Joshua 12:8
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:
Original Language Analysis
בָּהָ֣ר
In the mountains
H2022
בָּהָ֣ר
In the mountains
Strong's:
H2022
Word #:
1 of 12
a mountain or range of hills (sometimes used figuratively)
וּבַשְּׁפֵלָ֗ה
and in the valleys
H8219
וּבַשְּׁפֵלָ֗ה
and in the valleys
Strong's:
H8219
Word #:
2 of 12
lowland, i.e., (with the article) the maritime slope of palestine
וּבָֽעֲרָבָה֙
and in the plains
H6160
וּבָֽעֲרָבָה֙
and in the plains
Strong's:
H6160
Word #:
3 of 12
a desert; especially (with the article prefix) the (generally) sterile valley of the jordan and its continuation to the red sea
וּבַמִּדְבָּ֖ר
and in the wilderness
H4057
וּבַמִּדְבָּ֖ר
and in the wilderness
Strong's:
H4057
Word #:
5 of 12
a pasture (i.e., open field, whither cattle are driven); by implication, a desert
וּבַנֶּ֑גֶב
and in the south country
H5045
וּבַנֶּ֑גֶב
and in the south country
Strong's:
H5045
Word #:
6 of 12
the south (from its drought); specifically, the negeb or southern district of judah, occasionally, egypt (as south to palestine)
וְהַֽכְּנַעֲנִי֙
and the Canaanites
H3669
וְהַֽכְּנַעֲנִי֙
and the Canaanites
Strong's:
H3669
Word #:
9 of 12
a kenaanite or inhabitant of kenaan; by implication, a pedlar (the canaanites standing for their neighbors the ishmaelites, who conducted mercantile c
הַפְּרִזִּ֔י
the Perizzites
H6522
הַפְּרִזִּ֔י
the Perizzites
Strong's:
H6522
Word #:
10 of 12
a perizzite, one of the canaanitish tribes
Cross References
Joshua 11:16So Joshua took all that land, the hills, and all the south country, and all the land of Goshen, and the valley, and the plain, and the mountain of Israel, and the valley of the same;Joshua 10:40So Joshua smote all the country of the hills, and of the south, and of the vale, and of the springs, and all their kings: he left none remaining, but utterly destroyed all that breathed, as the LORD God of Israel commanded.Joshua 9:1And it came to pass, when all the kings which were on this side Jordan, in the hills, and in the valleys, and in all the coasts of the great sea over against Lebanon, the Hittite, and the Amorite, the Canaanite, the Perizzite, the Hivite, and the Jebusite, heard thereof;Exodus 23:23For mine Angel shall go before thee, and bring thee in unto the Amorites, and the Hittites, and the Perizzites, and the Canaanites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites: and I will cut them off.Exodus 3:8And I am come down to deliver them out of the hand of the Egyptians, and to bring them up out of that land unto a good land and a large, unto a land flowing with milk and honey; unto the place of the Canaanites, and the Hittites, and the Amorites, and the Perizzites, and the Hivites, and the Jebusites.Deuteronomy 9:1Hear, O Israel: Thou art to pass over Jordan this day, to go in to possess nations greater and mightier than thyself, cities great and fenced up to heaven,Deuteronomy 7:1When the LORD thy God shall bring thee into the land whither thou goest to possess it, and hath cast out many nations before thee, the Hittites, and the Girgashites, and the Amorites, and the Canaanites, and the Perizzites, and the Hivites, and the Jebusites, seven nations greater and mightier than thou;
Historical Context
This catalog (12:7-24) functions as a victory monument in literary form, comparable to Egyptian and Mesopotamian king lists. The six terrain types represent Canaan's full ecological diversity from Mediterranean coast to Jordan rift valley. The six ethnic groups (compare Exodus 3:8's seven) represent the peoples under divine judgment. Archaeological surveys confirm the geopolitical fragmentation described here—Canaan was divided into numerous small city-states, not unified kingdoms, making systematic conquest feasible.
Questions for Reflection
- How does the completeness of terrain types (mountains to wilderness) illustrate that Christian discipleship must engage every area of life, not just comfortable zones?
- What does God's patient waiting until the Amorites' 'iniquity was full' (Genesis 15:16) teach about His justice being both certain and measured?
- How should the reality of divine judgment through human agency inform your understanding of God's sovereignty in history?
Related Resources
Explore related topics, people, and study resources to deepen your understanding of this passage.
Analysis & Commentary
In the mountains, and in the valleys, and in the plains, and in the springs, and in the wilderness, and in the south country—This comprehensive geographic catalog uses six Hebrew terms for terrain types, emphasizing total conquest across every ecological zone. The har (הַר, 'mountains'), shephelah (שְׁפֵלָה, 'lowlands'), arabah (עֲרָבָה, 'plains'), ashedoth (אֲשֵׁדוֹת, 'slopes/springs'), midbar (מִדְבָּר, 'wilderness'), and negev (נֶגֶב, 'south country') represent Canaan's full topographical diversity.
The Hittites, the Amorites, and the Canaanites, the Perizzites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites—The sixfold ethnic list (compare Exodus 3:8's sevenfold) catalogs the peoples Israel displaced under divine judgment for filling up the 'iniquity of the Amorites' (Genesis 15:16). This wasn't ethnic cleansing but covenant judgment executed through Israel as God's instrument, foreshadowing final judgment through Christ.