Deuteronomy3

Deuteronomy chapter three recounts Israel's victory over Og, the king of Bashan, and the subsequent taking of his sixty fortified cities and territory. This land, along with that previously conquered from Sihon, was then distributed to the tribes of Reuben, Gad, and the half-tribe of Manasseh. Moses commanded these tribes to send their armed men across the Jordan to aid their brethren in conquering the western land. The chapter concludes with Moses' plea to the Lord to enter the promised land, which is denied, and his subsequent instruction to commission and strengthen Joshua as the new leader.

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The Defeat of Og, King of Bashan

Then we turned and went up the road to Bashan, and Og king of Bashan and his whole army came out to meet us in battle at Edrei.

But the LORD said to me, “Do not fear him, for I have delivered him into your hand, along with all his people and his land. Do to him as you did to Sihon king of the Amorites, who lived in Heshbon.”

So the LORD our God also delivered Og king of Bashan and his whole army into our hands. We struck them down until no survivor was left.

At that time we captured all sixty of his cities. There was not a single city we failed to take—the entire region of Argob, the kingdom of Og in Bashan.

All these cities were fortified with high walls and gates and bars, and there were many more unwalled villages.

We devoted them to destruction, as we had done to Sihon king of Heshbon, utterly destroying the men, women, and children of every city.

But all the livestock and plunder of the cities we carried off for ourselves.

At that time we took from the two kings of the Amorites the land across the Jordan, from the Arnon Valley as far as Mount Hermon—

which the Sidonians call Sirion but the Amorites call Senir—

all the cities of the plateau, all of Gilead, and all of Bashan as far as the cities of Salecah and Edrei in the kingdom of Og.

(For only Og king of Bashan had remained of the remnant of the Rephaim. His bed of iron, nine cubits long and four cubits wide, is still in Rabbah of the Ammonites.)

Allocation of the Transjordan Territory

So at that time we took possession of this land. To the Reubenites and Gadites I gave the land beyond Aroer along the Arnon Valley, and half the hill country of Gilead, along with its cities.

To the half-tribe of Manasseh I gave the rest of Gilead and all of Bashan, the kingdom of Og. (The entire region of Argob, the whole territory of Bashan, used to be called the land of the Rephaim.)

Jair, a descendant of Manasseh, took the whole region of Argob as far as the border of the Geshurites and Maacathites. He renamed Bashan after himself, Havvoth-jair, by which it is called to this day.

To Machir I gave Gilead,

and to the Reubenites and Gadites I gave the territory from Gilead to the Arnon Valley (the middle of the valley was the border) and up to the Jabbok River, the border of the Ammonites.

The Jordan River in the Arabah bordered it from Chinnereth to the Sea of the Arabah (the Salt Sea) with the slopes of Pisgah to the east.

Moses Charges the Tribes and Joshua

At that time I commanded you: “The LORD your God has given you this land to possess. All your men of valor are to cross over, armed for battle, ahead of your brothers, the Israelites.

But your wives, your children, and your livestock—I know that you have much livestock—may remain in the cities I have given you,

until the LORD gives rest to your brothers as He has to you, and they too have taken possession of the land that the LORD your God is giving them across the Jordan. Then each of you may return to the possession I have given you.”

And at that time I commanded Joshua: “Your own eyes have seen all that the LORD your God has done to these two kings. The LORD will do the same to all the kingdoms you are about to enter.

Do not be afraid of them, for the LORD your God Himself will fight for you.”

Moses’ Final Plea and Succession

At that time I also pleaded with the LORD:

“O Lord GOD, You have begun to show Your greatness and power to Your servant. For what god in heaven or on earth can perform such works and mighty acts as Yours?

Please let me cross over and see the good land beyond the Jordan—that pleasant hill country as well as Lebanon!”

But the LORD was angry with me on account of you, and He would not listen to me. “That is enough,” the LORD said to me. “Do not speak to Me again about this matter.

Go to the top of Pisgah and look to the west and north and south and east. See the land with your own eyes, for you will not cross this Jordan.

But commission Joshua, encourage him, and strengthen him, for he will cross over ahead of the people and enable them to inherit the land that you will see.”

So we stayed in the valley opposite Beth-peor.

Study Notes for Deuteronomy 3

Verse 2

God preemptively assures Moses of victory, emphasizing that the defeat of Og will mirror the successful campaign against Sihon. This reinforces God's consistent power and faithfulness in the conquest.

Verse 3

Og’s defeat confirms the execution of the *herem* mandate (complete destruction) against the inhabitants, a theme central to the conquest narratives, demonstrating God's judgment on these wicked nations.

Verse 4

Bashan was known for its fertility and secure cities. The capture of sixty fortified cities highlights the totality of the conquest and the overwhelming scale of God's power displayed through Israel.

Verse 9

This parenthetical comment provides geographical clarity, showing that Mount Hermon was known by different names to various regional peoples (Sirion to the Sidonians and Shenir to the Amorites).

Verse 11

Og is emphasized as the last survivor of the Rephaim (giants). The immense size of his iron bedstead (over 13 feet long) serves as a physical testament to the strength of the enemy God conquered, proving the impossibility of the victory without divine aid.

Verse 13

The reference to 'the land of giants' (Rephaim) confirms the previous verse (v. 11). This territory was desirable, known for its rich grazing and agricultural potential, appealing to the tribes with large flocks.

Verse 14

Jair’s action of renaming the area highlights how Israel established possession through military action and subsequent naming rituals, solidifying their claim to the former kingdom of Og.

Verse 20

This condition sets a crucial precedent: the land given by God requires participation in the communal struggle until all Israel has achieved ‘rest’ (security) in their promised land west of the Jordan.

Verse 21

Moses here commissions Joshua as the military leader, assuring him that the overwhelming victories against Sihon and Og are prophetic examples of what God will do for Israel in Canaan proper.

Verse 24

Moses’ prayer acknowledges God’s incomparable power, using the conquest of the Transjordan kings as irrefutable proof of Yahweh’s uniqueness among all gods.

Verse 25

Moses longs to see the 'good land,' specifically mentioning the mountainous region and Lebanon (representing the northern extent of the Promised Land), emphasizing the beauty and desirability of the inheritance.

Verse 26

God’s refusal is explicitly tied to the sin of the people ('for your sakes'), referencing the incident at Meribah (Num. 20:12), where Moses dishonored God before the assembly.

Verse 27

Pisgah (a peak within the Abarim range) becomes Moses’ final viewpoint, symbolizing the tragic limitation of his leadership—he sees the covenant promise but cannot enter it physically.

Verse 28

The definitive instruction for Moses to empower Joshua confirms the transfer of authority. Joshua is not just a general but the one who will 'cause them to inherit' the land, fulfilling the covenant promise.

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Deuteronomy3

The Defeat of Og, King of Bashan

Allocation of the Transjordan Territory

Moses Charges the Tribes and Joshua

Moses’ Final Plea and Succession

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