DeuteronomyChapter 3

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

But the LORD said to me, "Do not fear him, for I have given 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 gave Og king of Bashan and all his people into our hand, and we struck them down until not a single survivor was left.

At that time we captured all his cities; there was not a town we did not take from them—sixty cities, the whole region of Argob, the kingdom of Og in Bashan.

All of these were cities fortified with high walls, gates, and bars, besides a great many unwalled villages.

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

But all the livestock and the spoil of the cities we took as plunder for ourselves.

So at that time we took the land from the two kings of the Amorites beyond the Jordan, from the Arnon Valley to Mount Hermon—

the Sidonians call Hermon Sirion, while the Amorites call it Senir—

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

For only Og king of Bashan was left of the remnant of the Rephaim. His bed was a bed of iron; it is still in Rabbah of the Ammonites, nine cubits long and four cubits wide, by the common cubit.

At that time we took possession of this land. I gave the Reubenites and the Gadites the territory from Aroer on the edge of the Arnon Valley, along with half the hill country of Gilead and its cities.

The rest of Gilead and all of Bashan, the kingdom of Og, I gave to the half-tribe of Manasseh—the whole region of Argob, all of Bashan. It 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 the Maacathites, and he named that part of Bashan after himself, Havvoth Jair, which it is called to this day.

And to Machir I gave Gilead.

To the Reubenites and the Gadites I gave the territory from Gilead down to the Arnon Valley, with the middle of the valley as the border, and up to the Jabbok River, the border of the Ammonites,

along with the Arabah, bordered by the Jordan, from Kinnereth to the Sea of the Arabah, the Salt Sea, below the slopes of Pisgah on the east.

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

Only your wives, your children, and your livestock—and I know 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 take possession of the land the LORD your God is giving them beyond the Jordan. Then each of you may return to the property I have given you."

At that time I commanded Joshua: "Your own eyes have seen everything 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."

At that time I pleaded with the LORD:

"Sovereign LORD, you have begun to show your servant your greatness and your mighty hand. For what god is there in heaven or on earth who can do such deeds and mighty works as yours?

Let me cross over, I pray, and see the good land beyond the Jordan—that fine hill country and Lebanon."

But the LORD was angry with me because of you, and he would not listen to me. "Enough," the LORD said to me. "Do not speak to me about this matter again.

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

But commission Joshua, and strengthen and encourage him, for he will cross over ahead of this people, and he will give them as their inheritance the land you will see.

So we stayed in the valley opposite Beth Peor.

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Summary2

Chapter 3

Main Theme: Moses recounts the victory over King Og of Bashan and the distribution of the territories east of the Jordan.

Content: Israel defeated King Og of Bashan and captured all sixty of his cities. Moses allocated the lands to Reuben, Gad, and half the tribe of Manasseh, but required the armed men to assist the other tribes in conquering the territory west of the Jordan. Moses earnestly pleaded to enter the Promised Land, but God refused and instead commanded him to strengthen Joshua as his successor.

Key Words/Images:

Og's iron bedstead: A symbol of the giant king's size – the bed was nine cubits long (v. 11).
Sixty cities: The extent of the conquest in the region of Argob demonstrates God's mighty help.
The top of Pisgah: The place where Moses was only allowed to see, but not enter, the Promised Land.
"Do not fear": God's encouragement to Israel before battle, a guarantee of victory.

Historical context

Historical and Cultural Context for Deuteronomy 3

People

Og, king of Bashan (עוֹג מֶלֶךְ־הַבָּשָׁן) appears in this chapter as the last survivor of the Rephaim (רְפָאִים, v. 11), a people known in Old Testament tradition for their unusual size. The text specifically mentions his iron bed (עֶרֶשׂ בַּרְזֶל) – possibly a sarcophagus – which measured about 4 meters in length and 1.8 meters in width, and which, according to the text, could be seen in Rabbah, the capital of the Ammonites. This served as concrete testimony to his existence and size for later generations.

Jair, son of Manasseh (יָאִיר בֶּן־מְנַשֶּׁה, v. 14) and Machir (מָכִיר, v. 15) are mentioned as leaders who received territories east of the Jordan. Jair gave his name to "the towns of Jair" (חַוֺּת יָאִיר), an area in Bashan that retained this name for a long time.

Joshua (יְהוֹשׁוּעַ, v. 21, 28) receives Moses' encouragement and commissioning as leader in this chapter. Moses commands him not to fear, for the Lord will fight for the people (v. 21-22), and God instructs Moses to strengthen and encourage Joshua, who is to lead the people into the land (v. 28).

Places

Bashan (הַבָּשָׁן) was a fertile highland area east of the Sea of Galilee. The region included Edrei (אֶדְרֶעִי, v. 1, 10), the place where Og came out to meet Israel in battle, and Salkah (סַלְכָה, v. 10), which marked the eastern boundary of the area. Edrei is usually identified with today's Dar'a in Syria.

The district of Argob (חֶבֶל אַרְגֹּב, v. 4, 13-14) is described as an area containing 60 fortified cities with high walls, gates, and bars (v. 5). This testifies to a highly developed urban culture in the region.

Mount Hermon (חֶרְמוֹן, v. 8-9) marked the northern boundary of the territory and was known by several names: the Sidonians called it Sirion (שִׂרְיֹן), while the Amorites called it Senir (שְׂנִיר).

Pisgah (הַפִּסְגָּה, v. 17, 27) is mentioned both as a geographical marker ("the slopes of Pisgah", אַשְׁדֹּת הַפִּסְגָּה) and as the mountain peak where Moses was told to go up to see the land in all directions.

Kinnereth (כִּנֶּרֶת, v. 17) and the Arabah Sea/the Salt Sea (יָם הָעֲרָבָה יָם הַמֶּלַח, v. 17) mark the geographical boundaries of the allotted area.

Beth-peor (בֵּית פְּעוֹר, v. 29) was the place where Israel camped in the valley opposite, marking the conclusion of Moses' geographical overview.

Events and Customs

The practice of herem (הַחֲרֵם, v. 6) – the total destruction of conquered cities including their inhabitants – is also mentioned in this chapter, just as it was regarding Sihon (chapter 2). Livestock and plunder could be kept (v. 7), but the people and the cities themselves were devoted to destruction. This was a religious act of war where the spoil was "consecrated" to God through destruction.

The allocation of land (v. 12-17) describes the first distribution of inheritance land to the tribes of Reuben, Gad, and half of Manasseh east of the Jordan. The agreement stipulated that fighting men had to cross the Jordan to help the other tribes before they could return to their families (v. 18-20) – an early example of military mobilization duty that bound the tribes together.

Moses' prayer and God's answer (v. 23-28) describe Moses' earnest desire to enter the promised land, and God's refusal. Instead, Moses was told to view the land from Pisgah and to commission Joshua as his successor.

Key Terms

The expression "eretz refaim" (אֶרֶץ רְפָאִים, "land of the Rephaim", v. 13) links the area to an earlier population. The Rephaim are mentioned several times in the OT as a people of unusually large stature who inhabited areas both east and west of the Jordan before the arrival of the Israelites.

"Amat ish" (בְּאַמַּת־אִישׁ, "by a man's cubit", v. 11) indicates that the measurements of Og's bed were based on the standard cubit – about 45 cm – thus not some special "giant size". This gives the bed dimensions of approximately 4 x 1.8 meters.

Moses' prayer uses the double divine name "Adonai JHVH" (אֲדֹנָי יְהוִה, v. 24), a solemn expression that emphasizes the earnest character of the prayer.

People7

And (King of Bashan)2 Joshua2 Gilead1 Ja'ir (Son of Manasseh, captured villages in Gilead)1 Sihon (Amorite king)2 Machir1 Manasse (Joseph's son)1

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Key words5

Heshbon — A city in Moab that was conquered by the Israelites and given to the tribe of Reuben as part of their inheritance.
Bashan — An area east of the Jordan, known for its fertility and rich pastures; conquered by the Israelites under Moses' leadership.
Og — The king of Bashan who was defeated by the Israelites under Moses' leadership; his defeat symbolizes God's power and protection of His people.
Sirion — Another name for Mount Hermon, a high mountain in the Anti-Lebanon range, which formed part of the boundary between Canaan and other regions.
Inheritance — A term referring to the land and resources that God gave to the Israelites after their departure from Egypt; this includes the territories distributed among the twelve tribes.

Timeline1