Joshua 12
יהושע פרק י״ב
Section: נביאים · נביאים ראשונים | Book: Joshua | Chapter: 12 of 24 | Day: 12 of 742
Date: February 23, 2026
קלאוד על הנ״ך
Joshua chapter 12 serves as a grand ledger of conquest — a pause between the narrative of military campaigns and the complex work of land distribution that follows. The chapter is essentially a catalogue, listing every king defeated by Israel on both sides of the Jordan. It functions as a literary hinge: the wars are over, and the accounting must now begin.
The chapter opens by recapping the Transjordanian conquests under Moses (verses 1-6), cataloguing the defeat of Sihon king of the Amorites and Og king of Bashan. These victories, narrated in Numbers 21 and Deuteronomy 2-3, are foundational to Israel’s territorial claims east of the Jordan. The text carefully notes that Moses assigned these territories to the Reubenites, Gadites, and the half-tribe of Manasseh. By beginning with Moses’s conquests, the chapter establishes continuity: Joshua’s campaign is not a new enterprise but the completion of what Moses began.
The bulk of the chapter (verses 7-24) then lists the thirty-one kings defeated by Joshua west of the Jordan, from Baal-gad in the Lebanon Valley to Mount Halak near Seir. The catalogue reads almost like a military roll call, each king receiving a single line: “the king of Jericho, one; the king of Ai, near Bethel, one.” The repetitive, formulaic structure is deliberate. It creates a cumulative rhetorical effect — the sheer number of defeated kingdoms testifies to the scope of God’s fulfilled promise. Some of these kings featured in earlier chapters (Jericho, Ai, Jerusalem, Hazor), while others — such as the kings of Taanach, Megiddo, Kedesh, and Tirzah — appear here for the first time, suggesting battles not narrated in the preceding text.
The geographical sweep of the list is remarkable, spanning the Negev in the south to the Carmel ridge and beyond in the north, from the Jordan Valley to the Mediterranean coast. The terrain itself is catalogued: “the hill country, the lowlands, the Arabah, the slopes, the wilderness, and the Negeb.” The seven nations — Hittites, Amorites, Canaanites, Perizzites, Hivites, and Jebusites — are enumerated, echoing the covenantal promise of Deuteronomy 7:1. Yet notably absent from this victory list is any claim of total occupation. The chapter records kings defeated, not territories fully settled. This distinction will become crucial in the very next chapter, when God tells the aged Joshua how much land “still remains to be taken possession of.” Chapter 12, then, is both a celebration of what has been accomplished and an implicit acknowledgment of what has not.
פרק י״ב · Chapter 12
פסוק א׳ · Verse 1
Hebrew:
וְאֵ֣לֶּה ׀ מַלְכֵ֣י הָאָ֗רֶץ אֲשֶׁ֨ר הִכּ֤וּ בְנֵֽי־יִשְׂרָאֵל֙ וַיִּֽרְשׁ֣וּ אֶת־אַרְצָ֔ם בְּעֵ֥בֶר הַיַּרְדֵּ֖ן מִזְרְחָ֣ה הַשָּׁ֑מֶשׁ מִנַּ֤חַל אַרְנוֹן֙ עַד־הַ֣ר חֶרְמ֔וֹן וְכׇל־הָעֲרָבָ֖ה מִזְרָֽחָה׃
English:
The following are the local kings whom the Israelites defeated and whose territories they took possession of:East of the Jordan, from the Wadi Arnon to Mount Hermon, including the eastern half of the Arabah:
פסוק ב׳ · Verse 2
Hebrew:
סִיחוֹן֙ מֶ֣לֶךְ הָאֱמֹרִ֔י הַיּוֹשֵׁ֖ב בְּחֶשְׁבּ֑וֹן מֹשֵׁ֡ל מֵעֲרוֹעֵ֡ר אֲשֶׁר֩ עַל־שְׂפַת־נַ֨חַל אַרְנ֜וֹן וְת֤וֹךְ הַנַּ֙חַל֙ וַחֲצִ֣י הַגִּלְעָ֔ד וְעַד֙ יַבֹּ֣ק הַנַּ֔חַל גְּב֖וּל בְּנֵ֥י עַמּֽוֹן׃
English:
aMeaning of this verse and the next uncertain. King Sihon of the Amorites, who resided in Heshbon and ruled over part of Gilead—from Aroer on the bank of the Wadi Arnon and the wadi proper up to the Wadi Jabbok [and] the border of the Ammonites—
פסוק ג׳ · Verse 3
Hebrew:
וְהָעֲרָבָה֩ עַד־יָ֨ם כִּנְר֜וֹת מִזְרָ֗חָה וְ֠עַ֠ד יָ֣ם הָעֲרָבָ֤ה יָם־הַמֶּ֙לַח֙ מִזְרָ֔חָה דֶּ֖רֶךְ בֵּ֣ית הַיְשִׁמ֑וֹת וּמִ֨תֵּימָ֔ן תַּ֖חַת אַשְׁדּ֥וֹת הַפִּסְגָּֽה׃
English:
and over the eastern Arabah up to the Sea of Chinnereth and, southward by way of Beth-jeshimoth at the foot of the slopes of Pisgah on the east, down to the Sea of the Arabah, that is, the Dead Sea.
פסוק ד׳ · Verse 4
Hebrew:
וּגְב֗וּל ע֚וֹג מֶ֣לֶךְ הַבָּשָׁ֔ן מִיֶּ֖תֶר הָרְפָאִ֑ים הַיּוֹשֵׁ֥ב בְּעַשְׁתָּר֖וֹת וּבְאֶדְרֶֽעִי׃
English:
Also the territory of King Og of Bashan—one of the last of the Rephaim—who resided in Ashtaroth and in Edrei
פסוק ה׳ · Verse 5
Hebrew:
וּ֠מֹשֵׁ֠ל בְּהַ֨ר חֶרְמ֤וֹן וּבְסַלְכָה֙ וּבְכׇל־הַבָּשָׁ֔ן עַד־גְּב֥וּל הַגְּשׁוּרִ֖י וְהַמַּעֲכָתִ֑י וַֽחֲצִי֙ הַגִּלְעָ֔ד גְּב֖וּל סִיח֥וֹן מֶֽלֶךְ־חֶשְׁבּֽוֹן׃
English:
and ruled over Mount Hermon, Salcah, and all of Bashan up to the border of the Geshurites and the Maacathites, as also over part of Gilead [down to] the border of King Sihon of Heshbon.
פסוק ו׳ · Verse 6
Hebrew:
מֹשֶׁ֧ה עֶבֶד־יְהֹוָ֛ה וּבְנֵ֥י יִשְׂרָאֵ֖ל הִכּ֑וּם וַֽ֠יִּתְּנָ֠הּ מֹשֶׁ֨ה עֶבֶד־יְהֹוָ֜ה יְרֻשָּׁ֗ה לָרֽאוּבֵנִי֙ וְלַגָּדִ֔י וְלַחֲצִ֖י שֵׁ֥בֶט הַֽמְנַשֶּֽׁה׃ {ס}
English:
These were vanquished by Moses, the servant of GOD, and the Israelites; and Moses, the servant of GOD, assigned that territorybthat territory Lit. “it.” as a possession to the Reubenites, the Gadites, and the half-tribe of Manasseh.
פסוק ז׳ · Verse 7
Hebrew:
וְאֵ֣לֶּה מַלְכֵ֣י הָאָ֡רֶץ אֲשֶׁר֩ הִכָּ֨ה יְהוֹשֻׁ֜עַ וּבְנֵ֣י יִשְׂרָאֵ֗ל בְּעֵ֤בֶר הַיַּרְדֵּן֙ יָ֔מָּה מִבַּ֤עַל גָּד֙ בְּבִק��עַ֣ת הַלְּבָנ֔וֹן וְעַד־הָהָ֥ר הֶחָלָ֖ק הָעֹלֶ֣ה שֵׂעִ֑ירָה וַיִּתְּנָ֨הּ יְהוֹשֻׁ֜עַ לְשִׁבְטֵ֧י יִשְׂרָאֵ֛ל יְרֻשָּׁ֖ה כְּמַחְלְקֹתָֽם׃
English:
And the following are the local kings whom Joshua and the Israelites defeated on the west side of the Jordan—from Baal-gad in the Valley of the Lebanon to Mount Halak, which ascends to Seir—which Joshua assigned as a possession to the tribal divisions of Israel:
פסוק ח׳ · Verse 8
Hebrew:
בָּהָ֣ר וּבַשְּׁפֵלָ֗ה וּבָֽעֲרָבָה֙ וּבָ֣אֲשֵׁד֔וֹת וּבַמִּדְבָּ֖ר וּבַנֶּ֑גֶב הַֽחִתִּי֙ הָאֱמֹרִ֔י וְהַֽכְּנַעֲנִי֙ הַפְּרִזִּ֔י הַחִוִּ֖י וְהַיְבוּסִֽי׃ {פ}
English:
in the hill country, in the lowlands, in the Arabah, in the slopes,cthe slopes Of Pisgah; cf. 13.20. in the wilderness, and in the Negeb—[in the land of] the Hittites, the Amorites, the Canaanites, the Perizzites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites.
פסוק ט׳ · Verse 9
Hebrew:
מֶ֥לֶךְ יְרִיח֖וֹ אֶחָ֑ד מֶ֧לֶךְ הָעַ֛י אֲשֶׁר־מִצַּ֥ד בֵּֽית־אֵ֖ל אֶחָֽד׃
English:
They were:the king of Jericho 1the king of Ai, near Bethel, 1
פסוק י״ · Verse 10
Hebrew:
מֶ֤לֶךְ יְרֽוּשָׁלַ֙͏ִם֙ אֶחָ֔ד מֶ֥לֶךְ חֶבְר֖וֹן אֶחָֽד׃
English:
the king of Jerusalem 1the king of Hebron 1
פסוק י״א · Verse 11
Hebrew:
מֶ֤לֶךְ יַרְמוּת֙ אֶחָ֔ד מֶ֥לֶךְ לָכִ֖ישׁ אֶחָֽד׃
English:
the king of Jarmuth 1the king of Lachish 1
פסוק י״ב · Verse 12
Hebrew:
מֶ֤לֶךְ עֶגְלוֹן֙ אֶחָ֔ד מֶ֥לֶךְ גֶּ֖זֶר אֶחָֽד׃
English:
the king of Eglon 1the king of Gezer 1
פסוק י״ג · Verse 13
Hebrew:
מֶ֤לֶךְ דְּבִר֙ אֶחָ֔ד מֶ֥לֶךְ גּ��֖דֶר אֶחָֽד׃
English:
the king of Debir 1the king of Geder 1
פסוק י״ד · Verse 14
Hebrew:
מֶ֤לֶךְ חׇרְמָה֙ אֶחָ֔ד מֶ֥לֶךְ עֲרָ֖ד אֶחָֽד׃
English:
the king of Hormah 1the king of Arad 1
פסוק ט״ו · Verse 15
Hebrew:
מֶ֤לֶךְ לִבְנָה֙ אֶחָ֔ד מֶ֥לֶךְ עֲדֻלָּ֖ם אֶחָֽד׃
English:
the king of Libnah 1the king of Adullam 1
פסוק ט״ז · Verse 16
Hebrew:
מֶ֤לֶךְ מַקֵּדָה֙ אֶחָ֔ד מֶ֥לֶךְ בֵּֽית־אֵ֖ל אֶחָֽד׃
English:
the king of Makkedah 1the king of Bethel 1
פסוק י״ז · Verse 17
Hebrew:
מֶ֤לֶךְ תַּפּ֙וּחַ֙ אֶחָ֔ד מֶ֥לֶךְ חֵ֖פֶר אֶחָֽד׃
English:
the king of Tappuah 1the king of Hepher 1
פסוק י״ח · Verse 18
Hebrew:
מֶ֤לֶךְ אֲפֵק֙ אֶחָ֔ד מֶ֥לֶךְ לַשָּׁר֖וֹן אֶחָֽד׃
English:
the king of Aphek 1the king of Sharon 1
פסוק י״ט · Verse 19
Hebrew:
מֶ֤לֶךְ מָדוֹן֙ אֶחָ֔ד מֶ֥לֶךְ חָצ֖וֹר אֶחָֽד׃
English:
the king of Madon 1the king of Hazor 1
פסוק כ׳ · Verse 20
Hebrew:
מֶ֣לֶךְ שִׁמְר֤וֹן מְרֹאון֙ אֶחָ֔ד מֶ֥לֶךְ אַכְשָׁ֖ף אֶחָֽד׃
English:
the king of Shimron-meron 1the king of Achshaph 1
פסוק כ״א · Verse 21
Hebrew:
מֶ֤לֶךְ תַּעְנַךְ֙ אֶחָ֔ד מֶ֥לֶךְ מְגִדּ֖וֹ אֶחָֽד׃
English:
the king of Taanach 1the king of Megiddo 1
פסוק כ״ב · Verse 22
Hebrew:
מֶ֤לֶךְ קֶ֙דֶשׁ֙ אֶחָ֔ד מֶלֶךְ־יׇקְנְעָ֥ם לַכַּרְמֶ֖ל אֶחָֽד׃
English:
the king of Kedesh 1the king of Jokneam in the Carmel 1
פסוק כ״ג · Verse 23
Hebrew:
מֶ֥לֶךְ דּ֛וֹר לְנָפַ֥ת דּ֖וֹר אֶחָ֑ד מֶלֶךְ־גּוֹיִ֥ם לְגִלְגָּ֖ל אֶחָֽד׃
English:
the king of Dor in the districtdin the district Meaning of Heb. uncertain. of Dor 1the king of Goiim in Gilgal 1
פסוק כ״ד · Verse 24
Hebrew:
מֶ֥לֶךְ תִּרְצָ֖ה אֶחָ֑ד כׇּל־מְלָכִ֖ים שְׁלֹשִׁ֥ים וְאֶחָֽד׃ {פ}
English:
the king of Tirzah 1Total number of kings 31.