Joshua 12
The Message
The Defeated Kings
12 These are the kings that the People of Israel defeated and whose land they took on the east of the Jordan, from the Arnon Gorge to Mount Hermon, with the whole eastern side of the Arabah Valley.
2-3 Sihon king of the Amorites, who reigned from Heshbon: His rule extended from Aroer, which sits at the edge of the Arnon Gorge, from the middle of the gorge and over half of Gilead to the Gorge of the Jabbok River, which is the border of the Ammonites. His rule included the eastern Arabah Valley from the Sea of Kinnereth to the Arabah Sea (the Salt Sea), eastward toward Beth Jeshimoth and southward to the slopes of Pisgah.
4-5 And Og king of Bashan, one of the last of the Rephaim who reigned from Ashtaroth and Edrei: His rule extended from Mount Hermon and Salecah over the whole of Bashan to the border of the Geshurites and the Maacathites (the other half of Gilead) to the border of Sihon king of Heshbon.
6 Moses the servant of God and the People of Israel defeated them. And Moses the servant of God gave this land as an inheritance to the Reubenites, the Gadites, and half of the tribe of Manasseh.
* * *
7-24 And these are the kings of the land that Joshua and the People of Israel defeated in the country west of the Jordan, from Baal Gad in the Valley of Lebanon south to Mount Halak, which towers over Seir. Joshua gave this land to the tribes of Israel as a possession, according to their divisions: lands in the mountains, the western foothills, and the Arabah Valley, on the slopes, and in the wilderness and the Negev desert (lands on which Hittites, Amorites and Canaanites, Perizzites, Hivites, and Jebusites had lived). The kings were:
| The king of Jericho | one |
| The king of Ai (near Bethel) | one |
| The king of Jerusalem | one |
| The king of Hebron | one |
| The king of Jarmuth | one |
| The king of Lachish | one |
| The king of Eglon | one |
| The king of Gezer | one |
| The king of Debir | one |
| The king of Geder | one |
| The king of Hormah | one |
| The king of Arad | one |
| The king of Libnah | one |
| The king of Adullam | one |
| The king of Makkedah | one |
| The king of Bethel | one |
| The king of Tappuah | one |
| The king of Hepher | one |
| The king of Aphek | one |
| The king of Lasharon | one |
| The king of Madon | one |
| The king of Hazor | one |
| The king of Shimron Meron | one |
| The king of Acshaph | one |
| The king of Taanach | one |
| The king of Megiddo | one |
| The king of Kedesh | one |
| The king of Jokneam in Carmel | one |
| The king of Dor (Naphoth Dor) | one |
| The king of Goyim in Gilgal | one |
| The king of Tirzah | one |
A total of thirty-one kings.
Joshua 12
English Standard Version
Kings Defeated by Moses
12 Now these are the kings of the land whom the people of Israel defeated and took possession of their land beyond the Jordan toward the sunrise, from (A)the Valley of the Arnon to Mount Hermon, with all (B)the Arabah eastward: 2 (C)Sihon king of the Amorites who lived at Heshbon and ruled from Aroer, which is on the edge of the Valley of the Arnon, and (D)from the middle of the valley as far as the (E)river Jabbok, the boundary of the Ammonites, that is, half of Gilead, 3 and (F)the Arabah (G)to the Sea of Chinneroth eastward, and in the direction of Beth-jeshimoth, to the Sea of the Arabah, the Salt Sea, southward to the foot of (H)the slopes of Pisgah; 4 and (I)Og[a] king of Bashan, one of the remnant of (J)the Rephaim, (K)who lived at Ashtaroth and at Edrei 5 and ruled over (L)Mount Hermon and (M)Salecah and all Bashan (N)to the boundary of the Geshurites and the Maacathites, and over half of Gilead to the boundary of Sihon king of Heshbon. 6 (O)Moses, the servant of the Lord, and the people of Israel defeated them. And Moses the servant of the Lord (P)gave their land for a possession to the Reubenites and the Gadites and the half-tribe of Manasseh.
Kings Defeated by Joshua
7 And these are the kings of the land whom Joshua and the people of Israel defeated on the west side of the Jordan, from Baal-gad in the Valley of Lebanon to (Q)Mount Halak, that rises toward Seir (and Joshua gave their land to the tribes of Israel as a possession (R)according to their allotments, 8 (S)in the hill country, in the lowland, in the Arabah, in the slopes, in the wilderness, and in the Negeb, the land of (T)the Hittites, the Amorites, the Canaanites, the Perizzites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites): 9 (U)the king of Jericho, one; (V)the king of Ai, which is beside Bethel, one; 10 (W)the king of Jerusalem, one; (X)the king of Hebron, one; 11 (Y)the king of Jarmuth, one; (Z)the king of Lachish, one; 12 (AA)the king of Eglon, one; (AB)the king of Gezer, one; 13 (AC)the king of Debir, one; the king of Geder, one; 14 the king of Hormah, one; the king of Arad, one; 15 (AD)the king of Libnah, one; the king of Adullam, one; 16 (AE)the king of Makkedah, one; (AF)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 (AG)the king of Madon, one; (AH)the king of Hazor, one; 20 (AI)the king of Shimron-meron, one; (AJ)the king of Achshaph, one; 21 (AK)the king of Taanach, one; (AL)the king of Megiddo, one; 22 the king of Kedesh, one; the king of Jokneam in Carmel, one; 23 (AM)the king of Dor in (AN)Naphath-dor, one; the king of Goiim in Galilee,[b] one; 24 the king of Tirzah, one: in all, thirty-one kings.
Footnotes
- Joshua 12:4 Septuagint; Hebrew the boundary of Og
- Joshua 12:23 Septuagint; Hebrew Gilgal
Joshua 12
New English Translation
12 Now these are the kings of the land whom the Israelites defeated and drove from their land[a] on the east side of the Jordan,[b] from the Arnon Valley to Mount Hermon, including all the eastern rift valley:[c]
2 King Sihon of the Amorites who lived[d] in Heshbon and ruled from Aroer (on the edge of the Arnon Valley)—including the city in the middle of the valley[e] and half of Gilead—all the way to the Jabbok Valley bordering Ammonite territory. 3 His kingdom included[f] the eastern rift valley from the Sea of Kinnereth[g] to the sea of the rift valley (the Salt Sea),[h] including the route to Beth Jeshimoth and the area southward below the slopes of Pisgah.[i]
4 The territory of King Og of Bashan, one of the few remaining Rephaites,[j] who lived[k] in Ashtaroth and Edrei 5 and ruled over Mount Hermon, Salecah, all Bashan to the border of the Geshurites and Maacathites, and half of Gilead as far as the border of King Sihon of Heshbon.
6 Moses the Lord’s servant and the Israelites defeated them and Moses the Lord’s servant assigned their land[l] to Reuben, Gad, and the half-tribe of Manasseh.
7 These are the kings of the land whom Joshua and the Israelites defeated on the west side of the Jordan, from Baal Gad in the Lebanon Valley to Mount Halak up to Seir. Joshua assigned this territory to the Israelite tribes,[m] 8 including the hill country, the foothills,[n] the rift valley,[o] the slopes,[p] the wilderness, and the Negev[q]—the land of[r] the Hittites, Amorites, Canaanites, Perizzites, Hivites, and Jebusites:
9 the king of Jericho (one),
the king of Ai—located near 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 Shimron Meron (one),
the king of Acshaph (one),
21 the king of Taanach (one),
the king of Megiddo (one),
22 the king of Kedesh (one),
the king of Jokneam near Carmel (one),
23 the king of Dor—near Naphath Dor—(one),
the king of Goyim—near Gilgal—(one),
24 the king of Tirzah (one),
a total of thirty-one kings.
Footnotes
- Joshua 12:1 tn Heb “and took possession of their land.”
- Joshua 12:1 tn Heb “beyond the Jordan, toward the rising of the sun.”
- Joshua 12:1 sn The rift valley is a geographic feature that extends from Mt. Hermon to the Gulf of Aqaba and includes the Sea of Galilee, the Jordan River, and the Dead Sea. The section described here extends from the border of Moab, the Arnon which runs into the middle of the Dead Sea, northward up the entire Jordan valley and beyond Galilee to Mt. Hermon at the border of Lebanon.
- Joshua 12:2 tn Or perhaps, “reigned.”
- Joshua 12:2 tc The MT reads here “and the middle of the valley,” but the reading “the city in the middle of valley” can be reconstructed on the basis of Josh 13:9, 16.
- Joshua 12:3 tn The words “his kingdom included” are supplied in the translation for clarification.
- Joshua 12:3 sn The Sea of Kinnereth is another name for the Sea of Galilee. See the note on the word “Kinnereth” in 11:2.
- Joshua 12:3 sn The Salt Sea is another name for the Dead Sea.
- Joshua 12:3 sn The slopes of Pisgah lie east of the northern tip of the Dead Sea.
- Joshua 12:4 tn Heb “from the remnant of the Rephaites.”sn The Rephaites were apparently an extremely tall ethnic group. See Deut 2:10-11, 20; 3:11.
- Joshua 12:4 tn Or perhaps “who reigned.”
- Joshua 12:6 tn Heb “gave it for a possession.”
- Joshua 12:7 tn Heb “Joshua gave it to the tribes of Israel as a possession according to their allotted portions.”
- Joshua 12:8 sn The foothills (שְׁפֵלָה, shephelah) are the transition region between the Judean hill country and the Mediterranean coastal plain. These are areas of eocene limestone with a distinct pattern of erosion, soil, and vegetation cover.
- Joshua 12:8 sn The rift valley (עֲרָבָה, ʿaravah) is a geographic feature extending from Galilee to the Dead Sea to the Gulf of Aqaba. Here it probably refers to the Jordan valley and an area extending south of the Dead Sea by the Negev.
- Joshua 12:8 sn The slopes (אֲשֵׁדוֹת, ʾashedot) refer to the ascent from the rift valley up to the hill country and to the flatlands (or wilderness) south of the hill country.
- Joshua 12:8 sn The Negev is the area of central southern Judah, south of the hill country and west of the rift valley. As a geographic feature it is a depression extending south to the Gulf of Aqaba, but the biblical reference is probably to the northern portion of the region.
- Joshua 12:8 tn The words “the land of” are supplied in the translation for clarification.
Copyright © 1993, 2002, 2018 by Eugene H. Peterson
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