Joshua 12:1-6

Summary of Moses-' Conquest Joshua 12:1-6

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 Beth-jeshimoth; and from the south, under Ashdoth-pisgah;
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.

1.

What is the other side of Jordan? Joshua 12:1

The reference to the other side of Jordan towards the rising of the sun is a phrase which reveals the point of view of the writer. Joshua wrote the book after he had crossed into the Promised Land. On occasions when the writer is east of the Jordan, he refers to the land of the Jordan as the other side of Jordan. This area was sometimes called Perea, or Gilead. The main part of the land was west of the Jordan. That part which was east was called the other side.

2.

Where were the Anion, the Jabbok and Gilead? Joshua 12:2

The Arnon was a river which flowed from the high-lands east of the Dead Sea into the middle of that sea. The mouth was about one half the distance between the northern and southern ends of the Salt Sea on the east side of the Sea. The Jabbok was a river which rose in the heights on the east of the Jordan River and flowed into the Jordan River about half-way between the Sea of Galilee and the Dead Sea. Gilead was a term given to the territory which lay east of the Jordan River between the Sea of Galilee and the Dead Sea. Sihon had ruled this area, and his people were known as the Amorites, the highlanders. His capital was in Heshbon, and his kingdom extended as far south as the town Aroer, sometimes called the Beersheba of the east. Heshbon is almost due east of the point where the Jordan river enters the Dead Sea.

3.

Who were the children of Ammon? Joshua 12:2 b

The children of Ammon were descendants of Lot through his younger daughter. When the younger daughter bore her first child, she called his name Ben-Ammi. From him the children of Ammon were descended, and they occupied the territory which lay east of the country ruled by Sihon. Moses had not fought against the Amorites but had passed by and left them unmolested.

4.

What was the plain? Joshua 12:3

The plain is sometimes called the Arabah. The term is applied to the great valley between the Dead Sea and the Gulf of Aqaba in most contexts, but here it is used as the name of the valley lying between Mt. Hermon and the Dead Sea. From the Sea of Galilee to the south end of the Dead Sea, the Arabs call it the Ghor, or depression. Some geographers feel that an exact point of division may be made between the Ghor and the Arabah along a line of white cliffs which crosses the valley at an angle between the flat marsh land to the south of the Dead Sea. From that point to the gulf of Aqaba it is thus known as the Arabah, but that which lies north to the Sea of Galilee is better known as the Ghor. The Sea of Chinneroth is the Sea of Galilee, and the Sea of the Plain is identified as the Dead Sea, Beth-jeshimoth is an Anglicized form of the word which means the house or place of deserts, It was a town in Moab not far east of the mouth of the Jordan River. Ashdoth-pisgah is a word pointing to the springs of Pisgah, the mountain where Moses was buried. It lay to the south of the north end of the Dead Sea, All these points were within the kingdom of Sihon.

5. Was Og a giant? Joshua 12:4

The conquest of Og is more fully described in Deuter-onomy Joshua 3:1-13 and Numbers 21:33-35. The American Standard Version describes Og as being of the remnant of the Rephaim. His bedstead was preserved and was a matter of public interest (Deuteronomy 3:11). This does not mean necessarily that he was as large as his bed, A king would probably have a very impressive throne and bed. No doubt he was a mighty man and one of the men of renown. He may have been of large stature, but there is insufficient evidence to justify taking the view that he was of terribly unusual stature. Bashan, his territory, was east of the Sea of Galilee. His headquarters were at Ashtaroth and Edrei, two cities in his territory. Tell Ashtarah is located twenty-one miles east of the Sea of Galilee, and Edrei is now known as Ed-derah and is another twenty miles south and east of Ashtaroth. His territory embraced Mt. Hermon to the north. Salcah is the modern Salkhad and reached to the border of the Geshurites, a Syrian principality. The Maachathites were a small kingdom probably in the stony desert which lay east of Argob. Og thus ruled over half of Gilead, the half which lay north of the kingdom of Sihon. This land then became the possession of the men of Reuben, Gad, and the half tribe of Manasseh.

A General Outline of Joshua's Conquered Territory Joshua 12:7-8

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 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;
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:

6

To what points did the Promised Land reach? Joshua 12:7

The Promised Land extended from Baal-gad near Mount Hermon on the north to Mount Halak, a smooth mountain near the territory of Edom on the south. All the mountain ranges, including Mount Tabor, Mount Carmel, Mount Ebal, and Mount Gerizim were theirs to terrace and cultivate. The valleys, especially those of the Jordan River and Jezreel, belonged to them. The Maritime plains of Sharon and Philistia made up a part of this land God gave to Israel. The South, the Negeb, was Israel's to inhabit. From the Mediterranean Sea on the west to the Arabian. Desert on the east, Palestine belonged to the sons of Jacob.

7.

Why did Joshua repeat the names of the Canaanite tribes? Joshua 12:8 b

Along with a listing of the various sections of the country which were possessed by the Israelites, Joshua listed the tribes of Canaanites who were dispossessed. These tribes were first listed when God predicted the fate of his descendants (Genesis 15:19-21). At that time, ten different tribes were listed; but in Joshua only six are given. All of them are embraced in the name, Canaanites. When different groups are placed under a general title, such as Amorite, a smaller number is given than when such bands as Girgashites, Kadmonites, and Hittites are listed individually. None of the Canaanites escaped completely from the avenging sword of Joshua as it exacted God's punishment of those whose cup of iniquity was full and overflowing. All were driven out of Canaan; and the land promised to Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and their children was finally given to the people led by Joshua.