Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Joshua 12:16
The king of Makkedah, one; the king of Bethel, one;
16. Makkedah ] See Jos 10:10; Jos 10:16-17; Jos 10:21.
Beth-el ] Earlier, Luz, famous for (i) Jacob’s dream (Gen 28:11-19); (ii) the worship of the calves in Jeroboam’s reign (1Ki 12:28-33), hence called Beth-aven = “the house of naught.”
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
The king of Makkedah, one,…. In a cave near to which five kings hid themselves, and were taken out and hanged, and the city afterwards was taken by Joshua, Jos 10:16; which fell to the lot of the tribe of Judah, Jos 15:41;
the king of Bethel, one; a city near to Ai, about a mile from it, and yet had a king over it: it was taken at the same time that Ai was, Jos 7:2; and fell to the lot of Benjamin, Jos 18:22.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
16. Makkedah See Jos 10:10.
Beth-el See Jos 7:2. [Whether the kings of Beth-el and Makkedah here mentioned were slain at the taking of Ai (compare Jos 8:17, note) and the battle of Beth-horon (Jos 10:28) is somewhat doubtful. It is expressly said that Joshua took Makkedah and destroyed its king in connexion with the great battle of Beth-horon, and it is also said that the men of Beth-el fought against Israel with the men of Ai. But the order of this list would seem to indicate that these kings fell after Joshua had conquered Southern Palestine and was returning northward. It is possible, however, that Beth-el and Makkedah may have recovered somewhat from their fall while Joshua was in the far south, and when he returned northward gave him battle again.
The same may be said of Libnah in the preceding verse compared with Jos 10:30. But on the whole it seems more probable that this list does not mean to chronicle the names of the cities in the exact order of their conquest.]
Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
‘ The king of Makkedah, one, the king of Bethel, one, the king of Tappuah, one, the king of Hepher, one, the king of Aphek, one, the king of Lassharon, one.’
The king of Makkedah was slain in Jos 10:28, assuming the same king is meant. But when one king died another became king. Thus it may not necessarily be the same king in view of the fact that this is out of place chronologically. If two kings of Makkedah were slain the writer may only have wished to mention one. But all it may show is that the order is not chronological. Libnah, Adullam, Makkedah, Bethel may suggest a return sweep from the Negeb.
There is no reason to think that the king of Bethel was slain when Ai was taken. Thus this was probably in a later battle. Bethel itself may not have been taken that time either (see Jdg 1:22-26). Tappuah was probably the town in Ephraimite territory on the southern border of Manasseh (Jos 16:8; Jos 17:7-8). It is possibly sited at modern Sheikh Abu Zarad about twelve kilometres (seven and a half miles) south of Shechem. For Hepher, Tell Ibshar on the plain of Sharon has been suggested. Aphek means ‘fortress’ and could therefore be a number of places (see Jos 13:4; Jos 15:53; Jos 19:30 among others). Lassharon (belonging to Sharon) is not known but has been connected with a site ten kilometres (six miles) south west of the Sea of Chinnereth.
Fuente: Commentary Series on the Bible by Peter Pett
Makkedah: Jos 10:28
Bethel: Jos 8:17, Gen 12:8, Gen 28:19, Jdg 1:22
Reciprocal: Jos 10:10 – Makkedah Jos 15:41 – Makkedah