Joshua 12 Study Notes: Kings Defeated by Moses and Joshua
Israel’s victories over the rulers of Canaan are recorded in a list. It begins with Sihon and Og east of the Jordan, whose land Moses gave to Reuben, Gad, and half of Manasseh, then names the kings west of the Jordan whom Joshua conquered, thirty-one in all.
General
In 12:7, Joshua gives the western land to the tribes as their inheritance. What earlier word does this fulfill?
Answer: Moses’ charge that Joshua would lead Israel in and give them the land
Verse 7 says Joshua gave the conquered western land to Israel’s tribes as their inheritance, according to their tribal shares, and verse 8 names the peoples whose lands these had been (12:7-8). Before he died, Moses had told Joshua in front of all Israel that he would enter the land sworn to their fathers together with the people and hand it over to them as their inheritance (Deuteronomy 31:7), and the LORD repeated that charge at the beginning of the book (1:6). The six peoples named in verse 8 are the same six whose home the LORD had promised to give Israel when He spoke to Moses at the burning bush (Exodus 3:8). Joshua’s gift of the western land matches Moses’ earlier gift of the eastern land (12:6).
- Joshua 12:7-8 (BSB)“And these are the kings of the land that Joshua and the Israelites conquered beyond the Jordan to the west, from Baal-gad in the Valley of Lebanon to Mount Halak, which rises toward Seir (according to the allotments to the tribes of Israel, Joshua gave them as an inheritance the hill country, the foothills, the Arabah, the slopes, the wilderness, and the Negev—the lands of the Hittites, Amorites, Canaanites, Perizzites, Hivites, and Jebusites):”Joshua gives the conquered western land to the tribes, and the peoples whose land it was are named.
- Deuteronomy 31:7 (BSB)“Then Moses called for Joshua and said to him in the presence of all Israel, “Be strong and courageous, for you will go with this people into the land that the LORD swore to their fathers to give them, and you shall give it to them as an inheritance.”Moses told Joshua before all Israel that he would bring the people in and give them the land as their inheritance.
- Joshua 1:6 (BSB)“Be strong and courageous, for you shall give these people the inheritance of the land that I swore to their fathers I would give them.”The LORD repeated that Joshua would give the people the land sworn to their fathers.
- Exodus 3:8 (BSB)“I have come down to rescue them from the hand of the Egyptians and to bring them up out of that land to a good and spacious land, a land flowing with milk and honey—the home of the Canaanites, Hittites, Amorites, Perizzites, Hivites, and Jebusites.”At the burning bush the LORD promised to bring Israel into the home of these same peoples.
Theological
Joshua 12:7 has Joshua distributing the western territory to the tribes. Which earlier commission does this fulfill?
Answer: Moses’ charge that Joshua would lead Israel in and give them the land
Joshua grants the western conquests to the tribes by allotment, and verse 8 identifies the peoples whose territory it had been (12:7-8). This discharges the commission Moses laid on Joshua before all Israel, to enter the sworn land with the people and grant them that land as their inheritance (Deuteronomy 31:7), renewed by the LORD in 1:6. The six peoples of verse 8 are exactly those whose land the LORD pledged to Israel at the burning bush (Exodus 3:8), so the list records a promise kept. Joshua’s distribution west of the river parallels Moses’ distribution east of it (12:6).
- Joshua 12:7-8 (BSB)“And these are the kings of the land that Joshua and the Israelites conquered beyond the Jordan to the west, from Baal-gad in the Valley of Lebanon to Mount Halak, which rises toward Seir (according to the allotments to the tribes of Israel, Joshua gave them as an inheritance the hill country, the foothills, the Arabah, the slopes, the wilderness, and the Negev—the lands of the Hittites, Amorites, Canaanites, Perizzites, Hivites, and Jebusites):”Joshua gives the conquered western land to the tribes, and the peoples whose land it was are named.
- Deuteronomy 31:7 (BSB)“Then Moses called for Joshua and said to him in the presence of all Israel, “Be strong and courageous, for you will go with this people into the land that the LORD swore to their fathers to give them, and you shall give it to them as an inheritance.”Moses told Joshua before all Israel that he would bring the people in and give them the land as their inheritance.
- Joshua 1:6 (BSB)“Be strong and courageous, for you shall give these people the inheritance of the land that I swore to their fathers I would give them.”The LORD repeated that Joshua would give the people the land sworn to their fathers.
- Exodus 3:8 (BSB)“I have come down to rescue them from the hand of the Egyptians and to bring them up out of that land to a good and spacious land, a land flowing with milk and honey—the home of the Canaanites, Hittites, Amorites, Perizzites, Hivites, and Jebusites.”At the burning bush the LORD promised to bring Israel into the home of these same peoples.
General
How is the list of defeated kings in chapter 12 arranged?
Answer: Kings east of the Jordan under Moses, then those west under Joshua
The chapter falls into two parts. Verses 1-6 list the two kings east of the Jordan River, Sihon and Og, whom Moses and Israel defeated before crossing over; verses 7-24 list the kings west of the Jordan whom Joshua and Israel defeated (12:1, 7). Placing both side by side presents the whole conquest, from Moses to Joshua, as one work of the LORD. Moses himself had told Israel that the LORD would do to the western nations what He had done to those two eastern kings (Deuteronomy 31:4), and the LORD had promised Joshua that He would be with him as He had been with Moses (1:5).
- Joshua 12:1 (BSB)“Now these are the kings of the land whom the Israelites struck down and whose lands they took beyond the Jordan to the east, from the Arnon Valley to Mount Hermon, including all the Arabah eastward:”The first part of the list covers kings defeated east of the Jordan.
- Joshua 12:7 (BSB)“And these are the kings of the land that Joshua and the Israelites conquered beyond the Jordan to the west, from Baal-gad in the Valley of Lebanon to Mount Halak, which rises toward Seir (according to the allotments to the tribes of Israel, Joshua gave them as an inheritance”The second part covers kings Joshua and Israel defeated west of the Jordan.
- Deuteronomy 31:4 (BSB)“And the LORD will do to them as He did to Sihon and Og, the kings of the Amorites, when He destroyed them along with their land.”Moses promised that the LORD would treat the western nations as He had treated Sihon and Og.
- Joshua 1:5 (BSB)“No one shall stand against you all the days of your life. As I was with Moses, so will I be with you; I will never leave you nor forsake you.”The LORD promised to be with Joshua just as He had been with Moses.
Theological
What is the organizing principle of the king list in Joshua 12?
Answer: Kings east of the Jordan under Moses, then those west under Joshua
The list is bipartite: the Transjordan kings Sihon and Og, defeated under Moses (12:1-6), and the kings of Cisjordan, the land west of the river, defeated under Joshua (12:7-24). The arrangement binds the two leaders’ campaigns into a single conquest wrought by the LORD. Moses had promised that the western nations would meet the same end as the two eastern kings (Deuteronomy 31:4), and the LORD had pledged to be with Joshua as He was with Moses (1:5); the list shows both words kept.
- Joshua 12:1 (BSB)“Now these are the kings of the land whom the Israelites struck down and whose lands they took beyond the Jordan to the east, from the Arnon Valley to Mount Hermon, including all the Arabah eastward:”The first part of the list covers kings defeated east of the Jordan.
- Joshua 12:7 (BSB)“And these are the kings of the land that Joshua and the Israelites conquered beyond the Jordan to the west, from Baal-gad in the Valley of Lebanon to Mount Halak, which rises toward Seir (according to the allotments to the tribes of Israel, Joshua gave them as an inheritance”The second part covers kings Joshua and Israel defeated west of the Jordan.
- Deuteronomy 31:4 (BSB)“And the LORD will do to them as He did to Sihon and Og, the kings of the Amorites, when He destroyed them along with their land.”Moses promised that the LORD would treat the western nations as He had treated Sihon and Og.
- Joshua 1:5 (BSB)“No one shall stand against you all the days of your life. As I was with Moses, so will I be with you; I will never leave you nor forsake you.”The LORD promised to be with Joshua just as He had been with Moses.
General
Who struck down Sihon and Og, and who received their land (12:6)?
Answer: Moses and Israel; Reuben, Gad, and half of Manasseh received it
Sihon of Heshbon, the Amorite king, and Og, who ruled Bashan, were defeated by Moses and the Israelites before Moses died (12:1-6). Moses then assigned their territory as a lasting family inheritance to Reuben, Gad, and half the tribe of Manasseh (12:6). This Transjordan land, east of the Jordan River, was the first territory Israel received. Earlier books record the same victory and the same gift (Numbers 21:24; Numbers 32:33), and Moses later reminded Israel of these events when he renewed the covenant with them in Moab (Deuteronomy 29:7-8).
- Joshua 12:6 (BSB)“Moses, the servant of the LORD, and the Israelites had struck them down and given their land as an inheritance to the Reubenites, the Gadites, and the half-tribe of Manasseh.”Moses and Israel had defeated Sihon and Og and given their land to two and a half tribes.
- Numbers 21:24 (BSB)“And Israel put him to the sword and took possession of his land, from the Arnon to the Jabbok—but only up to the border of the Ammonites, because it was fortified.”The book of Numbers records Israel’s victory over Sihon and the taking of his land.
- Numbers 32:33 (BSB)“So Moses gave to the Gadites, to the Reubenites, and to the half-tribe of Manasseh son of Joseph the kingdom of Sihon king of the Amorites and the kingdom of Og king of Bashan—the land including its cities and the territory surrounding them.”Moses gave the kingdoms of Sihon and Og to Gad, Reuben, and half of Manasseh.
- Deuteronomy 29:7-8 (BSB)“When you reached this place, Sihon king of Heshbon and Og king of Bashan came out against us in battle, but we defeated them. We took their land and gave it as an inheritance to the Reubenites, the Gadites, and the half-tribe of Manasseh.”Moses reminded Israel of the defeat of the two kings and the gift of their land.
Theological
According to 12:6, who defeated the two Transjordan kings, and to whom was their territory given?
Answer: Moses and Israel; Reuben, Gad, and half of Manasseh received it
Sihon, who ruled from Heshbon, and Og of Bashan fell to Moses and Israel (12:1-6), and Moses allotted their realms to Reuben, Gad, and half the tribe of Manasseh (12:6), the first portion of the inheritance to be granted. The Torah records both the conquest and the grant (Numbers 21:24; Numbers 32:33), and Moses rehearsed them in the covenant renewal on the plains of Moab (Deuteronomy 29:7-8).
- Joshua 12:6 (BSB)“Moses, the servant of the LORD, and the Israelites had struck them down and given their land as an inheritance to the Reubenites, the Gadites, and the half-tribe of Manasseh.”Moses and Israel had defeated Sihon and Og and given their land to two and a half tribes.
- Numbers 21:24 (BSB)“And Israel put him to the sword and took possession of his land, from the Arnon to the Jabbok—but only up to the border of the Ammonites, because it was fortified.”The book of Numbers records Israel’s victory over Sihon and the taking of his land.
- Numbers 32:33 (BSB)“So Moses gave to the Gadites, to the Reubenites, and to the half-tribe of Manasseh son of Joseph the kingdom of Sihon king of the Amorites and the kingdom of Og king of Bashan—the land including its cities and the territory surrounding them.”Moses gave the kingdoms of Sihon and Og to Gad, Reuben, and half of Manasseh.
- Deuteronomy 29:7-8 (BSB)“When you reached this place, Sihon king of Heshbon and Og king of Bashan came out against us in battle, but we defeated them. We took their land and gave it as an inheritance to the Reubenites, the Gadites, and the half-tribe of Manasseh.”Moses reminded Israel of the defeat of the two kings and the gift of their land.
General
What main point does the long list of defeated kings in chapter 12 make?
Answer: The LORD kept His word by giving Israel victory over them
The chapter is a record of victories, with each king counted one at a time, and it shows that the conquest was the LORD’s work. The northern armies alone had been as numerous as sand (11:4), so Israel did not win by greater numbers. A psalm says Israel did not take the land by its own sword or strength but by God’s right hand and favor (Psalm 44:3). Moses had promised that God would give the rulers of Canaan into Israel’s power (Deuteronomy 7:24), and at the end of his life Joshua could say that none of the LORD’s good promises had failed (23:14).
- Joshua 12:7 (BSB)“And these are the kings of the land that Joshua and the Israelites conquered beyond the Jordan to the west, from Baal-gad in the Valley of Lebanon to Mount Halak, which rises toward Seir (according to the allotments to the tribes of Israel, Joshua gave them as an inheritance”The list is introduced as the kings that Joshua and Israel defeated in the land.
- Joshua 11:4 (BSB)“So these kings came out with all their armies, a multitude as numerous as the sand on the seashore, along with a great number of horses and chariots.”The northern enemy alone had been as numerous as sand, so Israel did not win by numbers.
- Psalm 44:3 (BSB)“For it was not by their sword that they took the land; their arm did not bring them victory. It was by Your right hand, Your arm, and the light of Your face, because You favored them.”The psalmist says Israel gained the land by God’s power and favor, not by its own strength.
- Deuteronomy 7:24 (BSB)“He will hand their kings over to you, and you will wipe out their names from under heaven. No one will be able to stand against you; you will annihilate them.”Moses had promised that God would give the kings of the land over to Israel.
- Joshua 23:14 (BSB)“Now behold, today I am going the way of all the earth, and you know with all your heart and soul that not one of the good promises the LORD your God made to you has failed. Everything was fulfilled for you; not one promise has failed.”Joshua testifies at the end of his life that none of the LORD’s good promises had failed.
Theological
What theological point does the catalogue of defeated kings in Joshua 12 underline?
Answer: The LORD kept His word by giving Israel victory over them
The list functions as a memorial of divine faithfulness: each king counted individually is a promise fulfilled. Israel faced forces as numerous as sand (11:4), and Scripture explicitly denies that its own sword won the land, crediting God’s right hand and favor instead (Psalm 44:3). The catalogue fulfills Moses’ promise that Canaan’s rulers would be given over to Israel (Deuteronomy 7:24) and anticipates Joshua’s testimony that none of the LORD’s good promises had failed (23:14).
- Joshua 12:7 (BSB)“And these are the kings of the land that Joshua and the Israelites conquered beyond the Jordan to the west, from Baal-gad in the Valley of Lebanon to Mount Halak, which rises toward Seir (according to the allotments to the tribes of Israel, Joshua gave them as an inheritance”The list is introduced as the kings that Joshua and Israel defeated in the land.
- Joshua 11:4 (BSB)“So these kings came out with all their armies, a multitude as numerous as the sand on the seashore, along with a great number of horses and chariots.”The northern enemy alone had been as numerous as sand, so Israel did not win by numbers.
- Psalm 44:3 (BSB)“For it was not by their sword that they took the land; their arm did not bring them victory. It was by Your right hand, Your arm, and the light of Your face, because You favored them.”The psalmist says Israel gained the land by God’s power and favor, not by its own strength.
- Deuteronomy 7:24 (BSB)“He will hand their kings over to you, and you will wipe out their names from under heaven. No one will be able to stand against you; you will annihilate them.”Moses had promised that God would give the kings of the land over to Israel.
- Joshua 23:14 (BSB)“Now behold, today I am going the way of all the earth, and you know with all your heart and soul that not one of the good promises the LORD your God made to you has failed. Everything was fulfilled for you; not one promise has failed.”Joshua testifies at the end of his life that none of the LORD’s good promises had failed.
General
True or False: The list of kings that Joshua and Israel defeated west of the Jordan totals thirty-one.
Answer: True
This is true. After naming each western king one by one, the list closes with the total of thirty-one (12:24). These are in addition to the two eastern kings, Sihon and Og, defeated under Moses (12:1-6). Many of the names recall battles already told in the book, roughly in the order of the story: Jericho and Ai first, then the southern kings of chapter 10, then the northern kings of chapter 11, such as those of Hazor and Madon. The book credits each victory to the LORD, who fought for Israel (10:42), and Joshua later reminds the people that it was the LORD who gave these peoples into their hand (24:11).
- Joshua 12:24 (BSB)“and the king of Tirzah, one. So there were thirty-one kings in all.”The western list closes with its total.
- Joshua 10:42 (BSB)“And because the LORD, the God of Israel, fought for Israel, Joshua captured all these kings and their land in one campaign.”Joshua captured the southern kings because the LORD fought for Israel.
- Joshua 24:11 (BSB)“After this, you crossed the Jordan and came to Jericho. The people of Jericho fought against you, as did the Amorites, Perizzites, Canaanites, Hittites, Girgashites, Hivites, and Jebusites, and I delivered them into your hand.”In his farewell, Joshua recalls that the LORD delivered the peoples of the land into Israel’s hand.
Theological
True or False: Joshua 12:24 gives a total of thirty-one kings for the western list.
Answer: True
This is true. The tally of the western kings comes to thirty-one (12:24), over and above Sihon and Og in the Transjordan (12:1-6). The sequence broadly retraces the narrative: Jericho and Ai, the southern coalition of chapter 10, and the northern coalition of chapter 11, including Hazor and Madon. Each victory is ascribed to the LORD fighting for Israel (10:42), as Joshua’s covenant speech later affirms (24:11).
- Joshua 12:24 (BSB)“and the king of Tirzah, one. So there were thirty-one kings in all.”The western list closes with its total.
- Joshua 10:42 (BSB)“And because the LORD, the God of Israel, fought for Israel, Joshua captured all these kings and their land in one campaign.”Joshua captured the southern kings because the LORD fought for Israel.
- Joshua 24:11 (BSB)“After this, you crossed the Jordan and came to Jericho. The people of Jericho fought against you, as did the Amorites, Perizzites, Canaanites, Hittites, Girgashites, Hivites, and Jebusites, and I delivered them into your hand.”In his farewell, Joshua recalls that the LORD delivered the peoples of the land into Israel’s hand.