Israel Conquers Og of Bashan
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📚Then we turned and went up toward Bashan, and Og the king of Bashan came out against us, he and all his people, to battle at Edrei. 2 📚And the LORD said to me, “Do not be afraid of him, for I will give him and all his people and his land into your hand; and you will do to him as you did to Sihon king of the Amorites, who lived at Heshbon”.
3 📚So the LORD our God gave also Og, the king of Bashan, and all his people into our hands, and we defeated him until not one of his was left remaining. 4 📚And at that time we took all of his cities. There was not a city which we did not take from them, sixty cities, the whole region of Argob, the kingdom of Og in Bashan. 5 📚All these cities were fortified with high walls, gates, and bars. Besides there were a great many unwalled towns. 6 📚And we utterly destroyed them, as we did to Sihon king of Heshbon, utterly destroying the men, women and children of each city. 7 📚But all the cattle and the plunder of the cities, we took as a prey for ourselves.
8 📚And at that time we took from the hand of the two kings of the Amorites the land that was on this side of the Jordan, from the river of Arnon to mount Hermon 9 📚(this Hermon the Sidonians call Sirion, and the Amorites call it Shenir), 10 📚all the cities of the plain, and all Gilead, and all Bashan, to Salchah and Edrei, cities of the kingdom of Og in Bashan. 11 📚Only Og king of Bashan remained of the remnant of the giants. Now his bedstead was an iron bedstead. Is it not in Rabbath of the children of Ammon? Its length was nine cubits, and its width was four cubits, according to man’s cubit.
3:1-11 These events are recorded in Num 21:33-35. Here we have added details.⚜
Reuben, Gad, and Half of Manasseh Settle East of the Jordan
12 📚And this land, which we possessed at that time, from Aroer, which is by the river Arnon, and half of Mount Gilead, and its cities, I gave to the Reubenites and to the Gadites. 13 📚And the rest of Gilead, and the whole of Bashan, which was the kingdom of Og, I gave to the half tribe of Manasseh, the whole region of Argob, with all Bashan, which was called the land of giants. 14 📚Jair the son of Manasseh took the whole country of Argob to the territories of Geshuri and Maachathi, and called them after his own name, Bashan Havoth Jair, as it is called to this day. 15 📚And I gave Gilead to Machir. 16 📚And to the Reubenites and to the Gadites I gave from Gilead as far as the river Arnon, the middle of the valley as the border even to the river Jabbok, which is the border of the children of Ammon. 17 📚The plain also with the Jordan as its border, from Kinnereth to the sea of the plain, the Salt Sea, under Ashdoth-Pisgah on the east.
3:17 Kinnereth is Galilee, the Salt Sea is the Dead Sea.⚜
18 📚And I commanded you at that time, saying, “The LORD your God has given you this land to possess it; all you warriors shall cross over armed before your brethren the children of Israel. 19 But your wives and your little ones and your livestock (for I know that you have much livestock) shall stay 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 the Jordan; and then each of you shall return to his possession, which I have given you”.
3:12-20 Note at Num 32:1-5.⚜
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 the LORD will do to all the kingdoms into which you cross. 22 📚You must not be afraid of them, for the LORD your God will fight for you”.
3:21-22 Moses’ aim in recounting these victories is plain. He wanted to strengthen the faith and courage of Joshua and the people to go into Canaan and conquer it (v 28).⚜
23 📚And at that time I pleaded with the LORD, saying, 24 📚“O Lord God, 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 works and such mighty deeds as yours? 25 📚I pray you, let me cross over and see the good land that is beyond the Jordan, that good hill country and Lebanon”.
26 📚But the LORD was angry with me on your account, and would not listen to me. And the LORD said to me, “Enough! Speak no more to me of this matter.
3:26 God’s forbidding Moses to enter Canaan was for Israel’s sake. Moses was a very old man (Deut 31:2-3) and it is unlikely that he was able to lead the army. It was better for Joshua to lead Israel in the conquest of Canaan. He had experience as army commander (Ex 17:8-13) and was a much younger man. See also note at Num 20:12.⚜
27 📚Go up to the top of Pisgah, and raise your eyes toward the west and north and south and east, and see it with your eyes; for you will not cross this Jordan. 28 📚But command Joshua, and encourage him, and strengthen him; for he will cross in front of this people, and he will cause them to inherit the land which you will see”.
3:28 If God calls us to do any work for Him He will see that we get encouragement and strength for it (Deut 1:38; 1 Sam 23:16; 2 Chron 32:7-8; Neh 6:9; Ps 20:2; 27:14; Isa 41:10; Rom 15:5-6; Phil 4:13; 2 Tim 4:17; Heb 6:18).⚜
29 📚So we stayed in the valley opposite Beth Peor.