Deuteronomy 3 - ESV - Bible Reading / Study Notes

Deuteronomy 3

The Defeat of King Og

3:1 “Then we turned and went up the way to Bashan. And Og the king of Bashan came out against us, he and all his people, to battle at Edrei. 2 But the LORD said to me, ‘Do not fear him, for I have given him and all his people and his land into your hand. And you shall do to him as you did to Sihon the king of the Amorites, who lived at Heshbon.’ 3 So the LORD our God gave into our hand Og also, the king of Bashan, and all his people, and we struck him down until he had no survivor left. 4 And we took all his cities at that time—there was not a city that we did not take from them—sixty cities, the whole region of Argob, the kingdom of Og in Bashan. 5 All these were cities fortified with high walls, gates, and bars, besides very many unwalled villages. 6 And we devoted them to destruction,¹ as we did to Sihon the king of Heshbon, devoting to destruction every city, men, women, and children. 7 But all the livestock and the spoil of the cities we took as our plunder. 8 So 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, while the Amorites call it Senir), 10 all the cities of the tableland and all Gilead and all Bashan, as far as Salecah and Edrei, cities of the kingdom of Og in Bashan. 11 (For only Og the king of Bashan was left of the remnant of the Rephaim. Behold, his bed was a bed of iron. Is it not in Rabbah of the Ammonites? Nine cubits² was its length, and four cubits its breadth, according to the common cubit.³)

12 “When we took possession of this land at that time, I gave to the Reubenites and the Gadites the territory beginning at Aroer, which is on the edge of the Valley of the Arnon, and half the hill country of Gilead with its cities. 13 The rest of Gilead, and all Bashan, the kingdom of Og, that is, all the region of Argob, I gave to the half-tribe of Manasseh. (All that portion of Bashan is called the land of Rephaim. 14 Jair the Manassite took all the region of Argob, that is, Bashan, as far as the border of the Geshurites and the Maacathites, and called the villages after his own name, Havvoth-jair, as it is to this day.) 15 To Machir I gave Gilead, 16 and to the Reubenites and the Gadites I gave the territory from Gilead as far as the Valley of the Arnon, with the middle of the valley as a border, as far over as the river Jabbok, the border of the Ammonites; 17 the Arabah also, with the Jordan as the border, from Chinnereth as far as the Sea of the Arabah, the Salt Sea, under the slopes of Pisgah on the east.

18 “And I commanded you at that time, saying, ‘The LORD your God has given you this land to possess. All your men of valor shall cross over armed before your brothers, the people of Israel. 19 Only your wives, your little ones, and your livestock (I know that you have much livestock) shall remain in the cities that I have given you, 20 until the LORD gives rest to your brothers, as to you, and they also occupy the land that the LORD your God gives them beyond the Jordan. Then each of you may return to his possession which I have given you.’ 21 And I commanded Joshua at that time, ‘Your eyes have seen all that the LORD your God has done to these two kings. So will the LORD do to all the kingdoms into which you are crossing. 22 You shall not fear them, for it is the LORD your God who fights for you.’

Moses Forbidden to Enter the Land

23 “And I pleaded with the LORD at that time, saying, 24 ‘O Lord GOD, you have only 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 works and mighty acts as yours? 25 Please let me go over and see the good land beyond the Jordan, that good hill country and Lebanon.’ 26 But the LORD was angry with me because of you and would not listen to me. And the LORD said to me, ‘Enough from you; do not speak to me of this matter again. 27 Go up to the top of Pisgah and lift up your eyes westward and northward and southward and eastward, and look at it with your eyes, for you shall not go over this Jordan. 28 But charge Joshua, and encourage and strengthen him, for he shall go over at the head of this people, and he shall put them in possession of the land that you shall see.’ 29 So we remained in the valley opposite Beth-peor.

Footnotes

[1] 3:6 That is, set apart (devoted) as an offering to the Lord (for destruction); twice in this verse
[2] 3:11 A cubit was about 18 inches or 45 centimeters
[3] 3:11 Hebrew cubit of a man

Commentary

v2: God had promised victory; compare 2.30-31, but contrast 1.42, when the Lord was not amongst the people, and they suffered defeat. victory is only gained when God is with us; we dare not go forward in presumption and self-confidence. We must constantly seek His will and direction.

v4-5: The task described here was not insignificant; there were 60 walled cities, in addition to many unwalled villages. God is seen to be greater than any human defence.

v6: The victory was thorough, as in 2.34-35.

The ruthlessness of the Israelites may give us concern. However, firstly God's command was to utterly destroy these people. Secondly, when the Israelites had joined with another people, after even a short time, they had grown corrupt; see for example Num 25.

It is sobering to think that we all deserve death at the hand of God; none are worthy, since none have done good.

v8: The two Kings of the Amorites were Sihon and Og; Num 21.21-35 narrates the victories.

v11: Og was a giant, one of those feared by the Israelites. It is therefore significant that Moses mentioned this. Those feared by the Israelites could indeed be defeated.

v12-17: The land given to the 2½ tribes east of the Jordan. Moses mentioned that he, not the Lord, gave the land to these tribes, see v12, 13, 15, 16.

The facts of their inheritance were related without mentioning their rebellion; at this stage, Moses did not want to stir up fresh dissent, nor discourage the people.

v18-20: Moses did, however, note the responsibility on the 2½ tribes to support the other tribes as they invaded Canaan. Here he reminded them of this responsibility, since they occupied land defeated by the whole Israelite army.

v21: The past victories were to be an encouragement to Joshua, the new leader of the Israelites.

v22: The Lord fights for His people; again this was an encouragement for Joshua, since he could trust God for future victories also. God's faithfulness and power remain available to all who trust in Him.

v24: Moses knew the truth that there was only One true God; no other god could do what He had done.

v25-28: Moses requested that God might show him the land of Canaan. But he was forbidden from entering because of his anger.

v29: The people stayed in the valley opposite Beth Peor; see 4.46.