How does the chapter distinguish the lands Moses gave from those Josue gave?

Atlas of Saints · Chapter summary

It first records Sehon’s and Og’s lands east of the Jordan, which Moses gave to Ruben, Gad and half Manasses after Moses and Israel slew those kings. It then records the western land, which Josue gave to Israel’s tribes by their divisions, and names thirty-one western kings.

Chapter breakdown

The chapter lists kings Israel slew and whose lands it possessed east of the Jordan, toward the sunrise: from the torrent Arnon to Mount Hermon and all the eastern country facing the wilderness. Sehon, king of the Amorrhites, dwells in Hesebon. His rule reaches from Aroer on Arnon’s bank, the middle part in the valley and half Galaad, as far as the torrent Jaboc, the border of Ammon’s children. It also extends from the wilderness to the sea of Ceneroth toward the east and the wilderness sea—the most salt sea—on the east by the road to Bethsimoth, and south beneath Asedoth, Phasga.

Og, king of Basan, is of the remnant of the Raphaims and dwells in Astaroth and Edrai. He rules Mount Hermon, Salecha and all Basan to the borders of Gessuri and Machati, and half Galaad adjoining Sehon, king of Hesebon. Moses, the Lord’s servant, and Israel’s children slay these kings, and Moses gives their land in possession to the Rubenites, Gadites and half tribe of Manasses.

The next part names kings Josue and Israel’s children slay west of the Jordan, from Baalgad in Libanus’s field to the mountain whose part goes up into Seir. Josue gives this land in possession to Israel’s tribes, each according to its divisions. It includes mountains, plains, open country, Asedoth, wilderness and south, where the Hethite, Amorrhite, Chanaanite, Pherezite, Hevite and Jebusite are named.

The list counts one king for each of these places, in this order: Jericho; Hai beside Bethel; Jerusalem; Hebron; Jerimoth; Lachis; Eglon; Gazer; Dabir; Gader; Herma; Hered; Lebna; Odullam; Maceda; and Bethel.

It continues with one king for each: Taphua; Opher; Aphec; Saron; Madon; Asor; Semeron; Achsaph; Thenac; Mageddo; Cades; Jachanan of Carmel; Dor and Dor’s province; the nations of Galgal; and Thersa. The stated total is thirty-one kings.

The story inside

This chapter is a two-part record rather than a new battle story. The eastern part names Sehon and Og, describes their territories and says Moses and Israel slew them before Moses gave their lands to three named groups. The western part names Josue and Israel as the agents, gives the land’s bounds and kinds of terrain and says Josue distributed possession by tribes and divisions. Its list then counts one king at each of thirty-one entries. Preserving all entries and the qualifiers on Hai, Jachanan, Dor and Galgal keeps the stated total tied to the actual list. The source supplies no new theory of legal title, administrative purpose or future warfare.

Lessons worth keeping

1
The two sides of the Jordan have distinct leaders and recipients. Moses gives the eastern lands of Sehon and Og to Ruben, Gad and half Manasses; Josue gives the western land to Israel’s tribes according to their divisions.
2
The boundary descriptions carry more than the kings’ names. Sehon’s includes Arnon, Jaboc, both seas and the Bethsimoth road; Og’s includes Astaroth, Edrai, Hermon, Salecha, Basan and the borders of Gessuri and Machati. Keeping them preserves the chapter’s actual land record.
3
The western total is thirty-one, with one king per listed entry. Dor includes its province, Jachanan is qualified by Carmel, and Galgal’s entry is the king of the nations. Those qualifiers are part of the record rather than interchangeable city names.

Test your recall

After Moses and Israel slew Sehon and Og, to which groups did Moses give their lands, and how does Josue’s western distribution differ?

Source edition and notes

Douay–Rheims, revised by Richard Challoner (1749–1752). Project Gutenberg no. 1581. Locators refer to lines in the admitted pg1581.txt edition. Source notes may include Challoner commentary.

Lines 23599–23616
Josue Chapter 12 A list of the kings slain by Moses and Josue, 12:1. These are the kings, whom the children of Israel slew and possessed their land beyond the Jordan towards the rising of the sun, from the torrent Arnon unto mount Hermon, and all the east country that looketh towards the wilderness. 12:2. Sehon king of the Amorrhites, who dwelt in Hesebon, and had dominion from Aroer, which is seated upon the bank of the torrent Arnon, and of the middle part in the valley, and of half Galaad, as far as the torrent Jaboc, which is the border of the children of Ammon. 12:3. And from the wilderness, to the sea of Ceneroth towards the east, and to the sea of the wilderness, which is the most salt sea, on the east side by the way that leadeth to Bethsimoth: and on the south side that lieth under Asedoth, Phasga.
Lines 23618–23627
12:4. The border of Og the king of Basan, of the remnant of the Raphaims who dwelt in Astaroth, and in Edrai, and had dominion in mount Hermon, and in Salecha, and in all Basan, unto the borders 12:5. Of Gessuri and Machati, and of half Galaad: the borders of Sehon the king of Hesebon. 12:6. Moses the servant of the Lord, and the children of Israel slew them, and Moses delivered their land in possession to the Rubenites, and Gadites, and the half tribe of Manasses.
Lines 23629–23638
12:7. These are the kings of the land, whom Josue and the children of Israel slew beyond the Jordan on the west side from Baalgad in the field of Libanus, unto the mount, part of which goeth up into Seir: and Josue delivered it in possession to the tribes of Israel, to every one their divisions, 12:8. As well in the mountains as in the plains and the champaign countries. In Asedoth, and in the wilderness, and in the south was the Hethite and the Amorrhite, the Chanaanite and the Pherezite, the Hevite and the Jebusite.
Lines 23640–23655
12:9. The king of Jericho one: the king of Hai, which is on the side of Bethel, one: 12:10. The king of Jerusalem one, the king of Hebron one, 12:11. The king of Jerimoth one, the king of Lachis one, 12:12. The king of Eglon one, the king of Gazer one, 12:13. The king of Dabir one, the king of Gader one, 12:14. The king of Herma one, the king of Hered one, 12:15. The king of Lebna one, the king of Odullam one, 12:16. The king of Maceda one, the king of Bethel one,
Lines 23657–23674
12:17. The king of Taphua one, the king of Opher one, 12:18. The king of Aphec one, the king of Saron one, 12:19. The king of Madon one, the king of Asor one, 12:20. The king of Semeron one, the king of Achsaph one, 12:21. The king of Thenac one, the king of Mageddo one, 12:22. The king of Cades one, the king of Jachanan of Carmel one, 12:23. The king of Dor, and of the province of Dor one, the king of the nations of Galgal one, 12:24. The king of Thersa one: all the kings thirty and one.