Commentary - Deuteronomy 3:1-22

Bird's-eye view

In this chapter, Moses continues his historical prologue to the covenant renewal on the plains of Moab. Having recounted the victory over Sihon, he now turns to the second great conquest on the east side of the Jordan: the defeat of Og, king of Bashan. The structure is straightforward. First, we have the account of the battle itself, which serves as another powerful proof of God's faithfulness and His intention to give Israel the land (vv. 1-7). Second, Moses provides a summary of all the territory taken from these two Amorite kings, emphasizing the totality of the victory (vv. 8-11). This section includes a fascinating parenthetical note on the sheer size of Og, the last of the giants. Third, Moses details the allotment of this conquered land to the tribes of Reuben, Gad, and the half-tribe of Manasseh (vv. 12-17). Finally, he concludes with the charge he gave to these tribes and to Joshua, reminding them that their personal settlement is conditioned on their covenant faithfulness to their brothers. They must cross the Jordan and fight until the entire nation has received its inheritance. The central theme is God's sovereign power to defeat His enemies, no matter how formidable, and His faithfulness in giving His people their promised inheritance.

Outline

Context In Deuteronomy

Deuteronomy 3 is a direct continuation of the historical review that began in chapter 1. Moses is recounting Israel's journey from Horeb (Sinai) to their current position on the plains of Moab. Chapter 2 detailed the defeat of Sihon, king of the Amorites. This chapter parallels that victory with the defeat of Og. These two victories serve as the tangible, historical basis for the exhortations that will follow. They are God's down payment on the full inheritance. Moses is reminding the new generation, who did not see the plagues in Egypt, that the same God is with them. He is demonstrating that God's promises are not abstract theology; they result in conquered territory, defeated enemies, and a place to call home. This section provides the foundation for the central command of the book: "Do not fear," because the God who did this for you then is the God who will do it for you now.

Key Issues

The Ban (Herem)

In verse 6, Moses states that they "devoted them to destruction" (herem), the men, women, and children of every city. This is often a stumbling block for modern readers. We must understand this was not a typical act of war or ethnic cleansing. It was a specific, divinely commanded act of judgment. The Amorite civilizations were morally and spiritually bankrupt, steeped in idolatry and depravity of the worst sort (cf. Gen. 15:16). God, the righteous judge of all the earth, used Israel as His instrument of execution. This was a one-time, redemptive-historical event to cleanse the land He was giving to His people as a holy inheritance. It was a picture of the final judgment, where all that is unholy will be removed. Israel was not given a blank check for conquest; they were given a specific, limited, and holy task. When they later failed to carry out this command fully, it was that very idolatry that ensnared them and led to their own exile.

The Remnant of the Rephaim

The parenthetical note in verse 11 about Og is theologically significant. He is described as the last of the remnant of the Rephaim, a race of giants. His bedstead, a massive iron frame over thirteen feet long, is mentioned as a public artifact, proof of his immense stature. This is not just an interesting historical tidbit. It serves to magnify the glory of God. The enemies God's people faced were not straw men. They were terrifying, formidable, larger than life. Og was the last of his kind, a final boss, if you will. And God gave him into Israel's hand. The lesson for Israel then, and for the Church now, is that the size of our opposition is irrelevant when God is the one fighting for us. Our giants, whether spiritual or otherwise, are no match for the sovereign Lord. This account is meant to breed courage in the people of God.

Commentary

Deuteronomy 3:1-3

1 Then we turned and went up the road to Bashan, and Og king of Bashan, with all his people, came out to meet us in battle at Edrei. After the victory over Sihon, Israel does not rest on its laurels. They turn and continue their northward advance. The enemy, Og, takes the initiative and comes out to meet them for battle. The Christian life is one of continued progress, and with new territory comes new opposition. The enemies of God do not surrender peacefully.

2 But Yahweh said to me, ‘Do not fear him, for I have given him and all his people and his land over into your hand; and you shall do to him just as you did to Sihon king of the Amorites, who lived at Heshbon.’ Here is the foundation of all righteous warfare. Before the first sword is swung, God speaks. The command is "Do not fear." The basis for this command is not Israel's military strength, but God's sovereign decree. "I have given him... into your hand." Notice the past tense. In the counsel of God, the victory is already accomplished. The battle on the ground is simply the outworking of what has been declared in the heavens. God gives them a pattern to follow: what was done to Sihon will be done to Og. God's past faithfulness is the blueprint for our future confidence.

3 So Yahweh our God also gave Og, king of Bashan, with all his people over into our hand, and we struck them until there was no survivor remaining for him. The "so" connects the result directly to the promise. Because God gave the promise, the fulfillment followed. God gave, and Israel struck. This is the divine and human synergy we see throughout Scripture. God's sovereignty does not negate human responsibility; it empowers it. The result was total victory. "No survivor remaining" is the language of herem, a complete and total judgment.

Deuteronomy 3:4-7

4 And we captured all his cities at that time; there was not a town which we did not take from them: sixty cities, all the region of Argob, the kingdom of Og in Bashan. 5 All these were cities fortified with high walls, gates and bars, besides a great many unwalled towns. Moses emphasizes the scale of the victory. Sixty cities, the entire region. He makes a point to describe them as fortified with high walls, gates, and bars. This was the ancient equivalent of a military superpower. From a human perspective, this was an impossible task for a nomadic people. But with God, high walls are nothing. This is a prelude to the fall of Jericho. The obstacles that seem insurmountable to us are trivial to God.

6 And we devoted them to destruction, as we did to Sihon king of Heshbon, devoting to destruction the men, women, and little ones of every city. 7 But all the animals and the spoil of the cities we took as our plunder. Here again is the principle of the ban, the holy judgment. The people, as bearers of a corrupt and idolatrous culture, were devoted to God through destruction. This was a surgical removal of a cancer from the land. But the judgment was specific. The material wealth, the animals and spoil, were not inherently corrupt. These were given to Israel as plunder, a provision from God through their victory. This distinguishes holy war from simple pillaging. The goal was purification, not personal enrichment, though God was pleased to enrich His people in the process.

Deuteronomy 3:8-11

8 Thus we took the land at that time from the hand of the two kings of the Amorites who were beyond the Jordan, from the valley of Arnon to Mount Hermon 9 (Sidonians call Hermon Sirion, and the Amorites call it Senir): 10 all the cities of the plateau and all Gilead and all Bashan, as far as Salecah and Edrei, cities of the kingdom of Og in Bashan. Moses now summarizes the entire conquest east of the Jordan. He gives the geographical boundaries, from the Arnon Gorge in the south to the majestic Mount Hermon in the north. This is real history, happening in real space. The inclusion of the different names for Hermon roots the story in the wider context of the ancient Near East. The victory was total and the possession was complete.

11 (For only Og king of Bashan remained of the remnant of the Rephaim. Behold, his bedstead was an iron bedstead; it is in Rabbah of the sons of Ammon. Its length was nine cubits, and its width four cubits by ordinary cubit.) This famous parenthetical note is a stroke of theological genius. Why mention the bed? Because it was a public monument to the fearsomeness of the enemy God had just defeated. Og was a giant, the last of a terrifying race. His bed, likely a sarcophagus or basalt slab, was on display in a neighboring kingdom. It was a tourist attraction that testified to his might. Moses is saying, "You remember that guy? The giant whose bed you can still go see? God gave him to us." It is a tangible reminder that God's power is greater than any giant in the land.

Deuteronomy 3:12-17

12 So we took possession of this land at that time... Moses now moves from conquest to settlement. The land is distributed to the two and a half tribes. He details the specific allotments, showing that God's promises are not vague, but result in concrete inheritances with defined borders. Reuben, Gad, and the half-tribe of Manasseh receive their portion on the east side of the Jordan. This is a fulfillment of the promises made to the patriarchs. God is a God who gives good gifts to His children.

Deuteronomy 3:18-22

18 Then I commanded you at that time, saying, ‘Yahweh your God has given you this land to possess it; all you men of valor shall cross over armed before your brothers, the sons of Israel. 19 But your wives and your little ones and your livestock... shall remain in your cities... 20 until Yahweh gives rest to your brothers as to you... Then you may return...’ This is a crucial lesson in covenant solidarity. The two and a half tribes had their land, their inheritance. They could have been tempted to settle down and enjoy their "rest." But Moses commands them otherwise. Their rest is contingent upon the rest of their brothers. They are a single covenant people, and the fight is not over until the whole body is at peace. The "men of valor" must go and fight. This is a picture of the Church. We are not to seek our own comfort and peace while our brothers and sisters are still engaged in spiritual warfare. We fight together until the Lord gives rest to all His people.

21 And I commanded Joshua at that time, saying, ‘Your eyes have seen all that Yahweh your God has done to these two kings; so Yahweh shall do to all the kingdoms into which you are about to cross. 22 Do not fear them, for Yahweh your God is the one fighting for you.’ The lesson is now passed to the new leader, Joshua. The principle is the same. What God has done in the past is the guarantee of what He will do in the future. The victories over Sihon and Og were not isolated events; they were the pattern for the entire conquest. The final command encapsulates the entire message of the chapter, and indeed the entire book. Do not fear. Why? Because the battle is not ultimately yours. Yahweh your God, He is the one fighting for you. This is the bedrock of Christian courage.

Application

The lessons from this ancient battlefield are directly applicable to the Christian life. First, we are told not to fear our enemies. Like Og, our spiritual foes can seem like giants. The temptations, the cultural pressures, the spiritual opposition can all appear as fortified cities with high walls. But the command of God comes to us just as it came to Moses: "Do not fear." The victory has already been secured by our Lord Jesus Christ at the cross. He has conquered, and we fight in His victory.

Second, we learn about covenant community. The charge to the Transjordanian tribes is a charge to the modern church. We cannot be content with our own spiritual peace and prosperity while others are in the thick of the fight. We are one body, and we are called to bear one another's burdens, to fight for and alongside one another until Christ returns and gives His entire Church its final rest.

Finally, we are reminded that our confidence is based on God's past faithfulness. Joshua was told to look at what God had already done. We are to look back at the cross and the empty tomb. The God who defeated sin and death in the resurrection of His Son is the same God who fights for us today. He who conquered the ultimate giant of death will surely give us victory over the lesser giants we face in our lives. Therefore, do not fear, for Yahweh your God is the one fighting for you.