Joshua 12:3

12:1-6 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.

And from the plain,.... Or rather, "and the plain", the plains of Moab, which, before possessed by the Israelites, belonged to the kingdom of Sihon; and the plains of Jordan, which reached to the sea of Cinneroth on the east; the same with the lake of Gennesaret, and sea of Tiberias, mentioned in the New Testament, Matthew 14:34, and unto the sea of the plain; where stood the cities of the plain, Sodom, Gomorrah, &c. even the salt sea on the east; the same with the dead sea, into which the plain the above cities stood on was converted: the way to Bethjeshimoth; which was a place in the plains of Moab, Numbers 33:49, and from the south under Ashdothpisgah; or the springs of Pisgah, which flowed from the mount of that name, Deuteronomy 3:17.

3 . and from the plain ] Rather, and the plain, the Arabah, i. e. the eastern part of the Jordan valley, as far as the Sea of Chinneroth. the sea of Cinneroth ] So called after the city of this name. See above, ch. Joshua 11:2 . In the New Testament it is called ( a ) the “Sea of Galilee” ( Matthew 4:18 ; Matthew 15:29 ; Mark 1:16 ); ( b ) the “lake of Gennesaret” ( Luke 5:1 ); ( c ) the “sea of Tiberias” ( John 6:1 ; John 21:1 ); and sometimes ( d ) simply “the sea.” and unto the sea of the plain ] i. e. of the Arabah. While the Lake of Gennesareth forms the northern boundary of the eastern part of the Jordan valley, it is in like manner bounded on the south by the Salt Sea, i. e. the Dead Sea. Near which lay Beth-jeshimoth ] = “the House of the Wastes.” It was one of the limits of the encampment of Israel before crossing the Jordan ( Numbers 33:48-49 ). under Ashdoth-pisgah ] See above, Joshua 10:40 .

To the sea of Chinneroth on the east; which words describe the situation not of the sea of Chinneroth, which was part of the western border of Sihon’s dominion, but of the plain, which is here said to lie eastward from the sea of Chinneroth, and also eastward from the Salt Sea, as it here follows. And this was indeed the situation of the plains of Moab, which are here spoken of, to wit, that they lay between the two seas, that of Chinneroth and the Salt Sea, and eastward to them both. The sea of the plain; the Salt Sea is so called because it was a famous plain, pleasant and fruitful, before it was turned into a salt sea. From the south, or, on or towards the south.

CHAPTER 12 Jos 12:1-6. The Two Kings Whose Countries Moses Took and Disposed of. 1. Now these are the kings of the land, which the children of Israel smote, and possessed their land on the other side Jordan—This chapter contains a recapitulation of the conquests made in the promised land, with the additional mention of some places not formerly noted in the sacred history. The river Arnon on the south and mount Hermon on the north were the respective boundaries of the land acquired by the Israelites beyond Jordan (see Nu 21:21-24; De 2:36; 3:3-16 [and see on [187]De 2:24]).

Verse 3. - And from the plain. There is no "from" in the original, which here ceases to describe the territories of Sihon, but continues the account of the Israelite dominions, which included the Arabah (not the plain as in our version) up to the sea of Chinneroth. On the east; i.e. , the east of Jordan. So also below. The way to Beth-jeshimoth (see Numbers 33:48, 49 ). There was a desert tract near the Dead Sea called Jeshimon, or the waste district. It is described by travellers as the most arid portion of the whole land. In this, Beth-jeshimoth (the house of desolations) was situated. It was south of the acacia meadows (see note on Joshua 2:1), and it formed part of the territory of Reuben ( Joshua 13:20 ). As it lay upon Jordan, it must have been near the extreme northernmost point of the Dead Sea. We are to understand, not that Sihon's territory extended to Beth-jeshimoth, but in that direction. Possibly some of the western Cauaanitish tribes here extended their territories across the Jordan. And from the south. The word here is not Negeb, but Teman, i.e. , the literal south, which lay on the right ( יָמִין ) to one looking eastward. Ashdoth-pisgah. For Ashdoth see Joshua 10:40 . Pisgah was the northernmost point of the Abarim range, of which the well known Nebo was the chief peak. Thither Moses went up to view the land which he was not permitted to enter. There Balaam built his seven altars and essayed in vain to curse the children of Israel.

There were the watchmen (Zophim) stationed to protect the land, in the days before the Israelitish invasion, from the incursions of the tribes on the other side of Jordan ( Numbers 23:14 ). The position of Pisgah has not been precisely identified, but the range extended on the eastern side of Jordan to a point nearly opposite Jericho. See Deuteronomy 34:1 . Joshua 12:3

"And (over) the Arabah, etc., Sihon reigned," i.e., over the eastern side of the Ghor, between the Sea of Galilee and the Dead Sea (see at Deuteronomy 3:17 ). "By the way to Bethjeshimoth, and towards the south below the slopes of Pisgah" (see at Numbers 21:15 and Numbers 27:12 ), i.e., to the north-eastern border of the desert by the Dead Sea (see at Numbers 22:1 ).

[Bible] 11:21. At that time Josue came and cut off the Enancims from the mountains, from Hebron, and Dabir, and Anab, and from all the mountain of Juda and Israel, and destroyed their cities. 11:22. He left not any of the stock of the Enacims, in the land of the children of Israel: except the cities of Gaza, and Geth, and Azotus, in which alone they were left. 11:23. So Josue took all the land, as the Lord spoke to Moses, and delivered it in possession to the children of Israel, according to their divisions and tribes. And the land rested from wars. Josue Chapter 12 A list of the kings slain by Moses and Josue, 12:1. These are the kings, whom the children of Israel slew and possessed their land beyond the Jordan towards the rising of the sun, from the torrent Arnon unto mount Hermon, and all the east country that looketh towards the wilderness. 12:2. Sehon king of the Amorrhites, who dwelt in Hesebon, and had dominion from Aroer, which is seated upon the bank of the torrent Arnon, and of the middle part in the valley, and of half Galaad, as far as the torrent Jaboc, which is the border of the children of Ammon. 12:3. And from the wilderness, to the sea of Ceneroth towards the east, and to the sea of the wilderness, which is the most salt sea, on the east side by the way that leadeth to Bethsimoth: and on the south side that lieth under Asedoth, Phasga. 12:4. The border of Og the king of Basan, of the remnant of the Raphaims who dwelt in Astaroth, and in Edrai, and had dominion in mount Hermon, and in Salecha, and in all Basan, unto the borders 12:5. Of Gessuri and Machati, and of half Galaad: the borders of Sehon the king of Hesebon. 12:6. Moses the servant of the Lord, and the children of Israel slew them, and Moses delivered their land in possession to the Rubenites, and Gadites, and the half tribe of Manasses.

Joshua made war a long time with all those kings. There was not a city that made peace with the children of Israel, save the Hivites who dwelt at Gibeon; they took all in battle. For it was of Jehovah that their heart was hardened, to meet Israel in battle, that they might be utterly destroyed, and that there might be no favour shewn to them, but that they might be destroyed, as Jehovah had commanded Moses. And Joshua came at that time and cut off the Anakim from the mountains, from Hebron, from Debir, from Anab, and from all the mountain of Judah, and from all the mountain of Israel: Joshua destroyed them utterly, with their cities. There were none of the Anakim left in the land of the children of Israel; only at Gazah, at Gath, and at Ashdod there remained. And Joshua took the whole land, according to all that Jehovah had said to Moses; and Joshua gave it for an inheritance to Israel according to their divisions, by their tribes. And the land rested from war. Chapter 12 And these are the kings of the land, whom the children of Israel smote, and of whose land they took possession across the Jordan, toward the sun-rising, from the river Arnon to mount Hermon, and all the plain on the east: Sihon the king of the Amorites, who dwelt at Heshbon, [and] ruled from Aroer, which is upon the bank of the river Arnon, and from the middle of the ravine, and over half Gilead, as far as the river Jabbok, [which is] the border of the children of Ammon;