Joshua-Chapter-12

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Throughout this site I may use any of the following three versions of the Tanakh: 1. “Jewish Publication Society” (JPS-1917), 2“Mechon-Mamre.org (MEC), and 3. “Sefaria.org (SEF), three brilliant versions, although JPS-1917 is my preferred version!

Colour coded details of our beloved TaNaKh:

1. Torah = History & Law, 2. Nevi’im = The Prophets. 3. *Ketuvim = all other Writings.

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Please Note: Some alterations or (additions) have been made relating to ‘Names’ and ‘Attributes’ of אֱלֹהִים - Elohim, having been corrected like it once was pre the “Masoretic Text”.

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Remember the following truth from our beloved Torah!

Ye shall NOT ADD TO THE WORD which I command you, NEITHER SHALL YE DIMINISH FROM IT, that ye may keep the commandments of יְהוָה אֱלֹהֵיכֶם - the LORD your Eloleichem, which I command you”. Davarim - Deuteronomy 4:2. (JPS-1917).

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“Joshua Chapter 12”

With Rabbi, Dr. Reuven Ben Avraham-Goossens, PhD.

Introduction:

Joshua Chapter 12 serves as a formal ledger of the Israelite conquest, transitioning the narrative from the heat of battle to the administrative task of dividing the land. It acts as a bridge between the military campaigns and the tribal inheritances. By listing the defeated kings, the text provides a legal and historical record of the territory now under Israelite control, validating the fulfillment of the promise made to the ancestors. It distinguishes between the lands taken under the leadership of Moses and those secured under Joshua, emphasizing the continuity of leadership and the totality of the victory.

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Below are the verses of Joshua Chapter 12, verses 1 to 24: Whilst below the verses there is the Explanation’s and more. (The Chapter is from JPS-1917 version of the Tanakh).

Verses 1-6: “Now these are the kings of the land, whom the children of Israel smote, and possessed their land beyond the Jordan toward the sunrising, from the valley of Arnon unto mount Hermon, and all the Arabah eastward: Sihon king of the Amorites, who dwelt in Heshbon, and ruled from Aroer, which is on the edge of the valley of Arnon, and the middle of the valley, and half Gilead, even unto the river Jabbok, the border of the children of Ammonand the Arabah unto the sea of Chinneroth, eastward, and unto the sea of the Arabah, even the Salt Sea, eastward, the way to Beth-jeshimoth; and on the south, under the slopes of Pisgah; and the border of Og king of Bashan, of the remnant of the Rephaim, who dwelt at Ashtaroth and at Edreiand ruled in mount Hermon, and in Salcah, and in all Bashan, unto the border of the Geshurites and the Maacathites, and half Gilead, even unto the border of Sihon king of HeshbonMoses the servant of יְהוָה - the LORD and the children of Israel smote them; and Moses the servant of יְהוָה - the LORD gave it for a possession unto the Reubenites, and the Gadites, and the half-tribe of Manasseh.

Explanation: Verses 1 to 6 recount the conquests on the eastern side of the Jordan (Transjordan). This area was secured while Moses was still leading the people. By detailing the borders from the Arnon Gorge to Mount Hermon, the text establishes the legitimacy of the settlements for the tribes of Reuben, Gad, and the half-tribe of Manasseh.

Verses 7-8: And these are the kings of the land whom Joshua and the children of Israel smote beyond the Jordan westward, from Baal-gad in the valley of Lebanon even unto the bare mountain, that goeth up to Seir; and Joshua gave it unto the tribes of Israel for a possession according to their divisions; 8 in the hill-country, and in the Lowland, and in the Arabah, and in the slopes, and in the wilderness, and in the South; the Hittite, the Amorite, and the Canaanite, the Perizzite, the Hivite, and the Jebusite:

Explanation: Verses 7 & 8 provide a geographical overview of the land conquered by Joshua on the western side of the Jordan. It lists the various topographical regions, the hill country, the Shephelah, the Arabah, and the Negev demonstrating that no part of the diverse Canaanite landscape remained outside the scope of the sovereign transition.

Verses 9-24: the king of Jericho, one; the king of Ai, which is beside Beth-el, 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 Beth-el, one; the king of Tappuah, one; the king of Hepher, one; the king of Aphek, one; the king of the Sharon, one; the king of Madon, one; the king of Hazor, one; the king of Shimron-meron, one; the king of Achshaph, 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 in the region of Dor, one; the king of Goiim in the Gilgal, one; the king of Tirzah, one. All the kings thirty and one”.

Explanation: Verses 9 to 24 comprise a detailed “hit list” of thirty-one kings. Unlike previous chapters that describe long military campaigns, this section is a succinct census of defeated city-states. Listing these kings by name and location (from Jericho and Ai in the center to the southern and northern coalitions) serves as a title deed. In the ancient world, to name the defeated ruler was to claim the legal right to his domain. This specific tally confirms that the primary power structures of the Canaanite inhabitants had been systematically dismantled.

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My Closing Message:

The significance of Chapter 12 lies in its precision. It transforms the abstract idea of “victory” into a concrete inventory of reality. By meticulously documenting every king and territory, the text ensures that future generations would understand their inheritance not as a series of fortunate events, but as a deliberate and completed transition of sovereignty. It teaches us that while the journey involves struggle, there is a time to pause, record our progress, and acknowledge the full scope of what has been achieved before moving into the next phase of building a society.

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שָׁלוֹם עֲלֵיכֶם Shalom Aleichem - Peace be with you!

Rabbi, Dr. Reuven Ben Avraham-Goossens, PhD.

 

 

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