Useful Bible Studies > 2 Kings Commentary > chapter 10
For several centuries, Israel’s land had included a large area of land on the east side of the Jordan river. This was not part of the land that God had promised to Abraham (Genesis 15:18-21). The land that God promised to Abraham’s family was on the west side of the river.
The history of this land on the east side of the river is in Deuteronomy 2:24 to 3:20. At the time of Moses, the kings who ruled there were called Sihon and Og. Israel’s people had to pass through their land in order to reach the land that God had given to Israel. However, Sihon and Og would not allow them to pass through, so Israel had to fight against them. God gave Israel success in those battles. So, Israel’s people took possession of their land, and they (Israel’s people) camped there.
The land was good land for cows and other farm animals. Some of Israel’s tribes (family groups) had many animals, and they wanted to take that land as their permanent possession. So, God directed Moses to give that land to the tribes called Reuben, Gad and part of Manasseh.
Those tribes helped the rest of Israel’s people as they took the land on the west side of the Jordan. Then they returned to their own land on the east side. They had some important cities there, including Mahanaim (2 Samuel 17:24), Jabesh-Gilead (1 Samuel 11:1-11) and Ramoth-Gilead (9:1-4).
It was this land that Hazael, king of Aram or Syria, took from Israel at the time of Jehu. For many years previous to this, Aram had been fighting Israel for control of Ramoth-Gilead. Now, at last, Aram had gained the entire region. It was a great loss for Jehu and for his country, northern and central Israel.
Next part: Jehu's rule over Israel (2 Kings 10:34-36)
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© 2025, Keith Simons.