Joshua 12:1-6--Kings Defeated by Moses

Joshua 12:1-6
English Standard Version

Kings Defeated by Moses
12 Now these are the kings of the land whom the people of Israel defeated and took possession of their land beyond the Jordan toward the sunrise, from the Valley of the Arnon to Mount Hermon, with all the Arabah eastward: 2 Sihon king of the Amorites who lived at Heshbon and ruled from Aroer, which is on the edge of the Valley of the Arnon, and from the middle of the valley as far as the river Jabbok, the boundary of the Ammonites, that is, half of Gilead, 3 and the Arabah to the Sea of Chinneroth eastward, and in the direction of Beth-jeshimoth, to the Sea of the Arabah, the Salt Sea, southward to the foot of the slopes of Pisgah; 4 and Og king of Bashan, one of the remnant of the Rephaim, who lived at Ashtaroth and at Edrei 5 and ruled over Mount Hermon and Salecah and all Bashan to the boundary of the Geshurites and the Maacathites, and over half of Gilead to the boundary of Sihon king of Heshbon. 6 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.

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It may seem strange to find this passage here, but, remember that we're getting a summary of the entire campaign that is a fulfillment of the covenant to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.  Part of the Land that was promised to them was secured during the time of Moses, and that is what this passage records for us.  The first verse of today's passage makes clear that this is all land that was to the east of the Jordan River.

The first location is the valley of Arnon all the way to Mount Hermon, along with all of Arabah to the east.  It is contested, but to this day, Israel uses Mount Hermon and the Golan Heights as one of its borders.  This was all the territory of King Sihon and King Og, the two Ammonite kings which Moses and the Israelites defeated in Numbers 21.

Joshua lays the boundaries of this land out more fully than does the book of Numbers for the book of Numbers is simply recording the journey of the people, but it is the duty of the book of Joshua to lay out the covenant borders of the Land and to lay boundaries for each of the Twelve tribes.  It is from this land to the east of the Jordan River that Reubenites and the Gadites and the half-tribe of Manasseh asked for their inheritance, and it was given to them in Numbers 32.  It was for this reason that there were only 9-and-a-half tribes left to receive their inheritance once the Promised Land had been conquered, and we will start to see that apportionment coming up in the book of Joshua soon.