John Calvin on Joshua 11:23

23. So Joshua took the whole land, The Latin text of the 23rd verse, (Joshua 11:23), beginning thus, “Accepit itaque Josue totam terram prorsus ut dixerat Jehova Mosi;” “Joshua, therefore received the whole land entirely, as the Lord had said to Moses,” removes the apparent inaccuracy, but it is only by a sacrifice of the literal meaning, which is perfectly rendered by the English version. “So (And) Joshua took the whole land, according to all that the Lord said unto Moses.” This is certainly superior to the Latin, which endeavors to obtain by a gloss that which the English equally well obtains by a literal rendering. In the commentary, the words of the 23rd verse, (Joshua 11:23), as quoted, are, Et cepit Josue. This makes it not improbable that the Accepit of the text is only a misprint of Et cepit — Ed. etc Although it was far from being true that Joshua had actually acquired the whole land, yet he is truly said to have obtained it as God had declared to Moses, the latter clause restricting the meaning of the general sentence. For it had been expressly added that the conquest which God had promised would be made gradually, lest it should afterwards become necessary to war with the ferocious wild beasts of the woods, if they pressed forward into a desert waste. Therefore, we are at liberty to say, that though the Lord had not yet placed his people in possession of the promised land, yet he had virtually performed what he had agreed to do, inasmuch as he gave a commodious habitation, and one which was sufficient for the present time. And the words used imply that other district, which had not yet come into their full and actual possession, are included; for it is said that that which they had acquired was distributed according to families. And, in short, we afterwards see in the division that the lands were divided into lots which were not actually subdued by the people till Joshua was dead, nay, till many ages after. French, “Or en la division nous verrons puis apres, que les regions qui furent assujetties a l’empire de peuple apres la mort de Josue, voire plusieurs siecles depuis, furent mises en sort pour voir a qui elles escherroyent;” “Now, in the division, we shall afterwards see that the countries which are subjected to the dominion of the people after the death of Joshua, nay, several ages after, were put into the lot, in order to see to whom they should fall.” The meaning of the words, which is now plain, is simply this, that while Joshua was still alive, a certain specimen of the promise was exhibited, making him feel perfectly secure in dividing the land by lot. Latin, “Exhibitum fuisse certum specimen promissionis ut secure licuerit terram sorte dividere.” French, “La promesse fut tellement ratifice, et si bien eprouvee par effect, qu’il leur fut loisible de diviser la terre par sort;” “The promise was so far ratified and proved by fact, that they were able to leisure to divide the land by lot.” — Ed.

CHAPTER 12

Joshua 12:1-24

1. Now these are 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:

1. Hi sunt reges terrae quos percusserunt filii Israel, et quorum possederunt terram trans Jordanem, ad ortum solis a torrente Arnon usque ad montem Hermon, et omnem planitiem orientalem.

2. Sihon king of the Amorites, who dwelt in Heshbon, and ruled from Aroer, which is upon the bank of the river Arnon, and from the middle of the river, and from half Gilead, even unto the river Jabbok, which is the border of the children of Ammon;

2. Sihon rex Aemorrhaeus qui habitabat in Hesbon, qui dominabatur ab Arnon, et ad medium torrentis, et ad mediam partem Gilead, usque ad Jabbok torrentem, qui est terminus filiorum Ammon.

3. And from the plain to the sea of Chinneroth on the east, and unto the sea of the plain, even the salt sea on the east, the way to Bethjeshimoth; and from the south, under Ashdothpisgah:

3. Et a planitie usque ad mare Cineroth ad orientem, et usque ad mare deserti, mare salis ad orientem per viam Beth-hagesimoth, et ab austro sub effusionibus Pisga.

4. And the coast of Og king of Bashan, which was of the remnant of the giants, that dwelt at Ashtaroth and at Edrei,

4. Terminus praeterea Og regis Basan ex residuo Raphaim qui habitabat in Astaroth, et in Hedrei.

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.

5. Qui dominabatur in monte Hermon, et in Salchah, et in toto Basan, usque ad terminum Gessuri, et Maachati: et mediam partem Gilead, terminus Sihon regis Hesbon.

6. Them did Moses the servant of the LORD and the children of Israel smite: and Moses the servant of the LORD gave it for a possession unto the Reubenites, and the Gadites, and the half tribe of Manasseh.

6. Moses servus Jehovae, et filii Israel percusserunt eos, et dedit eam Moses servus Jehovae in possessionem Rubenitis, et Gaditis, et dimidiae tribui Manasse.

7. And these are the kings of the country which Joshua and the children of Israel smote on this side Jordan on the west, from Baalgad in the valley of Lebanon even unto the mount Halak, that goeth up to Seir; which Joshua gave unto the tribes of Israel for a possession according to their divisions;

7. Isti autem sunt reges terrae quos percussit Josue, et filii Israel trans Jordanem ad occidentem, a Ballgad in campo Libani, usque ad montem Laevem qui assurgit in Seir, et tradidit eam Josue tribubus Israel in possessionem secundum partes eorum.

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:

8. In montanis, et in planitie, et in campestribus, et in Asdoth, et in deserto, et in austro: Hitthaeus, Aemorrhaeus, Chananaeus, Pherisaeus, Hivaeus, et Jebusaeus.

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

9. Rex Jericho unus, rex Ali, qui erat e latere Bethel unus.

10. The king of Jerusalem, one; the king of Hebron, one;

10. Rex Jerusalem unus, rex Hebron unus.

11. The king of Jarmuth, one; the king of Lachish, one;

11. Rex Jarmuth unus, rex Lachis unus.

12. The king of Eglon, one; the king of Gezer, one;

12. Rex Eglon unus, rex Jeser unus.

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

13. Rex Debir unus, rex Jeder unus.

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

14. Rex Hormah unus, rex Arad unus.

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

15. Rex Libna unus, rex Adullam unus.

16. The king of Makkedah, one; the king of Bethel, one;

16. Rex Makeda unus, rex Beth-el unus.

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

17. Rex Tapua unus, rex Epher unus.

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

18. Rex Aphek unus, rex Lasaron unus.

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

19. Rex Madon unus, rex Asor unus.

20. The king of Shimronmeron, one; the king of Achshaph, one;

20. Rex Simron-Meron unus, rex Achsaph unus.

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

21. Rex Taanach unus, rex Megiddo unus.

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

22. Rex Kedesch unus, rex Jocnam ad Carmelum unus.

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

23. Rex Dor ad Naphath-dor unus, rex Goim in Gilgal unus.

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

24. Rex Thirsa unus: omnes reges triginta et unus.