The Book of Joshua
Joshua 12
Chapter XII · Vol. I, pp. 558–559
1 The two kings whose countries Moses took and disposed of. 7 The one and thirty kings on the west side of Jordan which Joshua smote.
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 aArnon unto mount bHermon, and all the plain on the east;
2 Sihonc 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,2 and from half Gilead,3 even unto the river dJabbok, which is the border of the children of Ammon:
A.M. 2552. B.C. 1452.
c Nu.21.24-32. De.3 6-10?; 2.30. Ne.9.22. Ps 135.11; 136.19,20.
2 The middle of what river? The middle of the Arnon being the name of a city situate on an island to the east of Aroer. See ch. 13. 9.—C.
3 Half Gilead, that is, the southern half, commencing at a point in the vicinity of Heshbon, Sihon's capital.—C.
3 And from the plain to the esea of Chinneroth4 on the east, and unto the fsea of the plain, even the salt sea on the east, the way to Beth-jeshimoth; and from the south,5 under Ashdoth-pisgah:g
4 And the coast of Og king of Bashan, which was of hthe remnant of the giants, that dwelt ati Ashtaroth and at Edrei,
5 And reigned in mount Hermon, and in Salcah,k and in all Bashan, unto the border of the Geshurites, and the Maachathites, and half Gilead, the border of Sihon king of Heshbon;6
k De.3.1-14; 4.47,48. ch.13.11. 2 Sa. 3. 3; 13. 37; 23.34. 2 Ki.25.23.
6 The boundaries of Og's kingdom were Hermon on the west; Salcah on the east, situated on a conical peak at the south-eastern extremity of the mountains of Bashan; Geshur (Trachonitis) and Maachah on the north; and the Jabbok, which divided Gilead, on the south. The section of Gilead north of the Jabbok belonged to Og; that on the south to Sihon.—P.
6 Them did Moses, the servant of the LORD, and the children of Israel, smite: and lMoses, the servant of the LORD, gave it for a possession unto the Reubenites, and the Gadites, and the half-tribe of Manasseh.
l Nu.32.29-42. De.3. 8-17. ch.13.8-32.
7 And these are the kings of the country which Joshua and the children of Israel smote onm this side Jordan on the west, nfrom Baal-gad in the valley of Lebanon, even unto the mount Halak, that goeth up to Seir; which Joshua gave unto the tribes of Israel for a possession, according to their divisions:
m ch.9.1; 3.17.
n Baal-gad was the north, and Halak the south border, ch. 10. 40; 11.16,17; 13.5; 1.3,4; 3.10. De.34.2, 3; 11. 23, 24; 7. 1. Ge. 15. 18-21. Ex.3.8; 23.23,31; 34.11.
8 In the mountains, and in the valleys, and in the plains, and in the springs, and in the wilderness, and in the south country; the Hittites, the Amorites, and the Canaanites, the Perizzites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites:
9 Theo king of Jericho,7 one; pthe king of Ai, which is beside Beth-el, one;
o ch.6.2-21.
7 Modern readers of the Bible are often surprised at the number of kings reigning in so narrow a compass. A little reflection would remove this surprise, for were the early history of the European tribes as well preserved, there is little doubt that as many petty sovereignties would frequently be found in the same extent. Within the range of authentic history, a part of England furnished seven kingdoms.—C.
p ch.8.26-29.
13 Theu king of Debir, one; xthe king of Geder, one;
A.M. 2552. B.C. 1452.
u ch.10.38; 15.15,49; 11.21.
x ch.15 36.
14 They king of Hormah, one; zthe king of Arad,8 one;
y Nu.14.45; 21.3. Ju. 1.17. 2 Ch.14.10
z Nu 21 1
8 Situated on a little hill about 15 miles south of Hebron, and still bearing its old name.—P
16 Thec king of Makkedah, one; dthe king of Beth-el, one;
c ch.10 16 28; 15.41.
d ch.8. 17; 16. 1. Ge. 12.8.
17 Thee king of Tappuah,9 one; fthe king of Hepher, one;
e ch.15.34.
9 Now Teffuh, 5 miles west of Hebron.—P
f ch.19.13.
18 Theg king of Aphek, one; the king of hLasharon, one;
g ch.15.53; 19.30; 13. 4. 1 Sa.4.1. 1 Ki.20.30. 2 Ki.13.17.
22 Them king of Kedesh,1 one; the nking of Jokneam of Carmel, one;
m ch.19.37, 20.32.
1 Kedesh was the 'city of refuge' in Naphtali, situated on a beautiful upland plain. Its ruins are of some extent and importance.—P
n ch. 19. 11. 1 Ki. 4. 12
23 Theo king of Dor, in the coast2 of Dor, one; the king of pthe nations of Gilgal, one;
o ch.17.11.
2 The mention of coast, suggests the idea of its being a seaport of the Mediterranean Jerome places it nine miles south of Cæsarea. At present it is a village of forty or fifty houses and is called Tortousa.—C.
p Ge. 14. 1, not that ch.4.19.
Notes
Ver. 1. [River Arnon. The Arnon rises in the mountains of Gilead, on the east of Jordan, and flows along the north border of Moab, separating it from the Ammonites, and empties itself into the Dead Sea. Burckhardt gives its modern name Modjeb, and assigns it a course of about 56 miles. In summer it is nearly dry, but in winter is an impetuous torrent. C.——The land from the Arnon to Hermon embraces the great plateau and mountain chains east of the Jordan. All the plain on the east' is in Hebrew 'all the Arabah;' i.e. the deep valley of the Jordan, east of the river. P.]
Ver. 2. [Jabbok. In summer a brook, in winter a torrent, arising in the mountains of Gilead, near Rabbath Ammon, and running in a westerly direction, joins the Jordan about 35 miles south of the Sea of Chinneroth. C.]
Ver. 3. [Salt Sea. Dead Sea, the site of Sodom and Gomorrah, more salt than any other sea. This special geographical description was given in order to prevent any disputes about the boundaries of the two and a half settled tribes. See ver. 6. C.——The first part of ver. 3 should be rendered as follows:—'And the Arabah to the Sea of Chinneroth eastward, and to the Sea of the Arabah—the salt sea, eastward.' The meaning is, that while Sihon's kingdom extended on the highlands only as far north as the Jabbok, it embraced the whole eastern section of the valley of the Jordan from the Sea of Galilee to the Dead Sea.' P.]
Ver. 8. ['In the hill-country, and in the Shephelah, and in the Arabah, and in Ashdoth, and in the Midbar (i.e. the pastoral plateau east of Jordan), and in the Negeb.' These are proper names, and mark the various sections of the country. See note on ch. 9. 1. P.]
Ver. 21. [Taanach and Megiddo stood on the southern border of the plain of Esdraelon. They became famous in after-times in connection with the victory of Barak, and other battles. P.]
Ver. 22. [Jokneam stood at the northern base of Carmel, near the bank of the Kishon; the hill on which it stood is now called Tell el-Mutsellim. P.]
Ver. 24. [Tirzah was situated in the mountains, about 9 miles east of Samaria. Jeroboam, the first king of Israel, chose it as his principal residence. The situation is fine, and it is surrounded by extensive groves of olives. P.]
Reflections.—Former mercies from God, or services from men, must never be forgotten for the glare of present ones. How happy the saints who have possession of manifold blessings on this side the Jordan of death, even while their principal inheritance lies beyond it! How fruitful then was the promised land, which could support such multitudes of men! How fearful the guilt, and tremendous the curse, which for many ages have rendered it one of the most barren and useless spots on the earth! How confined was the ancient ambition of kings! and how good was God to Israel, who gave so many nations for their ransom, and people for their life!