The land conquered on the east side of the Jordan had for its southern limit the Arnon Valley; the Arnon River flows into the Dead Sea about halfway between the southern and northern ends of the sea; and the city of Aroer (verse 2) is on the Arnon River. The northern limit was Mount Hermon (see 11.3).

The verb tense had already conquered and occupied may leave the reader guessing as to the time reference intended, especially if the reading is begun with this chapter. In order to help the reader, and on the basis of verse 6, one may translate “Moses had (already) led the people of Israel to conquer and occupy….”

They defeated two kings may easily be fitted into the earlier part of the verse:

• Moses had led the people of Israel to defeat two kings east of the Jordan and to take over their territory, which went from the Arnon Valley up the Jordan River and as far north as Mount Hermon.

Or, if two sentences are more satisfactory:

• Moses had already led the people of Israel to conquer two kings east of the Jordan and to take over their territory. The territory of these two kings ran from the Arnon Valley up the Jordan River and as far north as Mount Hermon.

Quoted with permission from Bratcher, Robert G. and Newman, Barclay M. A Handbook on Joshua. (UBS Helps for Translators). New York: UBS, 1983. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .