CLARITY EDITION · OLD TESTAMENT
Deuteronomy 3
Chapter 3 of 34
Chapter Overview
What happens in Deuteronomy 3
Moses recalls the defeat of King Og of Bashan and the division of the conquered land among the tribes of Reuben, Gad, and half of Manasseh. The chapter ends with Moses' emotional plea to enter the Promised Land, which God denied.
Scripture
Deuteronomy 3
Victory Over King Og
Study note
After defeating Sihon, Israel turned north and faced King Og of Bashan, one of the last of the giant Rephaim. His iron bed was about thirteen feet long. Despite Og's fearsome reputation, God gave Israel the victory. They captured sixty fortified cities.
1 "After that, we headed up the road toward Bashan. King Og of Bashan brought out his whole army to meet us in battle at Edrei. 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 The Lord told me, 'There is no reason to fear him. I am placing him, his entire army, and all his territory in your hands. Treat him the same way you treated Sihon, the Amorite king in Heshbon.' And the LORD said unto me, Fear him not: for I will deliver him, and all his people, and his land, into thy hand; and thou shalt do unto him as thou didst unto Sihon king of the Amorites, which dwelt at Heshbon.
3 So the Lord our God also delivered King Og of Bashan and all his forces to us. We struck them down until no one was left alive. So the LORD our God delivered into our hands Og also, the king of Bashan, and all his people: and we smote him until none was left to him remaining.
4 We took every one of his cities at that time -- all sixty of them -- the whole region of Argob, which was Og's kingdom in Bashan. Not a single city escaped. And we took all his cities at that time, there was not a city which we took not from them, threescore cities, all the region of Argob, the kingdom of Og in Bashan.
5 Every one of these cities was protected with tall walls, strong gates, and metal bars. There were also many villages without walls. All these cities were fenced with high walls, gates, and bars; beside unwalled towns a great many.
6 We destroyed all of them completely. We did the same thing we had done to King Sihon of Heshbon. We wiped out every man, woman, and child in each city. And we utterly destroyed them, as we did unto Sihon king of Heshbon, utterly destroying the men, women, and children, of every city.
7 But we took all the animals and valuable things from the cities for ourselves. But all the cattle, and the spoil of the cities, we took for a prey to ourselves.
8 So at that time we took the land east of the Jordan. It had belonged to these two Amorite kings. It stretched from the Arnon Valley all the way up to Mount Hermon. And we took at that time out of the hand of the two kings of the Amorites the land that was on this side Jordan, from the river of Arnon unto mount Hermon;
9 The people of Sidon call Mount Hermon 'Sirion,' while the Amorites call it 'Senir.' (Which Hermon the Sidonians call Sirion; and the Amorites call it Shenir;)
10 We took all the flat-land towns, all of Gilead, and all of Bashan as far as Salecah and Edrei. These were cities in Og's kingdom. All the cities of the plain, and all Gilead, and all Bashan, unto Salchah and Edrei, cities of the kingdom of Og in Bashan.
11 King Og of Bashan was the last surviving member of the giant Rephaim people. His iron bed measured about thirteen feet long and six feet wide. You can still go see it in the Ammonite city of Rabbah. 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 the length thereof, and four cubits the breadth of it, after the cubit of a man.
Dividing the Conquered Land
Study note
The land east of the Jordan was divided among two and a half tribes. Reuben and Gad received the southern portion, and half of Manasseh received Bashan. Their fighting men had to cross the Jordan to help the other tribes before returning home.
12 We conquered this land. I gave part of it to the tribes of Reuben and Gad. They got the area from Aroer near the Arnon Valley. They also got the southern half of the Gilead hill country with its towns. And this land, which we possessed at that time, from Aroer, which is by the river Arnon, and half mount Gilead, and the cities thereof, gave I unto the Reubenites and to the Gadites.
13 The northern half of Gilead and all of Bashan -- Og's former kingdom -- I assigned to the half-tribe of Manasseh. The whole Argob area used to be called the land of giants. And the rest of Gilead, and all Bashan, being the kingdom of Og, gave I unto the half tribe of Manasseh; all the region of Argob, with all Bashan, which was called the land of giants.
14 Jair, from the tribe of Manasseh, claimed the entire Argob region all the way to the borders of Geshur and Maacah. He gave those settlements his own name, and people still call them the Villages of Jair. Jair the son of Manasseh took all the country of Argob unto the coasts of Geshuri and Maachathi; and called them after his own name, Bashan-havoth-jair, unto this day.
15 I gave Gilead to Makir. And I gave Gilead unto Machir.
16 To the tribes of Reuben and Gad, I gave the territory from Gilead south to the Arnon Valley. The center of the valley was their southern border. The Jabbok River was their northern border. That river is the Ammonite border. And unto the Reubenites and unto the Gadites I gave from Gilead even unto the river Arnon half the valley, and the border even unto the river Jabbok, which is the border of the children of Ammon;
17 On the west, the Jordan River was their border. It ran from the Sea of Galilee down to the Dead Sea, along the eastern foot of Mount Pisgah. The plain also, and Jordan, and the coast thereof, from Chinnereth even unto the sea of the plain, even the salt sea, under Ashdoth-pisgah eastward.
18 "I gave these tribes an order at that time: 'The Lord your God has given you this land east of the Jordan as your own. But your fighting men must cross over with the rest of the Israelite tribes, armed and ready for battle. And I commanded you at that time, saying, The LORD your God hath given you this land to possess it: ye shall pass over armed before your brethren the children of Israel, all that are meet for the war.
19 Only your wives, children, and animals may stay behind in the towns I have assigned to you. I know you have large herds. But your wives, and your little ones, and your cattle, (for I know that ye have much cattle,) shall abide in your cities which I have given you;
20 Keep fighting alongside your brothers until the Lord also gives them peace and they have taken possession of their land across the Jordan. After that, each of you may come back to the land I have given you.' Until the LORD have given rest unto your brethren, as well as unto you, and until they also possess the land which the LORD your God hath given them beyond Jordan: and then shall ye return every man unto his possession, which I have given you.
Encouragement for Joshua
Study note
Moses reminded Joshua of God's victories over Sihon and Og, telling him not to fear any kingdom on the other side of the Jordan because God would fight for them.
21 "I also spoke to Joshua at that time. I said, 'You have watched with your own eyes what the Lord your God did to these two kings. The Lord will do exactly the same thing to every kingdom you encounter on the other side. And I commanded Joshua at that time, saying, Thine eyes have seen all that the LORD your God hath done unto these two kings: so shall the LORD do unto all the kingdoms whither thou passest.
22 Don't be afraid of anyone, because the Lord your God is the one doing the fighting for you.' Ye shall not fear them: for the LORD your God he shall fight for you.
Moses Denied Entry
Study note
In one of the Bible's most heartbreaking moments, Moses begged God to let him enter the Promised Land. But God said no. He told Moses to look at the land from Mount Pisgah and to prepare Joshua to lead the people in his place.
23 "Around that time, I pleaded with the Lord: And I besought the LORD at that time, saying,
24 'O Lord God, you have barely begun to show me how great and mighty you truly are. What other god in heaven or on earth could do the incredible things you do? O Lord GOD, thou hast begun to shew thy servant thy greatness, and thy mighty hand: for what God is there in heaven or in earth, that can do according to thy works, and according to thy might?
25 Please, let me go across and see that beautiful land on the other side of the Jordan. I want to see those lovely hills and the Lebanon mountains.' I pray thee, let me go over, and see the good land that is beyond Jordan, that goodly mountain, and Lebanon.
26 "But the Lord was upset with me on your account and would not grant my request. He told me, 'Enough! Stop asking me about this. But the LORD was wroth with me for your sakes, and would not hear me: and the LORD said unto me, Let it suffice thee; speak no more unto me of this matter.
27 Climb to the peak of Mount Pisgah and look in every direction -- west, north, south, and east. Take it all in with your eyes, because you will never cross this Jordan River. Get thee up into the top of Pisgah, and lift up thine eyes westward, and northward, and southward, and eastward, and behold it with thine eyes: for thou shalt not go over this Jordan.
28 Instead, pass your authority to Joshua. Strengthen him and fill him with courage, because he will lead the people across and help them claim the land you can only look at from here.' But charge 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 thou shalt see.
29 "So we remained camped in the valley opposite Beth-peor." So we abode in the valley over against Beth-peor.
Key Themes
Themes in Deuteronomy 3
Victory through God's powerEncouragement passed to the next leaderAccepting God's no with graceFaithful stewardship of conquered territory
Apply This Today
Living Deuteronomy 3
Moses encouraged Joshua by pointing to what God had already done. Past victories build faith for future challenges. Yet Moses himself was denied entry into the land, showing that even the most faithful servants must accept God's decisions with humility. We can encourage others to go where we cannot.
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