Joshua 12:9-24

A List of the Kings Defeated by Joshua 12:9-24

9 The king of Jericho, one; the king of Ai, which is 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.

8.

Why was the king of Bethel not mentioned? Joshua 12:9

The men of Bethel joined with the men of Ai when they were ambushed by the Israelites. The town of Bethel was close to Ai, and there was apparently no separate battle fought against Bethel itself at this time. Ai was the main city known as a regal city; and when Ai fell, it also brought the downfall of Bethel. The children of Joseph later possessed the city, and the conquest of Bethel by these men of Ephraim is described in some detail in Judges 1:22-26.

9.

Who was the king of Jerusalem? Joshua 12:10

Jerusalem was known as Jebus, and her king was Adonizedek. Adonizedek was the leader of the southern league of kings who tried to join themselves together to attack the Gibeonites after they made peace with Israel. The next kings in the list were those who were in this southern coalition. Jerusalem was ruled by a king as early as the days of Abraham; for when he came back from rescuing Lot, he was met by Melchizedec, the king of Salem (Genesis 14:18). It is easy to see how this city once called Jebus and again called Salem eventually became known as Jerusalem.

10.

Who was the king of Hazor? Joshua 12:19

Jabin was the king of Hazor. It was he who led the league in the North as the kings in that area banded themselves together to fight against Israel. The next kings in the list were those who formed this northern coalition. None of these kings was successful in defending his city against the people of Israel. All of them fell, and their cities were destroyed. With the fall of the kings in the northern and southern coalitions, the major part of the resistance of the Canaanites was destroyed,

11.

Who was the king of the nations? Joshua 12:23

Some commentators view the Hebrew word for nations as a proper noun. They thus translate this passage like the others and talk about the king of the Goiim. They thus make the word Goiim a proper name both here and in Genesis 14:1 where Tidal is called the king of the nations, Some identify the location as that of Gitum; and inasmuch as all the other names are proper names of cities, it would seem better to describe this man as the king of Goiim. Otherwise, we are left at a loss to know over what nations he ruled.

12.

How many kings were there in all? Joshua 12:24

There were thirty-one kings who were overthrown by the Israelites as they swept into Canaan and took possession of the land which was promised to them. Most of these kings have been met in the account which precedes this summary and further study of the exact battles in which they were involved would lead to a review of the preceding text. These were kings of the Hittites, Amorites, Canaanites, Perizzites, Hivites, and Jebusitesnations whom God was driving out from before Israel.