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Joshua 12-15
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A big ol' list of defeated kings (Joshua 12)
1 These are the kings of the land whom the children of Israel defeated, and whose land they possessed on the other side of the Jordan toward the rising of the sun, from the River Arnon to Mount Hermon, and all the eastern Jordan plain:
2 One king was Sihon king of the Amorites, who dwelt in Heshbon and ruled half of Gilead, from Aroer, which is on the bank of the River Arnon, from the middle of that river, even as far as the River Jabbok, which is the border of the Ammonites,
3 and the eastern Jordan plain from the Sea of Chinneroth as far as the Sea of the Arabah (the Salt Sea), the road to Beth Jeshimoth, and southward below the slopes of Pisgah.
4 The other king was Og king of Bashan and his territory, who was of the remnant of the giants, who dwelt at Ashtaroth and at Edrei,
5 and reigned over Mount Hermon, over Salcah, over all Bashan, as far as the border of the Geshurites and the Maachathites, and over half of Gilead to the border of Sihon king of Heshbon.
6 ¶ These Moses the servant of the LORD and the children of Israel had conquered; and Moses the servant of the LORD had given it as a possession to the Reubenites, the Gadites, and half the tribe of Manasseh.
7 ¶ And these are the kings of the country which Joshua and the children of Israel conquered on this side of the Jordan, on the west, from Baal Gad in the Valley of Lebanon as far as Mount Halak and the ascent to Seir, which Joshua gave to the tribes of Israel as a possession according to their divisions,
8 in the mountain country, in the lowlands, in the Jordan plain, in the slopes, in the wilderness, and in the South—the Hittites, the Amorites, 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 Shimron Meron, 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 in Carmel, one;
23 the king of Dor in the heights of Dor, one; the king of the people of Gilgal, one;
24 the king of Tirzah, one—all the kings, thirty-one.
Let's recap all those kings defeated by Moses (verses 1-6) and Joshua (verses 7-24). There were 31 altogether according to verse 24 under Joshua, not counting Og and Sihon under Moses. We find the defeat of Kings Og and Sihon on the east side of the Jordan in Numbers 21:21-35 (see notes). Those victories came under the leadership of Moses. The victory over Jericho (verse 9) was under Joshua's leadership in Joshua 6 (see notes). Joshua then went on to take Ai on his second attempt in Joshua 7-8 (see notes). The remainder of these victories came in Joshua 10-11 (see notes).
But wait; there's more! (Joshua 13)
1 Now Joshua was old, advanced in years. And the LORD said to him: “You are old, advanced in years, and there remains very much land yet to be possessed.
2 This is the land that yet remains: all the territory of the Philistines and all that of the Geshurites,
3 from Sihor, which is east of Egypt, as far as the border of Ekron northward (which is counted as Canaanite); the five lords of the Philistines—the Gazites, the Ashdodites, the Ashkelonites, the Gittites, and the Ekronites; also the Avites;
4 from the south, all the land of the Canaanites, and Mearah that belongs to the Sidonians as far as Aphek, to the border of the Amorites;
5 the land of the Gebalites, and all Lebanon, toward the sunrise, from Baal Gad below Mount Hermon as far as the entrance to Hamath;
6 all the inhabitants of the mountains from Lebanon as far as the Brook Misrephoth, and all the Sidonians—them I will drive out from before the children of Israel; only divide it by lot to Israel as an inheritance, as I have commanded you.
7 Now therefore, divide this land as an inheritance to the nine tribes and half the tribe of Manasseh.”
8 ¶ With the other half-tribe the Reubenites and the Gadites received their inheritance, which Moses had given them, beyond the Jordan eastward, as Moses the servant of the LORD had given them:
9 from Aroer which is on the bank of the River Arnon, and the town that is in the midst of the ravine, and all the plain of Medeba as far as Dibon;
10 all the cities of Sihon king of the Amorites, who reigned in Heshbon, as far as the border of the children of Ammon;
11 Gilead, and the border of the Geshurites and Maachathites, all Mount Hermon, and all Bashan as far as Salcah;
12 all the kingdom of Og in Bashan, who reigned in Ashtaroth and Edrei, who remained of the remnant of the giants; for Moses had defeated and cast out these.
13 ¶ Nevertheless the children of Israel did not drive out the Geshurites or the Maachathites, but the Geshurites and the Maachathites dwell among the Israelites until this day.
14 ¶ Only to the tribe of Levi he had given no inheritance; the sacrifices of the LORD God of Israel made by fire are their inheritance, as He said to them.
15 ¶ And Moses had given to the tribe of the children of Reuben an inheritance according to their families.
16 Their territory was from Aroer, which is on the bank of the River Arnon, and the city that is in the midst of the ravine, and all the plain by Medeba;
17 Heshbon and all its cities that are in the plain: Dibon, Bamoth Baal, Beth Baal Meon,
18 Jahaza, Kedemoth, Mephaath,
19 Kirjathaim, Sibmah, Zereth Shahar on the mountain of the valley,
20 Beth Peor, the slopes of Pisgah, and Beth Jeshimoth—
21 all the cities of the plain and all the kingdom of Sihon king of the Amorites, who reigned in Heshbon, whom Moses had struck with the princes of Midian: Evi, Rekem, Zur, Hur, and Reba, who were princes of Sihon dwelling in the country.
22 The children of Israel also killed with the sword Balaam the son of Beor, the soothsayer, among those who were killed by them.
23 And the border of the children of Reuben was the bank of the Jordan. This was the inheritance of the children of Reuben according to their families, the cities and their villages.
24 ¶ Moses also had given an inheritance to the tribe of Gad, to the children of Gad according to their families.
25 Their territory was Jazer, and all the cities of Gilead, and half the land of the Ammonites as far as Aroer, which is before Rabbah,
26 and from Heshbon to Ramath Mizpah and Betonim, and from Mahanaim to the border of Debir,
27 and in the valley Beth Haram, Beth Nimrah, Succoth, and Zaphon, the rest of the kingdom of Sihon king of Heshbon, with the Jordan as its border, as far as the edge of the Sea of Chinnereth, on the other side of the Jordan eastward.
28 This is the inheritance of the children of Gad according to their families, the cities and their villages.
29 ¶ Moses also had given an inheritance to half the tribe of Manasseh; it was for half the tribe of the children of Manasseh according to their families:
30 Their territory was from Mahanaim, all Bashan, all the kingdom of Og king of Bashan, and all the towns of Jair which are in Bashan, sixty cities;
31 half of Gilead, and Ashtaroth and Edrei, cities of the kingdom of Og in Bashan, were for the children of Machir the son of Manasseh, for half of the children of Machir according to their families.
32 ¶ These are the areas which Moses had distributed as an inheritance in the plains of Moab on the other side of the Jordan, by Jericho eastward.
33 But to the tribe of Levi Moses had given no inheritance; the LORD God of Israel was their inheritance, as He had said to them.
"There's a lot more to do!" God reminds Joshua as he points out that Joshua is old. Verses 1-7 indicate the land that is yet to be conquered, and then we get a recap of the land already allocated to Reuben, Gad and the half-tribe of Manasseh in verse 8-12. Verse 13 tells us that a couple of Canaanite tribes were not driven out as God had commanded. Interestingly enough, we see from II Samuel 3:3 (see notes) that David's son Absalom was, "...the son of Maacah, the daughter of Talmai, king of Geshur." As a matter of fact, Absalom fled to Geshur and hid out there from David in II Samuel 13:37 (see notes).
Notice that the Tribe of Manasseh gets split up by the Jordan River. As a matter of fact, Manasseh is often referred to as the "half-tribe" in the Old Testament. Some have mistakenly thought that the designation referred to the fact that both Manasseh and Ephraim were sons of one of the twelve sons of Jacob, Joseph. Instead, however, the "half-tribe" designation refers to the fact that half of the tribe inhabited land on the east side of the Jordan River with Reuben and Gad, while the other half inhabited land on the west side of the Jordan River. As such, they functioned independently.
This agreement for Reuben, Gad and half of Manasseh to inhabit land on the east side of the Jordan River was negotiated with Moses back in Numbers 32 (see notes).
We get a detailed recap of property allocated to Reuben and Gad...and of course half of Manasseh on the east side of the Jordan River in verses 15-32.
Two references in this chapter are made to the Tribe of Levi (verses 14 and 33) - STILL left out of the property allocation; God himself is their inheritance.
To see a map of the final allocation of territory to the Tribes of Israel, click here.
How about another clarification on which tribes stayed east of the Jordan River (Joshua 14:1-5)
1 These are the areas which the children of Israel inherited in the land of Canaan, which Eleazar the priest, Joshua the son of Nun, and the heads of the fathers of the tribes of the children of Israel distributed as an inheritance to them.
2 Their inheritance was by lot, as the LORD had commanded by the hand of Moses, for the nine tribes and the half-tribe.
3 For Moses had given the inheritance of the two tribes and the half-tribe on the other side of the Jordan; but to the Levites he had given no inheritance among them.
4 For the children of Joseph were two tribes: Manasseh and Ephraim. And they gave no part to the Levites in the land, except cities to dwell in, with their common-lands for their livestock and their property.
5 As the LORD had commanded Moses, so the children of Israel did; and they divided the land.
Here's an overview of the allotment. So, half of Manasseh, Gad and Reuben settled east of the Jordan. And...again...the Levites get nothing. Repetition is the key to learning.
Old man Caleb calls in his marker from 45 years ago (Joshua 14:6-15)
6 ¶ Then the children of Judah came to Joshua in Gilgal. And Caleb the son of Jephunneh the Kenizzite said to him: “You know the word which the LORD said to Moses the man of God concerning you and me in Kadesh Barnea.
7 I was forty years old when Moses the servant of the LORD sent me from Kadesh Barnea to spy out the land, and I brought back word to him as it was in my heart.
8 Nevertheless my brethren who went up with me made the heart of the people melt, but I wholly followed the LORD my God.
9 So Moses swore on that day, saying, “Surely the land where your foot has trodden shall be your inheritance and your children’s forever, because you have wholly followed the LORD my God.’
10 And now, behold, the LORD has kept me alive, as He said, these forty-five years, ever since the LORD spoke this word to Moses while Israel wandered in the wilderness; and now, here I am this day, eighty-five years old.
11 As yet I am as strong this day as on the day that Moses sent me; just as my strength was then, so now is my strength for war, both for going out and for coming in.
12 Now therefore, give me this mountain of which the LORD spoke in that day; for you heard in that day how the Anakim were there, and that the cities were great and fortified. It may be that the LORD will be with me, and I shall be able to drive them out as the LORD said.”
13 ¶ And Joshua blessed him, and gave Hebron to Caleb the son of Jephunneh as an inheritance.
14 Hebron therefore became the inheritance of Caleb the son of Jephunneh the Kenizzite to this day, because he wholly followed the LORD God of Israel.
15 And the name of Hebron formerly was Kirjath Arba (Arba was the greatest man among the Anakim). ¶ Then the land had rest from war.
He may be 85 years old, but his memory is great. Caleb wants what was promised to him by Moses 45 years ago. The only reference we have to this promise is in Deuteronomy 1:36 (see notes) where Moses is reviewing the rebellion after the return of the spies in Numbers 13 (see notes). He has just reviewed how that this rebellion caused a whole generation of men to die off without seeing the promised land, "except Caleb the son of Jephunneh; he shall see it, and to him and his children I am giving the land on which he walked, because he wholly followed the LORD." Keep in mind, only two men (except for Levites) are above 60 years of age - Joshua and Caleb. Joshua said, "You take it, and it's yours!" He was old, but he was feisty; he took Hebron for his inheritance. Hebron was just south of Jerusalem on the same mountain range within the territory given to the Tribe of Judah, his native tribe.
Caleb gives us some valuable historical information regarding the length of time it took to conquer Canaan...or at least up to this point in time. Note verse 10, "And now, behold, the LORD has kept me alive, as He said, these forty-five years, ever since the LORD spoke this word to Moses while Israel wandered in the wilderness; and now, here I am this day, eighty-five years old." From this verse we can calculate that the conquest of Canaan so far has taken seven years since they began, calculated as follows: 38 years in the wilderness since the return of the spies which Caleb states was 45 years ago. That's a difference of seven years.
The Tribe of Judah gets its property allocation (Joshua 15:1-12)
1 So this was the lot of the tribe of the children of Judah according to their families: ¶ The border of Edom at the Wilderness of Zin southward was the extreme southern boundary.
2 And their southern border began at the shore of the Salt Sea, from the bay that faces southward.
3 Then it went out to the southern side of the Ascent of Akrabbim, passed along to Zin, ascended on the south side of Kadesh Barnea, passed along to Hezron, went up to Adar, and went around to Karkaa.
4 From there it passed toward Azmon and went out to the Brook of Egypt; and the border ended at the sea. This shall be your southern border.
5 ¶ The east border was the Salt Sea as far as the mouth of the Jordan. ¶ And the border on the northern quarter began at the bay of the sea at the mouth of the Jordan.
6 The border went up to Beth Hoglah and passed north of Beth Arabah; and the border went up to the stone of Bohan the son of Reuben.
7 Then the border went up toward Debir from the Valley of Achor, and it turned northward toward Gilgal, which is before the Ascent of Adummim, which is on the south side of the valley. The border continued toward the waters of En Shemesh and ended at En Rogel.
8 And the border went up by the Valley of the Son of Hinnom to the southern slope of the Jebusite city (which is Jerusalem). The border went up to the top of the mountain that lies before the Valley of Hinnom westward, which is at the end of the Valley of Rephaim northward.
9 Then the border went around from the top of the hill to the fountain of the water of Nephtoah, and extended to the cities of Mount Ephron. And the border went around to Baalah (which is Kirjath Jearim).
10 Then the border turned westward from Baalah to Mount Seir, passed along to the side of Mount Jearim on the north (which is Chesalon), went down to Beth Shemesh, and passed on to Timnah.
11 And the border went out to the side of Ekron northward. Then the border went around to Shicron, passed along to Mount Baalah, and extended to Jabneel; and the border ended at the sea.
12 ¶ The west border was the coastline of the Great Sea. This is the boundary of the children of Judah all around according to their families.
So, what did Judah get for their inheritance? These verses read like the legal description on a deed.
To see a map of the final allocation of territory to the Tribes of Israel, click here.
A sure-fire way to impress your future father-in-law (Joshua 15:13-19)
13 ¶ Now to Caleb the son of Jephunneh he gave a share among the children of Judah, according to the commandment of the LORD to Joshua, namely, Kirjath Arba, which is Hebron (Arba was the father of Anak).
14 Caleb drove out the three sons of Anak from there: Sheshai, Ahiman, and Talmai, the children of Anak.
15 Then he went up from there to the inhabitants of Debir (formerly the name of Debir was Kirjath Sepher).
16 ¶ And Caleb said, “He who attacks Kirjath Sepher and takes it, to him I will give Achsah my daughter as wife.”
17 So Othniel the son of Kenaz, the brother of Caleb, took it; and he gave him Achsah his daughter as wife.
18 Now it was so, when she came to him, that she persuaded him to ask her father for a field. So she dismounted from her donkey, and Caleb said to her, “What do you wish?”
19 She answered, “Give me a blessing; since you have given me land in the South, give me also springs of water.” So he gave her the upper springs and the lower springs.
Caleb's daughter, Achsah, must have been quite attractive. 85-year-old Caleb said that the man who conquers Kiriath-sepher gets to marry his daughter. Turns out, her first cousin, Othniel, does the job and earns his bride. She makes a request of her Dad though - running water (verse 19). Nothing too good for my daughter! Caleb complies - gives her "the upper springs and the lower springs." We get a recap of this story in Judges 1:11-16 (see notes). We also see in Judges 3:7-11 (see notes) that Othniel would later become the first judge of Israel.
Dividing up Judah's territory among the clans of Judah? (Joshua 15:20-63)
20 ¶ This was the inheritance of the tribe of the children of Judah according to their families:
21 ¶ The cities at the limits of the tribe of the children of Judah, toward the border of Edom in the South, were Kabzeel, Eder, Jagur,
22 Kinah, Dimonah, Adadah,
23 Kedesh, Hazor, Ithnan,
24 Ziph, Telem, Bealoth,
25 Hazor, Hadattah, Kerioth, Hezron (which is Hazor),
26 Amam, Shema, Moladah,
27 Hazar Gaddah, Heshmon, Beth Pelet,
28 Hazar Shual, Beersheba, Bizjothjah,
29 Baalah, Ijim, Ezem,
30 Eltolad, Chesil, Hormah,
31 Ziklag, Madmannah, Sansannah,
32 Lebaoth, Shilhim, Ain, and Rimmon: all the cities are twenty-nine, with their villages.
33 ¶ In the lowland: Eshtaol, Zorah, Ashnah,
34 Zanoah, En Gannim, Tappuah, Enam,
35 Jarmuth, Adullam, Socoh, Azekah,
36 Sharaim, Adithaim, Gederah, and Gederothaim: fourteen cities with their villages;
37 Zenan, Hadashah, Migdal Gad,
38 Dilean, Mizpah, Joktheel,
39 Lachish, Bozkath, Eglon,
40 Cabbon, Lahmas, Kithlish,
41 Gederoth, Beth Dagon, Naamah, and Makkedah: sixteen cities with their villages;
42 Libnah, Ether, Ashan,
43 Jiphtah, Ashnah, Nezib,
44 Keilah, Achzib, and Mareshah: nine cities with their villages;
45 Ekron, with its towns and villages;
46 from Ekron to the sea, all that lay near Ashdod, with their villages;
47 Ashdod with its towns and villages, Gaza with its towns and villages—as far as the Brook of Egypt and the Great Sea with its coastline.
48 ¶ And in the mountain country: Shamir, Jattir, Sochoh,
49 Dannah, Kirjath Sannah (which is Debir),
50 Anab, Eshtemoh, Anim,
51 Goshen, Holon, and Giloh: eleven cities with their villages;
52 Arab, Dumah, Eshean,
53 Janum, Beth Tappuah, Aphekah,
54 Humtah, Kirjath Arba (which is Hebron), and Zior: nine cities with their villages;
55 Maon, Carmel, Ziph, Juttah,
56 Jezreel, Jokdeam, Zanoah,
57 Kain, Gibeah, and Timnah: ten cities with their villages;
58 Halhul, Beth Zur, Gedor,
59 Maarath, Beth Anoth, and Eltekon: six cities with their villages;
60 Kirjath Baal (which is Kirjath Jearim) and Rabbah: two cities with their villages.
61 ¶ In the wilderness: Beth Arabah, Middin, Secacah,
62 Nibshan, the City of Salt, and En Gedi: six cities with their villages.
63 ¶ As for the Jebusites, the inhabitants of Jerusalem, the children of Judah could not drive them out; but the Jebusites dwell with the children of Judah at Jerusalem to this day.
Judah got a proportionally larger territory than would seem justified based upon their population. These verses show us how the individual clans within Judah were allocated real estate. How about those pesky Jebusites? Some folks just don't know when it's time to leave. Verse 63 is curious...and of all places - Jerusalem! Looks like a bad case of Jebusitis to me! We aren't told any details regarding Judah's failed attempts to drive the Jebusites out. As a matter of fact, they stayed there for another three or so centuries. Another attempt is made in Judges 1 (see notes) where we see in verse 8, "Now the children of Judah fought against Jerusalem and took it; they struck it with the edge of the sword and set the city on fire." But in Judges 1:21 we read, "But the children of Benjamin did not drive out the Jebusites who inhabited Jerusalem; so the Jebusites dwell with the children of Benjamin in Jerusalem to this day." Later on, King David finally seizes control of Jerusalem from these Jebusites in II Samuel 5:4-10 (see notes). The site on which the temple was afterwards built belonged to Araunah, a Jebusite. David, however, bought it fair and square (pardon the grammar) in II Samuel 24:18-25 (see notes).