1 וְאֵלֶּהH428 מַלְכֵיH4428 הָאָרֶץH776 אֲשֶׁרH834 הִכּוּH5221 בְנֵֽיH1121 יִשְׂרָאֵלH3478 וַיִּֽרְשׁוּH3423 אֶתH853 אַרְצָםH776 בְּעֵבֶרH5676 הַיַּרְדֵּןH3383 מִזְרְחָהH4217 הַשָּׁמֶשׁH8121 מִנַּחַלH5158 אַרְנוֹןH769 עַדH5704 הַרH2022 חֶרְמוֹןH2768 וְכָלH3605 הָעֲרָבָהH6160 מִזְרָֽחָהH4217
2 סִיחוֹןH5511 מֶלֶךְH4428 הָאֱמֹרִיH567 הַיּוֹשֵׁבH3427 בְּחֶשְׁבּוֹןH2809 מֹשֵׁלH4910 מֵעֲרוֹעֵרH6177 אֲשֶׁרH834 עַלH5921 שְׂפַתH8193 נַחַלH5158 אַרְנוֹןH769 וְתוֹךְH8432 הַנַּחַלH5158 וַחֲצִיH2677 הַגִּלְעָדH1568 וְעַדH5704 יַבֹּקH2999 הַנַּחַלH5158 גְּבוּלH1366 בְּנֵיH1121 עַמּֽוֹןH5983
3 וְהָעֲרָבָהH6160 עַדH5704 יָםH3220 כִּנְרוֹתH3672 מִזְרָחָהH4217 וְעַדH5704 יָםH3220 הָעֲרָבָהH6160 יָםH3220 הַמֶּלַחH4417 מִזְרָחָהH4217 דֶּרֶךְH1870 בֵּיתH0 הַיְשִׁמוֹתH1020 וּמִתֵּימָןH8486 תַּחַתH8478 אַשְׁדּוֹתH794 הַפִּסְגָּֽהH6449
4 וּגְבוּלH1366 עוֹגH5747 מֶלֶךְH4428 הַבָּשָׁןH1316 מִיֶּתֶרH3499 הָרְפָאִיםH7497 הַיּוֹשֵׁבH3427 בְּעַשְׁתָּרוֹתH6252 וּבְאֶדְרֶֽעִיH154
5 וּמֹשֵׁלH4910 בְּהַרH2022 חֶרְמוֹןH2768 וּבְסַלְכָהH5548 וּבְכָלH3605 הַבָּשָׁןH1316 עַדH5704 גְּבוּלH1366 הַגְּשׁוּרִיH1651 וְהַמַּעֲכָתִיH4602 וַחֲצִיH2677 הַגִּלְעָדH1568 גְּבוּלH1366 סִיחוֹןH5511 מֶֽלֶךְH4428 חֶשְׁבּֽוֹןH2809
6 מֹשֶׁהH4872 עֶֽבֶדH5650 יְהוָהH3068 וּבְנֵיH1121 יִשְׂרָאֵלH3478 הִכּוּםH5221 וַֽיִּתְּנָהּH5414 מֹשֶׁהH4872 עֶֽבֶדH5650 יְהוָהH3068 יְרֻשָּׁהH3425 לָרֻֽאוּבֵנִיH7206 וְלַגָּדִיH1425 וְלַחֲצִיH2677 שֵׁבֶטH7626 הַֽמְנַשֶּֽׁהH4519
7 וְאֵלֶּהH428 מַלְכֵיH4428 הָאָרֶץH776 אֲשֶׁרH834 הִכָּהH5221 יְהוֹשֻׁעַH3091 וּבְנֵיH1121 יִשְׂרָאֵלH3478 בְּעֵבֶרH5676 הַיַּרְדֵּןH3383 יָמָּהH3220 מִבַּעַלH0 גָּדH1171 בְּבִקְעַתH1237 הַלְּבָנוֹןH3844 וְעַדH5704 הָהָרH2022 הֶחָלָקH2510 הָעֹלֶהH5927 שֵׂעִירָהH8165 וַיִּתְּנָהּH5414 יְהוֹשֻׁעַH3091 לְשִׁבְטֵיH7626 יִשְׂרָאֵלH3478 יְרֻשָּׁהH3425 כְּמַחְלְקֹתָֽםH4256
8 בָּהָרH2022 וּבַשְּׁפֵלָהH8219 וּבָֽעֲרָבָהH6160 וּבָאֲשֵׁדוֹתH794 וּבַמִּדְבָּרH4057 וּבַנֶּגֶבH5045 הַֽחִתִּיH2850 הָֽאֱמֹרִיH567 וְהַֽכְּנַעֲנִיH3669 הַפְּרִזִּיH6522 הַחִוִּיH2340 וְהַיְבוּסִֽיH2983
9 מֶלֶךְH4428 יְרִיחוֹH3405 אֶחָדH259 מֶלֶךְH4428 הָעַיH5857 אֲשֶׁרH834 מִצַּדH6654 בֵּֽיתH0 אֵלH1008 אֶחָֽדH259
10 מֶלֶךְH4428 יְרוּשָׁלִַםH3389 אֶחָדH259 מֶלֶךְH4428 חֶבְרוֹןH2275 אֶחָֽדH259
11 מֶלֶךְH4428 יַרְמוּתH3412 אֶחָדH259 מֶלֶךְH4428 לָכִישׁH3923 אֶחָֽדH259
12 מֶלֶךְH4428 עֶגְלוֹןH5700 אֶחָדH259 מֶלֶךְH4428 גֶּזֶרH1507 אֶחָֽדH259
13 מֶלֶךְH4428 דְּבִרH1688 אֶחָדH259 מֶלֶךְH4428 גֶּדֶרH1445 אֶחָֽדH259
14 מֶלֶךְH4428 חָרְמָהH2767 אֶחָדH259 מֶלֶךְH4428 עֲרָדH6166 אֶחָֽדH259
15 מֶלֶךְH4428 לִבְנָהH3841 אֶחָדH259 מֶלֶךְH4428 עֲדֻלָּםH5725 אֶחָֽדH259
16 מֶלֶךְH4428 מַקֵּדָהH4719 אֶחָדH259 מֶלֶךְH4428 בֵּֽיתH0 אֵלH1008 אֶחָֽדH259
17 מֶלֶךְH4428 תַּפּוּחַH8599 אֶחָדH259 מֶלֶךְH4428 חֵפֶרH2660 אֶחָֽדH259
18 מֶלֶךְH4428 אֲפֵקH663 אֶחָדH259 מֶלֶךְH4428 לַשָּׁרוֹןH8289 אֶחָֽדH259
19 מֶלֶךְH4428 מָדוֹןH4068 אֶחָדH259 מֶלֶךְH4428 חָצוֹרH2674 אֶחָֽדH259
20 מֶלֶךְH4428 שִׁמְרוֹןH0 מְראוֹןH8112 אֶחָדH259 מֶלֶךְH4428 אַכְשָׁףH407 אֶחָֽדH259
21 מֶלֶךְH4428 תַּעְנַךְH8590 אֶחָדH259 מֶלֶךְH4428 מְגִדּוֹH4023 אֶחָֽדH259
22 מֶלֶךְH4428 קֶדֶשׁH6943 אֶחָדH259 מֶֽלֶךְH4428 יָקְנֳעָםH3362 לַכַּרְמֶלH3760 אֶחָֽדH259
23 מֶלֶךְH4428 דּוֹרH1756 לְנָפַתH5299 דּוֹרH1756 אֶחָדH259 מֶֽלֶךְH4428 גּוֹיִםH1471 לְגִלְגָּלH1537 אֶחָֽדH259
24 מֶלֶךְH4428 תִּרְצָהH8656 אֶחָדH259 כָּלH3605 מְלָכִיםH4428 שְׁלֹשִׁיםH7970 וְאֶחָֽדH259
Matthew Henry - Complete Commentary 1 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 (
Josh 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 (
Josh 12:2,
Josh 12:3), and that of Og,
Josh 12:4,
Josh 12:5. Moses had described this country very particularly (
Deut 2:36;
Deut 3:4, etc.), and this description here agrees with his. King Og is said to dwell at Ashtaroth and Edrei (
Josh 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 (
Josh 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.
7 We have here a breviate of Joshua's conquests.
I. The limits of the country he conquered. It lay between Jordan on the east and the Mediterranean Sea on the west, and extended from Baal-gad near Lebanon in the north to Halak, which lay upon the country of Edom in the south, v. 7. The boundaries are more largely described,
Num 34:2, etc. But what is here said is enough to show that God had been as good as his word, and had given them possession of all he had promised them by Moses, if they would but have kept it.
II. The various kinds of land that were found in this country, which contributed both to its pleasantness and to its fruitfulness,
Josh 12:8. There were mountains, not craggy, and rocky, and barren, which are frightful to the traveller and useless to the inhabitants, but fruitful hills, such as put forth
precious things (
Deut 33:15), which charmed the spectator's eye and filled the owner's hand. And valleys, not mossy and boggy, but
covered with corn, Pss 65:13. There were plains, and springs to water them; and even in that rich land there were wildernesses too, or forests, which were not so thickly inhabited as other parts, yet had towns and houses in them, but served as foils to set off the more pleasant and fruitful countries.
III. The several nations that had been in possession of this country - Hittites, Amorites, Canaanites, etc., all of them descended from Canaan, the accursed son of Ham,
Gen 10:15-
Gen 10:18. Seven nations they are called (
Deut 7:1), and so many are there reckoned up, but here six only are mentioned, the Girgashites being either lost or left out, though we find them,
Gen 10:16 and
Gen 15:21. Either they were incorporated with some other of these nations, or, as the tradition of the Jews is, upon the approach of Israel under Joshua they all withdrew and went into Africa, leaving their country to be possessed by Israel, with whom they saw it was to no purpose to contend, and therefore they are not named among the nations that Joshua subdued.
IV. A list of the kings that were conquered and subdued by the sword of Israel, some in the field, others in their own cities, thirty-one in all, and very particularly named and counted, it should seem, in the order in which they were conquered; for the catalogue begins with the kings of Jericho and Ai, then takes in the king of Jerusalem and the princes of the south that were in confederacy with him, and then proceeds to those of the northern association. Now, 1. This shows what a very fruitful country Canaan then was, which could support so many kingdoms, and in which so many kings chose to throng together rather than disperse themselves into other countries, which we may suppose not yet inhabited, but where, though they might find more room, they could not expect such plenty and pleasure: this was the land God spied out for Israel; and yet at this day it is one of the most barren, despicable, 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,
Deut 29:23. 2. It shows what narrow limits men's ambition was then confined to. These kings contented themselves with the government, each of them, of one city and the towns and villages that pertained to it; and no one of them, for aught that appears, aimed to make himself master of the rest, but, when there was occasion, all united for the common safety. Yet it should seem that what was wanting in the extent of their territories was made up in the absoluteness of their power, their subjects being all their tenants and vassals, and entirely at their command. 3. It shows how good God was to Israel, in giving them victory over all these kings, and possession of all these kingdoms, and what obligations he hereby laid upon them to
observe his statutes and to keep his laws, Pss 105:44,
Pss 105:45. Here were thirty-one kingdoms, or seigniories, to be divided among nine tribes and a half of Israel. Of these there fell to the lot of Judah the kingdoms of Hebron, Jarmuth, Lachish, Eglon, Debir, Arad, Libnan, and Adullam, eight in all, besides part of the kingdom of Jerusalem and part of Geder. Benjamin had the kingdoms of Jericho, Ai, Jerusalem, Makkedah, Beth-el, and the nations of Gilgal, six in all. Simeon had the kingdom of Hormah and part of Geder. Ephraim had the kingdoms of Gezer and Tirzah. Manasseh (that half-tribe) had the kingdoms of Tappuah and Hepher, Taanach and Megiddo. Asher had the kingdoms of Aphek and Achshaph. Zebulun had the kingdoms of Lasharon, Shimron-meron, and Jokneam. Naphtali had the kingdoms of Madon, Hazor, and Kedesh. And Issachar had that of Dor. These were some of the great and famous kings that God smote,
for his mercy endureth for ever; and gave their land for a heritage, even a heritage unto Israel his servant, for his mercy endureth for ever, Pss 136:17, etc.