Joshua 12:18

Joshua 18:1 INTRODUCTION TO JOSHUA 18 This chapter informs us of the setting up of the tabernacle at Shiloh, Joshua 18:1; of the notice Joshua took, that seven tribes had not received their inheritance, Joshua 18:2; of the instructions he gave them to send three men out of each tribe, and describe the land not yet disposed of, and bring the account to him, which was accordingly done, Joshua 18:3; and then he cast lots for them, and the first lot came up for Benjamin, Joshua 18:10; the borders of whose lots are described, Joshua 18:12; and the several cities in it enumerated, Joshua 18:21. Ver. 1. And the whole congregation of the children of Israel assembled together at Shiloh,.... The whole body of the people, men, women, and children, as well as the camp, Joshua 18:9; at least all that had not received their inheritances in the land. Hither they came from Gilgal, where the camp and tabernacle had been ever since their passage over Jordan; but now the land being in the main subdued, that was too far off both for the camp and tabernacle, and therefore they moved further into the land, and nearer Jerusalem, where in time the tabernacle was to be placed. The place they assembled at, Shiloh, was in the tribe of Ephraim, of which tribe Joshua was, and whose lot and inheritance was now fixed, and it was not far from Jerusalem, about two leagues.

12:7-24 We have here the limits of the country Joshua conquered. A list is given of the kings subdued by Israel: thirty-one in all. This shows how fruitful Canaan then was, in which so many chose to throng together. This was the land God appointed for Israel; yet in our day it is one of the most barren and unprofitable countries in the world. Such is the effect of the curse it lies under, since its possessors rejected Christ and his gospel, as was foretold by Moses, De 29:23. The vengeance of a righteous God, inflicted on all these kings and their subjects, for their wickedness, should make us dread and hate sin. The fruitful land bestowed on his chosen people, should fill our hearts with hope and confidence in his mercy, and with humble gratitude.

The king of Aphek, one,.... There was a place called Aphekah in the tribe of Judah, Joshua 15:53 ; and an Aphek that was on the border of the Amorites, Joshua 13:4 ; and another in the tribe of Asher, Joshua 19:30 ; but Adrichomius (n) places this Aphek in the tribe of Issachar, whose king Joshua smote, and takes it to be the same place where the Philistines in the times of Samuel and David brought their armies against Israel, 1 Samuel 4:1 ; and where the king of Syria fought against Israel, 1 Kings 20:26 ; and says that its ruins were now shown in the great plain not far from Gilboa to the east of Mount Carmel, and five miles from Tabor: the king of Lasharon, one; which, according to the Vulgate Latin version, is the same with Saron, which, in Acts 9:35, in some copies is called Assaron; so Adrichomius (o), who places it in the tribe of Ephraim, and takes it to be the same Sharon Isaiah speaks of, Isaiah 33:9; and of which Jerom says (p), to this day there is a country between Tabor and the lake of Tiberias called Saronas, and also that from Caesarea of Palestine to the town of Joppa, all the land that is seen bears that name. (n) Theatrum Terrae Sanct. p. 35. (o) Ib. p. 30. (p) De loc. Heb. fol. 94. M.

Jos 12:7-24. The One and Thirty Kings on the West Side of Jordan, Which Joshua Smote. 7. Baal-gad … even unto … Halak—(See on [188]Jos 11:17). A list of thirty-one chief towns is here given; and, as the whole land contained a superficial extent of only fifteen miles in length by fifty in breadth, it is evident that these capital cities belonged to petty and insignificant kingdoms. With a few exceptions, they were not the scenes of any important events recorded in the sacred history, and therefore do not require a particular notice.

The identification of several of these places is still uncertain: the same name (e. g. Aphek, Joshua 12:18 ) being applied to various places in various parts of Palestine. Geder, or Gedor Joshua 15:58 , a city in the mountain district in the south of the territory of Judah, is no doubt the modern "Jedur".

The different kings are given in the order in which they were defeated: Jericho ( Joshua 6:1 ); Ai ( Joshua 7:2 ); Jerusalem, Hebron, Jarmuth, Lachish, and Eglon ( Joshua 10:3 ); Gezer ( Joshua 10:33 ); and Debir ( Joshua 10:38 ). Those given in Joshua 12:13 and Joshua 12:14 are not mentioned by name in Joshua 10 . Geder, possibly the same as Gedor upon the mountains of Judah ( Joshua 15:58 ), which has been preserved under the old name of Jedur (Rob. Pal. ii. p. 186, and Bibl. Res. p. 282). Hormah (i.e., banning) was in the south of Judah ( Joshua 15:30 ), and was allotted to the Simeonites ( Joshua 19:4 ). It was called Zephath by the Canaanites ( Judges 1:17 ; see at Numbers 21:3 ), was on the southern slope of the mountains of the Amalekites or Amorites, the present ruins of Septa, on the western slope of the table-land of Rakhma, two hours and a half to the south-west of Khalasa (Elusa: see Ritter, Erdk. xiv. p. 1085). Arad, also in the Negeb, has been preserved in Tell Arad (see at Numbers 21:1 ). Libnah (see at Joshua 10:29 ). Adullam, which is mentioned in Joshua 15:35 among the towns of the plain between Jarmuth and Socoh, was in the neighbourhood of a large cave in which David took refuge when flying from Saul ( 1 Samuel 22:1 ; 2 Samuel 23:13 ). It was fortified by Rehoboam ( 2 Chronicles 11:7 ), and is mentioned in 2 Macc. 12:38 as the city of Odollam.

The Onomast. describes it as being ten Roman miles to the east of Eleutheropolis; but this is a mistake, though it has not yet been discovered. So far as the situation is concerned, Deir Dubbn would suit very well, a place about two hours to the north of Beit Jibrin, near to a large number of caves in the white limestone, which form a kind of labyrinth, as well as some vaulted grottos (see Rob. Pal. ii. p. 353, and Van de Velde, Reise, pp. 162-3). Makkedah: possibly Summeil (see at Joshua 10:10 ). Bethel, i.e., Beitin (see Joshua 8:17 ). The situation of the towns which follow in Joshua 12:17 and Joshua 12:18 cannot be determined with certainty, as the names Tappuach, Aphek, and Hefer are met with again in different parts of Canaan, and Lassaron does not occur again.