2 Sihon H5511 king H4428 of the Amorites, H567 who dwelt H3427 in Heshbon, H2809 and ruled H4910 from Aroer, H6177 which is upon the bank H8193 of the river H5158 Arnon, H769 and from the middle H8432 of the river, H5158 and from half H2677 Gilead, H1568 even unto the river H5158 Jabbok, H2999 which is the border H1366 of the children H1121 of Ammon; H5983
And he rose up H6965 that night, H3915 and took H3947 his two H8147 wives, H802 and his two H8147 womenservants, H8198 and his eleven H6240 H259 sons, H3206 and passed over H5674 the ford H4569 Jabbok. H2999
And Sihon H5511 would not suffer H5414 Israel H3478 to pass H5674 through his border: H1366 but Sihon H5511 gathered H622 all his people H5971 together, H622 and went out H3318 against H7125 Israel H3478 into the wilderness: H4057 and he came H935 to Jahaz, H3096 and fought H3898 against Israel. H3478 And Israel H3478 smote H5221 him with the edge H6310 of the sword, H2719 and possessed H3423 his land H776 from Arnon H769 unto Jabbok, H2999 even unto the children H1121 of Ammon: H5983 for the border H1366 of the children H1121 of Ammon H5983 was strong. H5794 And Israel H3478 took H3947 all these cities: H5892 and Israel H3478 dwelt H3427 in all the cities H5892 of the Amorites, H567 in Heshbon, H2809 and in all the villages H1323 thereof. For Heshbon H2809 was the city H5892 of Sihon H5511 the king H4428 of the Amorites, H567 who had fought H3898 against the former H7223 king H4428 of Moab, H4124 and taken H3947 all his land H776 out of his hand, H3027 even unto Arnon. H769 Wherefore they that speak in proverbs H4911 say, H559 Come H935 into Heshbon, H2809 let the city H5892 of Sihon H5511 be built H1129 and prepared: H3559 For there is a fire H784 gone out H3318 of Heshbon, H2809 a flame H3852 from the city H7151 of Sihon: H5511 it hath consumed H398 Ar H6144 of Moab, H4124 and the lords of the high places H1181 of Arnon. H769 Woe H188 to thee, Moab! H4124 thou art undone, H6 O people H5971 of Chemosh: H3645 he hath given H5414 his sons H1121 that escaped, H6412 and his daughters, H1323 into captivity H7622 unto Sihon H5511 king H4428 of the Amorites. H567 We have shot H3384 at them; Heshbon H2809 is perished H6 even unto Dibon, H1769 and we have laid them waste H8074 even unto Nophah, H5302 which reacheth unto Medeba. H4311
Rise ye up, H6965 take your journey, H5265 and pass over H5674 the river H5158 Arnon: H769 behold, H7200 I have given H5414 into thine hand H3027 Sihon H5511 the Amorite, H567 king H4428 of Heshbon, H2809 and his land: H776 begin H2490 to possess H3423 it, and contend H1624 with him in battle. H4421 This day H3117 will I begin H2490 to put H5414 the dread H6343 of thee and the fear H3374 of thee upon the nations H6440 H5971 that are under the whole heaven, H8064 who shall hear H8085 report H8088 of thee, and shall tremble, H7264 and be in anguish H2342 because of thee. H6440 And I sent H7971 messengers H4397 out of the wilderness H4057 of Kedemoth H6932 unto Sihon H5511 king H4428 of Heshbon H2809 with words H1697 of peace, H7965 saying, H559 Let me pass H5674 through thy land: H776 I will go H3212 along by the high way, H1870 H1870 I will neither turn H5493 unto the right hand H3225 nor to the left. H8040 Thou shalt sell H7666 me meat H400 for money, H3701 that I may eat; H398 and give H5414 me water H4325 for money, H3701 that I may drink: H8354 only I will pass through H5674 on my feet; H7272 (As the children H1121 of Esau H6215 which dwell H3427 in Seir, H8165 and the Moabites H4125 which dwell H3427 in Ar, H6144 did H6213 unto me;) until I shall pass over H5674 Jordan H3383 into the land H776 which the LORD H3068 our God H430 giveth H5414 us. But Sihon H5511 king H4428 of Heshbon H2809 would H14 not let us pass H5674 by him: for the LORD H3068 thy God H430 hardened H7185 his spirit, H7307 and made his heart H3824 obstinate, H553 that he might deliver H5414 him into thy hand, H3027 as appeareth this day. H3117 And the LORD H3068 said H559 unto me, Behold, H7200 I have begun H2490 to give H5414 Sihon H5511 and his land H776 before H6440 thee: begin H2490 to possess, H3423 that thou mayest inherit H3423 his land. H776 Then Sihon H5511 came out H3318 against H7125 us, he and all his people, H5971 to fight H4421 at Jahaz. H3096 And the LORD H3068 our God H430 delivered H5414 him before H6440 us; and we smote H5221 him, and his sons, H1121 and all his people. H5971 And we took H3920 all his cities H5892 at that time, H6256 and utterly destroyed H2763 the men, H4962 and the women, H802 and the little ones, H2945 of every city, H5892 we left H7604 none to remain: H8300 Only the cattle H929 we took for a prey H962 unto ourselves, and the spoil H7998 of the cities H5892 which we took. H3920 From Aroer, H6177 which is by the brink H8193 of the river H5158 of Arnon, H769 and from the city H5892 that is by the river, H5158 even unto Gilead, H1568 there was not one city H7151 too strong H7682 for us: the LORD H3068 our God H430 delivered H5414 all unto us: H6440 Only unto the land H776 of the children H1121 of Ammon H5983 thou camest H7126 not, nor unto any place H3027 of the river H5158 Jabbok, H2999 nor unto the cities H5892 in the mountains, H2022 nor unto whatsoever the LORD H3068 our God H430 forbad H6680 us.
And we utterly destroyed H2763 them, as we did H6213 unto Sihon H5511 king H4428 of Heshbon, H2809 utterly destroying H2763 the men, H4962 women, H802 and children, H2945 of every city. H5892 But all the cattle, H929 and the spoil H7998 of the cities, H5892 we took for a prey H962 to ourselves. And we took H3947 at that time H6256 out H3947 of the hand H3027 of the two H8147 kings H4428 of the Amorites H567 the land H776 that was on this side H5676 Jordan, H3383 from the river H5158 of Arnon H769 unto mount H2022 Hermon; H2768 (Which Hermon H2768 the Sidonians H6722 call H7121 Sirion; H8303 and the Amorites H567 call H7121 it Shenir;) H8149 All the cities H5892 of the plain, H4334 and all Gilead, H1568 and all Bashan, H1316 unto Salchah H5548 and Edrei, H154 cities H5892 of the kingdom H4467 of Og H5747 in Bashan. H1316 For only Og H5747 king H4428 of Bashan H1316 remained H7604 of the remnant H3499 of giants; H7497 behold, his bedstead H6210 was a bedstead H6210 of iron; H1270 is it not H3808 in Rabbath H7237 of the children H1121 of Ammon? H5983 nine H8672 cubits H520 was the length H753 thereof, and four H702 cubits H520 the breadth H7341 of it, after the cubit H520 of a man. H376 And this land, H776 which we possessed H3423 at that time, H6256 from Aroer, H6177 which is by the river H5158 Arnon, H769 and half H2677 mount H2022 Gilead, H1568 and the cities H5892 thereof, gave H5414 I unto the Reubenites H7206 and to the Gadites. H1425 And the rest H3499 of Gilead, H1568 and all Bashan, H1316 being the kingdom H4467 of Og, H5747 gave H5414 I unto the half H2677 tribe H7626 of Manasseh; H4519 all the region H2256 of Argob, H709 with all Bashan, H1316 which H1931 was called H7121 the land H776 of giants. H7497 Jair H2971 the son H1121 of Manasseh H4519 took H3947 all the country H2256 of Argob H709 unto the coasts H1366 of Geshuri H1651 and Maachathi; H4602 and called H7121 them after his own name, H8034 Bashanhavothjair, H1316 H2334 unto this day. H3117 And I gave H5414 Gilead H1568 unto Machir. H4353 And unto the Reubenites H7206 and unto the Gadites H1425 I gave H5414 from Gilead H1568 even unto the river H5158 Arnon H769 half H8432 the valley, H5158 and the border H1366 even unto the river H5158 Jabbok, H2999 which is the border H1366 of the children H1121 of Ammon; H5983 The plain H6160 also, and Jordan, H3383 and the coast H1366 thereof, from Chinnereth H3672 even unto the sea H3220 of the plain, H6160 even the salt H4417 sea, H3220 under Ashdothpisgah H798 H794 eastward. H4217
And the king H4428 of the children H1121 of Ammon H5983 answered H559 unto the messengers H4397 of Jephthah, H3316 Because Israel H3478 took away H3947 my land, H776 when they came up H5927 out of Egypt, H4714 from Arnon H769 even unto Jabbok, H2999 and unto Jordan: H3383 now therefore restore those lands again H7725 peaceably. H7965
Moreover thou gavest H5414 them kingdoms H4467 and nations, H5971 and didst divide H2505 them into corners: H6285 so they possessed H3423 the land H776 of Sihon, H5511 and the land H776 of the king H4428 of Heshbon, H2809 and the land H776 of Og H5747 king H4428 of Bashan. H1316
Worthy.Bible » Commentaries » John Gill's Exposition of the Bible » Commentary on Joshua 12
Commentary on Joshua 12 John Gill's Exposition of the Bible
INTRODUCTION TO JOSHUA 12
This chapter gives a short account of the conquests made by the Israelites, both in the times of Moses and of Joshua, and first of the kingdom of Sihon and Og on the other side Jordan, in the times of Moses, and which he gave to the two tribes of Reuben and Gad, and the half tribe of Manasseh, and which are particularly described, Joshua 12:1; and then of the kings and the countries on this side Jordan whom Joshua conquered, Joshua 12:7; and the names of the thirty one kingdoms are recited, that so it might be exactly known and observed what were afterwards divided among the tribes and possessed by them, Joshua 12:9.
Now these are the kings of the land which the children of Israel smote,.... In the days of Moses, as Jarchi remarks, and as it clearly appears from what follows:
and possessed, their land on the other side Jordan toward the rising of the sun; on the east of the land of Canaan:
from the river Arnon unto the mount Hermon, and all the plain on the east; Arnon was the border of Moab between them and the Amorites, Numbers 21:13; and from hence to Hermon, a mountain adjoining to Lebanon, lay the country of the two kings of the Amorites after mentioned, Deuteronomy 3:8; and the plain on the east were the plains of Moab, which lay to the east of Jordan.
Sihon king of the Amorites, who dwelt in Heshbon,.... Which he took from the Moabites, and made his capital city, Numbers 21:26,
and ruled from Aroer, which is upon the bank of the river of Arnon; a city of Moab, which never fell into the hands of Sihon, and therefore he is said to rule from it but not over it:
and from the middle of the river; that is, the river Arnon, which being the boundary of the Moabites and Amorites, the king of the Amorites might be said to rule from the middle of it:
and from half Gilead even unto the river Jabbok, which is the border of the children of Ammon; so it is said to be, Deuteronomy 3:16; it should be rendered, not "from half Gilead", but "and half Gilead", as it is in the Hebrew text, and so in the Targum; for half Gilead belonged to the kingdom of Sihon, as the other half did to the kingdom of Og, as in Joshua 12:5; and so Jarchi remarks.
And from the plain,.... Or rather, "and the plain", the plains of Moab, which, before possessed by the Israelites, belonged to the kingdom of Sihon; and the plains of Jordan, which reached
to the sea of Cinneroth on the east; the same with the lake of Gennesaret, and sea of Tiberias, mentioned in the New Testament, Matthew 14:34,
and unto the sea of the plain; where stood the cities of the plain, Sodom, Gomorrah, &c.
even the salt sea on the east; the same with the dead sea, into which the plain the above cities stood on was converted:
the way to Bethjeshimoth; which was a place in the plains of Moab, Numbers 33:49,
and from the south under Ashdothpisgah; or the springs of Pisgah, which flowed from the mount of that name, Deuteronomy 3:17.
And the coast of Og king of Bashan,.... The country that he reigned over, who was another king of the Amorites, smitten by Israel in the times of Moses:
which was of the remnant of the giants; See Gill on Deuteronomy 3:11,
that dwelt at Ashtaroth and at Edrei; of which two places see Deuteronomy 1:4; it seems as if Og had a palace in each of those cities, and sometimes was at one and sometimes at another, as is usual with kings.
And reigned in Mount Hermon,.... That is, over all the people that inhabited that mount or dwelt under it, Joshua 11:17, and adjacent to it, of which mountain; see Gill on Deuteronomy 3:8 and See Gill on Deuteronomy 3:9,
and in Salcah: which was a city belonging to the kingdom of Og, Deuteronomy 3:10,
and in all Bashan; or Batanea, a country famous for pasturage, Micah 7:14, and for fat cattle, Ezekiel 39:18, and for oaks, Isaiah 2:13, frequently mentioned in Scripture:
unto the border of the Geshurites, and the Maachathites; which were two nations the Israelites never expelled, Joshua 13:13; of which see Deuteronomy 3:14,
and half Gilead; which belonged to Og, as the other half did to Sihon, before observed, which was as follows:
the border of Sihon king of Heshbon; here the two kingdoms joined, even in the midst of Gilead, which was divided between them, but now wholly fell into the hands of Israel.
Them did Moses the servant of the Lord, and the children of Israel, smite,.... That is, the inhabitants of those kingdoms they smote with the edge of the sword, and took possession of them, the history of which see in Numbers 21:1,
and Moses the servant of the Lord gave it; the whole dominion of the two kings before mentioned:
for a possession unto the Reubenites, and the Gadites, and the half tribe of Manasseh: of which grant, and the conditions of it, see Numbers 32:1.
And these are the kings of the country,.... After particularly named, Joshua 12:9,
which Joshua and the children of Israel smote on this side Jordan on the west; that is, on the west of Jordan:
from Baalgad, in the valley of Lebanon, even unto the mount Halak,
that goeth up to Seir; of which see Joshua 11:17,
which Joshua gave unto the tribes of Israel for a possession,
according to their divisions; as after related in this book.
In the mountains, and in the valleys, and in the plains, and in the springs, and in the wilderness, and in the south country,.... Which is a description of the whole land of Canaan; some parts of which were hills and mountains, others vales and champaign fields; others were dry and barren, and others well watered; some part of it lay to the north, as towards Lebanon, and others to the south, towards Seir:
the Hittites, the Amorites, and the Canaanites, the Perizzites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites; which were the nations that inhabited the land of Canaan before it was taken and possessed by the Israelites.
The king of Jericho, one,.... Who was first taken, and so named first, Joshua 6:21,
the king of Ai, which is beside Bethel, one; who was next taken and though Bethel was so near Ai, it had a king of its own, after mentioned, see Joshua 7:1.
The king of Jerusalem, one,.... Whose name was Adonizedek, and was one of the five kings taken and hanged, Joshua 10:1,
the king of Hebron, one; another of the five kings, whose name was Hoham, Joshua 10:3.
The king of Jarmuth, one,.... Whose name was Piram, a third of the five kings before observed, Joshua 10:3,
the king of Lachish, one; another of them, whose name was Japhia, Joshua 10:3.
The king of Eglon, one,.... The last of the five kings, and his name was Debir, Joshua 10:3,
the king of Gezer, one; who came up to help Lachish, and his name was Horam, Joshua 10:33.
The king of Debir, one,.... The same with Kirjathsepher, of which place; see Gill on Joshua 10:38,
the king of Geder, one: JeromF8De loc. Heb. fol. 92. A. B. seems to confound this with the tower of Eder, beyond which Jacob pitched his tent, Genesis 35:21; and he speaks of a Gaddera in the tribe of Judah, in his time a village belonging to the country about Aelia or Jerusalem, and of Gahedur in the tribe of Judah, a large village, ten miles from Diospolis or Lydda, as you go to Eleutheropolis: it seems to be the same with Gederah, Joshua 15:36, or Gedor, Joshua 15:58.
The king of Hormah, one,.... Which was formerly called Zephath, Judges 1:17; see Joshua 15:3,
the king of Arad, one; perhaps the same with Arath, which, JeromF9De Loc. Heb. fol. 92. L. says, is the border of the land of Judah, and is twenty miles distant from Hebron to the south; see Numbers 21:1.
The king of Libnah, one,.... Taken at the same time as the kings of Makkedah, Debir, and of other places were, Joshua 10:29,
the king of Adullam, one; a city in the tribe of Judah, Joshua 15:35; Jerom saysF11De loc. Heb. fol. 88. F. there was a village in his time, not a small one, called by this name, ten miles to the east of Eleutheropolis: near to this place was a cave where David hid himself when he fled from Saul, 1 Samuel 22:1; See Gill on Micah 1:15.
The king of Makkedah, one,.... In a cave near to which five kings hid themselves, and were taken out and hanged, and the city afterwards was taken by Joshua, Joshua 10:16; which fell to the lot of the tribe of Judah, Joshua 15:41,
the king of Bethel, one; a city near to Ai, about a mile from it, and yet had a king over it: it was taken at the same time that Ai was, Joshua 7:2; and fell to the lot of Benjamin, Joshua 18:22.
The king of Tappuah, one,.... Which Jerom callsF12De loc. Heb. fol. 95. C. Thaffu; it signifies an apple, and perhaps had its name from plenty of that fruit that grew there: a city of this name fell to the tribe of Judah, Joshua 15:34; where also was another place called Bethtappuah, Joshua 15:53; and both different from another Tappuah on the border of Manasseh, which belonged to the tribe of Ephraim, Joshua 17:8; by some thought to be meant here:
the king of Hepher, one; mention is made of Gittahhepher as on the border of Zebulun, Joshua 19:13; the same with Gathhepher, of which place was the Prophet Jonah, 2 Kings 14:25; and of the land of Hepher in 1 Kings 4:10; which is said by Jerom to be in the same tribe, and not far from Diocaesarea or Zippore; and we read of a Chepher or Hepher in the Jewish writingsF13T. Hieros. Sheviith, fol. 37. 3. Vajikra Rabba, sect. 20. fol. 161. 4. , which, according to the account of it there given, could not be far from the same place, at least it must be less than twelve miles from it.
The king of Aphek, one,.... There was a place called Aphekah in the tribe of Judah, Joshua 15:53; and an Aphek that was on the border of the Amorites, Joshua 13:4; and another in the tribe of Asher, Joshua 19:30; but AdrichomiusF14Theatrum Terrae Sanct. p. 35. places this Aphek in the tribe of Issachar, whose king Joshua smote, and takes it to be the same place where the Philistines in the times of Samuel and David brought their armies against Israel, 1 Samuel 4:1; and where the king of Syria fought against Israel, 1 Kings 20:26; and says that its ruins were now shown in the great plain not far from Gilboa to the east of Mount Carmel, and five miles from Tabor:
the king of Lasharon, one; which, according to the Vulgate Latin version, is the same with Saron, which, in Acts 9:35, in some copies is called Assaron; so AdrichomiusF15Ib. p. 30. , who places it in the tribe of Ephraim, and takes it to be the same Sharon Isaiah speaks of, Isaiah 33:9; and of which Jerom saysF16De loc. Heb. fol. 94. M. , to this day there is a country between Tabor and the lake of Tiberias called Saronas, and also that from Caesarea of Palestine to the town of Joppa, all the land that is seen bears that name.
The king of Madon, one,.... Whose name was Jobab, Joshua 11:1,
the king of Hazor, one; whose name was Jabin, and of him and his city; see Gill on Joshua 11:1.
The king of Shimronmeron, one,.... See Joshua 11:1, this place fell to the tribe of Zebulun, Joshua 19:15,
the king of Achshaph, one; see Joshua 11:1; this city fell to the lot of Asher, Joshua 19:25.
The king of Taanach, one,.... It was in the tribe of Manasseh, Joshua 17:11; Jerom saysF17De Loc. Heb. fol. 95. D. , in his time it was a large village, distant from Legion on the plain of Esdraelon three miles:
the king of Megiddo, one; which belonged to the same tribe, Joshua 17:11; near this place were some waters where the Canaanites fought with the Israelites, Judges 5:19; and a valley where Josiah was slain, 2 Chronicles 35:22.
The king of Kedesh, one,.... Which afterwards fell to the tribe of Naphtali, and was one of the cities of refuge, Joshua 19:37; it was situated in upper Galilee on Mount Naphtali, four miles from the city of Sephet, and as many from Capernaum, and twenty miles from TyreF18Adrichom. Theatrum, p. 104. :
the king of Jokneam of Carmel, one; a city that came to the lot of the tribe of Zebulun, Joshua 19:11; and was given to the Levites, Joshua 21:34; it was not far from Mount Carmel, from whence it is described.
The king of Dor, in the coast of Dor, one,.... Of which see Joshua 11:2; it fell to the lot of Manasseh, but never was possessed by them, as were not Taanach and Megiddo, before mentioned, Joshua 17:11 Judges 1:27,
the king of the nations of Gilgal, one; not the place where Joshua encamped after he had passed Jordan, for that was then no city; the Septuagint version renders it the land of Galilee; and Dr. LightfootF19Chorograph. Cent. c. 88. is of opinion that Galilee is meant, and in the Apocrypha:"Who went forth by the way that leadeth to Galgala, and pitched their tents before Masaloth, which is in Arbela, and after they had won it, they slew much people.' (1 Maccabees 9:2)Galgala is spoken of as near to Arbel, a city in Galilee: JeromF20De loc. Heb. fol. 92. B. takes this to be the same with Glagulis, which in his time was a village six miles from Antipatris to the north.
The king of Tirzah, one,.... To what tribe this place fell is nowhere said: AdrichomiusF21Theatrum Terrae Sanct. p. 74. places it in the tribe of Manasseh; and so does BuntingF23Travels, &c. p. 160. , who says of it, that it was a fair and beautiful city, situated on a high and pleasant mountain, in the tribe of Manasseh, twenty four miles from Jerusalem to the north: here Jeroboam had his royal seat, and so his successors unto Omri, 1 Kings 14:17; and Dr LightfootF24Works, vol. 1. p. 78. seems to suspect as if Shechem in Mount Ephraim and Tirzah were the same; for, he says, if Shechem and Tirzah were not one and the same town, it appears that Jeroboam had removed his court, when his son died, from where it was when he first erected his idols; compare 1 Kings 12:25, with 1 Kings 14:17; and so it may argue that there was some space between: it was, no doubt, a very pleasant and beautiful city, as not only appears from its name, but from the allusion to it in Song of Solomon 6:4,
all the kings thirty and one: it may seem strange that, in so small a country as Canaan was, there should be so many kings in it, since the length of it from Dan to Beersheba was scarce an hundred sixty miles, as JeromF25Epist. Dardano, tom. 3. p. 22. I. K. says; who further observes, that he was ashamed to give the breadth of it, lest it should give occasion to Heathens to blaspheme; for, adds he, from Joppa to our little village Bethlehem (where they then were) were forty six miles, to which succeeded only a vast desert: but it may be observed, that in ancient times, in other countries, there were a great many kings, as here in Britain, and in France, Spain, and Germany, as Bishop Patrick has observed from several writers; and StraboF26Geograph. l. 16. p. 519. testifies the same of the cities of Phoenicia or Canaan, that they had each of them separate kings, as Joshua here describes them.