Joshua 12:13-24

Jos 12:13

The king of Debir, one; the king of Geder, one;

 

Then Joshua fought against the town of Debir and killed their king but his name is not given.  This is the first mention of Geder which is probably Gederah within the tribe of Judah.  And Sharaim, and Adithaim, and Gederah, and Gederothaim; fourteen cities with their villages: (Joshua 15:36) 

 

Jos 12:14

The king of Hormah, one; the king of Arad, one;

 

And Judah went with Simeon his brother, and they slew the Canaanites that inhabited Zephath, and utterly destroyed it. And the name of the city was called Hormah. (Judges 1:17)  Hormah was a city way in the south.  The king’s name is not given.  Arad is probably the city of Arath which was about 20 miles (32 KM) south of Hebron.  The king’s name is not given.

 

Jos 12:15

The king of Libnah, one; the king of Adullam, one;

 

Libnah was close to Makkedah and Debir.  The king’s name is not given.  Adullam was located in the tribe of Judah and was where David hid himself from Saul.  The king’s name is not given.

 

Jos 12:16

The king of Makkedah, one; the king of Beth-el, one;

 

Makkedah was where Joshua had hid the five kings in a cave until he came and hung them.  The name of the king of Makkedah is not given.  Beth-el was close to Ai but the king’s name is not given.

 

Jos 12:17

The king of Tappuah, one; the king of Hepher, one;

 

Tappuah was on the border of Manasseh which belonged to the tribe of Ephraim.  The name of this king is not given.  Hepher is probably Gathhepher west of the Sea of Galilee where the prophet Jonah came from.  The king of this city is not given.

 

Jos 12:18

The king of Aphek, one; the king of Lasharon, one;

 

Aphek was in the tribe of Issachar which would have been southwest of the Sea of Galilee.  This king’s name is not known.  Lasharon was in the tribe area of Ephraim but the king’s name is not given.

 

Jos 12:19

The king of Madon, one; the king of Hazor, one;

 

The king of Madon whose name was Jobab.  And it came to pass, when Jabin king of Hazor had heard those things, that he sent to Jobab king of Madon, and to the king of Shimron, and to the king of Achshaph, (Joshua 11:1)  Of course, Jabin was the king of Hazor who had attempted to build a large coalition of forces of about 300,000 men to go against the army of Israel.

 

Jos 12:20

The king of Shimron-meron, one; the king of Achshaph, one;

 

Shimron-meron fell to the tribe of Zebulun which was west of the Sea of Galilee.  The king’s name is not given.  Achshaph fell to the tribe of Asher located on the coast of the Mediterranean Sea and west of the Sea of Galilee.  The king’s name is not given.

 

Jos 12:21

The king of Taanach, one; the king of Megiddo, one;

 

Taanach was in the tribe of Manasseh which was north of Ephraim.  The king’s name is not given.  Megiddo was in the tribe of Manasseh but the name of the king is not given.

 

Jos 12:22

The king of Kedesh, one; the king of Jokneam of Carmel, one;

 

Kedesh was located in the tribe of Naphtali and was one of the sanctuary cities.  Naphtali was located a little south of Dan.  The name of this king is not given.  Jokneam was in the tribe of Zebulun and it was close to Mt. Carmel.  The king’s name is not given.

 

Jos 12:23

The king of Dor in the coast of Dor, one; the king of the nations of Gilgal, one;

 

Dor was in the tribe of Manasseh but the king’s name is not given.  Dor was one of the towns where the tribe of Manasseh could not drive out the inhabitants.  This Gilgal is not the one where Joshua encamped for a while but is possibly located around the area of Galilee but the exact name and location are lost to antiquity.  This king’s name is not given.

 

Jos 12:24

The king of Tirzah, one: all the kings thirty and one.

 

Tirzah was located in the area of Manasseh west of the Jordan River and seemed to be a major city at that time.  So all the kings which Joshua had defeated was a total of thirty one but the entire land of Canaan was not yet subdued.

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