What is the meaning of Joshua 12:11? the king of Jarmuth, one • The list records the literal, historical fall of individual rulers; “one” underscores that a single, identifiable monarch was removed, leaving no rival standing (Joshua 12:7). • Jarmuth’s king had earlier joined the southern coalition against Israel and the Gibeonites (Joshua 10:3–5). His defeat fulfills God’s promise that every enemy who gathered against His people would be delivered into their hands (Deuteronomy 7:1–2; Joshua 10:8). • Jarmuth lay in the Shephelah, the Judean foothills (Joshua 15:35). Conquering this terrain opened the way from the hill country to the coastal plain, demonstrating the completeness of Joshua’s campaign (Joshua 11:23). • The notation “one” also reminds readers that victory comes battle by battle. Each conquest is a testimony to God’s faithfulness in specific, countable ways (Psalm 44:1–3). the king of Lachish, one • Lachish was a fortified city guarding the route from the coast into the interior (2 Chron 11:9). Its king’s fall removed a major strategic stronghold. • Joshua had already captured Lachish in a two-day siege following the miraculous victory at Gibeon (Joshua 10:31–32). Listing the king again in chapter 12 catalogs the completed judgment on Canaanite authority (Numbers 33:52; Joshua 12:1). • “One” stresses that no fragment of Lachish’s royal power survived. God’s command to utterly destroy idolatrous kings was fully carried out (Deuteronomy 20:16–18). • Later, Lachish would become a Judean city (Joshua 15:39), showing how God turns former enemy territory into an inheritance for His people (Exodus 23:30–31). summary Joshua 12:11 is more than a roll call; it is a testimony. By naming “the king of Jarmuth, one; the king of Lachish, one,” Scripture affirms that God kept His word to remove specific Canaanite powers and give Israel the land. Each “one” highlights God’s precise, measurable victories—proof that He acts in history, keeps promises, and secures every inch of the inheritance He has ordained for His people (Joshua 21:43–45). |
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