Joshua 12:16 kjv
The king of Makkedah, one; the king of Bethel, one;
Joshua 12:16 nkjv
the king of Makkedah, one; the king of Bethel, one;
Joshua 12:16 niv
the king of Makkedah ? one the king of Bethel ? one
Joshua 12:16 esv
the king of Makkedah, one; the king of Bethel, one;
Joshua 12:16 nlt
The king of Makkedah
The king of Bethel
Joshua 12 16 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Gen 12:7 | Then the LORD appeared to Abram and said, "To your offspring I will give this land." | Promise of land to Abraham. |
| Gen 15:18 | On that day the LORD made a covenant with Abram, saying, "To your offspring I give this land..." | Covenant affirming land gift. |
| Exo 23:20 | "See, I am sending an angel ahead of you to guard you along the way and to bring you to the place I have prepared." | God promises to drive out inhabitants. |
| Deut 7:1-2 | "When the LORD your God brings you into the land...you must destroy them totally..." | Command to utterly destroy Canaanite nations. |
| Deut 9:4-5 | "Do not say to yourselves...'It is because of my righteousness that the LORD has brought me in...' It is because of the wickedness of these nations..." | Nations dispossessed due to their sin. |
| Josh 1:2 | "Moses my servant is dead. Now therefore arise, go over this Jordan, you and all this people, into the land..." | God commands Joshua to take the land. |
| Josh 10:28-29 | On that day Joshua captured Makkedah...he utterly destroyed it and its king. | Account of Makkedah's conquest. |
| Josh 10:40 | So Joshua conquered the whole territory—the hill country, the Negeb, the western foothills and the slopes—and all their kings; he left no survivors. | Overall southern campaign victory. |
| Josh 11:23 | So Joshua took the whole land, according to all that the LORD had spoken to Moses. | Summary of overall conquest. |
| Judg 1:22-26 | And the house of Joseph went up against Bethel...they captured the city and struck it with the edge of the sword. | Later tribal capture/clearing of Bethel, consistent with its defeat. |
| 1 Sam 8:7 | "Obey the voice of the people in all that they say to you, for they have not rejected you, but they have rejected me from being king over them." | Kingship; Israel's earthly kings eventually a departure from God as sole king. |
| Psa 44:3 | For by their own sword they did not acquire the land, nor did their own arm save them, but your right hand and your arm and the light of your face... | God's power enabled the conquest. |
| Psa 105:44 | And he gave them the lands of the nations, and they took possession of the fruit of the peoples' toil. | God granting Israel the land. |
| Psa 135:10-12 | He struck down many nations...and gave their land as a heritage, a heritage to Israel his people. | God's sovereign hand in dispossessing nations. |
| Neh 9:22-24 | And you gave them kingdoms and peoples and allotted to them every corner...and they took possession of the land. | Remembering God's faithfulness in conquest. |
| Isa 34:1-2 | Come near, O nations, to hear, and give attention, O peoples!... For the LORD is enraged against all the nations... | God's judgment on sinful nations. |
| Acts 7:45 | "Our fathers in turn brought it in with Joshua when they dispossessed the nations which God drove out before our fathers." | New Testament affirming God dispossessing nations via Joshua. |
| Acts 13:19 | "And after destroying seven nations in the land of Canaan, he distributed their land to them by lot." | New Testament account of God's conquest of Canaan. |
| Eph 6:12 | For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places. | Spiritual warfare against ruling powers. |
| Col 2:15 | He disarmed the rulers and authorities and put them to open shame, by triumphing over them in him. | Christ's victory over spiritual powers. |
| Rev 19:16 | On his robe and on his thigh he has a name written, King of kings and Lord of lords. | Ultimate triumph of God's kingdom. |
Joshua 12 verses
Joshua 12 16 Meaning
Joshua 12:16 lists two of the many Canaanite kings successfully defeated and their territories conquered by the Israelites under the leadership of Joshua: the king of Makkedah and the king of Bethel. This verse, part of a comprehensive summary in Joshua 12, systematically accounts for each vanquished royal center, highlighting the completeness and divine fulfillment of God's command to possess the promised land by overcoming its ruling powers. Each "one" signifies a single, distinct king, emphasizing the precise and methodical nature of the conquest.
Joshua 12 16 Context
Joshua chapter 12 serves as a pivotal summary of Israel's conquest of Canaan, meticulously listing the kings and their cities that were defeated by the Israelites. The chapter is divided into two main sections: verses 1-6 describe the two Amorite kings (Sihon and Og) conquered by Moses east of the Jordan River, and verses 7-24 enumerate the thirty-one kings defeated by Joshua and the Israelite army west of the Jordan. Joshua 12:16 falls within this latter list, providing specific details of the individual royal strongholds that were systematically brought under Israelite control. The repeated phrase "one" alongside each king emphasizes the distinct defeat of each ruler and the corresponding subjugation of their city-state, collectively highlighting the comprehensive and thorough nature of God's deliverance and Israel's obedience in taking possession of the promised land. Historically, this chapter marks the completion of the major military campaigns, leading into the tribal apportionment of the land, affirming the faithfulness of God in fulfilling His ancient promises to Abraham.
Joshua 12 16 Word analysis
the king (מֶלֶךְ, melekh): This Hebrew term denotes the monarch, ruler, or sovereign. Its presence here signifies the overthrow of the established political and military authority in these city-states. The defeat of each "king" represents not merely a military victory, but the dismantling of a local system of power and governance, often deeply intertwined with Canaanite idolatry, making way for the establishment of Israelite authority.
of Makkedah (מַקֵּדָה, Makkedah): A royal Canaanite city located in the lowlands (Shephelah) of Judah. Its significance in the conquest narrative stems from its role in Joshua 10, where five Amorite kings who had attacked Gibeon took refuge in a cave there after being routed by Joshua. Joshua then captured Makkedah, killed its king, and "utterly destroyed" the city. Its listing here reiterates a key victory from the southern campaign, confirming the initial elimination of its royal leadership and its system.
one (אֶחָד, echad): This Hebrew numeral signifies "one," "a single one," or "first." In this repetitive list, it emphasizes that a specific, distinct king of that particular city was defeated. It functions like a count or a definitive record, ensuring that each royal entity is accounted for as thoroughly subjugated. This precision underscores the completeness of the conquest, leaving no former independent Canaanite ruler within the defeated territories unaccounted for.
the king (מֶלֶךְ, melekh): See above. The repetition highlights the consistent pattern of Israelite victory over established Canaanite leadership.
of Bethel (בֵּית־אֵל, Beit-El): Meaning "House of God," Bethel was a highly significant city in Israel's patriarchal history, associated with Abraham and Jacob's divine encounters (Gen 12:8, 28:10-22). However, at the time of the conquest, it was occupied by Canaanites under their own king. Its conquest, mentioned here, symbolizes the divine purging of Canaanite idolatry even from places of ancient sacred importance to Israel. This cleansing was necessary to reclaim and sanctify the land for the worship of the one true God.
one (אֶחָד, echad): See above. The consistent use emphasizes the individual defeat of the king of Bethel, signifying the downfall of another major city-state.
Words-group Analysis:
- "the king of Makkedah, one; the king of Bethel, one;": This repeated phrase structure serves as a formal, almost administrative, summary of the military victories. It signifies the methodical and complete dismantling of the Canaanite political and religious system one royal city at a time. The cumulative effect of such a list highlights the pervasive nature of Israel's divinely assisted triumph over a vast network of city-states, signifying the profound extent of God's fulfilled promise regarding the inheritance of the land.
Joshua 12 16 Bonus section
- The meticulous numbering of "one" after each city's king suggests a formal, almost judicial record-keeping, emphasizing the definitive end of each reign and the undisputed claim of Israel over the territory. This reinforces the theological concept that God is a God of order and meticulous in the fulfillment of His promises and judgments.
- While Joshua's campaign delivered a decisive blow against the organized resistance of these kings, individual pockets of resistance and full occupation of every inch of the land often continued through the period of the Judges. This verse confirms the major strategic victories that dismantled the Canaanite "kingdom" structure, allowing for subsequent tribal settlement and ongoing clearing.
- In a broader theological sense, the conquest narratives serve as an ancient testament to the inevitable triumph of God's kingdom over all opposing powers. Just as physical kings were dethroned to establish a land for God's people, the spiritual work of Christ disarms cosmic powers to establish His eternal spiritual kingdom.
Joshua 12 16 Commentary
Joshua 12:16 is a concise record within a longer list that dramatically conveys the thoroughness of the Israelite conquest under God's mighty hand. It's not just a collection of names; it’s a theological statement of divine faithfulness and the execution of holy war. The mention of Makkedah recalls Joshua's strategic maneuvers and swift justice in the southern campaign, while Bethel, a place tied to foundational patriarchal narratives, emphasizes that even hallowed geographical locations were under the grip of ungodly rule and thus required purification through conquest. This verse, along with its surrounding list, encapsulates God's precise fulfillment of His covenant promises to bring His people into a land free from the corrupting influence of the previous inhabitants. It illustrates that God's plan involves confronting and overturning opposing kingdoms, whether literal ancient city-states or, for believers today, spiritual strongholds. Just as these kings were dispossessed for their wickedness, God's kingdom relentlessly advances, disarming spiritual "rulers and authorities" that oppose His sovereignty.