The Histories · Old Testament

Joshua 12

The defeated kings east and west of the Jordan

General context

The chapter gathers the preceding conquests into two lists divided by the Jordan. Eastward, it describes the territories of Sihon of Heshbon and Og of Bashan, defeated under Moses and assigned to Reuben, Gad and half Manasseh. Westward, it introduces the land conquered under Joshua, from Baal-gad to Mount Halak, across hill country, valleys, plains and southern country. Thirty-one kings are then counted individually by their cities or regions, beginning with Jericho and Ai and ending with Tirzah. The list links the change in leadership from Moses to Joshua with the account of territory becoming tribal inheritance.

Cited passages: Joshua 12:1, Joshua 12:2, Joshua 12:3, Joshua 12:4, Joshua 12:5, Joshua 12:6, Joshua 12:7, Joshua 12:8, Joshua 12:9, Joshua 12:10, Joshua 12:11, Joshua 12:12, Joshua 12:13, Joshua 12:14, Joshua 12:15, Joshua 12:16, Joshua 12:17, Joshua 12:18, Joshua 12:19, Joshua 12:20, Joshua 12:21, Joshua 12:22, Joshua 12:23, Joshua 12:24

Joshua 12 (KJV)

¹Now 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:

²Sihon 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 Chinneroth on the east, and unto the sea of the plain, even the salt sea on the east, the way to Beth-jeshimoth; and from the south, under Ashdoth-pisgah:

⁴And the coast of Og king of Bashan, which 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, the border of Sihon king of Heshbon.

⁶Them 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.

⁷And these are the kings of the country which Joshua and the children of Israel smote on this side Jordan on the west, from 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;

⁸In 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:

⁹The king of Jericho, one; the king of Ai, which is beside Beth-el, one;

¹⁰The king of Jerusalem, one; the king of Hebron, one;

¹¹The king of Jarmuth, one; the king of Lachish, one;

¹²The king of Eglon, one; the king of Gezer, one;

¹³The king of Debir, one; the king of Geder, one;

¹⁴The king of Hormah, one; the king of Arad, one;

¹⁵The king of Libnah, one; the king of Adullam, one;

¹⁶The king of Makkedah, one; the king of Beth-el, one;

¹⁷The king of Tappuah, one; the king of Hepher, one;

¹⁸The king of Aphek, one; the king of Lasharon, one;

¹⁹The king of Madon, one; the king of Hazor, one;

²⁰The king of Shimron-meron, one; the king of Achshaph, one;

²¹The king of Taanach, one; the king of Megiddo, one;

²²The king of Kedesh, one; the king of Jokneam of Carmel, one;

²³The king of Dor in the coast of Dor, one; the king of the nations of Gilgal, one;

²⁴The king of Tirzah, one: all the kings thirty and one.

This page shows the King James Version. In the app, reading opens in the Berean Standard Bible unless you have chosen another translation. The reader includes five translations: the Berean Standard Bible (BSB), the King James Version (KJV), the World English Bible (WEB), the Bible in Basic English (BBE), and the American Standard Version (ASV). Search covers three of them: Berean Standard, King James, and World English. Basic English and American Standard readers search the King James words.

Historical context

Sihon and Og belong to the eastern section and are not part of the thirty-one counted in the western list. Most western rulers are identified by their seats rather than personal names. The entries do not provide a separate battle narrative, date or occupation history for every city. In verse 23 the KJV's king of the nations of Gilgal appears as king of Goiim in Gilgal in ASV and BBE; the difference should not be turned into an additional ruler. The chapter is a retrospective register of defeated kings within the book's account, rather than a detailed survey proving that every inhabitant of every named region has been removed.

Literary context

The eastern section uses connected territorial descriptions, while the western list repeatedly adds one king at a time. That repeated one produces the closing total of thirty-one. Moses and Joshua appear in parallel headings as leaders under whom land is taken and assigned, giving the register continuity across the river and the succession. The catalogue changes the pace from individual campaign scenes to a cumulative record of rule and possession.

Key moments

The eastern territories (Joshua 12:1). The opening identifies the lands east of the Jordan covered by the first section.
Moses' earlier allotment (Joshua 12:6). The conquered eastern territory is linked to Reuben, Gad and half Manasseh.
Joshua's western section (Joshua 12:7). A second heading introduces the kings defeated west of the river.
Thirty-one kings (Joshua 12:24). The repeated count ends with Tirzah and a stated total of thirty-one.

For reflection

A list can make a large story easier to grasp while leaving much unstated. Which questions about people and places remain open after you have read this chapter's totals?

People in this chapter

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