Deuteronomy 3

1 And we turned and went by the way leading to Basan; and Og the king of Basan came out to meet us, he and all his people, to battle at Edraim.

2 And the Lord said to me, Fear him not, for I have delivered him, and all his people, and all his land, into thy hands; and thou shalt do to him as thou didst to Seon king of the Amorites who dwelt in Esebon.

3 And the Lord our God delivered him into our hands, even Og the king of Basan, and all his people; and we smote him until we left none of his seed.

4 And we mastered all his cities at that time; there was not a city which we took not from them; sixty cities, all the country round about Argob, belonging to king Og in Basan:

5 all strong cities, lofty walls, gates and bars; besides the very many cities of the Pherezites.

6 We utterly destroyed as we dealt with Seon the king of Esebon, so we utterly destroyed every city in order, and the women and the children,

7 and all the cattle; and we took for a prey to ourselves the spoil of the cities.

8 And we took at that time the land out of the hands of the two kings of the Amorites, who were beyond Jordan, from the brook of Arnon even unto Aermon.

9 The Phoenicians call Aermon Sanior, but the Amorite has called it Sanir.

10 All the cities of Misor, and all Galaad, and all Basan as far as Elcha and Edraim, cities of the kingdom of Og in Basan.

11 For only Og the king of Basan was left of the Raphain: behold, his bed a bed of iron; behold, in the chief city of the children of Ammon; the length of it nine cubits, and the breadth of it four cubits, according to the cubit of a man.

12 And we inherited that land at that time from Aroer, which is by the border of the torrent Arnon, and half the mount of Galaad; and I gave his cities to Ruben and to Gad.

13 And the rest of Galaad, and all Basan the kingdom of Og I gave to the half-tribe of Manasse, and all the country round about Argob, all that Basan; it shall be accounted the land of Raphain.

14 And Jair the son of Manasse took all the country round about Argob as far as the borders of Gargasi and Machathi: he called them by his name Basan Thavoth Jair until this day.

15 And to Machir I gave Galaad.

16 And to Ruben and to Gad I gave under Galaad as far as the brook of Arnon, the border between the brook and as far as Jaboc; the brook the border to the children Amman.

17 And Araba and Jordan the boundary of Machanareth, even to the sea of Araba, the salt sea under Asedoth Phasga eastward.

18 And I charged you at that time, saying, The Lord your God has given you this land by lot; arm yourselves, every one powerful, and go before your brethren the children of Israel.

19 Only your wives and your children and your cattle (I know that ye have much cattle), let them dwell in your cities which I have given you;

20 until the Lord your God give your brethren rest, as also he has given to you, and they also shall inherit the land, which the Lord our God gives them on the other side of Jordan; then ye shall return, each one to his inheritance which I have given you.

21 And I commanded Joshua at that time, saying, Your eyes have seen all things, which the Lord our God did to these two kings: so shall the Lord our God do to all the kingdoms against which thou crossest over thither.

22 Ye shall not be afraid of them, because the Lord our God himself shall fight for you.

23 And I besought the Lord at that time, saying,

24 Lord God, thou hast begun to shew to thy servant thy strength, and thy power, and thy mighty hand, and thy high arm: for what God is there in heaven or on the earth, who will do as thou hast done, and according to thy might?

25 I will therefore go over and see this good land that is beyond Jordan, this good mountain and Antilibanus.

26 And the Lord because of you did not regard me, and hearkened not to me; and the Lord said to me, Let it suffice thee, speak not of this matter to me any more.

27 Go up to the top of the quarried rock, and look with thine eyes westward, and northward, and southward, and eastward, and behold with thine eyes, for thou shalt not go over this Jordan.

28 And charge Joshua, and strengthen him, and encourage him; for he shall go before the face of this people, and he shall give them the inheritance of all the land which thou hast seen.

29 And we abode in the valley near the house of Phogor.

Deuteronomy 3 Commentary

Chapter 3

The conquest of Og king of Bashan. (1-11) The land of Gilead and Bashan. (12-20) Moses encourages Joshua. (21-29)

Verse 1 1-11 Og was very powerful, but he did not take warning by the ruin of Sihon, and desire conditions of peace. He trusted his own strength, and so was hardened to his destruction. Those not awakened by the judgments of God on others, ripen for the like judgments on themselves.

Verses 12-20 This country was settled on the Reubenites, Gadites, and half the tribe of Manasseh: see ( Numbers 32 ) . Moses repeats the condition of the grant to which they agreed. When at rest, we should desire to see our brethren at rest too, and should be ready to do what we can towards it; for we are not born for ourselves, but are members one of another.

Verses 21-29 Moses encouraged Joshua, who was to succeed him. Thus the aged and experienced in the service of God, should do all they can to strengthen the hands of those who are young, and setting out in religion. Consider what God has done, what God has promised. If God be for us, who can be against us, so as to prevail? We reproach our Leader if we follow him trembling. Moses prayed, that, if it were God's will, he might go before Israel, over Jordan into Canaan. We should never allow any desires in our hearts, which we cannot in faith offer up to God by prayer. God's answer to this prayer had a mixture of mercy and judgment. God sees it good to deny many things we desire. He may accept our prayers, yet not grant us the very things we pray for. It God does not by his providence give us what we desire, yet if by his grace he makes us content without, it comes to much the same. Let it suffice thee to have God for thy Father, and heaven for thy portion, though thou hast not every thing thou wouldst have in the world. God promised Moses a sight of Canaan from the top of Pisgah. Though he should not have the possession of it, he should have the prospect of it. Even great believers, in this present state, see heaven but at a distance. God provided him a successor. It is a comfort to the friends of the church of Christ, to see God's work likely to be carried on by others, when they are silent in the dust. And if we have the earnest and prospect of heaven, let these suffice us; let us submit to the Lord's will, and speak no more to Him of matters which he sees good to refuse us.

Footnotes

• [a]. acropolis, citadel: or extremity of the land of the Ammonites.
• [b]. Pisgah.

Chapter Summary

INTRODUCTION TO DEUTERONOMY 3

In this chapter the account is carried on of the conquest of the Amorites by Israel, of Og king of Bashan, and his kingdom, De 3:1-11, and of the distribution of their country to the tribes of Reuben and Gad and the half tribe of Manasseh, De 1:12-17 and then the command to the said tribes is observed, to go out armed before their brethren, and assist them in the conquest of the land of Canaan, and then return to their possessions, De 3:18-20 and also that to Joshua not to fear, but to do to the Canaanitish kings and kingdoms what he had seen done to the two kings of the Amorites, De 3:21,22. After which Moses relates the request he made, to go over Jordan and see the good land, which was denied him, only he is bidden to look from the top of an hill to see it, De 3:23-27. And the chapter is closed with the charge he was to give Joshua, De 3:28 which was received in the valley where they abode, De 3:29.