These are the kings of the land whom the people of Isra’el defeated and of whose land they took possession… making a total of thirty-one kings.
I’m not sure exactly how to take this. On one hand, Israel is a tiny nation, so what were 31 kings doing ruling in it? On the other hand, it is the G-d’s special place on Earth. The Crusades were fought over it, yes, there were multiple Crusades and Israel or Jerusalem was a focal point for more than one of them. For decades US Presidents have talked about Israel, the UN has fought about it. For such a small, seemingly insignificant country, Israel has a draw to it. Was that draw recognized by all those kings at that time? Perhaps. Another angle to take is: look at how miraculous it is that one tiny nation of former slaves spent 40 years in the Wilderness to emerge from it and conquer, with Heaven’s help, 31 kings with 31 armies. That is impressive!
