mh_parser/vol_split/6 - Joshua/Chapter 12.xml

<div2 id="Jos.xiii" n="xiii" next="Jos.xiv" prev="Jos.xii" progress="6.35%" title="Chapter XII">
<h2 id="Jos.xiii-p0.1">J O S H U A</h2>
<h3 id="Jos.xiii-p0.2">CHAP. XII.</h3>
<p class="intro" id="Jos.xiii-p1">This chapter is a summary of Israel's conquests.
I. Their conquests under Moses, on the other side Jordan (for we
now suppose ourselves in Canaan) eastward, which we had the history
of, <scripRef id="Jos.xiii-p1.1" osisRef="Bible:Num.21.24-Num.21.35" parsed="|Num|21|24|21|35" passage="Nu 21:24-35">Num. xxi. 24</scripRef>,
&amp;c. And here the abridgment of that history, <scripRef id="Jos.xiii-p1.2" osisRef="Bible:Josh.12.1-Josh.12.6" parsed="|Josh|12|1|12|6" passage="Jos 12:1-6">ver. 1-6</scripRef>. II. Their conquests under Joshua,
on this side Jordan, westward. 1. The country they reduced,
<scripRef id="Jos.xiii-p1.3" osisRef="Bible:Josh.12.7-Josh.12.8" parsed="|Josh|12|7|12|8" passage="Jos 12:7,8">ver. 7, 8</scripRef>. 2. The kings
they subdued, thirty-one in all, <scripRef id="Jos.xiii-p1.4" osisRef="Bible:Josh.12.9-Josh.12.24" parsed="|Josh|12|9|12|24" passage="Jos 12:9-24">ver. 9-24</scripRef>. And this comes in here, not
only as a conclusion of the history of the wars of Canaan (that we
might at one view see what they had got), but as a preface to the
history of the dividing of Canaan, that all that might be put
together which they were not to make a distribution of.</p>
<scripCom id="Jos.xiii-p0.1_1" osisRef="Bible:Josh.12" parsed="|Josh|12|0|0|0" passage="Jos 12" type="Commentary"/>
<scripCom id="Jos.xiii-p0.2_1" osisRef="Bible:Josh.12.1-Josh.12.6" parsed="|Josh|12|1|12|6" passage="Jos 12:1-6" type="Commentary"/><div class="Commentary" id="Bible:Josh.12.1-Josh.12.6">
<h4 id="Jos.xiii-p1.7">Summary of Israel's
Conquests. (<span class="smallcaps" id="Jos.xiii-p1.8">b. c.</span> 1450.)</h4>
<p class="passage" id="Jos.xiii-p2">1 Now these <i>are</i> 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:   2
Sihon king of the Amorites, who dwelt in Heshbon, <i>and</i> ruled
from Aroer, which <i>is</i> upon the bank of the river Arnon, and
from the middle of the river, and from half Gilead, even unto the
river Jabbok, <i>which is</i> the border of the children of Ammon;
  3 And from the plain to the sea of Chinneroth on the east,
and unto the sea of the plain, <i>even</i> the salt sea on the
east, the way to Beth-jeshimoth; and from the south, under
Ashdoth-pisgah:   4 And the coast of Og king of Bashan,
<i>which was</i> of the remnant of the giants, that dwelt at
Ashtaroth and at Edrei,   5 And reigned in mount Hermon, and
in Salcah, and in all Bashan, unto the border of the Geshurites and
the Maachathites, and half Gilead, the border of Sihon king of
Heshbon.   6 Them did Moses the servant of the <span class="smallcaps" id="Jos.xiii-p2.1">Lord</span> and the children of Israel smite: and Moses
the servant of the <span class="smallcaps" id="Jos.xiii-p2.2">Lord</span> gave it
<i>for</i> a possession unto the Reubenites, and the Gadites, and
the half tribe of Manasseh.</p>
<p class="indent" id="Jos.xiii-p3">Joshua, or whoever else is the historian
before he comes to sum up the new conquests Israel had made, in
these verses receives their former conquests in Moses's time, under
whom they became masters of the great and potent kingdoms of Sihon
and Og. Note, Fresh mercies must not drown the remembrance of
former mercies, nor must the glory of the present instruments of
good to the church be suffered to eclipse and diminish the just
honour of those who have gone before them, and who were the
blessings and ornaments of their day. Joshua's services and
achievements are confessedly great, but let not those under Moses
be overlooked and forgotten, since God was the same who wrought
both, and both put together proclaim him the Alpha and Omega of
Israel's great salvation. Here is, 1. A description of this
conquered country, the measure and bounds of it in general
(<scripRef id="Jos.xiii-p3.1" osisRef="Bible:Josh.12.1" parsed="|Josh|12|1|0|0" passage="Jos 12:1"><i>v.</i> 1</scripRef>): <i>From the
river Arnon</i> in the south, to <i>Mount Hermon</i> in the north.
In particular, here is a description of the kingdom of Sihon
(<scripRef id="Jos.xiii-p3.2" osisRef="Bible:Josh.12.2-Josh.12.3" parsed="|Josh|12|2|12|3" passage="Jos 12:2,3"><i>v.</i> 2, 3</scripRef>), and
that of Og, <scripRef id="Jos.xiii-p3.3" osisRef="Bible:Josh.12.4-Josh.12.5" parsed="|Josh|12|4|12|5" passage="Jos 12:4,5"><i>v.</i> 4,
5</scripRef>. Moses had described this country very particularly
(<scripRef id="Jos.xiii-p3.4" osisRef="Bible:Deut.2.36 Bible:Deut.3.4" parsed="|Deut|2|36|0|0;|Deut|3|4|0|0" passage="De 2:36,3:4">Deut. ii. 36; iii. 4</scripRef>,
&amp;c.), and this description here agrees with his. King Og is
said to dwell at Ashtaroth and Edrei (<scripRef id="Jos.xiii-p3.5" osisRef="Bible:Josh.12.4" parsed="|Josh|12|4|0|0" passage="Jos 12:4"><i>v.</i> 4</scripRef>), probably because they were both
his royal cities; he had palaces in both, and resided sometimes in
one and sometimes in the other; one perhaps was his summer seat and
the other his winter seat. But Israel took both from him, and made
one grave to serve him that could not be content with one palace.
2. The distribution of this country. Moses assigned it to the two
tribes and a half, at their request, and divided it among them
(<scripRef id="Jos.xiii-p3.6" osisRef="Bible:Josh.12.6" parsed="|Josh|12|6|0|0" passage="Jos 12:6"><i>v.</i> 6</scripRef>), of which we
had the story at large, <scripRef id="Jos.xiii-p3.7" osisRef="Bible:Num.32.1-Num.32.42" parsed="|Num|32|1|32|42" passage="Nu 32:1-42">Num.
xxxii</scripRef>. The dividing of it when it was conquered by Moses
is here mentioned as an example to Joshua what he must do now that
he had conquered the country on this side Jordan. Moses, in his
time, gave to one part of Israel a very rich and fruitful country,
but it was on the outside of Jordan; but Joshua gave to all Israel
the holy land, the mountain of God's sanctuary, within Jordan: so
the law conferred upon some few of God's spiritual Israel external
temporal blessings, which were earnests of good things to come; but
our Lord Jesus, the true Joshua, has provided for all the children
of promise spiritual blessings—the privileges of the sanctuary,
and the heavenly Canaan. The triumphs and grants of the law were
glorious, but those of the gospel far exceed in glory.</p>
</div><scripCom id="Jos.xiii-p0.3" osisRef="Bible:Josh.12.7-Josh.12.24" parsed="|Josh|12|7|12|24" passage="Jos 12:7-24" type="Commentary"/><div class="Commentary" id="Bible:Josh.12.7-Josh.12.24">
<p class="passage" id="Jos.xiii-p4">7 And these <i>are</i> the kings of the country
which Joshua and the children of Israel smote on this side Jordan
on the west, from Baal-gad in the valley of Lebanon even unto the
mount Halak, that goeth up to Seir; which Joshua gave unto the
tribes of Israel <i>for</i> a possession according to their
divisions;   8 In the mountains, and in the valleys, and in
the plains, and in the springs, and in the wilderness, and in the
south country; the Hittites, the Amorites, and the Canaanites, the
Perizzites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites:   9 The king of
Jericho, one; the king of Ai, which <i>is</i> beside Beth-el, one;
  10 The king of Jerusalem, one; the king of Hebron, one;
  11 The king of Jarmuth, one; the king of Lachish, one;
  12 The king of Eglon, one; the king of Gezer, one;   13
The king of Debir, one; the king of Geder, one;   14 The king
of Hormah, one; the king of Arad, one;   15 The king of
Libnah, one; the king of Adullam, one;   16 The king of
Makkedah, one; the king of Beth-el, one;   17 The king of
Tappuah, one; the king of Hepher, one;   18 The king of Aphek,
one; the king of Lasharon, one;   19 The king of Madon, one;
the king of Hazor, one;   20 The king of Shimron-meron, one;
the king of Achshaph, one;   21 The king of Taanach, one; the
king of Megiddo, one;   22 The king of Kedesh, one; the king
of Jokneam of Carmel, one;   23 The king of Dor in the coast
of Dor, one; the king of the nations of Gilgal, one;   24 The
king of Tirzah, one: all the kings thirty and one.</p>
<p class="indent" id="Jos.xiii-p5">We have here a breviate of Joshua's
conquests.</p>
<p class="indent" id="Jos.xiii-p6">I. The limits of the country he conquered.
It lay between Jordan on the east and the Mediterranean Sea on the
west, and extended from Baal-gad near Lebanon in the north to
Halak, which lay upon the country of Edom in the south, <scripRef id="Jos.xiii-p6.1" osisRef="Bible:Josh.12.7" parsed="|Josh|12|7|0|0" passage="Jos 12:7"><i>v.</i> 7</scripRef>. The boundaries are more
largely described, <scripRef id="Jos.xiii-p6.2" osisRef="Bible:Num.34.2-Num.34.12" parsed="|Num|34|2|34|12" passage="Nu 34:2-12">Num. xxxiv.
2</scripRef>, &amp;c. But what is here said is enough to show that
God had been as good as his word, and had given them possession of
all he had promised them by Moses, if they would but have kept
it.</p>
<p class="indent" id="Jos.xiii-p7">II. The various kinds of land that were
found in this country, which contributed both to its pleasantness
and to its fruitfulness, <scripRef id="Jos.xiii-p7.1" osisRef="Bible:Josh.12.8" parsed="|Josh|12|8|0|0" passage="Jos 12:8">v.
8</scripRef>. There were mountains, not craggy, and rocky, and
barren, which are frightful to the traveller and useless to the
inhabitants, but fruitful hills, such as put forth <i>precious
things</i> (<scripRef id="Jos.xiii-p7.2" osisRef="Bible:Deut.33.15" parsed="|Deut|33|15|0|0" passage="De 33:15">Deut. xxxiii.
15</scripRef>), which charmed the spectator's eye and filled the
owner's hand. And valleys, not mossy and boggy, but <i>covered with
corn,</i> <scripRef id="Jos.xiii-p7.3" osisRef="Bible:Ps.65.13" parsed="|Ps|65|13|0|0" passage="Ps 65:13">Ps. lxv. 13</scripRef>.
There were plains, and springs to water them; and even in that rich
land there were wildernesses too, or forests, which were not so
thickly inhabited as other parts, yet had towns and houses in them,
but served as foils to set off the more pleasant and fruitful
countries.</p>
<p class="indent" id="Jos.xiii-p8">III. The several nations that had been in
possession of this country—Hittites, Amorites, Canaanites,
&amp;c., all of them descended from Canaan, the accursed son of
Ham, <scripRef id="Jos.xiii-p8.1" osisRef="Bible:Gen.10.15-Gen.10.18" parsed="|Gen|10|15|10|18" passage="Ge 10:15-18">Gen. x. 15-18</scripRef>.
Seven nations they are called (<scripRef id="Jos.xiii-p8.2" osisRef="Bible:Deut.7.1" parsed="|Deut|7|1|0|0" passage="De 7:1">Deut.
vii. 1</scripRef>), and so many are there reckoned up, but here six
only are mentioned, the Girgashites being either lost or left out,
though we find them, <scripRef id="Jos.xiii-p8.3" osisRef="Bible:Gen.10.16 Bible:Gen.15.21" parsed="|Gen|10|16|0|0;|Gen|15|21|0|0" passage="Ge 10:16,15:21">Gen. x. 16
and xv. 21</scripRef>. Either they were incorporated with some
other of these nations, or, as the tradition of the Jews is, upon
the approach of Israel under Joshua they all withdrew and went into
Africa, leaving their country to be possessed by Israel, with whom
they saw it was to no purpose to contend, and therefore they are
not named among the nations that Joshua subdued.</p>
<p class="indent" id="Jos.xiii-p9">IV. A list of the kings that were conquered
and subdued by the sword of Israel, some in the field, others in
their own cities, thirty-one in all, and very particularly named
and counted, it should seem, in the order in which they were
conquered; for the catalogue begins with the kings of Jericho and
Ai, then takes in the king of Jerusalem and the princes of the
south that were in confederacy with him, and then proceeds to those
of the northern association. Now, 1. This shows what a very
fruitful country Canaan then was, which could support so many
kingdoms, and in which so many kings chose to throng together
rather than disperse themselves into other countries, which we may
suppose not yet inhabited, but where, though they might find more
room, they could not expect such plenty and pleasure: this was the
land God spied out for Israel; and yet at this day it is one of the
most barren, despicable, 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, <scripRef id="Jos.xiii-p9.1" osisRef="Bible:Deut.29.23" parsed="|Deut|29|23|0|0" passage="De 29:23">Deut. xxix. 23</scripRef>. 2. It shows what
narrow limits men's ambition was then confined to. These kings
contented themselves with the government, each of them, of one city
and the towns and villages that pertained to it; and no one of
them, for aught that appears, aimed to make himself master of the
rest, but, when there was occasion, all united for the common
safety. Yet it should seem that what was wanting in the extent of
their territories was made up in the absoluteness of their power,
their subjects being all their tenants and vassals, and entirely at
their command. 3. It shows how good God was to Israel, in giving
them victory over all these kings, and possession of all these
kingdoms, and what obligations he hereby laid upon them to
<i>observe his statutes and to keep his laws,</i> <scripRef id="Jos.xiii-p9.2" osisRef="Bible:Ps.105.44-Ps.105.45" parsed="|Ps|105|44|105|45" passage="Ps 105:44,45">Ps. cv. 44, 45</scripRef>. Here were
thirty-one kingdoms, or seigniories, to be divided among nine
tribes and a half of Israel. Of these there fell to the lot of
Judah the kingdoms of Hebron, Jarmuth, Lachish, Eglon, Debir, Arad,
Libnah, and Adullam, eight in all, besides part of the kingdom of
Jerusalem and part of Geder. Benjamin had the kingdoms of Jericho,
Ai, Jerusalem, Makkedah, Beth-el, and the nations of Gilgal, six in
all. Simeon had the kingdom of Hormah and part of Geder. Ephraim
had the kingdoms of Gezer and Tirzah. Manasseh (that half-tribe)
had the kingdoms of Tappuah and Hepher, Taanach and Megiddo. Asher
had the kingdoms of Aphek and Achshaph. Zebulun had the kingdoms of
Lasharon, Shimron-meron, and Jokneam. Naphtali had the kingdoms of
Madon, Hazor, and Kedesh. And Issachar had that of Dor. These were
some of the great and famous kings that God smote, <i>for his mercy
endureth for ever; and gave their land for a heritage, even a
heritage unto Israel his servant, for his mercy endureth for
ever,</i> <scripRef id="Jos.xiii-p9.3" osisRef="Bible:Ps.136.17-Ps.136.24" parsed="|Ps|136|17|136|24" passage="Ps 136:17-24">Ps. cxxxvi.
17</scripRef>, &amp;c.</p>
</div></div2>