יהושע, פרק י״ב, פסוק ו׳

The conclusion of the military campaigns on the eastern side of the Jordan River seals the conquest of the region, recording the defeated kings and the tribes that settled in their place [ביאור שטיינזלץ]. Moses led the Israelites in striking down the local nations and distributing their territory as an inheritance. He operated strictly as the servant of God, highlighting that all his actions were driven by an explicit divine command. Ordinarily, there was a strict prohibition against conquering territories outside the Land of Israel before the primary conquest of the Land itself was complete. However, Moses functioned directly as God's messenger in this instance. Both the military takeover and the subsequent division of the land to the tribes of Reuben, Gad, and half of Manasseh were executed under God's direct orders [מלבי״ם].

The subsequent record of the defeated Canaanite kings follows a highly specific visual format when written in a scroll, identical to the layout used for the ten sons of Haman. Jewish legal tradition dictates that the names must be written in straight, stacked columns, resembling blocks placed directly on top of other blocks. This contrasts sharply with the stable, interlocking brickwork pattern used for songs of praise, such as the Song of the Sea or the Song of Deborah. The unstable, stacked design is deeply symbolic. Just as a physical wall built with perfectly overlapping bricks will inevitably collapse, this fragile layout visually represents the complete and total downfall of these kings. This specific format is not merely a traditional custom but a strict legal requirement; failing to write the list in this exact manner renders the text invalid [מנחת שי].