Joshua 12:6 kjv
Them did Moses the servant of the LORD and the children of Israel smite: and Moses the servant of the LORD gave it for a possession unto the Reubenites, and the Gadites, and the half tribe of Manasseh.
Joshua 12:6 nkjv
These Moses the servant of the LORD and the children of Israel had conquered; and Moses the servant of the LORD had given it as a possession to the Reubenites, the Gadites, and half the tribe of Manasseh.
Joshua 12:6 niv
Moses, the servant of the LORD, and the Israelites conquered them. And Moses the servant of the LORD gave their land to the Reubenites, the Gadites and the half-tribe of Manasseh to be their possession.
Joshua 12:6 esv
Moses, the servant of the LORD, and the people of Israel defeated them. And Moses the servant of the LORD gave their land for a possession to the Reubenites and the Gadites and the half-tribe of Manasseh.
Joshua 12:6 nlt
Moses, the servant of the LORD, and the Israelites had destroyed the people of King Sihon and King Og. And Moses gave their land as a possession to the tribes of Reuben, Gad, and the half-tribe of Manasseh.
Joshua 12 6 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Num 21:21-35 | Israel defeated Sihon...and Og...and took possession of their land. | Initial conquest of Sihon and Og by Israel under Moses. |
| Deut 2:26-3:17 | Detailed account of Moses's conquest of Sihon king of Heshbon, and Og king of Bashan, and the giving of their land. | Moses's record of the east bank conquest and allocation. |
| Num 32:33-42 | Moses gave to the Gadites, to the Reubenites, and to the half-tribe of Manasseh the kingdom of Sihon...and the kingdom of Og. | Specific tribes receiving the east bank land. |
| Deut 3:12-17 | Moses allotted the conquered land on the east side to Reuben, Gad, and half-Manasseh. | Further details on Moses's land distribution. |
| Josh 1:1 | Moses My servant is dead; now therefore arise, go over this Jordan... | Moses as 'servant of the LORD,' initiating the conquest. |
| Josh 1:2-4 | Every place that the sole of your foot will tread upon I have given to you... from the wilderness and Lebanon...to the Great River, the River Euphrates... | God's promise of vast land to Israel. |
| Gen 15:18 | To your offspring I give this land, from the river of Egypt to the great river, the river Euphrates. | Covenant promise of land to Abraham. |
| Exod 6:4 | I also established My covenant with them to give them the land of Canaan, the land of their sojournings. | God's covenant with patriarchs regarding the land. |
| Num 33:53 | You shall dispossess the inhabitants of the land and dwell in it, for I have given you the land to possess. | Divine command and grant of possession. |
| Deut 4:1 | Keep the commandments of the LORD your God, that you may live and go in and take possession of the land. | Connection between obedience and possession. |
| Deut 34:5 | So Moses the servant of the LORD died there in the land of Moab, according to the word of the LORD. | Moses's title, "servant of the LORD," emphasizing divine appointment. |
| Josh 1:7 | Only be strong and very courageous, to observe to do according to all the law which Moses My servant commanded you. | Continues the legacy of Moses's leadership and the law. |
| Ps 105:44 | He gave them the lands of the nations, and they inherited the fruit of the peoples' labor. | God's gift of inherited land to Israel. |
| Acts 7:45 | Our fathers in turn brought it in with Joshua upon dispossessing the nations which God drove out before our fathers. | Recalls Israel's dispossessing of nations for land. |
| Heb 3:5 | Moses was faithful in all His house as a servant, for a testimony of those things which were to be spoken later. | Moses as a faithful servant foreshadowing Christ. |
| Josh 11:23 | So Joshua took the whole land, according to all that the LORD had spoken to Moses, and Joshua gave it for an inheritance to Israel... | Summary of Western conquest and inheritance, paralleling 12:6. |
| Deut 9:3 | Understand therefore today that the LORD your God is He who goes over before you as a consuming fire. He will destroy them and subdue them. | God as the active agent in subduing enemies. |
| 1 Chr 5:1 | Now the sons of Reuben the firstborn of Israel... when he defiled his father's bed, his birthright was given to the sons of Joseph... but the genealogy is not reckoned by birthright. | Mentions Reuben and his inheritance context. |
| Ezr 9:11 | You commanded through Your servants the prophets, saying, "The land which you are entering to possess is a land unclean... | Later reflection on the reason for possessing the land (purity). |
| Eph 1:11 | In Him also we have obtained an inheritance, having been predestined according to His purpose who works all things after the counsel of His will. | New Testament concept of spiritual inheritance in Christ. |
| Col 1:12 | Giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified us to share in the inheritance of the saints in Light. | New Testament concept of spiritual inheritance for believers. |
Joshua 12 verses
Joshua 12 6 Meaning
Joshua 12:6 summarizes the completion of God's covenant promise of land east of the Jordan River. It attributes the decisive victories over the Amorite kings Sihon and Og to the Israelites, enabled by the LORD, and underscores Moses' divine authority in distributing this conquered territory as an inheritance to the tribes of Reuben, Gad, and the half-tribe of Manasseh before Israel entered Canaan proper. It highlights divine initiative, military success, and orderly distribution.
Joshua 12 6 Context
Joshua chapter 12 serves as a concluding summary and historical register of all the kings defeated by Israel on both sides of the Jordan River. It functions as a historical account verifying the fulfillment of God's promise to give Israel the land, showcasing the divine might behind Israel's conquest. Verses 1-5 detail the defeat of the Amorite kings Sihon and Og by Moses, east of the Jordan, laying the groundwork for Israel's encampment before crossing into Canaan. Verse 6 specifically encapsulates the successful outcome of those initial battles, identifying the Israelite actors, the divinely granted victory, and Moses's pivotal role in distributing the conquered land to the two and a half tribes (Reuben, Gad, and half-Manasseh) who chose to settle there. This established precedent of conquest and allocation served as a powerful assurance for the subsequent campaigns in Western Canaan under Joshua's leadership. Historically, this pre-Jordan conquest highlighted God's consistent faithfulness even before the primary conquest of Canaan began.
Joshua 12 6 Word analysis
- The children of Israel (בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל, b'nê Yiśrā’ēl): Signifies the entire nation as God's covenant people. The collective identity emphasizes their divine mandate and unified action under God's guidance, not merely individual military prowess. This phrasing reinforces the idea that YHWH fought for His people.
- therefore (לָכֵן, lāḵēn): A connective adverb indicating consequence. It directly links the preceding enumeration of kings (Sihon and Og in vv. 1-5) to the resultant victory and land possession by Israel, showing a logical progression in God's plan.
- struck them (הִכּוּם, hikūm, from נכה nakah - to strike, to smite): This verb implies a decisive and devastating military victory, reflecting the complete overthrow of the kings and their forces. It conveys the execution of divine judgment against these inhabitants of the land.
- and possessed their land (וַיֵּרְשׁוּ אֶת־אַרְצָם, wa-yēršū ʾet-ʾarṣām, from ירש yarash - to possess, inherit, dispossess): This term is crucial, denoting the act of taking permanent ownership by displacing the previous inhabitants. It carries theological weight, connecting to the inheritance promised by God (e.g., Gen 12:7; Num 33:53). This "dispossessing" was part of God's holy war against a wicked people. The Israelites were acting as agents of divine judgment, not merely imperial expansion.
- and Moses (וּמֹשֶׁה, ūMōsheh): The human agent chosen by God to lead Israel out of Egypt and through the wilderness, entrusted with divine law and instruction. His leadership prior to Joshua is affirmed.
- the servant of the LORD (עֶבֶד־יְהוָה, ʿeved-YHWH): A highly significant theological title of honor and authority (cf. Num 12:7, Josh 1:1). It underscores that Moses's actions, including land allocation, were not of his own accord but under direct divine commission and authority, acting as God's representative. This highlights YHWH as the true grantor of the land. It also positions Moses as distinct and authoritative, unlike pagan kings whose authority was often self-proclaimed.
- gave it (נָתַן, nātan - to give, place, appoint): Implies formal allocation and bestowal of the land. It confirms that the distribution was orderly and authorized by God through Moses.
- for a possession (מוֹרָשָׁה, môrāšāh - inheritance, heritage, possession): Reinforces the permanent nature of the land allocation to the tribes. It echoes the concept of yarash and establishes the land as a permanent, divinely-granted inheritance for future generations of these tribes.
- to the Reubenites, and the Gadites, and the half-tribe of Manasseh: These are the specific tribal recipients of the land east of the Jordan, as detailed in Num 32 and Deut 3. Their unique decision to settle east of the Jordan (due to their large flocks) and their commitment to join their brethren in the western conquest before returning to their inheritance is acknowledged as part of the established historical record. This careful distinction in the text emphasizes accurate historical remembrance of land allocation.
Words-group by words-group analysis
- "The children of Israel... struck them and possessed their land": This phrase attributes both the military victory and the subsequent land tenure directly to Israel's collective action, yet implies divine enablement. It sets a pattern for the subsequent western conquest, where YHWH's people, empowered by Him, would execute judgment and take possession. This contrasts sharply with the contemporary polytheistic belief that each land's god defended it; here, the God of Israel actively enables the dispossession.
- "Moses the servant of the LORD gave it for a possession": This emphasizes the legitimate and divinely-sanctioned transfer of land ownership. Moses's title authenticates the land grant, establishing it as a sacred and irreversible inheritance from YHWH Himself. It negates any claims by defeated kings or future rivals to the land, rooting Israel's ownership in divine decree. This highlights YHWH's supreme authority over all land and its inhabitants.
Joshua 12 6 Bonus section
The entire chapter 12, culminating in verses like 12:6, acts as a victory roll, demonstrating YHWH's comprehensive fulfillment of His promise to give Israel the land. This formal list of conquered kings provides concrete evidence that Israel's claims to the land were established through divine intervention and military success, not through deceit or mere political maneuvering. The structure of Joshua 12, beginning with victories under Moses and then transitioning to Joshua, highlights a continuous, unbroken divine plan carried out through successive, divinely appointed leaders. This summary also functions as a literary device, solidifying the accomplishments detailed in previous books and establishing a firm foundation for the narratives of land division that follow in Joshua. It serves as a testament to the LORD's faithfulness and power, proving Him capable of delivering on all His promises, which would have been profoundly encouraging for the original Israelite audience as they continued their settlement and later faced threats.
Joshua 12 6 Commentary
Joshua 12:6 serves as a pivotal historical summary, bridging the account of Moses's final acts with Joshua's unfolding leadership. It affirms the Lord's absolute faithfulness to His covenant promises of land to Abraham and his descendants (Gen 12:7, Gen 15:18). By explicitly stating that "The children of Israel... struck them and possessed their land," the text asserts that the victories were concrete and the acquisition of territory was tangible, directly fulfilling prophecy (Num 21:21-35; Deut 2:26-3:17).
The verse critically attributes this orderly and legalistic transfer of ownership to "Moses the servant of the LORD." This divine title imbues Moses's actions with indisputable authority, distinguishing Israel's possession from mere conquest or opportunistic land-grab. It implies that the land's distribution was not arbitrary but an act of God's sovereign will, executed through His chosen vessel. The phrase "for a possession" solidifies the permanent, inherited nature of the land, assuring these tribes of their secured place. This divine bestowal served as a clear polemic against any notion that the pagan gods or local rulers held ultimate authority over their territories; YHWH is unequivocally declared the supreme Lord who grants and removes ownership. The meticulous detailing of the recipient tribes (Reuben, Gad, and half-Manasseh) underscores the historical accuracy and careful recording within Israel, testifying to God's precise fulfillment of His plan. This verse demonstrates that God initiates and completes His work, even the division of the spoils, through His appointed leaders.