Joshua 12

Chapter context

What is happening in Joshua 12?

inheritancerestcovenant fidelityholy war

Joshua 12 belongs to the middle movement of the book, especially the section often described as Jericho, Ai, and the central campaigns. Joshua tells of the crossing into Canaan, the fall of Jericho, complex campaigns in the land, tribal allotments, and a final renewal of covenant loyalty. Read this chapter with the wider themes of inheritance, rest, and covenant fidelity in view so the individual verses keep their proper weight.

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: 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, and from half Gilead, even unto the river Jabbok, which is the border of the children of Ammon; ³ And from the plain 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; and from the south, under Ashdothpisgah: ⁴ And the coast of Og king of Bashan, which was of the remnant of the giants, that dwelt at Ashtaroth and at Edrei, ⁵ And reigned in mount Hermon, and in Salcah, and in all Bashan, unto the border of the Geshurites and the Maachathites, and half Gilead, the border of Sihon king of Heshbon. 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. ⁷ And these are the kings of the country which Joshua and the children of Israel smote on this side Jordan on the west, from Baalgad 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; 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 The king of Jericho, one; the king of Ai, which is beside Bethel, one; ¹⁰ The king of Jerusalem, one; the king of Hebron, one; ¹¹ The king of Jarmuth, one; the king of Lachish, one; ¹² The king of Eglon, one; the king of Gezer, one; ¹³ The king of Debir, one; the king of Geder, one; ¹⁴ The king of Hormah, one; the king of Arad, one; ¹⁵ The king of Libnah, one; the king of Adullam, one; ¹⁶ The king of Makkedah, one; the king of Bethel, one; ¹⁷ The king of Tappuah, one; the king of Hepher, one; ¹⁸ The king of Aphek, one; the king of Lasharon, one; ¹⁹ The king of Madon, one; the king of Hazor, one; ²⁰ The king of Shimronmeron, one; the king of Achshaph, one; ²¹ The king of Taanach, one; the king of Megiddo, one; ²² The king of Kedesh, one; the king of Jokneam of Carmel, one; ²³ The king of Dor in the coast of Dor, one; the king of the nations of Gilgal, one; ²⁴ The king of Tirzah, one: all the kings thirty and one.

Study helps

Glossary

Arabah Place v. 1, 3, 8: A name given to Abi-albon, or, as elsewhere called, Abiel, one of David’s warriors ( 2 Sam. 23:31 ; 1 Chr. 11:32 ), probably as being an inhabitant of Arabah ( Josh. 15:61 ), a town in the wilderness of Judah.
Jordan Place v. 1, 7: Biblical river. Modern identification: Jordan River.
Mount Hermon Place v. 1, 5: Biblical mountain. Modern identification: Mount Hermon.
Valley of the Arnon Place v. 1-2: Biblical valley. Modern identification: Wadi Mujib.
Ammon Place v. 2: Biblical region. Modern identification: Amman.
Amorites People v. 2, 8: Highlanders, or hillmen, the name given to the descendants of one of the sons of Canaan ( Gen. 14:7 ), called Amurra or Amurri in the Assyrian and Egyptian inscriptions.
Aroer Place v. 2: Biblical settlement. Modern identification: Arair.
Gilead Place v. 2, 5: Biblical region. Modern identification: Tell edh Dhahab esh Sherqiyeh.
Heshbon Place v. 2, 5: Biblical settlement. Modern identification: Tell Hesban.
Jabbok Place v. 2: Biblical river. Modern identification: Zarqa River.
Beth-jeshimoth Place v. 3: House of wastes, or deserts, a town near Abel-shittim, east of Jordan, in the desert of Moab, where the Israelites encamped not long before crossing the Jordan ( Num. 33:49 ; A. V., “Bethjesimoth”). Modern identification: Tell Azeimeh.
Pisgah Place v. 3: A part, a mountain summit in the land of Moab, in the territory of Reuben, where Balak offered up sacrifices ( Num. 21:20 ; 23:14 ), and from which Moses viewed the promised land ( Deut. 3:27 ). Modern identification: Rujm Siyaghah.
Salt Sea Place v. 3: (Heb. yam), signifies (1) “the gathering together of the waters,” the ocean ( Gen. 1:10 ); (2) a river, as the Nile ( Isa. 19:5 ), the Euphrates ( Isa. 21:1 ; Jer. 51:36 ); (3) the Red Sea. Modern identification: Dead Sea.
Sea of Galilee Place v. 3: A city, the modern Tubarich, on the western shore of the Sea of Tiberias. It is said to have been founded by Herod Antipas. Modern identification: Sea of Galilee.
Ashtaroth Place v. 4: A city of Bashan, in the kingdom of Og ( Deut. 1:4 ; Josh. 12:4 ; 13:12 ; 9:10 ). It was in the half-tribe of Manasseh ( Josh. 13:12 ), and as a Levitical city was given to the Gershonites ( 1 Chr. 6:71 ). Modern identification: Tell Ashtara.
Bashan Place v. 4-5: Biblical region. Modern identification: Saham al Jawlan.
Edrei Place v. 4: Biblical settlement. Modern identification: Daraa.
Geshur Place v. 5: Bridge, the name of a district or principality of Syria near Gilead, between Mount Hermon and the Lake of Tiberias ( 2 Sam. 15:8 ; 1 Chr. 2:23 ). Modern identification: Fiq.
Maacah Place v. 5: Biblical region. Modern identification: Tel Abel Beth Maacah.
Salecah Place v. 5: Wandering, a city of Bashan assigned to the half tribe of Manasseh ( Deut. 3:10 ; Josh. 12:5 ; 13:11 ), identified with Salkhad, about 56 miles east of Jordan.
Baal-gad Place v. 7: Biblical settlement. Modern identification: Tell Haush.
Joshua Tribe v. 7: Jehovah is his help, or Jehovah the Saviour. The son of Nun, of the tribe of Ephraim, the successor of Moses as the leader of Israel. He is called Jehoshua in Num. 13:16 (A. V. ), and Jesus in Acts 7:45 and Heb. 4:8 .
Mount Halak Place v. 7: Smooth; bald, a hill at the southern extremity of Canaan ( Josh. 11:17 ). It is referred to as if it were a landmark in that direction, being prominent and conspicuous from a distance. Modern identification: Jebel Halaq.
Mount Seir Place v. 7: Biblical mountain range. Modern identification: Jebel esh Shera.
Valley of Lebanon Place v. 7: Biblical valley. Modern identification: Beqaa Valley.
Negeb Place v. 8: Biblical region. Modern identification: Tel Beer Sheva.
Perizzites People v. 8: Villagers; dwellers in the open country, the Canaanitish nation inhabiting the fertile regions south and south-west of Carmel.
Shephelah Place v. 8: Biblical region. Modern identification: Shephelah.
Ai Place v. 9: Biblical settlement. Modern identification: Et Tell.
Bethel Place v. 9, 16: House of God. (1. ) A place in Central Palestine, about 10 miles north of Jerusalem, at the head of the pass of Michmash and Ai. It was originally the royal Canaanite city of Luz ( Gen. 28:19 ). Modern identification: Beitin.
Jericho Place v. 9: Biblical settlement. Modern identification: Tell es Sultan.
Hebron Place v. 10: A community; alliance. (1. ) A city in the south end of the valley of Eshcol, about midway between Jerusalem and Beersheba, from which it is distant about 20 miles in a straight line. Modern identification: Tel Rumeida.
Jerusalem Place v. 10: Biblical settlement. Modern identification: Jerusalem.
Jarmuth Place v. 11: Height. (1. ) A town in the plain of Judah ( Josh. 15:35 ), originally the residence of one of the Canaanitish kings (10:3, 5, 23). Modern identification: Tel Yarmuth.
Lachish Place v. 11: Biblical settlement. Modern identification: Tell ed Duweir.
Eglon Place v. 12: Biblical settlement. Modern identification: Tell Eton.
Gezer Place v. 12: Biblical settlement. Modern identification: Tel Gezer.
Debir Place v. 13: Biblical settlement. Modern identification: Khirbet Rabud.
Geder Place v. 13: Biblical settlement. Modern identification: Khirbet Jedur.
Arad Place v. 14: Biblical settlement. Modern identification: Tel Arad.
Hormah Place v. 14: Biblical settlement. Modern identification: Tel Masos.
Adullam Place v. 15: Biblical settlement. Modern identification: Khirbet esh Sheikh Madhkur.
Libnah Place v. 15: Biblical settlement. Modern identification: Tell Bornat.
Makkedah Place v. 16: Biblical settlement. Modern identification: Khirbet el Qom.
Hepher Place v. 17: Biblical settlement. Modern identification: Tell el Muhaffar.
Tappuah Place v. 17: Apple-region. (1. ) A town in the valley or lowland of Judah; formerly a royal city of the Canaanites ( Josh. 12:17 ; 15:34 ). It is now called Tuffuh, about 12 miles west of Jerusalem. Modern identification: Tell Abu Zarad.
Aphek Place v. 18: A city built by Herod the Great, and called by this name in honour of his father, Antipater. It lay between Caesarea and Lydda, two miles inland, on the great Roman road from Caesarea to Jerusalem. Modern identification: Tell Ras el Ain.
Lasharon Place v. 18: Biblical region. Modern identification: Sharon Plain.
Hazor Place v. 19: Biblical settlement. Modern identification: Tel Hazor.
Madon Place v. 19: Biblical settlement. Modern identification: Tell el Khirbeh.
Achshaph Place v. 20: Biblical settlement. Modern identification: Tel Regev.
Shimron-meron Place v. 20: Biblical settlement. Modern identification: Tel Shimron.
Megiddo Place v. 21: Biblical settlement. Modern identification: Tel Megiddo.
Taanach Place v. 21: Biblical settlement. Modern identification: Tell Ta’anakh.
Jokneam Place v. 22: Gathered by the people, ( Josh. 19:11 ; 21:34 ), a city “of Carmel” (12:22), i. e., on Carmel, allotted with its suburbs to the Merarite Levites. Modern identification: Tel Yokneam.
Kedesh Place v. 22: Sanctuary. (1. ) A place in the extreme south of Judah ( Josh. 15:23 ). Probably the same as Kadesh-barnea (q. v. ). (2. ) A city of Issachar ( 1 Chr. 6:72 ). Possibly Tell Abu Kadeis, near Lejjun. Modern identification: Tel Kedesh.
Mount Carmel Place v. 22: Biblical mountain. Modern identification: Mount Carmel.
Dor Place v. 23: Biblical settlement. Modern identification: Tel Dor.
Galilee Place v. 23: Biblical region. Modern identification: Galilee.
Goiim Place v. 23: Biblical region. Modern identification: Galilee.
Naphoth-dor Place v. 23: Biblical region. Modern identification: Tel Dor.
Tirzah Place v. 24: Biblical settlement. Modern identification: Tell el Farah.