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Josué 12

VBL · Chapter 12/24

1Estos son los reyes que los israelitas derrotaron cuando tomaron posesión de su tierra al este del Jordán, desde el valle de Arnón en el sur hasta el monte Hermón en el norte, incluyendo toda la tierra del lado oriental del Jordán.

2Sehón, rey de los amorreos, que vivía en Hesbón, gobernaba desde Aroer, en el borde del valle de Arnón, todo el camino desde la mitad del valle hasta el río Jaboc, la frontera con los amonitas (e incluía la mitad de Galaad).

3Su territorio también incluía el valle del Jordán hasta el mar de Cineret y la tierra al este, y todo el camino hasta el Mar Salado, al este hacia Beth-jeshimoth y al sur hasta las laderas de Pisga.

4El rey Og de Basán, uno de los últimos de los refaítas, que vivía en Astarot y Edrei,

5gobernaba en el norte, desde el monte Hermón hasta Sacalé, y todo Basán al este, y al oeste hasta las fronteras de los guesuritas y los maacatitas, junto con la mitad de Galaad hasta la frontera de Sehón, rey de Hesbón.

6Moisés, el siervo del Señor, y los israelitas los habían derrotado, y Moisés había asignado la tierra a las tribus de Rubén, Gad y la media tribu de Manasés.

7Estos son los reyes de la tierra que Josué y los israelitas derrotaron al oeste del Jordán, desde Baal Gad, en el valle del Líbano, hasta el monte Halak que conduce a Seír. Josué la entregó a las tribus de Israel para que la poseyeran tal y como les fue asignada.

8La tierra incluía la región montañosa, las estribaciones, el valle del Jordán, las laderas y el desierto del Néguev: la tierra de los hititas, los amorreos, los cananeos, los ferezeos, los heveos y los jebuseos.

9El rey de Jericó. El rey de Hai, cerca de Betel.

10El rey de Jerusalén. El rey de Hebrón.

11El rey de Jarmut. El rey de Laquis.

12El rey de Eglón. El rey de Gezer.

13El rey de Debir. El rey de Geder.

14El rey de Horma. El rey de Arad.

15El rey de Libna. El rey de Adulam.

16El rey de Maceda. El rey de Betel.

17El rey de Tappúajh. El rey de Hefer.

18El rey de Afec. El rey de Lasharon.

19El rey de Madón. El rey de Hazor.

20El rey de Simrón-merón. El rey de Acsaf.

21El rey de Taanac. El rey de Meguido.

22El rey de Cedes. El rey de Jocneam en el Carmelo.

23El rey de Doren Nafat-dor. El rey de Goim en Gilgal.

24El rey de Tirsa. El total de todos los reyes es de 31.

📖 Chapter study

Summary

The chapter lists the kings defeated by Moses east of the Jordan and the kings defeated by Joshua west of it, totaling thirty-one kings conquered.

Explanation

This is an administrative list, the kind of chapter that can seem tedious but served an important function: officially documenting the extent of the conquest for historical record and future distribution of the land. Lists of defeated kings were common in ancient Near Eastern conquest records, functioning as a 'certificate' of victory and proof that God's promise to Abraham about the land was being fulfilled point by point. For today's reader, the value lies in recognizing that God fulfills promises in detailed, verifiable ways, not just in vague terms.

Fun facts

  • Thirty-one kings defeated in a relatively small region reflects how fragmented Canaan was into independent city-states, each with its own ruler, rather than a unified empire.
  • Many of these city names - such as Hebron, Jerusalem, and Megiddo - still exist or have been archaeologically identified today, giving the account solid historical grounding.

Verse-by-verse explanation

  1. Josué 12:1This list of defeated kings works like a receipt of war: an official summary of everything already conquered on the east side of the Jordan, even before the crossing took place. It may look like just a dry list, but for those who read the Bible as a record of land ownership, this was documentary proof that the promise had become reality.
  2. Josué 12:2This is Sihon, the Amorite king Moses defeated even before Joshua took over the leadership; his territory lay east of the Jordan.
  3. Josué 12:3The text details the borders of Sihon’s territory, which reached to the Sea of Galilee and the Dead Sea.
  4. Josué 12:4The other king Moses defeated was Og of Bashan, described as one of the last survivors of a line of giants.
  5. Josué 12:5Og’s territory was enormous, covering Mount Hermon and a large part of Bashan, on the other side of the Jordan.
  6. Josué 12:6These lands conquered by Moses, before entering the promised land, were given to the tribes of Reuben, Gad, and half of Manasseh.
  7. Josué 12:7Here the list switches sides: the earlier verses cover the kings defeated east of the Jordan, back in the time of Moses, and from this point on come the kings defeated on the western side, already under Joshua’s command. It is a way of organizing the summary of the conquest into two halves, each tied to a different leader.
  8. Josué 12:8The territory Joshua conquered included hill country, lowlands, wilderness, and several different regions, taken from six distinct Canaanite peoples.
  9. Josué 12:9The list of defeated kings begins with Jericho, the first city conquered, and Ai, right after.
  10. Josué 12:10Next come Jerusalem and Hebron, important southern cities defeated during Joshua’s campaign.
  11. Josué 12:11Jarmuth and Lachish also make the list, cities from the same southern campaign told in chapter 10.
  12. Josué 12:12Eglon and Gezer add two more names to this list of defeated kings.
  13. Josué 12:13Debir and Geder follow, extending the list of cities conquered in the southern region.
  14. Josué 12:14Hormah and Arad are cities given less detail in the account, but they are counted among the defeated kings.
  15. Josué 12:15Libnah and Adullam continue the list, cities already mentioned in the southern campaign.
  16. Josué 12:16Makkedah, where the five kings hid in the cave, and Bethel round out another pair on the list.
  17. Josué 12:17Tappuah and Hepher are cities not detailed elsewhere in the account, but they were part of the conquest.
  18. Josué 12:18Aphek and Lasharon continue the list of defeated kings, with no detailed account of the battle itself.
  19. Josué 12:19Madon and Hazor appear here again, recalling the great northern battle told in chapter 11.
  20. Josué 12:20Shimron-meron and Achshaph close out another pair of northern cities conquered by Joshua.
  21. Josué 12:21Taanach and Megiddo, strategic cities of the valley, also make the final list.
  22. Josué 12:22Kedesh and Jokneam of Carmel continue the roll call of defeated kings.
  23. Josué 12:23Dor and a king identified only as “of the nations” in Gilgal close out almost the whole list, which ends right after with a total of thirty-one kings.
  24. Josué 12:24Closing the list with the total number, thirty-one kings, is the ancient equivalent of a headline summing up the outcome of an entire campaign. This kind of final tally appears in other war records from the ancient Near East, offered as proof of success to be remembered later.

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