Joshua 12:1

King James Version (KJV)

Now these are the kings of the land, which the children of Israel smote, and possessed their land on the other side Jordan toward the rising of the sun, from the river Arnon unto mount Hermon, and all the plain on the east:

Adam Clarke
Bible Commentary

From the river Arnon unto Mount Hermon - Arnon was the boundary of all the southern coast of the land occupied by the Israelites beyond Jordan; and the mountains of Hermon were the boundaries on the north. Arnon takes its rise in the mountains of Gilead, and having run a long way from north to south falls into the Dead Sea, near the same place into which Jordan discharges itself.

And all the plain on the east - All the land from the plains of Moab to Mount Hermon.

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Albert Barnes
Notes on the Whole Bible

Verses 1-6

All the plain on the east - i. e. the Arabah or depressed tract along the east bank of Jordan, the modern El-Ghor (see Numbers 22:1).

Joshua 12:2

From the middle of the river - i. e. as appears from Joshua 13:9, Joshua 13:16, “from the city that is in the midst of the river;” namely,, Ar Moab (see Deuteronomy 2:36).

Joshua 12:3

From the plain - Render “over the plain;” for the words describe not one of the boundaries of Sihon‘s kingdom, but part of the territory included in it, i. e. the eastern portion of the Ghor, between the Sea of Tiberias and the Dead Sea.

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Matthew Henry
Concise Bible Commentary

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.

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SDA Bible Commentary (limited)
Volume 1-7

1. These are the kings. The writer is about to enter upon a particular account of the distribution of the land among the tribes. He here pauses to give a short summary of the work that has been done. In this summary the accomplishments of Moses are recorded along with those of Joshua. Inspiration points out how God uses many instruments in the carrying forward of His work, and that He is not dependent on any one man. The chapter gives a brief account of the victories of Israel, together with the defeats inflicted upon the Canaanites.

Chapter 12 describes the extent of the conquest and shows the land that now lay open for settlement. Verses 1-6 describe the territory to the east of Jordan and the list of kings conquered by Moses, and the remainder of the chapter is occupied with a catalog of those on the west of Jordan that were reduced by Joshua. In this summary we see traced both the course and the end of those who resist God. Both the narrow road and the broad way are pointed out in this lesson. That of Israel was the path of obedience, under divine direction. But the pathway of obedience was not always easy. It often meant going forward in spite of great obstacles. Hesitation would have meant failure and loss. But Israel’s history at this time was marked by patient and steadfast endurance. On the part of the Canaanites, their course was marked by rebellion. They said, “Who is lord over us?” and hardened themselves against God’s will and the revelation of Himself through Israel. They fought it out to the bitter end, learning no lesson and refusing to yield. All through this war of conquest Israel had as their hope a divine inheritance, and all the glory and honor that it implied. As for the Canaanites, they were without God and without hope.

Arnon. This river was the boundary between the kingdoms of Sihon and Moab (Num. 21:13), and formed the southern boundary of Israel to the east of Jordan. The river rises in the mountains of what is now the Kingdom of Jordan and enters the Dead Sea at about the midpoint of its eastern side. It forms a deep gorge, both banks of which were fortified in the period of Joshua.

Mount Hermon. This mountain is a short distance south and a little west of Damascus. The territory between Mt. Hermon and the Arnon comprised the deep valley of the Jordan and the plateau to the east, whose borders are lost in the eastern desert.

All the plain on the east. Literally, “all the Arabah eastward.” The Arabah is the entire deep rift extending south from the Sea of Galilee and the Jordan valley as far as the Gulf of Aqabah. However, this description would include only the area south as far as the river Arnon and east of the river Jordan.

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Cross References

on the other

from the

unto the mount