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:
Here are the kings of the land that the Israelites defeated and whose territories they took over on the east side of the Jordan River toward the sunrise. This land stretched from the Arnon River all the way to Mount Hermon, including all the plains in the east.
This verse introduces a list of the kings and territories that Israel conquered on the eastern side of the Jordan River before crossing into the Promised Land.
📚 Historical Context
This refers to Israel's victories over the Amorite kingdoms of Sihon and Og during their wilderness journey, before they crossed the Jordan River into Canaan proper. These eastern territories were given to the tribes of Reuben, Gad, and half of Manasseh as their inheritance. The phrase 'toward the rising of the sun' simply means eastward, as people oriented themselves by the sun's movement.
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