(Deuteronomy 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."
In the past couple of chapters and posts, Moses has been relating the history of the Israelites in the wilderness that had brought them to this point. At the end of the last chapter he had spoken about how they had conquered Sihon. Now he began the retelling of the events leading to the conquest of Og. They turned from the kingdom of Sihon and went toward Bashan. Og the king of Bashan and all his people came out against the Israelites to battle at Edrei, a city in his kingdom. Following is a map of the kingdoms of Sihon and Og found here in Wikipedia:
(2) “And the LORD said to me, ‘Do not fear him, for I will deliver him, and all his people, and his land, into your hand; and you shall do to him as you did to Sihon king of the Amorites, who dwelt at Heshbon.’"
The Lord told Moses at the time not to fear Og who had come out against Israel, for He would deliver Og, his people, and his land into the hands of the children of Israel. The Israelites would defeat Og just as they had defeated Sihon king of the Amorites.
(3) “So the LORD our God also delivered into our hands Og king of Bashan, and all his people, and we struck him until none was left remaining to him."
The Lord indeed delivered Og and all his people into their hands. The Israelites killed them all so that none remained alive; see Numbers 21:35.
(4) “And we took all his cities at that time; there was not a city which we did not take from them, sixty cities, all the region of Argob, the kingdom of Og in Bashan."
The Israelites took all the cities in the kingdom of Og, sixty cities in all, all the region of Argob, which was a district in Bashan; there was not a single city that they did not seize from Og.
(5) “All these cities were fenced with high walls, gates, and bars, besides a great many unwalled towns."
All the cities of Bashan that the Israelites took were cities well fortified with high walls, gates, and bars. These were besides the small towns and villages in the land.
(6) “And we utterly destroyed them, as we did to Sihon king of Heshbon, utterly destroying the men, women, and children of every city."
Moses related that the children of Israel had utterly destroyed Og and his people, just as they had destroyed Sihon, utterly destroying all the men, women, and children, of every city.
(7) "But all the cattle, and the spoil of the cities, we took for a prey to ourselves."
However, they did not destroy the livestock, but kept them for themselves, as well as the spoil of the cities.
(8) “And at that time we took the land from the hand of the two kings of the Amorites who were on this side of the Jordan, from the river of Arnon to Mount Hermon, (9) (Which Hermon the Sidonians call Sirion; and the Amorites call it Shenir); (10) All the cities of the plain, all Gilead, and all Bashan, to Salchah and Edrei, cities of the kingdom of Og in Bashan."
Moses related that at that time they had taken the land from two kings of the Amorites, Sihon and Og, that were on their current side of the Jordan River, from the Arnon River, the southern border of the land of Sihon, to Mount Hermon in the north. Verse 9 is a parenthetical statement that tells that Hermon was also called Sirion by the Sidonians, and called Shenir by the Amorites. They took all the cities in the plain, the cities surrounding Mount Gilead, and all of Bashan, to Salchah in the east, and Edrei and beyond, as seen in the map above.
(11) “For only Og king of Bashan remained of the remnant of giants; behold, his bedstead was a bedstead of iron; is it not in Rabbath of the children of Ammon? Nine cubits was its length and four cubits its breadth, after the standard cubit of a man."
A sort of parenthetical statement is made about Og. He had been the last of the giants that were mentioned in the previous chapter, the Emim and Zamzummim, who had once possessed the land of the Moabites and Ammonites. In explanation of how big he was, Moses remarked he had an iron bed, apparently needed to hold his massive frame. It was in Rabbath, in Ammonite territory, apparently carried there either to save it or perhaps as a trophy. It was 13.5 feet long and six feet wide, according to the standard cubit of a man; apparently a "king's cubit" was longer.
(12) “And this land, which we possessed at that time, from Aroer, which is by the River Arnon, and half the mountains of Gilead and its cities, I gave to the Reubenites and the Gadites."
The land that the Israelites took possession of at that time extended from Aroer by the Arnon River on the border of Moab, land taken from Sihon, to Mount Gilead and its cities which were taken from Og. Moses gave the land taken from Sihon and half the mountain and cities of Gilead to the Reubenites and the Gadites, per their request in Numbers 32.
(13) "And the rest of Gilead, and all Bashan, the kingdom of Og, I gave to half the tribe of Manasseh, all the region of Argob, with all Bashan, which was called the land of giants."
The other half of Mount Gilead with its cities, which included all the region of Argob (v. 4), with all Bashan, which had been called the land of giants (Og apparently being the last), Moses gave to the half tribe of Manasseh. Below is a map found at FreeBibleImages.org, specifically at http://www.freebibleimages.org/illustrations/joshua-altar/, that shows the land of the Reubenites, Gadites, and the half tribe of Manasseh, east of the Jordan River:
(14) “Jair the son of Manasseh took all the country of Argob to the coasts of Geshuri and Maachathi; and called them after his own name, Bashan Havoth Jair, to this day."
Jair, the son of Manasseh, took all the country of Argob to the coasts of Geshur and Maachah, shown in the first map above. He called it Bashan Havoth Jair, which literally meant "Bashan, villages of Jair". At first I wondered which map was imprecise, as the western border of Jair's land in the map immediately above doesn't exactly match the territory of Og in the first map. Then I read that the exact position of Maachah and of Geshur cannot be ascertained.
(15) "And I gave Gilead to Machir."
Moses gave Gilead to Machir, another son of Manasseh, or perhaps more precisely to the Machirites, his descendants. This map which I cut from a larger map found here at BibleQ, shows Gilead to be the southern portion of the half tribe Manasseh that settled on the eastern side of the Jordan.
(16) “And to the Reubenites and the Gadites I gave from Gilead to the river Arnon half the valley, and the border to the river Jabbok, which is the border of the children of Ammon; (17) The plain also, and Jordan, and its coast, from Chinnereth even to the sea of the plain, even the salt sea, under Ashdoth Pisgah eastward."
To the tribes of Reuben and Gad Moses stated he gave land from Gilead to half the valley of the Arnon River. The original word "nachlah" translated as "valley" usually more often means "stream or river" or the like. A valley is the middle of a river, but in this case, most Biblical scholars agree that the middle (or half) meant in the length of the river. Their land extended from the Arnon River (half of it) northward to the Jabbok River which bordered the Ammonites. This area is better illustrated on the map earlier that showed the kingdoms of Sihon and Og. All the plain and the coastland along the Jordan River from Chinnereth to the Salt Sea (or Dead Sea) was included. Ashdoth Pisgah actually translates "slopes" or "springs" of Pisgah. Their land went eastward from the Jordan and Salt Sea to the eastern slopes and springs of Mount Pisgah. This portion of a map shows Mount Pisgah in relation to Heshbon and Nebo seen on the map above this one:
(18) "And I commanded you at that time, saying, ‘The LORD your God has given you this land to possess; you shall pass over armed before your brethren the children of Israel, all who are meet for the war.'"
Part of the agreement that Moses made with the tribes of Reuben and Gad for the land they requested east of the Jordan, was that they would pass over the Jordan with the rest of the tribes, all who were able being armed to assist them in the conquest of Canaan (Numbers 32:29).
(19) "‘But your wives, your little ones, and your cattle, (for I know that you have much cattle,) shall abide in your cities which I have given you, (20) Until the LORD has given rest to your brethren, as well as to you, and until they also possess the land which the LORD your God has given them beyond Jordan; and then shall you return every man to his possession, which I have given you.'"
When the tribes east of the Jordan went over to fight with their brothers to gain possession of the promised land west of the Jordan, they were to leave their wives and children and livestock in the cities they had been given. Once the Lord brought victory and gave peace to the children of Israel in their promised land, then the two and a half tribes could return to their possessions east of Jordan.
(21) “And I commanded Joshua at that time, saying, ‘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 through which you pass. (22) You shall not fear them, for the LORD your God Himself shall fight for you.'"
Moses related what he had told Joshua at the time. After the victories over Sihon and Og, and the assignment of territories to the two and a half tribes east of Jordan, and Moses knowing that he would soon die, he gave charge to Joshua his successor. He told him that he had seen all that the Lord had done to deliver victories over Sihon and Og, and that the Lord would continue to do just that to all the kingdoms they would pass through to possess their promised land. There was no need to fear any of the peoples because the Lord Himself would fight for the children of Israel.
(23) "And I besought the LORD at that time, saying, (24) ‘O Lord GOD, You have begun to show Your servant Your greatness and Your mighty hand, for what god in heaven or on earth can do according to your works and according to your might?'"
Moses reflected that he had pleaded with the Lord at that time, first showing that he recognized how great and mighty his Lord was, that no other false god or idol could do what He had done.
(25) "‘I pray, let me cross over and see the good land beyond the Jordan, that pleasant mountain, and Lebanon.’"
The subject of Moses's plea was that he be allowed to cross over the Jordan River to see the promised land.
(26) “But the LORD was angry with me for your sakes, and would not hear me; and the LORD said to me, 'Let it suffice; speak no more to me of this matter.'"
Moses related that the Lord had been angry with him and would not listen to his plea. Moses said what the Lord had been angry with him about was for the sake of the people. It was the time at the rock at Meribah, when he spoke for the sake of the people, but spoke ill-advisedly and did not act in the way the Lord had commanded him, and he did not sanctify the Lord in the eyes of the children of Israel. Apparently the Lord had answered Moses's prayer and plea by telling him not to speak of it anymore. The Lord had already spoken to Moses on the matter, and more pleas would not change His mind.
(27) "‘Go up to the top of Pisgah, and lift your eyes toward the west, the north, the south, and the east, and behold it with your eyes, for you shall not cross over this Jordan.'"
The Lord continued to tell Moses at the time that he would be allowed to go to the top of Mount Pisgah and look all around him, and he would be allowed to see the promised land, but he would not be allowed to cross over the Jordan into it.
(28) "'But charge Joshua, 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.’"
The Lord continued instructing Moses that because he would not be able to cross over Jordan, he was to charge Joshua as his successor, encouraging and strengthening him because he would be the one to lead the people to inherit the promised land that Moses would be allowed to see.
(29) "So we abode in the valley opposite Beth Peor."
This chapter ended with Moses stating the people abode in the valley, the plains of Moab, opposite Beth Peor, which literally meant "house of Peor", probably named for a temple of the god Peor who was worshiped there.
Adam Clarke, in his Commentary on the Bible, made an interesting observation. He wrote that the promised land was symbolic of heaven, and Moses represented the law. The law itself could not bring the people to possession of their kingdom of heaven. Moses was a great leader, and as good a man as there was at his time, but no one is good enough under the law to enter the kingdom of heaven. Joshua, whose name is the same as Jesus, Yehoshua, the name meaning "salvation", was appointed to bring the people into the rest God had provided for them. I love how we can find the promise of Jesus in every book of the Old Testament!
