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.

The Defeat of Og, King of Bashan

"Then we turned and went up the road to Bashan, and 'Og the king of Bashan came out against us with all his people to fight at Edre'i.

ADONAI said to me, 'Don't be afraid of him; for I have handed him, all his people and his territory over to you; you will do to him as you did to Sichon king of the Emori, who lived at Heshbon.'

So ADONAI our God also handed over to us 'Og the king of Bashan with all his people, and we defeated him until he had no one left.

At that time we captured all his cities; there was not one city of theirs that we didn't capture. There were sixty cities, all the region of Argov, the kingdom of 'Og in Bashan;

all of them fortified cities with high walls, gates and bars - in addition to a great number of unwalled towns.

We completely destroyed them, as we did with Sichon king of Heshbon, annihilating every city -men, women and little ones.

But we took all the livestock, along with the spoil from the cities, as booty for ourselves.

"At that time we captured the territory of the two kings of the Emori east of the Yarden between the Arnon Valley and Mount Hermon,"

the Hermon which the Tzidonim call Siryon and the Emori call S'nir,

"all the cities of the plain, all Gil'ad and all Bashan, as far as Salkhah and Edre'i, cities of the kingdom of 'Og in Bashan."

'Og king of Bashan was the last survivor of the Refa'im. His bed was made of iron; it is still in Rabbah with the people of 'Amon. It was nine cubits long and four cubits wide, using the normal cubit [thirteen-and-a-half by six feet].

Allocation of the Transjordan Territory

"Of this land that we took possession of then, I assigned to the Re'uveni and the Gadi the territory extending from 'Aro'er along the Arnon Valley together with half the hill-country of Gil'ad, including its cities.

The rest of Gil'ad and all Bashan, the kingdom of 'Og, I gave to the half-tribe of M'nasheh." The whole region of Argov together with all of Bashan form what is called the land of Refa'im.

Ya'ir the son of M'nasheh took all the region of Argov, as far as the border with the G'shuri and the Ma'akhati; he named this whole area, including Bashan, after himself -it remains Havot-Ya'ir to this day.

"I gave Gil'ad to Machir;

and to the Re'uveni and the Gadi I gave the territory from Gil'ad to the Arnon Valley, with the middle of the valley as the border, as far as the Yabok River, which is the border with the people of 'Amon;

the 'Aravah too, the Yarden being its border, from Kinneret to the Sea of the 'Aravah, the Dead Sea, at the foot of the slopes of Pisgah to the east.

Moses Charges the Tribes and Joshua

"At that time I gave you this order: 'ADONAI your God has given you this land to possess. But all of you who are fit to fight must cross over, armed, ahead of your brothers the people of Isra'el.

Your wives, your little ones and your livestock - I know you have much livestock - will stay in your cities which I have given you,

until ADONAI allows your brothers to rest, as he has allowed you; and they too take possession of the land ADONAI your God is giving them on the west side of the Yarden. At that point you will return, each man to his own possession which I have given you.'

"Also at that time I gave this order to Y'hoshua: 'Your eyes have seen everything that ADONAI your God has done to these two kings. ADONAI will do the same to all the kingdoms you encounter when you cross over.

Don't be afraid of them, because ADONAI your God will fight on your behalf.'

Moses’ Final Plea and Succession

"Then I pleaded with ADONAI,

'Adonai ELOHIM, you have begun to reveal your greatness to your servant, and your strong hand - for what other god is there in heaven or on earth that can do the works and mighty deeds that you do?

Please! Let me go across and see the good land on the other side of the Yarden, that wonderful hill-country and the L'vanon!'

But ADONAI was angry with me on account of you, and he didn't listen to me. ADONAI said to me, 'Enough from you! Don't say another word to me about this matter!

Climb up to the top of Pisgah and look out to the west, north, south and east. Look with your eyes - but you will not go across this Yarden.

However, commission Y'hoshua, encourage him and strengthen him; for he will lead this people across and enable them to inherit the land that you will see.'

So we stayed in the valley across from Beit-P'or.

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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