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

1
Then we turned, and went up the way to Bashan. Og the king of Bashan came out against us, he and all his people, to battle at Edrei.
2
The LORD said to me, “Don’t fear him; for I have delivered him, with all his people, and his land, into your hand. You shall do to him as you did to Sihon king of the Amorites, who lived at Heshbon.” ​
3
So the LORD our God delivered into our hand Og also, the king of Bashan, and all his people. We struck him until no one was left to him remaining. ​
4
We took all his cities at that time. There was not a city which we didn’t take from them; sixty cities, all the region of Argob, the kingdom of Og in Bashan. ​
5
All these were cities fortified with high walls, gates, and bars; besides a great many towns without walls.
6
We utterly destroyed them, as we did to Sihon king of Heshbon, utterly destroying every inhabited city, with the women and the little ones.
7
But all the livestock, and the plunder of the cities, we took for plunder for ourselves.
8
We took the land at that time out of the hand of the two kings of the Amorites who were beyond the Jordan, from the valley of the Arnon to Mount Hermon.
9
(The Sidonians call Hermon Sirion, and the Amorites call it Senir.) ​
10
We took all the cities of the plain, and all Gilead, and all Bashan, to Salecah and Edrei, cities of the kingdom of Og in Bashan.
11
(For only Og king of Bashan remained of the remnant of the Rephaim. Behold, his bedstead was a bedstead of iron. Isn’t it in Rabbah of the children of Ammon? Nine cubits was its length, and four cubits its breadth, after the cubit of a man.) ​

Allocation of the Transjordan Territory

12
This land we took in possession at that time: from Aroer, which is by the valley of the Arnon, and half the hill country of Gilead, and its cities, gave I to the Reubenites and to the Gadites:
13
and the rest of Gilead, and all Bashan, the kingdom of Og, gave I to the half-tribe of Manasseh; all the region of Argob, even all Bashan. (The same is called the land of Rephaim. ​
14
Jair the son of Manasseh took all the region of Argob, to the border of the Geshurites and the Maacathites, and called them, even Bashan, after his own name, Havvoth Jair, to this day.) ​
15
I gave Gilead to Machir.
16
To the Reubenites and to the Gadites I gave from Gilead even to the valley of the Arnon, the middle of the valley, and its border, even to the river Jabbok, which is the border of the children of Ammon;
17
the Arabah also, and the Jordan and its border, from Chinnereth even to the sea of the Arabah, the Salt Sea, under the slopes of Pisgah eastward.

Moses Charges the Tribes and Joshua

18
I commanded you at that time, saying, “The LORD your God has given you this land to possess it. You shall pass over armed before your brothers the children of Israel, all the men of valor.
19
But your wives, and your little ones, and your livestock, (I know that you have much livestock), shall live in your cities which I have given you,
20
until the LORD gives rest to your brothers, as to you, and they also possess the land which the LORD your God gives them beyond the Jordan. Then you shall each return to his own possession, which I have given you.” ​
21
I commanded Joshua at that time, saying, “Your eyes have seen all that the LORD your God has done to these two kings. So shall the LORD do to all the kingdoms where you go over. ​
22
You shall not fear them; for the LORD your God himself fights for you.”

Moses’ Final Plea and Succession

23
I begged the LORD at that time, saying,
24
“Lord the LORD, you have begun to show your servant your greatness, and your strong hand. For what god is there in heaven or in earth that can do works like yours, and mighty acts like yours? ​
25
Please let me go over and see the good land that is beyond the Jordan, that fine mountain, and Lebanon.” ​
26
But the LORD was angry with me for your sakes, and didn’t listen to me. the LORD said to me, “Let this satisfy you. Speak no more to me of this matter. ​
27
Go up to the top of Pisgah, and lift up your eyes westward, and northward, and southward, and eastward, and see with your eyes; for you shall not go over this Jordan. ​
28
But commission Joshua, and encourage him, and strengthen him; for he shall go over before this people, and he shall cause them to inherit the land which you shall see.” ​
29
So we stayed in the valley near 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.

Use ← → arrow keys to navigate
Settings

Reading Style

Typeface

Font Size 19px

Options