1 Then we turned, H6437 and went up H5927 the way H1870 to Bashan: H1316 and Og H5747 the king H4428 of Bashan H1316 came out H3318 against H7125 us, he and all his people, H5971 to battle H4421 at Edrei. H154
2 And the LORD H3068 said H559 unto me, Fear H3372 him not: for I will deliver H5414 him, and all his people, H5971 and his land, H776 into thy hand; H3027 and thou shalt do H6213 unto him as thou didst H6213 unto Sihon H5511 king H4428 of the Amorites, H567 which dwelt H3427 at Heshbon. H2809
3 So the LORD H3068 our God H430 delivered H5414 into our hands H3027 Og H5747 also, the king H4428 of Bashan, H1316 and all his people: H5971 and we smote H5221 him until none was left H7604 to him remaining. H8300
4 And we took H3920 all his cities H5892 at that time, H6256 there was not a city H7151 which we took H3947 not from them, threescore H8346 cities, H5892 all the region H2256 of Argob, H709 the kingdom H4467 of Og H5747 in Bashan. H1316
5 All these cities H5892 were fenced H1219 with high H1364 walls, H2346 gates, H1817 and bars; H1280 beside unwalled H6521 towns H5892 a great H3966 many. H7235
6 And we utterly destroyed H2763 them, as we did H6213 unto Sihon H5511 king H4428 of Heshbon, H2809 utterly destroying H2763 the men, H4962 women, H802 and children, H2945 of every city. H5892
7 But all the cattle, H929 and the spoil H7998 of the cities, H5892 we took for a prey H962 to ourselves.
8 And we took H3947 at that time H6256 out H3947 of the hand H3027 of the two H8147 kings H4428 of the Amorites H567 the land H776 that was on this side H5676 Jordan, H3383 from the river H5158 of Arnon H769 unto mount H2022 Hermon; H2768
9 (Which Hermon H2768 the Sidonians H6722 call H7121 Sirion; H8303 and the Amorites H567 call H7121 it Shenir;) H8149
10 All the cities H5892 of the plain, H4334 and all Gilead, H1568 and all Bashan, H1316 unto Salchah H5548 and Edrei, H154 cities H5892 of the kingdom H4467 of Og H5747 in Bashan. H1316
11 For only Og H5747 king H4428 of Bashan H1316 remained H7604 of the remnant H3499 of giants; H7497 behold, his bedstead H6210 was a bedstead H6210 of iron; H1270 is it not H3808 in Rabbath H7237 of the children H1121 of Ammon? H5983 nine H8672 cubits H520 was the length H753 thereof, and four H702 cubits H520 the breadth H7341 of it, after the cubit H520 of a man. H376
12 And this land, H776 which we possessed H3423 at that time, H6256 from Aroer, H6177 which is by the river H5158 Arnon, H769 and half H2677 mount H2022 Gilead, H1568 and the cities H5892 thereof, gave H5414 I unto the Reubenites H7206 and to the Gadites. H1425
13 And the rest H3499 of Gilead, H1568 and all Bashan, H1316 being the kingdom H4467 of Og, H5747 gave H5414 I unto the half H2677 tribe H7626 of Manasseh; H4519 all the region H2256 of Argob, H709 with all Bashan, H1316 which H1931 was called H7121 the land H776 of giants. H7497
14 Jair H2971 the son H1121 of Manasseh H4519 took H3947 all the country H2256 of Argob H709 unto the coasts H1366 of Geshuri H1651 and Maachathi; H4602 and called H7121 them after his own name, H8034 Bashanhavothjair, H1316 H2334 unto this day. H3117
15 And I gave H5414 Gilead H1568 unto Machir. H4353
16 And unto the Reubenites H7206 and unto the Gadites H1425 I gave H5414 from Gilead H1568 even unto the river H5158 Arnon H769 half H8432 the valley, H5158 and the border H1366 even unto the river H5158 Jabbok, H2999 which is the border H1366 of the children H1121 of Ammon; H5983
17 The plain H6160 also, and Jordan, H3383 and the coast H1366 thereof, from Chinnereth H3672 even unto the sea H3220 of the plain, H6160 even the salt H4417 sea, H3220 under Ashdothpisgah H798 H794 eastward. H4217
18 And I commanded H6680 you at that time, H6256 saying, H559 The LORD H3068 your God H430 hath given H5414 you this land H776 to possess H3423 it: ye shall pass over H5674 armed H2502 before H6440 your brethren H251 the children H1121 of Israel, H3478 all that are meet H1121 for the war. H2428
19 But your wives, H802 and your little ones, H2945 and your cattle, H4735 (for I know H3045 that ye have much H7227 cattle,) H4735 shall abide H3427 in your cities H5892 which I have given H5414 you;
20 Until the LORD H3068 have given rest H5117 unto your brethren, H251 as well as unto you, and until they also possess H3423 the land H776 which the LORD H3068 your God H430 hath given H5414 them beyond H5676 Jordan: H3383 and then shall ye return H7725 every man H376 unto his possession, H3425 which I have given H5414 you.
21 And I commanded H6680 Joshua H3091 at that time, H6256 saying, H559 Thine eyes H5869 have seen H7200 all that the LORD H3068 your God H430 hath done H6213 unto these two H8147 kings: H4428 so shall the LORD H3068 do H6213 unto all the kingdoms H4467 whither thou passest. H5674
22 Ye shall not fear H3372 them: for the LORD H3068 your God H430 he shall fight H3898 for you.
23 And I besought H2603 the LORD H3068 at that time, H6256 saying, H559
24 O Lord H136 GOD, H3069 thou hast begun H2490 to shew H7200 thy servant H5650 thy greatness, H1433 and thy mighty H2389 hand: H3027 for what God H410 is there in heaven H8064 or in earth, H776 that can do H6213 according to thy works, H4639 and according to thy might? H1369
25 I pray thee, let me go over, H5674 and see H7200 the good H2896 land H776 that is beyond H5676 Jordan, H3383 that goodly H2896 mountain, H2022 and Lebanon. H3844
26 But the LORD H3068 was wroth H5674 with me for your sakes, and would not hear H8085 me: and the LORD H3068 said H559 unto me, Let it suffice H7227 thee; speak H1696 no more H3254 unto me of this matter. H1697
27 Get thee up H5927 into the top H7218 of Pisgah, H6449 and lift up H5375 thine eyes H5869 westward, H3220 and northward, H6828 and southward, H8486 and eastward, H4217 and behold H7200 it with thine eyes: H5869 for thou shalt not go over H5674 this Jordan. H3383
28 But charge H6680 Joshua, H3091 and encourage H2388 him, and strengthen H553 him: for he shall go over H5674 before H6440 this people, H5971 and he shall cause them to inherit H5157 the land H776 which thou shalt see. H7200
29 So we abode H3427 in the valley H1516 over against H4136 Bethpeor. H1047
Worthy.Bible » Commentaries » Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible » Commentary on Deuteronomy 3
Commentary on Deuteronomy 3 Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
CHAPTER 3
De 3:1-20. Conquest of Og, King of Bashan.
1. we turned, and went up the way to Bashan—Bashan ("fruitful" or "flat"), now El-Bottein, lay situated to the north of Gilead and extended as far as Hermon. It was a rugged mountainous country, valuable however for its rich and luxuriant pastures.
Og the king of Bashan came out against us—Without provocation, he rushed to attack the Israelites, either disliking the presence of such dangerous neighbors, or burning to avenge the overthrow of his friends and allies.
2. The Lord said unto me, Fear him not: for I will deliver him, and all his people, and his land, into thy hand—Og's gigantic appearance and the formidable array of forces he will bring to the field, need not discourage you; for, belonging to a doomed race, he is destined to share the fate of Sihon [Nu 21:25].
3-8. Argob was the capital of a district in Bashan of the same name, which, together with other fifty-nine cities in the same province, were conspicuous for their lofty and fortified walls. It was a war of extermination. Houses and cities were razed to the ground; all classes of people were put to the sword; and nothing was saved but the cattle, of which an immense amount fell as spoil into the hands of the conquerors. Thus, the two Amorite kings and the entire population of their dominions were extirpated. The whole country east of the Jordan—first upland downs from the torrent of the Arnon on the south to that of the Jabbok on the north; next the high mountain tract of Gilead and Bashan from the deep ravine of Jabbok—became the possession of the Israelites.
9. Hermon—now Jebel-Es-Sheick—the majestic hill on which the long and elevated range of Anti-Lebanon terminates. Its summit and the ridges on its sides are almost constantly covered with snow. It is not so much one high mountain as a whole cluster of mountain peaks, the highest in Palestine. According to the survey taken by the English Government Engineers in 1840, they were about 9376 feet above the sea. Being a mountain chain, it is no wonder that it should have received different names at different points from the different tribes which lay along the base—all of them designating extraordinary height: Hermon, the lofty peak; "Sirion," or in an abbreviated form "Sion" (De 4:48), the upraised, glittering; "Shenir," the glittering breastplate of ice.
11. only Og king of Bashan remained of the remnant of giants—literally, "of Rephaim." He was not the last giant, but the only living remnant in the trans-jordanic country (Jos 15:14), of a certain gigantic race, supposed to be the most ancient inhabitants of Palestine.
behold, his bedstead was a bedstead of iron—Although beds in the East are with the common people nothing more than a simple mattress, bedsteads are not unknown. They are in use among the great, who prefer them of iron or other metals, not only for strength and durability, but for the prevention of the troublesome insects which in warm climates commonly infest wood. Taking the cubit at half a yard, the bedstead of Og would measure thirteen and a half feet, so that as beds are usually a little larger than the persons who occupy them, the stature of the Amorite king may be estimated at about eleven or twelve feet; or he might have caused his bed to be made much larger than was necessary, as Alexander the Great did for each of his foot soldiers, to impress the Indians with an idea of the extraordinary strength and stature of his men [Le Clerc]. But how did Og's bedstead come to be in Rabbath, of the children of Ammon? In answer to this question, it has been said, that Og had, on the eve of engagement, conveyed it to Rabbath for safety. Or it may be that Moses, after capturing it, may have sold it to the Ammonites, who had kept it as an antiquarian curiosity till their capital was sacked in the time of David. This is a most unlikely supposition, and besides renders it necessary to consider the latter clause of this verse as an interpolation inserted long after the time of Moses. To avoid this, some eminent critics take the Hebrew word rendered "bedstead" to mean "coffin." They think that the king of Bashan having been wounded in battle, fled to Rabbath, where he died and was buried; hence the dimensions of his "coffin" are given [Dathe, Roos].
12, 13. this land, which we possessed at that time, from Aroer … gave I unto the Reubenites and to the Gadites—The whole territory occupied by Sihon was parcelled out among the pastoral tribes of Reuben and Gad. It extended from the north bank of the Arnon to the south half of mount Gilead—a small mountain ridge, now called Djelaad, about six or seven miles south of the Jabbok, and eight miles in length. The northern portion of Gilead and the rich pasture lands of Bashan—a large province, consisting, with the exception of a few bleak and rocky spots, of strong and fertile soil—was assigned to the half-tribe of Manasseh.
14. Jair the son of Manasseh took all the country of Argob—The original inhabitants of the province north of Bashan, comprising sixty cities (De 3:4), not having been extirpated along with Og, this people were afterwards brought into subjection by the energy of Jair. This chief, of the tribe of Manasseh, in accordance with the pastoral habits of his people, called these newly acquired towns by a name which signifies "Jair's Bedouin Villages of Tents."
unto this day—This remark must evidently have been introduced by Ezra, or some of the pious men who arranged and collected the books of Moses.
15. I gave Gilead unto Machir—It was only the half of Gilead (De 3:12, 13) which was given to the descendants of Machir, who was now dead.
16. from Gilead—that is, not the mountainous region, but the town Ramoth-gilead,
even unto the river Arnon half the valley—The word "valley" signifies a wady, either filled with water or dry, as the Arnon is in summer, and thus the proper rendering of the passage will be—"even to the half or middle of the river Arnon" (compare Jos 12:2). This prudent arrangement of the boundaries was evidently made to prevent all disputes between the adjacent tribes about the exclusive right to the water.
25. I pray thee, let me go over, and see the good land that is beyond Jordan, that goodly mountain, and Lebanon—The natural and very earnest wish of Moses to be allowed to cross the Jordan was founded on the idea that the divine threatening might be conditional and revertible. "That goodly mountain" is supposed by Jewish writers to have pointed to the hill on which the temple was to be built (De 12:5; Ex 15:2). But biblical scholars now, generally, render the words—"that goodly mountain, even Lebanon," and consider it to be mentioned as typifying the beauty of Palestine, of which hills and mountains were so prominent a feature.
26. speak no more unto me of this matter—that is, My decree is unalterable.