Josué 12

Josué 12

Vernon McGee - It was a long and bitter campaign. Now in chapter 12 we are given the names of the kings which Israel conquered. Frankly, a chapter like this is not very exciting to me. But the thing that impresses me is the detail that the God of this universe has given in items like this. We would think that He would constantly be dealing with great issues in grandiose terms, but God gets right down to the nitty-gritty where you and I live. There is a lesson for us here. You and I sometimes hesitate to take to God in prayer the little details of our lives. We think, I ought not to talk to Him about things like that. Well, friend, talk to Him about those things. He wants to hear them. A professor who was very liberal in his theology, said to me one time, “You take the Bible literally.” “Yes,” I said. “You certainly don’t believe that God has books up there that He is going to open and look at.” I think I shocked him when I said, “I sure do.” He keeps the record, friend. Here is a chapter about these kings. I know nothing about them, but God does. He has the record. He has two books: the Book of Works and the Lamb’s Book of Life. Your name is written in one of them, my friend. It is written in the Book of Life when you trust Jesus Christ as your Savior. Your name will never be written there by your own effort. If your name is in this book, you have eternal life in Christ. There is also a Book of Works. It records the details of everything you have ever done. It is going to be embarrassing for many people when they discover that all they did was give a cup of cold water that cost them nothing. THOUGHT - Realizing that the Lord has made such a specific record of what has occurred in the battles to possess the inheritance that God had granted to the sons of Israel makes us also recognize the fact that God is keeping records on our lives as well. (Anderson) Is there a difference between the book of life and the Lamb’s book of life? | GotQuestions.org What is the Book of Life? Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary - Verses 1-6. Fresh mercies must not drown the remembrance of former mercies, nor must the glory of the present instruments of good to the church diminish the just honour of those who went before them, since God is the same who wrought by both. Moses gave to one part of Israel a very rich and fruitful country, but it was on the outside of Jordan. Joshua gave to all Israel the holy land, within Jordan. So the law has given to some few of God's spiritual Israel worldly blessings, earnests of good things to come; but our Lord Jesus, the true Joshua, provided for all the children of promise spiritual blessings, and the heavenly Canaan. Defeated (struck)(05221) nāḵāh meaning to beat, to strike, to wound. The meaning of the vb. ranges from hitting to killing. ni. be hit, be struck down; pu. be battered, ruined, destroyed; hi. strike, hit, beat, strike dead, wound, batter, destroy; ho. be struck down (dead), be taken, be hit (#5782); nom. מַכָּה (makkâ), blow, stroke, wound, plague. Defeat, conquer, i.e., have a military victory over an opponent or enemy (Jos 10:10) Uses of nakah in Joshua - Jos. 7:5; Jos. 8:21; Jos. 8:22; Jos. 8:24; Jos. 9:18; Jos. 10:4; Jos. 10:10; Jos. 10:20; Jos. 10:26; Jos. 10:28; Jos. 10:30; Jos. 10:32; Jos. 10:33; Jos. 10:35; Jos. 10:37; Jos. 10:39; Jos. 10:40; Jos. 10:41; Jos. 11:8; Jos. 11:10; Jos. 11:11; Jos. 11:12; Jos. 11:14; Jos. 11:17; Jos. 12:1; Jos. 12:6; Jos. 12:7; Jos. 13:12; Jos. 13:21; Jos. 15:16; Jos. 19:47; Jos. 20:3; Jos. 20:5; Jos. 20:9; Possessed (03423)(yarash) means to take possession of, inherit, dispossess, to drive out. Possession of the land was directly connected to a person's relationship with the Lord; breaking the covenantal relationship led to dispossession. But even in exile in Babylon, Israelites awaited the day when they would repossess the land because of God's faithfulness to His covenant promise to Abraham (Jer. 30:3). GEORGE BUSH - Notes Critical and Practical on the Book of Joshua - Chapter 12 We have in the present chapter a recapitulation of all the victories thus far achieved. As the writer is about to enter upon a particular account of the distribution of the land among the tribes, he here pauses to give previously a general view of the territory to be divided, including the tracts on both sides the Jordan. This he does by specifying the kings, rather than the countries over which they reigned; for the power of a state is concentrated in the person of its sovereign, and such an enumeration presents the subject more vividly to the mind of the reader.—The first six verses contain a list of the kings on the east side of Jordan, conquered by Moses, with their territories, and the remainder of the chapter is occupied with a catalogue of those that were reduced by Joshua. ‘The enjoyment of present blessings under living benefactors, should not be suffered to efface the remembrance of former mercies procured by the instrumentality of God’s honored servants who have entered into their rest. The services and achievements of Joshua should not eclipse those of Moses.’ Henry. The passages referred to in the margin give all the useful information that can now be gleaned respecting those places, but recourse to a good map of ancient Canaan is indispensable to obtaining a clear idea of the subject. 1. From the river Arnon unto Mount Hermon The small river Arnon was the boundary of all the southern coast of the land occupied by the Israelites beyond Jordan (on the eastern side of the Jordan). The mountains of Hermon were the boundaries on the north. The Arnon takes its rise in the mountains of Gilead, and after running a considerable distance from north to south, turns to the north-west and falls into the Dead Sea not very far from the place where the Jordan discharges itself. See Num. 21:13; Deut. 2:24. And all the plain on the east. Or, even all the plain; all the arable champaign country on the east of the Jordan, and called, Deut. 34:1, ‘The plains of Moab.’ On the physical features of this country, see Note on Num. 3:2. Norman Geisler - JOSHUA 12:1–24—Were these kings defeated here or not until later? PROBLEM: The text declares that “these are the kings of the land whom the children of Israel defeated.” However, many of these cities were not captured until later (cf. Josh. 15:63; 17:12; Jdg. 1:22, 29). SOLUTION: There is a difference between defeating a king’s army on the field of battle and later destroying his capital city. Once defeated in battle, the king and his remaining troops would retreat to their stronghold where it was much more difficult to root them out. Sudden victory and permanent vanquishing are two different things. So understood, there is absolutely no contradiction between these texts. (When Critics Ask: A Popular Handbook on Bible Difficulties) Moody's TODAY IN THE WORD - Joshua 12:1-13:7 Carl Sandburg once wrote, “Valor is a gift. Those having it never know for sure if they have it till the test comes. And those having it in one test never know for sure if they will have it when the next test comes.” We can forget, while reading about Joshua, that courage is not automatic. Joshua was only human, as robotic and fearless as he may have seemed while marching the army of Israel so systematically through the fearsome enemy ranks. Under natural circumstances, any human should have faltered more than Joshua did. But the campaign against the people of Canaan was supernaturally driven. It began with Moses at the helm, east of the Jordan River, defeating two kings in battle. Two and a half tribes received their inheritance in that land. Then, after the crossing of the Jordan, Joshua led Israel on a dizzying tour of duty, defeating twenty-nine kings. Now, Joshua was faithful with what God asked him to do, but no man or army of men could have accomplished that feat in their own power. The victories described in chapter 12 can hardly be described as “military” achievements; they were miraculous. Keep in mind, Moses wasn't a young man when he led the first leg of the battle. And at the outset of Chapter 13, the Lord tells Joshua that he, too, is getting on in years—and when God tells you you're old, there's no denying it. The Lord tells him of the additional lands yet to be conquered and promises that He will drive the people out from those cities as well. Verse 7 identifies exactly the fact that makes this military conquest different than any other. Israel wasn't just taking the land, they were inheriting it. An inheritance cannot be taken by force. It is not a prize won or a salary earned. The land Joshua and Israel occupied was the result of a promise from God to Abraham, the father of the entire nation of Israel. His descendants inherited, not by force but by faith, a peaceful existence in perhaps the most desirable land on the face of the earth. God had set apart the land and prepared it for Israel. All Joshua had to do was help the nation claim it. TODAY ALONG THE WAY - The battle for our spiritual inheritance has already been fought and won by Jesus Christ. The question we must ask ourselves is, have we claimed it? Have we “apportioned” the spoils of Christ's victory? We have eternal life, intimate communion with God, just waiting for us to enjoy. Whether it is fear of the enemies of life or desire for the false promises of the world, let's cast aside all obstacles today and through prayer, Bible study, and devotion to God, take hold of our inheritance Joshua 12:2 Sihon king of the Amorites, who lived in Heshbon, and ruled from Aroer, which is on the edge of the valley of the Arnon, both the middle of the valley and half of Gilead, even as far as the brook Jabbok, the border of the sons of Ammon; Sihon: Nu 21:23-30 De 2:24-37 3:6-17 Ne 9:22 Ps 135:11 136:19,20 Jabbok: Ge 32:22 Jdg 11:13,22 Joshua 12 Resources - Multiple Sermons and Commentaries Arnon River = Northern Border of Moab. City of Ar just South of river (Click to Enlarge) TERRITORY CONQUERED FROM SIHON Joshua 23 breaks down into a list of victories by Moses east of the Jordan (Joshua 12:2-6) and Joshua west of the Jordan (Joshua 12:7-24). Moses' leadership that began the process of getting Israel to and into this land. Moses was not forgotten by God and he was not forgotten by Joshua and Israel. Sihon king of the Amorites, who lived in Heshbon, and ruled from Aroer, which is on the edge of the valley of the Arnon , both the middle of the valley and half of Gilead, even as far as the brook Jabbok, the border of the sons of Ammon - The list of kings begins with those conquered on the eastern side of the Jordan and gives the boundaries of the territory east of the Jordan. The story of his destruction is found in Numbers 21:21-25; Deut. 2:24-37; Deut. 29:6-7. The name Sihon means "sweeping away", "a leader carrying everything before him. " It is interesting that Heshbon was the pagan king's royal city, but God would ordain it to be a Levitical city! Thompson - Sihon was a power-crazed ruler. When Israel wanted to pass through his land, he would not permit it and gather his military force to march out against Israel (Num. 21:21-23). That was his end. Israel took all his land, including Heshbon, his own city. Sihon represents the big and powerful enemy who blatantly tries to prevent God’s people from getting to where God wants them to be. Sihon-types will be defeated, no matter how impressive they may appear to be. When we find we are threatened by some dominant leader who seems to have targeted us, this is a good story to remember. God can destroy them and give us victory. Alan Redpath - We are informed in this chapter of just the degree to which Joshua and his armies conquered part of the land of Canaan. There follows a list of thirty-one powerful kings who had occupied certain territory in the land, but all of whom are now subdued and submissive to the people of God. Sometimes in the course of human experience it is good to sit down and reflect on what has been conquered by the grace of God. Not boastfully, but with a humble and grateful heart, to survey the years that have gone and to go over the pages of memory carefully to recall where the grace of God has triumphed, so that we will be able to look into His face and say, "But where sin abounded, grace did much more abound" (Ro 5:20). For some people, most of the battles of life are over; they have few left to fight. To many others, however, most of life's battles are yet to be fought. Whether they have been fought or are yet to come, may God grant to us all to be able to say when the journey ends, "I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith" (2Ti 4:7+). (Victorious Christian Living) Dale Ralph Davis has an interesting comment on why mention the 2 kings west of the Jordan? - Why not let sleeping kings lie? Guard the Unity of Yahweh’s People (12:1–6) One answer to this question is that the writer wants to guard the unity of Yahweh’s people. (See notes on 1:12–18.) The two-and-a-half eastern tribes feared the day might come when they would be regarded as non-Israel by the western tribes (22:21–29), that the majority settled in Canaan proper would exclude them from the circle of Yahweh’s people. So the writer of Joshua carefully includes in the survey of conquered kings the record of the conquest of Sihon and Og; as if to say, ‘Remember Yahweh gave victories east of the Jordan too; don’t forget Israel lives over there as well.’.....Secondly, this chapter means to vindicate the fidelity of Yahweh’s promise. Such is the function of verses 7–24, the bulk of which is a listing of thirty-one conquered kings. The list only appears monotonous; John Calvin assessed it correctly: But though each of those now summarily mentioned was previously given more in detail, there is very good reason for here placing before our eyes as it were a living picture of the goodness of God, proving that there had been a complete ratification and performance of the covenant made with Abraham as given in the words, ‘Unto thy seed will I give this land.’ (Gen. 12:7; 13:15; 20:18.) Joshua 12:7–24 emphasises that Yahweh’s old promise to Abraham in Genesis 15:18–21 has been fulfilled. ‘God was able to do what he had promised’ (Rom. 4:21). These verses do not drip with tedium; they tingle with excitement. ‘The king of Tappuah, one; the king of Hepher, one’ (v. 17)—those words are not an excerpt from a dull archive; they are the lyrics of a song! Verses 7–24 constitute the stanzas for Israel’s version of ‘Great Is Thy Faithfulness’. Yahweh’s ancient word has proven faithful. Another point is related to our second observation. The detailed listing of conquered kings provides an itemisation of Yahweh’s goodness (see the quote from Calvin). As we have said, this is not tedium but thanksgiving, not just in general but in particular and in detail. Each conquered king is specified; each is a sign of Yahweh’s power and a cause for Israel’s praise....Itemising Yahweh’s goodness—that is always the method of biblical faith (see Pss. 105, 135, 136). It is as faith gives thanks in detail that faith is nurtured, encouraged, and takes on fresh heart to expect more mercies. Hence we should get rid of some of the tripe in our prayers like ‘and thank you for your many, many blessings’. Name one or two of those blessings instead. Why do we use such general ‘lingo-ese’ in our prayers (and, worse yet, teach it to our children)? Foreshadow the Coming of Yahweh’s Victory Since chapter 12 serves as a summary of the conquest to date, we can rightly hold that as such it foreshadows the coming of Yahweh’s victory. The victory of Yahweh achieved over Sihon, Og, and Canaan’s kings is both a preview and a pledge of that time when ‘the kingdom of the world (will) become the kingdom of our Lord and of his Christ, and he shall reign for ever and ever’ (Rev. 11:15). Every one of Yahweh’s victories over his enemies in the process of history is a partial portrayal of his victory over all his enemies at the consummation of history. This is meant to steel and strengthen his suffering people as they long for that grand finale. (Joshua - No Falling Words) GEORGE BUSH - Notes Critical and Practical on the Book of Joshua - Chapter 12 2. Ruled from Aroer. The kingdom of Sihon was bounded by the Arnon on the sou.h, the Jabbok on the north, the Jordan on the west, and the mountains of Arabia on the east. And from the middle of the river. Heb. ותוך הנחל vethōk hannâhal, and that which lies between the streams. A line passing along the middle of a stream, and that stream by no means a large one, is so remarkable a boundary to be adopted by ancient barbarous clans, that we are quite satisfied the translation is erroneous. The word ‘from,’ introduced by our translators, does not occur in the original, either here or in the ensuing clause, ‘from half Gilead,’ and the meaning undoubtedly is, that Sihon ruled from Aroer over the country lying between the rivers (collect sing. for plur.) even the half of Gilead, as far north as to the river Jabbok. See on ch. 13:9. All the region lying intermediate between the above-mentioned streams, and sometimes called ‘half Gilead,’ was subject to his authority. This interpretation is strikingly confirmed by the words of Josephus relative to the territory of Sihon, which, he says, ‘is a country situate between three rivers, and naturally resembling an island; the river Arnon being its southern limit, the river Jabbok determining its northern side, while Jordan itself runs along by it on its western coast.’ (Antiq. B. 4. ch. 5.) The other half of Gilead, as appears from v. 4, 5, lay beyond the Jabbok, and belonged to the kingdom of Og. Joshua 12:3 and the Arabah as far as the Sea of Chinneroth toward the east, and as far as the sea of the Arabah, even the Salt Sea, eastward toward Beth-jeshimoth, and on the south, at the foot of the slopes of Pisgah; Sea of Chinnerot (Gennesaret, Galilee, Tiberias): Jos 11:2 De 3:17 Joh 6:1 the sea: Jos 3:16 15:2,5 Ge 14:3 19:25 De 3:17 Beth-jeshimoth Jos 13:20 slopes of Pisgah: Nu 21:20 De 3:17 De 4:49 Joshua 12 Resources - Multiple Sermons and Commentaries Sea of Chinneroth = Sea of Galilee CONTINUATION OF TERRITORY CONQUERED FROM SIHON and the Arabah (see map) as far as the Sea of Chinneroth toward the east, and as far as the sea of the Arabah, even the Salt Sea, eastward toward Beth-jeshimoth, and on the south, at the foot of the slopes of Pisgah - In the map above the Arabah is the valley that extends from southern end of the Sea of Chinneroth (Galilee) to the Dead Sea. Beth-jeshimoth, meaning, “house of deserts.” A town in Moab where Israel camped just before Moses died and Joshua led them across the Jordan (Numbers 33:49 ). Joshua 12:3 lists it as land Israel took from Sihon, king of the Amorites. Moses gave it to the tribe of Reuben ( Joshua 13:20 ). Ezekiel described it as one of three frontier cities of Moab, these being “the glory of the country” (Ezekiel 25:9 ), but one facing God's judgment. It is usually located at modern tell el-Azeme, twelve miles southeast of Jericho. on the south - Hebrew word "Teman" which means south. Pisgah Mountain in the Abarim range across the Jordan River from Jericho. God allowed Moses to view the Promised Land from the heights of Pisgah (Deuteronomy 34:1 ) but would not let him cross into Canaan. Israel had camped near Pisgah (Numbers 21:20 ). Balak took Balaam to its height so the prophet could see Israel and curse them (Numbers 23:14 ). It was a limit of Sihon's kingdom (Joshua 12:23 ); Ashdoth-pisgah in KJV) and also for the tribe of Reuben (Joshua 13:20 ) “Pisgah” is in the trans-Jordan area east of the mouth of the Jordan. It is also known as “Nebo”. They might be two peaks close together, or Pisgah may refer to the entire mountain range and Nebo the highest peak. GEORGE BUSH - Notes Critical and Practical on the Book of Joshua - Chapter 12 3. And from the plain, &c. Here again the word ‘from’ is gratuitously, and, as we conceive, erroneously inserted. The design of the writer is merely to give a more distinct view of the position of the tract called ‘the plain,’ which embraced, as we suppose, the plain of the Jordan on its eastern side, extending from the sea of Cinneroth or Gennesaret on the north to the salt or Dead Sea on the south. It is not implied that he reigned to the sea of Cinneroth, but that the plain in question extended that far, the largest part of which fell into his dominions. Sea of the plain. The Dead Sea is so called from its occupying what was once a fertile, luxuriant, and beautiful plain, in which were situated the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah, called also the ‘cities of the plain.’ Beth-jeshimoth. Situated about ten miles east of the Jordan, and about the same distance from its mouth Under Ashdoth-pisgah. Seated in the plains, or rather the slopes at the foot of mount Pisgah. The original word, אשדות Ashdoth, probably signifies the low places at the foot of a mountain. Comp. Deut. 3:17; 4:49. Joshua 12:4 and the territory of Og king of Bashan, one of the remnant of Rephaim, who lived at Ashtaroth and at Edrei, and the territory : Nu 21:33-35 De 3:1-7,10 remnant of Rephaim Jos 13:12 De 3:11 lived: De 1:4 Joshua 12 Resources - Multiple Sermons and Commentaries Israel Defeats Og and Sihon (ESV Study Bible) (Click to Enlarge) TERRITORY CONQUERED FROM OG and the territory of Og king of Bashan, one of the remnant of Rephaim, who lived at Ashtaroth and at Edrei - These latter two cities were undoubtedly the place of his royal residences. For Ashtaroth see note on Josh 9:10. The name "Og" means "in stature: long-necked or gigantic." • Thompson - Og was a king who literally had a bed of iron that was 6 feet wide and 13 ½ feet long. This was truly a “king size” bed (Deut. 3:11). Og ruled about 60 miles north of the northern boundary of Sihon, east of the Jordan. His territory featured some Rephaim, who were giants who were mighty warriors. The story of Og and his forces is found in Deuteronomy 3:1-22. As soon as Israel had defeated Sihon, they were moving north and ran into Og with all of his military. God told Moses to take them and they did. The cities of the land of Og were fortified cities, featuring high walls and gates and bars (Deut. 3:5). But one by one they fell through the power of God. Now when Israel came up against these two military leaders, they were not battle-tested soldiers. They were a group of people wandering in the land east of the Jordan. They can come from Egypt, having been slaves. But these two enemies both fell and the land was given to the Reubenites, the Gadites, and the half-tribe of Manasseh. When we find ourselves up against scary enemies who appear to be gigantic, it is good to remember that God has no trouble giving us victory over these kinds of enemies GEORGE BUSH - Notes Critical and Practical on the Book of Joshua - Chapter 12 4. And the coast of Og, king of Bashan. Supply here from v. 1, And the children of Israel smote and possessed the coast,’ &c. Varying a little the phraseology with which he commenced, the writer here speaks first of the country of the king of Bashan, instead of enumerating the king himself. Of the remnant of the giants. See on Deut. 3:11. That dwell at Ashtaroth and at Edrei, Referring to Og, and not to the giants. Probably both were royal cities, and he resided sometimes in one, and sometimes in the other. The reader will find their position on the map, as also that of the places mentioned in the ensuing verse. QUESTION - Who were the Rephaim? ANSWER - There are several passages in the Old Testament that speak of the Rephaim (or Rephaites), and the context describes them as giants. The name of these people literally means “terrible ones.” The Hebrew word Rephaim has two distinct meanings: first, in poetic literature it refers to departed spirits whose dwelling place was Sheol. It is a figurative description of the dead, similar to our concept of a ghost. The second meaning of Rephaim is “a mighty people with tall stature who lived in Canaan.” The word doesn’t seem to be ethno-centric like “Jew” or “Egyptian” but is more of a descriptive term. This second meaning will be the focus of this article. The first reference to the Rephaim is Genesis 14:5, when the Rephaim, Zuzim and Emim people were defeated in a battle with Kedorlaomer and his allies. When the Israelites first approached the Promised Land after the Exodus from Egypt, they were afraid to enter the land because it was filled with “giants” (the word used in Numbers 13:33 is Nephilim), the sons of Anak. Giants were widely scattered through Canaan, but were known by different local names, including Rephaim, Zuzim, Emim, and Anakim. Deuteronomy 2:20–21 says the Rephaim were strong and tall, like the Anakites. Og, king of Bashan, was described as the last of the Rephaim in his land (Deuteronomy 3:11), and his bed was thirteen feet long and six feet wide. Is it possible that the Rephaim were literal giants? The Septuagint uses the Greek words gigas and titanes (the source of the English titan) to translate these and other verses, so the ancient Jews certainly considered them to be giants. They are described generally as being between 7 and 10 feet tall and are called “mighty men.” The Egyptians wrote about giants who lived in the land of Canaan, and the folklore of other nations is full of such references. The people of the ancient world accepted the presence of giants as a fact of history, and the Bible presents them as enemies who were destroyed either by the judgment of God or in battle with men. So where did these giants come from? One theory, based on Genesis 6:1–4, is that fallen angels (the sons of God) had sexual relations with women, resulting in the birth of giants. This is remarkably similar to Greek and Roman myths about demi-gods, but the theory has some theological and biological obstacles. Another theory, also based on Genesis 6, is that the fallen angels, having knowledge of human genetics, indwelt certain men and women who would have the right traits to produce a race of giants and induced them to cohabit with each other. A third theory is that the giants were simply the result of normal genetic variability within a society. Whatever the origin of the Rephaim, it is certain that a race of “giants”—strong, tall people—did exist at one time, and many cultures had dealings with them. Even today, there are people who grow to extreme sizes, whether through genetic disorders like gigantism or through normal heredity. GotQuestions.org Joshua 12:5 and ruled over Mount Hermon and Salecah and all Bashan, as far as the border of the Geshurites and the Maacathites, and half of Gilead, as far as the border of Sihon king of Heshbon. Hermon: Jos 12:1 11:3 De 3:8,9 4:47,48 Salecah: Jos 13:11 De 3:10 as far as: De 3:14 1Sa 27:8 2Sa 3:3 13:37 15:8 23:34 2Ki 25:23 Joshua 12 Resources - Multiple Sermons and Commentaries Bashan and Gilead - Kingdom of Og CONTINUATION OF TERRITORY CONQUERED FROM OG and ruled over Mount Hermon and Salecah and all Bashan, as far as the border of the Geshurites and the Maacathites, and half of Gilead, as far as the border of Sihon king of Heshbon. Joshua 12:6 Moses the servant of the LORD and the sons of Israel defeated them; and Moses the servant of the LORD gave it to the Reubenites and the Gadites, and the half-tribe of Manasseh as a possession. Moses: Nu 21:24-35 gave: Jos 13:8-32 Lu 22:29-42 De 3:11-17 Joshua 12 Resources - Multiple Sermons and Commentaries Related Passage: Numbers 32:33+ So Moses gave to them, to the sons of Gad and to the sons of Reuben and to the half-tribe of Joseph’s son Manasseh, the kingdom of Sihon, king of the Amorites and the kingdom of Og, the king of Bashan, the land with its cities with their territories, the cities of the surrounding land. Joshua 1:14-16+ Your wives, your little ones, and your cattle shall remain in the land which Moses gave you beyond the Jordan, but you shall cross before your brothers in battle array, all your valiant warriors, and shall help them, 15 until the LORD gives your brothers rest, as He gives you, and they also possess the land which the LORD your God is giving them. Then you shall return to your own land, and possess that which Moses the servant of the LORD gave you beyond the Jordan toward the sunrise.” 16 They answered Joshua, saying, “All that you have commanded us we will do, and wherever you send us we will go. Land Given to Reuben, Gad, Manasseh THE ALLOTMENT TO REUBENITES, GADITES AND HALF-TRIBE OF MANASSEH Moses the servant of the LORD and the sons of Israel defeated them; and Moses the servant of the LORD gave it to the Reubenites and the Gadites, and the half-tribe of Manasseh as a possession (yerushshah) - This passage credits the leadership of Moses for the conquests of the kings of Sihon and Og on the eastern side of the Jordan. Moses the servant of the LORD - 18x in 17v - Deut. 34:5; Jos. 1:1; Jos. 1:13; Jos. 1:15; Jos. 8:31; Jos. 8:33; Jos. 11:12; Jos. 12:6; Jos. 13:8; Jos. 14:7; Jos. 18:7; Jos. 22:2; Jos. 22:4; Jos. 22:5; 2 Ki. 18:12; 2 Chr. 1:3; 2 Chr. 24:6 Recall that the 2.5 tribes had obligated themselves to fight with their brothers. This they have faithfully done for about 7 years. They would now be free to return to their possession on the eastern side of the Jordan River. As noted, mentioning their land from the 2 Amorite kings in the same section as the mention of the 31 kings on the western side of the Jordan is surely a way to show that they are to be unified, to be on nation under God, the nation of Israel, composed of 12 tribes. F B