Joshua 12:7 kjv
And these are the kings of the country which Joshua and the children of Israel smote on this side Jordan on the west, from Baalgad in the valley of Lebanon even unto the mount Halak, that goeth up to Seir; which Joshua gave unto the tribes of Israel for a possession according to their divisions;
Joshua 12:7 nkjv
And these are the kings of the country which Joshua and the children of Israel conquered on this side of the Jordan, on the west, from Baal Gad in the Valley of Lebanon as far as Mount Halak and the ascent to Seir, which Joshua gave to the tribes of Israel as a possession according to their divisions,
Joshua 12:7 niv
Here is a list of the kings of the land that Joshua and the Israelites conquered on the west side of the Jordan, from Baal Gad in the Valley of Lebanon to Mount Halak, which rises toward Seir. Joshua gave their lands as an inheritance to the tribes of Israel according to their tribal divisions.
Joshua 12:7 esv
And these are the kings of the land whom Joshua and the people of Israel defeated on the west side of the Jordan, from Baal-gad in the Valley of Lebanon to Mount Halak, that rises toward Seir (and Joshua gave their land to the tribes of Israel as a possession according to their allotments,
Joshua 12:7 nlt
The following is a list of the kings that Joshua and the Israelite armies defeated on the west side of the Jordan, from Baal-gad in the valley of Lebanon to Mount Halak, which leads up to Seir. (Joshua gave this land to the tribes of Israel as their possession,
Joshua 12 7 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Gen 15:18 | On that day the Lord made a covenant with Abram, saying, "To your offspring I give this land, from the river of Egypt to the great river, the river Euphrates," | God's covenant promise of the land's full extent. |
| Exo 23:23 | "For My angel will go before you and bring you in to the Amorites, the Hittites, the Perizzites, the Canaanites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites; and I will utterly destroy them." | God promises to drive out inhabitants. |
| Deut 7:1-2 | "When the Lord your God brings you into the land that you are entering to take possession of it... and gives them over to you, and you defeat them, then you must devote them to complete destruction." | Command to defeat and utterly destroy Canaanite nations. |
| Josh 1:3-4 | "Every place on which the sole of your foot treads, I have given it to you, just as I spoke to Moses. From the wilderness and this Lebanon as far as the great river, the river Euphrates, and all the land of the Hittites as far as the Great Sea toward the setting of the sun shall be your territory." | God reaffirms the promised territorial boundaries to Joshua. |
| Josh 10:40 | So Joshua struck all the land, the hill country and the Negeb and the lowland and the slopes, and all their kings. He left no survivor, but utterly destroyed everything that breathed, just as the Lord God of Israel had commanded. | Exemplifies the nature of Joshua's decisive victories. |
| Josh 11:16 | So Joshua took all that land: the hill country and all the Negeb, and all the land of Goshen, and the lowland, and the Arabah, and the hill country of Israel and its lowland, | Summary of widespread conquests by Joshua. |
| 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 according to their divisions by their tribes. And the land had rest from war. | Statement of complete land taking and rest from war. |
| Josh 13:1 | Now Joshua was old and advanced in years; and the Lord said to him, "You are old and advanced in years, and there remains yet very much land to possess." | Paradox of conquest completeness and remaining land. |
| Num 34:1-12 | Details the precise boundaries of the land of Canaan, which Israel was to inherit, from the Great Sea to the Sea of Kinnereth and Dead Sea, and northward to Lebo-hamath. | Provides official boundaries, correlating with Josh 12:7. |
| Deut 1:7 | "Turn and take your journey, and go to the hill country of the Amorites and to all their neighbors in the Arabah, in the hill country, in the lowland, in the Negeb, and by the seacoast, the land of the Canaanites and Lebanon, as far as the great river, the river Euphrates." | Recalls God's command to enter and possess the land broadly. |
| Neh 9:24 | "So the sons went in and possessed the land, and You subdued before them the inhabitants of the land, the Canaanites, and gave them into their hand, with their kings and the peoples of the land..." | Nehemiah acknowledges God's delivery of the land and kings. |
| Ps 44:3 | For not by their own sword did they win the land, nor did their own arm save them, but Your right hand and Your arm, and the light of Your face, for You delighted in them. | God's power, not human might, enabled the conquest. |
| Acts 7:45 | "which also our fathers, having received it in their turn, brought in with Joshua when they dispossessed the nations whom God drove out before our fathers, as far as the days of David." | New Testament reference to Israel's dispossession of nations under Joshua. |
| Heb 4:8 | For if Joshua had given them rest, God would not have spoken later of another day. | Theological reflection on the rest provided by Joshua's conquest. |
| Zech 9:10 | "...his dominion shall be from sea to sea, and from the River to the ends of the earth." | Prophetic echo of the ideal and full extent of God's dominion. |
| Josh 11:1-5 | Account of King Jabin of Hazor assembling a great northern coalition near Merom waters, including many kings who would have been strong in the regions mentioned in Josh 12:7. | Provides the background for the major battles against the northern kings. |
| Judg 1:1 | After the death of Joshua, the people of Israel inquired of the Lord, "Who shall go up first for us against the Canaanites, to fight against them?" | Highlights continued battles showing not all was fully possessed or subjugated immediately. |
| 1 Chr 5:1-2 | Reference to the divisions of tribes and inheritances, connecting to the purpose of the land's defeat. | Demonstrates the fulfillment of dividing the conquered land. |
| Rom 15:8-9 | For I tell you that Christ has become a servant to the circumcised... in order that the Gentiles might glorify God for His mercy... | Connects Christ's ministry to the inheritance of God's promises to all nations. |
| 2 Cor 10:4-5 | For the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh but have divine power to destroy strongholds. We destroy arguments and every lofty opinion raised against the knowledge of God... | Spiritual application of dismantling strongholds and false narratives, echoing the conquest of physical strongholds. |
Joshua 12 verses
Joshua 12 7 Meaning
Joshua 12:7 serves as a crucial introductory statement summarizing the extent of the successful military campaigns led by Joshua and the Israelites in the land of Canaan, west of the Jordan River. It identifies the defeated kings who ruled specific geographical areas, marking the territorial scope of the initial conquest. This verse highlights the fulfillment of God's promise to give Israel the land, underscoring the comprehensive nature of the victory over the Canaanite rulers. It prepares the reader for the detailed list of these defeated kings in the subsequent verses.
Joshua 12 7 Context
Joshua chapter 12 provides a comprehensive summary of all the kings and territories that the Israelites, under the leadership of Moses and Joshua, had conquered. The chapter is divided into two main sections: verses 1-6 list the kings defeated by Moses on the east side of the Jordan River (Transjordan), while verses 7-24 list the kings defeated by Joshua on the west side of the Jordan (Canaan proper). Verse 7 acts as the transition and introductory statement for the latter list, formally commencing the enumeration of Joshua's specific military achievements in Canaan. Historically, this chapter serves as a record of God's faithfulness in fulfilling His covenant promise to grant Israel the land of Canaan. It also highlights the thoroughness of the conquest, establishing a baseline of Israel's control before the land was apportioned among the tribes, as detailed in the following chapters (Joshua 13-19).
Joshua 12 7 Word analysis
These are the kings (אֵלֶּה מַלְכֵי֙ – 'elleh malkei): This phrase signals the beginning of a definitive list. "Kings" (malkei) implies established rule, showing that the Israelites were defeating not just random groups, but organized kingdoms. Their defeat signifies the overturning of existing human political structures in favor of God's rule through Israel.
of the land (הָאָ֜רֶץ – ha'aretz): Specifically refers to the land of Canaan, which was the divine inheritance promised to Abraham's descendants (Gen 12:7; 15:18). This emphasizes that the conquest was about taking possession of God's covenanted territory.
whom Joshua (אֲשֶׁר־הִכָּה יְהוֹשֻׁ֤עַ – 'asher hikka Yehoshu'a): Joshua (Yehoshu'a or "Yahweh is salvation") is identified as the divinely appointed leader, fulfilling his namesake by bringing salvation/deliverance through military success. The verb "defeated" (from הִכָּה – nakah, meaning "to strike down," "to smite," "to slay") implies a decisive, violent, and complete victory, often resulting in utter destruction or subjugation, as commanded by God.
and the sons of Israel (וּבְנֵי֙ יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל – u'venei Yisrael): This inclusion emphasizes that while Joshua was the leader, the conquest was a national endeavor, the corporate body of God's people acting together by divine command. This reinforces the idea that the land was conquered for all Israel, to be inherited by their tribes.
defeated (from הִכָּה – nakah): Repeated, emphasizing the active role of Joshua and Israel in carrying out the command. It implies a total overthrow of authority.
beyond the Jordan (בְּעֵ֥בֶר הַיַּרְדֵּ֖ן – b'ever haYarden): This phrase usually means "across the Jordan" from the perspective of an eastern viewer, but with the additional qualification "on the west side," it clarifies the specific region as Canaan proper, as opposed to Transjordan.
on the west side (יָ֑מָּה – yamah): Literally "towards the sea" (the Mediterranean Sea). This specifies the western region, firmly identifying the focus as the core territory of Canaan. This also distinguishes it clearly from the territories conquered under Moses mentioned in the preceding verses (Josh 12:1-6), which were east of the Jordan.
from Baal-gad (מִבַּ֕עַל גָּ֖ד – mi-Ba'al Gad): This marks the northern extent of the conquest. Baal-gad was located at the foot of Mount Hermon, possibly in the upper Jordan Valley near springs. Its name, associating with "Baal" (a major Canaanite deity) and "Gad" (god of fortune), immediately signals a pagan cult center. Its conquest demonstrates Yahweh's supremacy over the gods of Canaan, acting as an implicit polemic.
in the Valley of Lebanon (בְּבִקְעַת֙ הַלְּבָנ֔וֹן – bivqa'at ha-Levanon): Refers to the fertile Beqa Valley between the Lebanon and Anti-Lebanon mountain ranges. This further solidifies the northern limit and the wide sweep of the conquest.
even to Mount Halak (וְעַד־הָהָ֥ר הֶחָלָ֖ק – v'ad ha-har he-halaq): Marks the southern extent. "Halak" means "smooth" or "bare," suggesting a desolate or distinctively shaped mountain. Scholars typically identify this as a peak in or near Mount Seir, perhaps Jabal Halak, marking the approach to Edomite territory.
which goes up to Seir (וְהָעֹלֶ֖ה שֵׂעִֽירָה – v'ha'oleh Se'irah): Further defines Mount Halak's location and connection to the region of Seir, which was the homeland of Edom. This phrase signifies the vast south-to-north scope of the successful campaigns, illustrating that the core strategic areas of Canaan were under Israelite control.
Words-group Analysis:
- "These are the kings...defeated": This introductory declaration establishes the chapter as a formal historical record of successful military campaigns. The collective "kings" highlights the political fragmentation and multiple authorities Israel had to overcome, emphasizing the scale of their achievement, though divinely assisted.
- "whom Joshua and the sons of Israel defeated": This phrasing attributes the victory both to the divine leadership (Joshua as God's instrument) and the collective action of the Israelite nation. It is not merely Joshua's personal triumph but the nation's participation in fulfilling God's will. The decisive verb "defeated" leaves no ambiguity about the outcome of these encounters.
- "beyond the Jordan, on the west side": These precise geographical markers delineate the focus of this specific list of conquests, distinguishing them from Moses' victories. This demonstrates a clear organizational structure to the historical record, ensuring there's no confusion about the specific theaters of war being described.
- "from Baal-gad in the Valley of Lebanon even to Mount Halak, which goes up to Seir": This provides the full geographical range of the conquered territory. From the northern extremity of Canaan to its southern borders adjacent to Edom. This demonstrates the completeness and wide-ranging nature of Israel's initial victories under Joshua, encompassing major pagan strongholds and marking the extent of God's fulfilled promise regarding the land's boundaries.
Joshua 12 7 Bonus section
- Theological Significance of "Kings": The systematic listing of "kings" demonstrates that God enabled Israel to dismantle organized, hierarchical opposition. This is not merely a conquest of peoples but a overthrow of established kingdoms, highlighting the divine dismantling of human structures that resisted God's sovereignty. This act has eschatological implications, foreshadowing God's ultimate victory over all earthly kingdoms that oppose Him.
- Partial Fulfillment vs. Ultimate Scope: While Joshua 12:7 indicates a vast swathe of conquered territory "from Baal-gad... to Mount Halak," later biblical texts and the book of Judges illustrate that pockets of resistance and un-possessed land remained. This tension between initial complete victory (strategic) and ongoing struggles for full possession (tactical) mirrors the Christian life: salvation in Christ is a complete victory, yet believers continue in spiritual warfare until the final consummation. The listed boundaries here often represent the ideal or promised boundaries, not necessarily fully inhabited by all tribes immediately.
- God's Hand in Human Action: The phrasing "whom Joshua and the sons of Israel defeated" highlights the partnership between divine leading and human obedience. It was God's command and power that made the victories possible, yet Israel had to actively engage in the fight. This balance demonstrates divine sovereignty working through human agency.
Joshua 12 7 Commentary
Joshua 12:7 is a summary statement that encapsulates the triumph of God's promise being fulfilled through Israel's conquest of Canaan. It serves as an authoritative introduction to the detailed list of twenty-seven kings overthrown by Joshua and the unified forces of Israel in the western portion of the Promised Land. This verse underscores the decisiveness and geographical scope of these victories, stretching from the very north (Baal-gad in the Lebanon Valley) to the far south (Mount Halak bordering Seir). The specificity of "on the west side" clarifies that this summary pertains to the main thrust of Joshua's campaigns, distinct from Moses' earlier conquests east of the Jordan. By noting that these were "kings of the land," the text implicitly declares the collapse of the established political and military structures of Canaanite rule, opening the way for Israel to inhabit the land God promised them. While later chapters indicate that full territorial occupation was a continuous process (Josh 13:1), this verse confirms the strategic obliteration of the major unified opposition, marking a pivotal completion in God's redemptive historical plan.