufeh, W. S. W. of the Dead Sea, where the Israelites were defeated by the Canaanites (Num_14:44-45; Deu_1:44), and subsequently the Canaanites by the Israelites (Num_21:1-3; Jdg_1:17). Perhaps it stood, as von Raumer suspects, on the adjacent Mount Madurah, of which the saying goes, that a city stood upon it at which God became angry so that He destroyed it. To this it suits that the city of Zephath was later called Hormah (חַרְמָה, i.e. devoted to destruction, cognate with חֵרֶם).
Arad, named also Num_21:1-3, and Jdg_1:16-17, near the wilderness of Kadesh, twenty Roman miles south of Hebron. Robinson (ii. 473) saw from a distance the hill Arad. He also rightly refers Jos_10:41 to the subjugation of Arad, whose Inhabitants had previously (Num_21:1-3), like those of Hormah, driven back the Israelites.
Jos_12:15. Libnah, Jos_10:29-30; Jos_15:42. Adullam, Jos_15:35, fortified by Rehoboam (2 Jos_11:7); famous for its cave, David’s refuge (1Sa_22:1; 2Sa_23:13; 1Ch_12:15). In a.d. 1138, the inhabitants of Tekoah took refuge there from the Saracens, Will. Tyr. Jos_15:6 (von Raumer, p. 169).
Jos_12:16. Makkedah, Jos_10:10; Jos_10:16-17; Jos_10:21. Bethel, earlier Luz (לוּז), sufficiently known; to the right of the road from Jerusalem to Shechem; the place where Jacob saw in his dream the ladder from earth to heaven (Gen_28:11-19; Gen_31:13; Hos_12:5); rendered infamous subsequently by the worship of the calves (1Ki_12:28; 1Ki_12:33; 1Ki_13:1), hence called Beth-aven (different from Beth-aven in Jos_7:2; Jos_18:12), by the prophets (Amo_5:5; Hos_4:15, and often). The missionary Nicolayson discovered Bethel, 1836. According to Robinson (ii. 127) it is now called Beitin, three and three-quarter hours from Jerusalem. See more in Robinson ubi sup., von Raumer, pp. 178, 179 [Tristram, Stanley].
Jos_12:17. Tappuah, comp. Jos_15:34; Jos_15:53; Jos_17:7. Hepher, in the plain of Jezreel in Issachar, Jos_19:19 (Knobel).
Jos_12:18. Aphek, Jos_13:4. Lassaron, mentioned only in this place. The site has not been discovered.
Jos_12:19. Madon, Jos_11:1. Hazor, Jos_11:1-10; Jos_19:37.
Jos_12:20. Shimron-meron, Jos_11:1; Jos_19:37. Achshaph, Jos_11:1; Jos_19:25.
Jos_12:21. Taanach in Samaria, within the circuit of Issachar, but belonging to Manasseh (Jos_17:11), although not conquered by him (Jdg_1:27). A city of the Levites, Jos_21:25. Here Barak conquered (Jdg_5:19). Robinson (ii. 156, 157), and Schubert (iii. 164), saw Taanach (now Ta’annûk) from the neighborhood of Jennin (Ginnäa), von Raumer, p. 165.
Megiddo, likewise in Samaria, belonging to Manasseh but beyond his border (Jos_17:11), and likewise unconquered by that tribe (Jdg_1:27). Here Ahaziah died in his flight from Jehu (2Ki_9:27), and here Josiah was fatally wounded in the battle against Necho king of Egypt (2Ch_35:20; 2Ch_35:25; 2Ch_23:29-30).
Jos_12:22. Kedesh on the mountain of Naphtali (Jebel el-Safed), Jos_19:37, in Galilee. A city of refuge, Jos_20:7, of the Levites, Jos_21:32. Birth-place of Barak (Jdg_4:6), discovered by Smith on a hill, in a well-watered region (Notes on Bibl. Geog. in Biblioth. Sac., May, 1849, p. 374, ap. von. Raum. p. 132); by Robinson on his second journey, not “visited” indeed, as von Raumer states, but yet seen from a short distance and described (Later Bibl. Res. p. 366 ff.).
Jokneam on Carmel. Belonging to Zebulun, Jos_19:11. A city of the Levites, ch Jos_21:34. Perhaps, Tel Kaimôn (Robinson, Later Bibl. Res. p. 115). The place is called, in 1Ki_4:12, יָקמְעָם, out of which Kaimôn appears to have sprung (comp. Robinson, ubi sup.). Carmel appears elsewhere in our book only Jos_19:26, to mark the south border of the tribe of Asher. Rightly does the mountain bear its name “orchard” (comp. Isa_10:8; Isa_16:10 and often), being covered below with laurels and olive-trees, above with pines and oaks (hence the comparison Son_7:6), and full of the most beautiful flowers. These are the glory of Carmel which shall be given to the wilderness (Isa_35:2). The view over the sea as well as of the coast is magnificent. Compare the different descriptions of travellers, von Raumer, p. 43 ff.6 Since 1180 there has stood on Carmel, although only at a height of 578 feet, and therefore far below the summit, a cloister to commemorate Elijah (1Ki_18:17-39; 1Ki_18:42-45) and bearing his name; rebuilt in 1833. The mountain reaches an altitude of 1700 feet.
Jos_12:23. Naphoth-dor, Jos_11:2; Jos_17:11. The king of the nations of Gilgal, as Gen_14:1, Tidal king of the nations. Similarly, Gen_10:5, גְּלִיל הַגּוֹיִם. Gilgal, not on the Jordan, but, according to Robinson iii. 47, in the plain along the Mediterranean sea, now Jiljuleh, corresponding to the old Galgala, which Eusebius and Jerome place six Roman miles north of Antipatris. Probably the Gilgal of Neh_12:29 and 1Ma_9:2 was, as he supposes, the same. With this falls in the proximity of Naphoth-dor.
Jos_12:24. Tirzah in Samaria, three miles from the city of Samaria, on the east. Here at a later period the kings of Israel dwelt; Jeroboam I., Baasha, Elah, and Shimri, and here the last-named burned himself in his palace, 1Ki_14:17; 1Ki_15:33; 1Ki_16:8-18. Robinson (Later Bibl. Res. p. 302 ff.) takes Tulluzah for Tirzah, being beautifully situated like the ancient city (Son_6:4). The name signifies delight, from רָצָה.
Footnotes:
[1][Jos_12:1—Instead of interpolating the numerous corrections required in the common version in the first three verses here, we recast separately, in much the same way as De Wette and Fay: And these are the kings of the land, whom the sons of Israel smote, and possessed their land, on the other side of the Jordan, toward the rising of the sun, from the water-course of Arnon unto Mount Hermon, and all the Arabah on the east: Sihon king of the Amorites, who dwelt in Heshbon, ruling from Aroer which is on the bank of the water-course of Arnon and in the middle of the water-course, and [over] half of Gilead even to Jabbok the water-course [which is] the border of the sons of Ammon, and [over] the Arabah unto the sea of Cinneroth, on the east, and unto the sea of the Arabah, the Salt-Sea, on the east, the way to Beth-jeshimoth; and in the south under the foot-hills of Pisgah.
[2][Jos_12:1. A word that should denote indifferently our conception of a rapid brook and of the bed in which it flows, with the whole inclusive valley, and of the latter equally when the water is absent, is wanting in English to represent adequately the Heb. נַחַל. Stanley’s account of this word well presents the case (Sin. and Pal. App. p. 496): “Nachal, נַחַל, a ‘torrent-bed,’ or water-course; from חלל, to perforate [so Fürst, cf. Gesen.]. The word corresponds with the Arabic Wâdy, the Greek χειμάρρους, the Indian Nullah, the Italian ‘flumara’ [in some of its applications approaching the Spanish-American cañon] and signifies the hollow, or valley, of a mountain torrent, which, while in rainy seasons it may fill the whole width of the depression, in summer is reduced to a mere brook, or thread of water, and is often entirely dry. [In the greater number, perhaps, of the Wadies, the running water is quite an exceptional phenomenon.] Such streams are graphically described in Job_11:16-17. Nachal, therefore, is sometimes used for the valley (Num_21:12; Jdg_16:4 [and in the second instance in Jos_12:2 of our passage]), and sometimes for the torrent which flows through the valley. The double application of the word is well seen in 1Ki_17:3, where Elijah is commanded to hide himself’ ‘in’ not ‘by’ the ‘Wady Cherith,’ and to ‘drink of the brook’—Nachal being used in both cases. No English word is exactly equivalent, but perhaps ‘torrent-bed’ most nearly expresses it.”—This last opinion is probably correct, in reference to many readers, but for the purposes of a translation we have ventured to adopt the other term proposed by him, “water-course.”—Tr.]
[3][Tristram’s account of Hermon, its scenery, its natural history, and the magnificent view which it offers of all Palastine, is particularly interesting, p. 607 ff.—Tr.]
[4][Tristram visited the spot. See his description p. 543.—Tr.]
[5][Tristram’s glowing account of the magnificent, almost boundless view from one of the heights of Abarim, which may have been the ancient Nebo, is excellent, p. 540 ff.]
[6][In particular also, Stanley, S. & P. p. 344 ff., Tristram, p. 99 ff.]
Lange's Commentary on the Holy Scriptures (Critical, Doctrinal, and Homiletical), ed. John Peter Lange, English translation edited by Philip Schaff (1864–1880) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset & David Brown 1871 · Public Domain On v7 THE ONE AND THIRTY KINGS ON THE WEST SIDE…
THE ONE AND THIRTY KINGS ON THE WEST SIDE OF JORDAN, WHICH JOSHUA SMOTE. (Jos. 12:7-24)
Baal-gad . . . even unto . . . Halak--(See on Jos 11:17). A list of thirty-one chief towns is here given; and, as the whole land contained a superficial extent of only fifteen miles in length by fifty in breadth, it is evident that these capital cities belonged to petty and insignificant kingdoms. With a few exceptions, they were not the scenes of any important events recorded in the sacred history, and therefore do not require a particular notice.
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Next: Joshua Chapter 13
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown — Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.
Daniel D. Whedon 1874 · Public Domain On vv1, 2, 3, 4, 7 LIST OF THE TRANS-JORDANIC CONQUESTS, Jos_12:1-6.
LIST OF THE TRANS-JORDANIC CONQUESTS, Jos_12:1-6.
This chapter concludes the general history of the conquests, and is a resume of the triumphs under Moses and Joshua. For the historical facts referred to in the first six verses see Num_21:21-35, and Deu_2:26-37; Deu_3:1-17.
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1. The river Arnon — This stream is now called Wady el-Mojeb. It runs circuitously for some eighty miles through a romantic rocky valley, and empties into the Dead Sea near the center of its eastern shore. It became the southern boundary of Reuben, but was originally the border between Moab and the Amorites. See on Num_21:13.
Mount Hermon — See on Jos_11:3.
The plain on the east — The Jordan valley east of the river.
Daniel D. Whedon (gen. ed.), Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1874–1909) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges 1878 · Public Domain On vv1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7 Ch. Jos_12:1-6. Catalogue of the Kings conquered in Eastern…
Ch. Jos_12:1-6. Catalogue of the Kings conquered in Eastern Palestine
1. Now these] This Chapter may be termed an official summary, suitable to a public record, of the whole territory conquered by Moses and by Joshua. “It contains no new matter, except that certain cities and their rulers are specified by name, which have previously been included in more general statements of Joshua’s wars.”
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from the river Arnon] The first province described is the south-eastern, previously the territory of the Amorite king, Sihon, “from the river Arnon unto Mount Hermon.” The Arnon (the rushing river), now the Wady el-Mojeb, flows in part, through a deep rocky bed, into the Dead Sea. “As far as we could calculate by observation, the width of the ravine is about 3 miles from crest to crest; the depth by our barometers 2150 feet from the south side, which runs for some distance nearly 200 feet higher than the northern edge.” Tristram’s Land of Moab, p. 126.
unto mount Hermon] Called by the Sidonians Sirion = “breastplate,” a name suggested by its rounded glittering top, when the sun’s rays are reflected by the snow that covers it (Deu_3:9; Son_4:8). It was also called Sion = “the elevated,” and is now known as Jebel-es-Sheikh, “the chief mountain,” which rises over 9000 feet. “In whatever part of Palestine the Israelite turned his eye northward, Hermon was there terminating the view. From the plain along the coast, from the mountains of Samaria, from the Jordan valley, from the heights of Moab and Gilead, from the plateau of Bashan, the pale blue, snow-capped cone forms the one feature in the northern horizon.” In Psa_42:6 we have a vivid description of the mountain landscape on Hermon, but “the land of splendour, of heaven-towering mountains, and of glorious streams, offers no compensation to the heart of the Psalmist for the humbler hills of Zion where his God abides.”
all the plain on the east] “al the est coost that beholdith the wildernes,” Wyclif; i.e. part of the great valley, now called the Ghor, from the Sea of Galilee to the Ælamitic Gulf, along the east bank of the Jordan.
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The Pulpit Commentary 1880 · Public Domain On vv1–8 Now these are the kings. The historian now enters…
THE EXTENT OF JOSHUA"S CONQUESTS.
Now these are the kings. The historian now enters upon a complete description of the whole territory which had, up to this date, fallen into the hands of the Israelites. First he traces out the border of the trans-Jordanic possessions of Israel, which he describes as bounded on the south by the river Arnon, on the west of course by the Jordan, and as extending from Hermon, past the Sea of Chinneroth, to the borders of the Dead Sea. The eastern border is not clearly defined, but the boundary extended far further eastward in the north than in the south, since the territory of Og was much more extensive than that of Sihon. On the west of Jordan the territory is described as extending "from Baal-gad in the valley of Lebanon (i.e. , Baalbec or Caesarea Philippi; see note on Jos_11:17) unto the Mount Halak which goeth up to Seir, which we have seen to be a range of mountains extending southward from near the south point of the Dead Sea. The border of the Israelitish possessions is more accurately defined in the succeeding chapters, but it was, after all, a slip of territory not more than 180 miles in length by about 100 in breadth. Its influence upon the history of the world, like that of Athens and Sparta, must not be measured by its size, but by its moral energy. As the former city has attained undying fame by its intellectual power, the second by its mihtary capacity, so Palestine has derived her title to fame from her indestructible national life indestructible because built alone, of all the religious systems of the ancient world, upon the foundations of the unity and Fatherhood of God; indestructible, moreover, because it came by revelation from God. There is no greater argument for the Divine origin of the Mosaic law than the unique spectacle of a national life like that of the Jews, subsisting for nearly two thousand years after their expulsion from their land. From the river Arnon. (see Num_21:24) The word Arnon Signifies the swift stream (see Gesenius,"Thesaur." s.v.). It is now called by the Arabs, El-Mujeb. Seetzen represents the region round its mouth to be naturally most fertile, but as abandoned now to a few wild plants. Unto Mount Hermon. Now Jebel-es-Sheikh. We have a vivid description of the scenery of Hermon in Psalm 42, with the noise of its foaming torrents, the "deep calling unto deep" from the recesses of its dark ravines, where the infant Jordan rushed along its rocky bed. The Psalmist pictures to himself his troubles as overwhelming him like the billows of the numerous streams that streaked the mountain sides. And yet again Hermon is introduced as the image of peace and plenty and brotherly love. The refreshing dews which distilled from the side of the giant mountain were the source of blessing to those who dwelt afar off, and even the dry and parched sides of Mount Zion were cooled by their delicious influence. In Psa_42:6 the Psalmist speaks of Hermon in the plural. Some have regarded this (e.g., Ritter) as referring to the double peak of the mountain. The phrase most probably refers to the region, though Hermon has really three peaks. (see note on Jos_11:3) And all the plain on the east. The Arabah. (see Jos_3:16) The depression of the Jordan, which layeastward, of course, of Palestine. This is much insisted on in the following verses.
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Vers. 1-24. The extent of the conquest.
A few detached considerations occur to us here.
I GOD WELL NOT BE WORSE THAN HIS WORD. The reduction of the whole land had not yet been effected, but it had been rendered possible if Israel were disposed to follow up his advantage. The list of cities captured covers nearly the whole extent of Palestine, and Canaan had been deprived of all capacity of resistance. So it is with the Christian who has entered into covenant with God. The mastery over sin has been placed in his power. "Sin shall have no more dominion over him," unless he pleases. Every part of his nature is under the dominion of Jesus. Satan and his angels can but cower and submit, unless the Christian prefer accommodation to warfare, and allow himself to be led into alliance or fellowship with evil. It is the making marriages with Canaan, entering into amicable relations with the enemies he has subdued, that betrays Israel to his ruin. God has placed everything in his power. If he will not destroy his enemies when he can, he has but himself to blame.
II ISRAEL"S POSSESSION IS A VARIOUS ONE. The land of Israel had various characteristics. Mountains and fertile plains, strange deep depressions, declivities, desert, dry arid ground, all formed part of the land flowing with milk and honey. So in the Christian life there are diversities of gifts, but the same Spirit. The heights of rank and intellect, the fertile soil of usefulness and energy, the depths of poverty, ignorance, and absence of mental power, the various inequalities of fortune, the trials of sorrow and adversity, the dryness of soul in prayer, the privation of sympathy and consolation all these are various elements of the spiritual life, regions on the map of the spiritual Canaan; but all are subject to the power of Jesus, and may, if we will, be made useful in His cause. As the most arid or the most rocky soft in Palestine became, by man"s industry, highly productive, so the oil, olive, and honey, the figs, and pomegranates, and vines of our spiritual Israel, may be raised, if we will but be fellow-workers with God, out of the most unpromising natural disposition.
III JOSHUA"S VICTORIES WERE CAREFULLY KEPT IN REMEMBRANCE. So may the Christian, at the end of a long career under the guidance of God"s Spirit, look back to the former triumphs he has achieved by His aid, provided he does so in no spirit of Pharisaical boasting, but in gratitude to Him who "has done so great things for him." Many a victory over enemies without and within, many a recollection of a hard fought field, will occur to the veteran in Christ"s army when, in the evening of life, he turns his thoughts backward to review the past. And so will the student of history as he reflects on the manifold difficulties encountered by God"s Church, and the number and power of the confederacies arrayed against her, enumerate with loving pride the cities she has destroyed, and look forward with confidence to her final triumph.
The Pulpit Commentary (1880–1919), ed. H.D.M. Spence-Jones & Joseph S. Exell — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
The Biblical Illustrator 1887 · Public Domain On v1 These axe the kings of the land, which the…
Jos_12:1-24
These axe the kings of the land, which the children of Israel smote.
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The goodness and severity of God
This chapter is a short summary of the work that has been done. In this resume of the conquest Moses is not forgotten. He is named as well as Joshua. The Holy Ghost delights to point out how God causes many instruments to work out His designs, and thus takes all praise from man. Thus the chapter is a miniature, suggesting all the victories that Israel won, and all the defeats which overwhelmed the Canaanites. Accordingly it is valuable as a demonstration that both the promises and the threatenings of God will be fulfilled to the letter. Here as in a glass we see on the one hand the course and the end of those who follow God, and on the other the course and the end of those who resist. Or, we have pointed out to us the narrow way that leads to life, and the broad road that leads to destruction. May we ponder these things and learn the way wherein we should walk.
I. The different roads. That of Israel was the path of obedience. Everything was done by Divine command. But it was not always easy work for Israel to obey. The commands of God not only led along a narrow way, but often brought them up to a strait gate. They had just to go right on, according to the command of God. Obedience was their watchword. To stop and parley was to be lost. Patient endurance characterised them all through. When an old general was asked why he picked out the old veterans for a forced march he replied, Because they have the most staying power. For hard work of any kind this is what tells in the long run; and from the first encounter with Sihon and Og to the last wrestle with the Anakim Israel exhibited this quality both in things physical and things spiritual. Obedience was the path: patient endurance was the characteristic of those who walked therein. On the part of the Canaanites their course was marked by rebellion. They said, Who is Lord over us? Thus they hardened themselves against Gods will, and fought it out to the bitter end, learning no lesson and yielding no submission. These two paths of obedience and rebellion have not ceased to be trodden. Neither of them is grass-grown. Thank God there are many who by patient continuance in well-doing seek for glory and honour and immortality. If there must be patient continuance on the part of those who walk the narrow way, there must be constant contention on the part of those who hurry down the broad road. There must be the resistance of the Holy Ghost, of the warnings of conscience, of the light of truth. There must be at times the fear of death and judgment and eternity.
II. The different objects placed before each. That placed before Israel was something very definite and tangible, viz., the sure promise of Jehovah. To them that promise was the title-deed of the Holy Land; therefore all through this war they had in their eye a Divine inheritance, and all the glory and honour which this implied. Can we find any similar incitement on the part of the Canaanites? Nay. Theirs was a hopeless struggle. They were without God and therefore without hope. They obeyed unrighteousness, and were therefore filled with unrest. So is it now. They who walk in the obedience of faith have a glorious object before their eyes to stimulate and encourage them. They seek for glory and honour and immortality. And they have good hope through grace of obtaining it. Yea, they have Gods faithful promise, and therefore glorious assurance of the result. But where is the hope of the rebellious? It is but a vague, unsatisfying dream. At the very best they have no certainty of a happy issue. When they pass hence it is A leap in the dark. What a miserable plight is this l Notwithstanding their vast coalitions, their imposing armies, their formidable weapons, their notable leaders, they go forward with fear. The Sihon and Og of materialism, the Adoni-zedek of sacerdotalism, the Jabin of false philosophy, can inspire no true and blessed hope in the hearts of their faltering followers.
III. The different ends. We see the Israelites marching on from victory to victory; entering into Canaan, enjoying the smile of God, and reaping the fruit of their labours. We see the Canaanites swept with the besom of destruction, and all that is left of their mightiest kings is the chronicle of their tombstones as given here. The ends are different because the beginnings are different. Of Israel it might be said, These all fought in faith. Of the Canaanites it might be said, These all died in unbelief. Paul has laid plainly before us in the Epistle to the Romans these two ends, as we must know them. On the one hand he places eternal life, glory, honour, peace. On the other he places indignation, wrath, tribulation, anguish. One or other of these is the terminus to which every life is hastening. And he also plainly tells us that without faith it is impossible to walk in the good way or to attain the glorious end. Remember then Gods solemn record of the dead. He marks His own as precious jewels, to be worn in His crown in the day of glory, but He counts His enemies but worthless ashes to be trodden under foot. In the Divine record of the dead there are no omissions, no oversights, and no lies. He counts His enemies and He counts His friends. How will He count you? (A. B. Mackay.)
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The Biblical Illustrator, edited by Joseph S. Exell (c. 1880s–1900s) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
The Preacher's Complete Homiletical Commentary 1892 · Public Domain On vv1, 7 Jos_12:1. The river Arnon] Now known as Wâdy el…
SUMMARY OF PREVIOUS CONQUESTS
CRITICAL NOTES.—
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Jos_12:1. The river Arnon] Now known as Wâdy el Modjeb. Before the war, it separated between the Moabites and the Amorites of Eastern Palestine; it afterwards became the boundary between Moab and Israel. The river falls into the Dead Sea, and is described by Josephus as rising in the mountains of Arabia. Mount Hermon] Forming the southern extremity in the range of Anti-Lebanon, and thought to be about ten thousand feet high. It was famous for its appearance, and for its “dews” (Psa_133:3). It is thought by some to have been the scene of the Transfiguration.
Jos_12:2. Heshbon] Situated about twenty miles east of the Jordan, and near the boundary between Reuben and Gad. The ruins are more than a mile in circumference. The “fishpools in Heshbon” are named in Son_7:4. Sihon had taken this city from the Moabites (Num_21:26), into whose possession it afterwards again came. Aroer] This city stood on the northern bank of the Arnon (Deu_2:36; Deu_4:48). There were two other places of the same name; one assigned to Gad (chap. Jos_13:25), and another in the south of Judah (1Sa_30:26-28). Half Gilead] The whole of Gilead reached from the Arnon to Bashan; the brook Jabbok, famous in the history of Jacob, dividing the territory about equally.
Jos_12:3. The way to Beth-jeshimoth] i.e., “towards Beth-jeshimoth,” which was in the plains of Moab, near the place where the Jordan flowed into the Dead Sea, and to which point eastwards the Arabah extended. From the south under Ashdoth-pisgah] Or “towards the south under the slopes of Pisgah,” thus marking the southern extremity of the Arabah. The word “Ashdoth” is probably not a proper name, and should not be taken, as by Dr. Clarke, to indicate a city. It is a deriv. of “’eshed” = “a pouring out.” “A pouring out (of streams), a low place at the foot of mountains (Jos_10:40; Jos_12:8).” With “Pisgah” = “the roots (or springs) of Pisgah (Deu_3:17; Deu_4:49; Jos_13:20).” [Gesen.] This word does not occur excepting in the Peutateuch and in the book of Joshua, whereas, on the theory of the “Jehovists” (cf. Art. on chap. Jos_10:12-15), it would seem natural to find it occasionally, up to the time of Hezekiah, or even to the captivity, instead of its being so consistently confined to these earlier books of Scripture. Had it grown obsolete, “the Jehovist near to the Assyrian period” should have modernized it from his “Elohim documents.” As it is, it looks somewhat like “a footprint on the sands” of its own time.
Jos_12:4. The coast of Og, king of Bashan] “The expressed intention (Jos_12:1) was to give a list of the conquered kings, but here the kingdom is mentioned instead of Og the king.” [Masius] Og also ruled over the northern part of Gilead (Jos_12:5), although his title refers to Bashan only. Dwelt at Ashtaroth and at Edrei] Not “the remnant of the Rephaim,” but Og, who resided at times in either city. Perhaps Ashtaroth is the Ashteroth-Karnaim of Gen_14:5, but this is very uncertain (cf. Smith’s Bib. Dict.) In Deu_1:4 we have “Ashtaroth in Edrei,” yet these were evidently two cities (Jos_13:12; Jos_13:31; 1Ch_6:71). Edrei is only named in Scripture in connection with the victory of Moses, but it is mentioned repeatedly in profane history.
Jos_12:5. Salcah] Now called Sŭlkhad, situated at the south of the Jebel Hauran. Burckhardt places it at about seven hours’ journey from Bozra. The Geshurites and the Maachathites] Geshur was probably at the north or north-east of Bashan, adjoining Argob (Deu_3:14), afterwards called Trachonitis. Maachah seems to have been an adjoining province. The children of Ammon hired a detachment of Maachathites against David (2Sa_10:6). Absalom’s mother was the daughter of Talmai, king of Geshur (2Sa_3:3). After the murder of Amnon, Absalom fled to Talmai for refuge (2Sa_13:37).
OUTLINES AND COMMENTS ON THE PARAGRAPHS
Jos_12:1-6. THE RECORDS OF THE PAST.
The summary contained in this paragraph is—
I. The record of a good man’s work, the worker having long gone to his rest. The victories on the east of Jordan had been won under Moses. At the time when this history was written, Moses had been dead at least several years. God remembers the labours of His servants after He has removed those who wrought them to another world. He who caused all scripture to be written for our admonition would have us see that the pious man, “being dead yet speaketh,” and speaketh not only to men, but in the memory of his Maker. God would have us also to remember the works of His departed servants. “Fresh mercies must not drown the remembrance of former mercies, nor must the glory of the present instruments of good to the Church be suffered to eclipse and diminish the just honour of those that have gone before them, and were the blessings and ornaments of their day. Joshua’s services and achievements are confessedly great, but let not those under Moses be overlooked and forgotten.” [Henry.] In the midst of his greatest honour, the true servant of the Lord will sometimes love to think of the foundation laid for his own work by the honourable service of others who preceded him.
II. The record of mighty works wrought by Divine power and Divine patience. The work of overthrowing Sihon and Og was, after all that may be said of the instruments, not the work of Moses, or Joshua, but the work of God. God prepared the Israelites for those great conflicts in several ways.
1. By the encouragement of a preceding victory (cf. Num_21:1-3).
2. By severe discipline on the way (Num_21:4-6).
3. By great mercies on the way. The brazen serpent. The gift of water, and the song at Beer.
4. By direct promises of triumph over both Sihon and Og (Deu_2:31-33; Deu_3:2-3). Thus were the people prepared by Divine patience, and helped by Divine power when the time of battle came.
III. A record made in brief chronicles which state results but omit the process. Even the fuller accounts given in Numbers and Deuteronomy tell us but few of the details. What fears, what hopes, what disappointments, what pain of some and gladness of others are necessarily omitted from the record! All history is more or less like that. Men can never set down anything but the prominent, and much which they think obscure is probably more noteworthy to God than that which they deem sufficiently important to be written. Our powers are too limited for anything more than a brief epitome of what we call life’s greatest events. But what are the “great events” of life? To our keener penetration and calmer estimate, everything is great—so great that, with our limited perception, all things seem great alike, when once we fairly confront them.
“There is no great and no small
To the soul that maketh all:
And where it cometh all things are;
And it cometh everywhere.”
Emerson.
And yet we go on epitomising and making abstracts of life, and needs must go on. With our straightened powers, it is the only way possible of getting the majesty of the past into the present. We have to transport it in fragments which are selected by the fancy of the moment, and then we name the fragments “history.” We call chapters like this before us “summaries”; to God our fullest histories cannot be even worthy of that poor name, albeit it so humbly confesses its own weakness. To the mind of the Infinite, our amplest records can only be summaries of life with the sum of life’s events left out. How glorious in its fulness and awful in its truth must be that “Book of Life” in the mind of the God of all the ages in which every thought and word and deed of men is accurately and completely written!
IV. A record which has regard not only to the glory of victory but also the glory of faithfulness. In the eyes of true Wisdom there are things greater than the taking of cities. The Israelites had found the territory on the east of Jordan a truly noble possession. The land was well suited to enrich a people hoping soon to settle down to quieter habits of life (Num_32:1; Num_32:4). The rest of the people, in the hour of victory, might feel some desire to share this fertile tract of country. But even these brief chronicles put faithfully on record, at the very time for dividing the spoil, the promise which had been made to the two and a half tribes (Jos_12:6). These tribes had kept their word to Moses (Num_32:16-18); the rest of the people here indicate their readiness to fulfil the word of Moses to their brethren. No triumphs over others are so noble as our victories over ourselves. That nation is blessed indeed whose chronicles show its victories over itself, and its willingness to be subject to its own word.
V. A record thus briefly chronicled in its results to be presently rendered into heart-stirring song. The history here merely states the facts. The first five verses are almost entirely geographical notes of the territory taken; and the last verse hardly does more than tell us to whom the territory was to be given. The only expression which alludes to the conquest is the statement, in the first and sixth verses, that “the children of Israel smote and possessed the land.” Centuries afterwards the facts were embodied in two of the national songs of praise, in language of warm-hearted thanksgiving and gladness (cf. Psa_135:10-13; Psa_136:17-24). Are there not many events in our personal and national experience which, lying now in the past, with hardly a note to record them or a memory to recall them, shall presently be celebrated in joyful song before the throne of God itself? Meanwhile, let each of us learn to sing, even here, “Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all His benefits.”
The Preacher's Complete Homiletical Commentary (gen. ed. Joseph S. Exell; Funk & Wagnalls, c. 1892) — public domain (pre-1929). A full-Bible homiletical/sermon-outline anthology covering 65 of 66 books (2 John is absent from the source module). Text from a community e-Sword module.
J. R. Dummelow 1909 · Public Domain On v1 A Review of the Victories of Moses and Joshua
A Review of the Victories of Moses and Joshua
This chapter concludes the whole section of the book which deals with the conquest of Canaan. The following chapters narrate the partition of the conquered and some unconquered land. The original account of these conquests is to be found in Num_21:21-35, and of the assignment to the 2½ tribes in Num_3:2. A fuller description of the territory is given in chapter Num_13:1-33;where see notes.
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1-6. Moses' conquests E. of Jordan. Kingdoms of Sihon and Og.
3. Sea of Chinneroth] the OT. name for the Sea of Galilee. Salt sea] the Dead Sea.
7-24. Joshua's conquests W. of Jordan—thirty-one kings.
7. The N. and S. limits are given as in Jos_11:17, only in reverse order. On this side Jordan on the west] RV 'beyond Jordan westward.'
9. One] i.e. one king.
21. Taanach.. Megiddo] see on Jdg_5:19.
23. The nations] RV 'Goiim.'
24. Tirzah] (probably=Teiasir) NE. of Shechem. It was afterwards the capital of the Northern Kingdom, from the time of Jeroboam (1Ki_14:17) till the 6th year of Omri, who moved the centre of government to Samaria (1Ki_16:23).
J. R. Dummelow, A Commentary on the Holy Bible (Macmillan, 1909) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
Arno C. Gaebelein 1922 · Public Domain On v1 The Conquered Kings
The Conquered Kings
CHAPTER 12
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1. The kings on the other side of Jordan (Jos 12:1-6)
2. The kings on this side of Jordan (Jos 12:7-24)
“The land rested from war” is the concluding statement of the previous chapter. It was after Joshua had made war a long time with all those kings (Jos 11:18). Deu 6:10-11 was also fulfilled. “And it shall be, when the LORD Thy God shall have brought thee into the land, which He sware unto thy Fathers, to Abraham, to Isaac and to Jacob, to give thee great and goodly cities, which thou buildest not, and houses full of all good things, which thou filledst not, and wells digged, which thou diggedst not, vineyards and olive trees, which thou plantedst not.” The list of kings which is given in this chapter needs no comment. Thirty-one are mentioned as conquered by Joshua. The land was only 150 miles from north to south, and 50 miles from east to west. Criticism has also objected to this, as if so many kings could not exist in so small a territory. Professor Maspero, one of the foremost archaeologists, fully confirms the Bible-record. We quote from him:
“The Canaanites were the most numerous of all these groups, and had they been able to amalgamate under a single king, or even to organize a lasting confederacy, it would have been impossible for the Egyptian armies to have broken through the barrier thus raised between them and the rest of Asia; but, unfortunately, so far from showing the slightest tendency towards unity or concentration, the Canaanites were more hopelessly divided than any of the surrounding nations. Their mountains contained nearly as many states as there were valleys, while in the plains each town represented a separate government, and was built on a spot carefully selected for purposes of defence. The land, indeed, was chequered by these petty states, and so closely were they crowded together, that a horseman travelling at leisure could easily pass through two or three of them in a day’s journey.” Of the richer country towards the north he writes: “Towns grew and multiplied upon this rich and loamy soil.”
II. THE DIVISION OF THE LAND
The divine record concerning the division of the land, as it is before us in these chapters, is often looked upon merely as history barren of any spiritual meaning. Many expositors pass over the greater part of it or give only geographical information. However, a deeper meaning must be sought here; there are many and blessed lessons in spiritual and dispensational truths hidden in these chapters. Why should the Holy Spirit have recorded all these things if they have no meaning whatever? It is written, “All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness” (2Ti 3:16). This surely applies to all Scripture, including the chapters which contain nothing but names. Again it is written, “Now all these things happened unto them (Israel) as types, and they are written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the ages have come” (1Co 10:11). “For whatsoever things were written aforetime were written for our learning, that we through patience and comfort of the Scriptures might have hope” (Rom 15:4). We dare not deny these chapters in Joshua a spiritual application in the light of these plain words of the Spirit in the New Testament.
In the study of the previous books we have discovered (especially in Genesis) the fact that the meaning of the Hebrew names are of deep significance and often helpful in the types as well as the spiritual and dispensational lessons. Here is a wide field, which has been but little covered. Hundreds of names are found in this second part of Joshua. They all have a meaning and through these names we can learn the lessons the Spirit of God has written there for our learning. Yet caution is needed. While some ignore this study entirely, others swing into the opposite direction and are fanciful in their application. This must be avoided.
We are sorry that the scope of our work does not permit a more detailed exposition and research. If we were to give way to the desire to do this we would have to write a volume. But we hope, with His gracious help, to give such hints which will help in a more extended, private study. (F.W. Grant in the Numerical Bible gives excellent help, both in the meaning of the names and in application. We know of no other attempt in this direction and acknowledge our own indebtedness to him. This, of course, does not mean that we endorse all the translations or applications he gives.)
Arno C. Gaebelein, The Annotated Bible (1913–1922) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
Paul E. Kretzmann 1924 · Public Domain On vv1, 7 On The East Side of Jordan
On The East Side of Jordan
v. 1. Now, these are the kings of the land which the children of Israel smote, and possessed their land on the other side Jordan toward the rising of the sun, from the river Arnon, the northern boundary of Moab, unto Mount Hermon, in the Anti-Lebanon range, and all the plain on the east, the valley of Jordan with its eastern tributaries:
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v. 2. Sihon, king of the Amorites, who dwelt in Heshbon, and ruled from Aroer, which is upon the bank of the river Arnon, and from the middle of the river, that is, from the middle of the valley, from the city of Ar, or Areopolis, and from half Gilead, the hilly section on the south side of Jabbok, even unto the river Jabbok, which is the border of the children of Ammon, that is, in its upper reaches;
v. 3. and from the plain, the Arabian Desert, to the sea of Chinneroth on the east, and unto the sea of the plain, even the Salt Sea, on the east, the way to Bethjeshimoth, which was located near the mouth of the Jordan; and from the south, under Ashdothpisgah, under the foothills of the range flanking the Dead Sea on the east, all this country, as thus bounded, being included in the kingdom of Sihon, who was defeated by the army of Israel, Numbers 21; Deuteronomy 2;
v. 4. and the coast of Og, king of Bashan, which was of the remnant of the giants, a descendant of the ancient giant races, that dwelt at Ashtaroth and at Edrei, Deu 1:4; Deu 3:11; Num 21:33,
v. 5. and reigned in Mount Hermon and in Salcah, Deu 3:10, on the southern border of the Hauran, and in all Bashan, the Hauran proper, the entire upper valley of the Hieromax River, unto the border of the Geshurites and the Maachathites, the former located on the southeastern, the latter on the southwestern slopes of Mount Hermon, and half Gilead, the part north of the Jabbok, the border of Sihon, king of Heshbon.
v. 6. Them did Moses, the servant of the Lord, and the children of Israel smite; and Moses, the servant of the Lord, gave it for a possession unto the Reubenites and the Gadites and the half tribe of Manasseh, Num 32:33. These kings of the Amorites had been powerful monarchs, but they had been helpless before the army of the Lord.
Paul E. Kretzmann, Popular Commentary of the Bible (1921–1924) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
unfoldingWord translationNotes 2017 · CC BY-SA 4.0 On vv1, 3, 6, 7 This word is used here to mark a break…
Now
This word is used here to mark a break in the main story line. Here the writer begins to provide background information. (See: Background Information)
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these are the kings
This refers to the list of kings that continues through verse 24.
Arabah ... Aroer
These are the names of places. (See: How to Translate Names)
Sihon ... Heshbon
See how you translated these words in Joshua 9:10.
translationWords
king
Israel
possess
Jordan River
Mount Hermon
Amorite
Gilead
Ammon
unfoldingWord translationNotes — © Distant Shores Media and the Door43 World Missions Community, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Source: git.door43.org/Door43/en_tn.
Tyndale Open Study Notes 2022 · CC BY-SA 4.0 On vv1, 2, 3, 4, 6, 7, 8 12:1-24 This chapter summarizes Israel’s conquests on both sides…
12:1-24 This chapter summarizes Israel’s conquests on both sides of the Jordan and transitions to Joshua’s distribution of the land of Canaan among the tribes of Israel (ch 13).
12:1 The Arnon River flows into the Dead Sea midway down its eastern side, creating the Arnon Gorge. Israel began its conquests here (see Num 21:13-15, 21-35). • Mount Hermon lies twenty-five miles north-northeast of the Sea of Galilee.
Tyndale Open Study Notes — © Tyndale Open Resources, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Text via the HelloAO Bible API.