Deuteronomy 3: The defeat of Og, the land east of the Jordan, and Moses may not cross
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What happens?
Moses tells how Israel defeated Og king of Bashan, the last of the Rephaim, took his sixty cities and utterly destroyed them as they had done to Sihon, and how the land east of the Jordan was given to Reuben, Gad and half the tribe of Manasseh. Their fighting men were to cross the Jordan ahead of the other tribes, and Moses told Joshua not to be afraid. Moses begged Yahweh to let him cross into the land, but Yahweh told him to stop asking, to look at it from the top of Pisgah, and to make Joshua strong to lead the people in.
Who is speaking?
Moses is still speaking to Israel. He repeats what Yahweh told him (verse 2, and verses 26 to 28), the orders he gave the eastern tribes (verses 18 to 20) and Joshua (verses 21 and 22), and his own prayer to Yahweh (verses 24 and 25). These are Moses' words, so none of them are in gold, even where he tells what Yahweh said. Verses 9, 11 and 13 to 14 hold side notes in brackets. God's own words are printed in gold, and those verses are marked God speaks
1Then we turned, and went up the way to Bashan. Og the king of Bashan came out against us, he and all his people, to battle at Edrei.
In plain English: Then we turned and went up the road to Bashan. Og king of Bashan came out against us, he and all his people, to fight at Edrei.
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2Yahweh said to me, “Don’t fear him; for I have delivered him, with all his people and his land, into your hand. You shall do to him as you did to Sihon king of the Amorites, who lived at Heshbon.”
In plain English: Yahweh said to me, "Do not be afraid of him, because I have handed him over to you (literally: into your hand), with all his people and his land. Do to him what you did to Sihon king of the Amorites, who lived at Heshbon."
Good to know: Almost the same words are in , and to tells the same battle at Edrei. In Numbers the narrator gives Yahweh's words, so they are in gold there. Here Moses repeats them in his speech, so they are not.
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3So Yahweh our God also delivered into our hand Og, the king of Bashan, and all his people. We struck him until no one was left to him remaining.
In plain English: So Yahweh our God also handed over to us Og king of Bashan and all his people. We struck him down until he had no one left.
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4We took all his cities at that time. There was not a city which we didn’t take from them: sixty cities, all the region of Argob, the kingdom of Og in Bashan.
In plain English: At that time we took all his cities. There was not a town we did not take from them: sixty cities, the whole region of Argob, the kingdom of Og in Bashan.
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5All these were cities fortified with high walls, gates, and bars, in addition to a great many villages without walls.
In plain English: All these were cities made strong with high walls, gates and bars, besides a great many villages without walls.
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6We utterly destroyed them, as we did to Sihon king of Heshbon, utterly destroying every inhabited city, with the women and the little ones.
In plain English: We utterly destroyed them (or: devoted them to destruction), as we had done to Sihon king of Heshbon, utterly destroying every inhabited city (literally: city of men), with the women and the little ones.
Good to know: "Utterly destroyed" is the same Hebrew word as in . See the note there.
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7But all the livestock, and the plunder of the cities, we took for plunder for ourselves.
In plain English: But all the livestock and the plunder of the cities we took as plunder for ourselves.
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8We took the land at that time out of the hand of the two kings of the Amorites who were beyond the Jordan, from the valley of the Arnon to Mount Hermon.
In plain English: At that time we took the land from the two kings of the Amorites who were beyond the Jordan, from the valley of the Arnon to Mount Hermon.
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9(The Sidonians call Hermon Sirion, and the Amorites call it Senir.)
In plain English: (The Sidonians call Hermon Sirion, and the Amorites call it Senir.)
Good to know: The text gives three names for Mount Hermon: Hermon, Sirion (the Sidonians' name) and Senir (the Amorites' name). gives a fourth, Siyon.
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10We took all the cities of the plain, and all Gilead, and all Bashan, to Salecah and Edrei, cities of the kingdom of Og in Bashan.
In plain English: We took all the cities of the plain (the level land), all Gilead and all Bashan, as far as Salecah and Edrei, cities of the kingdom of Og in Bashan.
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11(For only Og king of Bashan remained of the remnant of the Rephaim. Behold, his bedstead was a bedstead of iron. Isn’t it in Rabbah of the children of Ammon? Nine cubits was its length, and four cubits its width, after the cubit of a man.)
In plain English: (Only Og king of Bashan was left of the last of the Rephaim. Look, his bed (this Bible: bedstead; or: coffin) was a bed of iron. Is it not still in Rabbah of the people of Ammon? It was nine cubits long and four cubits wide, by an ordinary man's cubit.)
The Hebrew word: "Bedstead" is eres, which the dictionary gives as "a couch (properly, with a canopy)". This Bible says "bed" or a longer form (beds, bedstead) in 7 of the 9 verses that use it, and "couch" in 5 (some verses have both). The STEPBible word-by-word meanings used for this study give "sarcophagus" (a coffin) here; the dictionary does not. That is where the reading "coffin" comes from.
What changes: Read as "bed" (the dictionary and this Bible), the verse tells of an iron bed. Read as "coffin" (STEPBible), it tells of what he was laid in when he died. The text does not say which.
Good to know: A cubit is a length measured by the forearm: the dictionary gives it as "the fore-arm (below the elbow), i.e. a cubit". "By the cubit of a man" means by an ordinary man's forearm.
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12This land we took in possession at that time: from Aroer, which is by the valley of the Arnon, and half the hill country of Gilead with its cities, I gave to the Reubenites and to the Gadites;
In plain English: At that time we took possession of this land. I gave to the Reubenites and the Gadites the land from Aroer, by the valley of the Arnon, and half the hill country of Gilead with its cities.
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13and the rest of Gilead, and all Bashan, the kingdom of Og, I gave to the half-tribe of Manasseh—all the region of Argob, even all Bashan. (The same is called the land of Rephaim.
In plain English: The rest of Gilead and all Bashan, the kingdom of Og, I gave to the half-tribe of Manasseh: the whole region of Argob, all Bashan. (It is called the land of Rephaim.
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14Jair the son of Manasseh took all the region of Argob, to the border of the Geshurites and the Maacathites, and called them, even Bashan, after his own name, Havvoth Jair, to this day.)
In plain English: Jair the son of Manasseh took the whole region of Argob, as far as the border of the Geshurites and the Maacathites. He named them, that is Bashan, after himself: Havvoth Jair (the villages of Jair), as they are called to this day.)
Good to know: The text explains the name: Havvoth Jair means "the villages of Jair" (the dictionary: "hamlets of Jair"). also tells how Jair took the villages and named them.
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15I gave Gilead to Machir.
In plain English: I gave Gilead to Machir.
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16To the Reubenites and to the Gadites I gave from Gilead even to the valley of the Arnon, the middle of the valley, and its border, even to the river Jabbok, which is the border of the children of Ammon;
In plain English: To the Reubenites and the Gadites I gave the land from Gilead to the valley of the Arnon, with the middle of the valley as a border, as far as the river Jabbok, which is the border of the people of Ammon,
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17the Arabah also, and the Jordan and its border, from Chinnereth even to the sea of the Arabah, the Salt Sea, under the slopes of Pisgah eastward.
In plain English: and the Arabah too, with the Jordan as its border, from Chinnereth to the sea of the Arabah, the Salt Sea, below the slopes of Pisgah to the east.
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18I commanded you at that time, saying, “Yahweh your God has given you this land to possess it. All of you men of valor shall pass over armed before your brothers, the children of Israel.
In plain English: At that time I commanded you, "Yahweh your God has given you this land to take as your own. All you men of strength (this Bible: men of valor) are to cross over armed ahead of your brothers, the Israelites.
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19But your wives, and your little ones, and your livestock, (I know that you have much livestock), shall live in your cities which I have given you,
In plain English: But your wives, your little ones and your livestock (I know you have a lot of livestock) are to stay in the cities I have given you,
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20until Yahweh gives rest to your brothers, as to you, and they also possess the land which Yahweh your God gives them beyond the Jordan. Then you shall each return to his own possession, which I have given you.”
In plain English: until Yahweh gives your brothers rest, as he has given you, and they too take possession of the land Yahweh your God is giving them beyond the Jordan. Then each of you is to go back to his own land, which I have given you."
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21I commanded Joshua at that time, saying, “Your eyes have seen all that Yahweh your God has done to these two kings. So shall Yahweh do to all the kingdoms where you go over.
In plain English: At that time I commanded Joshua, "Your eyes have seen all that Yahweh your God has done to these two kings. Yahweh will do the same to all the kingdoms you are crossing over to.
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22You shall not fear them; for Yahweh your God himself fights for you.”
In plain English: Do not be afraid of them, because Yahweh your God himself fights for you."
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23I begged Yahweh at that time, saying,
In plain English: At that time I pleaded with Yahweh (this Bible: begged), saying,
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24“Lord Yahweh, you have begun to show your servant your greatness, and your strong hand. For what god is there in heaven or in earth that can do works like yours, and mighty acts like yours?
In plain English: "Lord Yahweh, you have begun to show your servant your greatness and your strong hand. What god is there in heaven or on earth who can do works like yours and mighty acts like yours?
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25Please let me go over and see the good land that is beyond the Jordan, that fine mountain, and Lebanon.”
In plain English: Please let me go over and see the good land beyond the Jordan, that good hill country (this Bible: that fine mountain), and Lebanon."
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26But Yahweh was angry with me because of you, and didn’t listen to me. Yahweh said to me, “That is enough! Speak no more to me of this matter.
In plain English: But Yahweh was angry with me because of you, and he would not listen to me. Yahweh said to me, "That is enough! Do not speak to me about this again.
Good to know: In Hebrew, "was angry" in this verse and "let me go over" in are forms of the same word, avar, which the dictionary gives as "to cross over; used very widely of any transition". So the text uses one word, sounding alike, for Moses' request and for Yahweh's anger. The same word is "cross" in .
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27Go up to the top of Pisgah, and lift up your eyes westward, and northward, and southward, and eastward, and see with your eyes; for you shall not go over this Jordan.
In plain English: Go up to the top of Pisgah. Lift up your eyes to the west, the north, the south and the east, and see it with your own eyes, because you will not cross this Jordan.
Good to know: Moses does go up to the top of Pisgah in , where Yahweh shows him the land.
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28But commission 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 you shall see.”
In plain English: But give Joshua his orders (this Bible: commission Joshua), and encourage him and make him strong, because he will cross over ahead of this people, and he will lead them to take as their own the land you will see."
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29So we stayed in the valley near Beth Peor.
In plain English: So we stayed in the valley across from Beth Peor.
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