Chapter 3
Verses 1-7: Conquest of Bashan and King Og}
1. “Then we turned and went up the road to Bashan. And Og, the king of Bashan, came out against us, he and all his people, to battle at Edrei.”
2. “But the Lord said to me, ‘Do not fear him, for I have given him and all his people and his land into your hand. And you shall do to him as you did to Sihon king of the Amorites, who lived at Heshbon.’”
3. “So the Lord our God also gave into our hands Og king of Bashan and all his people, and we struck him down until he had no survivors left.”
4. “And we captured all his cities at that time; there was not a city that we did not take from them, sixty cities, the whole region of Argob, the kingdom of Og in Bashan.”
5. “All these were cities fortified with high walls, gates, and bars, besides very many unwalled villages.”
6. “And we utterly destroyed them, as we did to Sihon king of Heshbon, utterly destroying the men, women, and children of every city.”
7. “But all the livestock and the spoil of the cities we took as our plunder.”
Interpretation:
This section recounts the conquest of Og, king of Bashan, highlighting God’s direct involvement and assurance of victory. The comprehensive defeat of Og, including the capture of sixty cities, signifies a complete transfer of control and fulfillment of divine promise. The narrative underscores the theme of divine judgment and the Israelites’ role as agents of God’s will in the conquest of the land.
Verses 8-11: Annexation of Transjordanian Territories
8. “So we 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”
9. “Sidonians call Hermon Sirion, while 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.”
11. “For only Og king of Bashan remained of the remnant of the Rephaim. Behold, his bedstead was an iron bedstead. Is it not in Rabbah of the Ammonites? Nine cubits was its length, and four cubits its breadth, according to the common cubit.”
Interpretation:
These verses detail the extent of the territory conquered by the Israelites, from the Arnon to Mount Hermon, encompassing significant regions. The mention of Og’s iron bedstead, with its impressive dimensions, serves to emphasize his might and the significance of his defeat. The reference to the different names for Mount Hermon by the Sidonians and Amorites indicates the diverse cultural and linguistic landscape of the region.
Verses 12-20: Distribution of Land to Reuben, Gad, and Manasseh
12. “And this land, which we possessed at that time, from Aroer, which is by the valley of the Arnon, and half the hill country of Gilead and its cities I gave to the Reubenites and the Gadites.”
13. “The rest of Gilead, and all Bashan, the kingdom of Og, I gave to the half-tribe of Manasseh. All the region of Argob in Bashan was called the land of Rephaim.”
14. “Jair the son of Manasseh took all the region of Argob, as far as the border of the Geshurites and the Maacathites, and called them, even Bashan, after his own name, Havvoth-jair, as it is to this day.”
15. “And I gave Gilead to Machir.”
16. “And to the Reubenites and the Gadites I gave from Gilead as far as the Valley of the Arnon, with the middle of the valley as a border, as far over as the river Jabbok, the border of the Ammonites;”
17. “the Arabah also, with the Jordan as the border, from Chinnereth as far as the sea of the Arabah, the Salt Sea, under the slopes of Pisgah on the east.”
18. “And I commanded you at that time, saying, ‘The Lord your God has given you this land to possess. All your men of valor shall cross over armed before your brothers, the people of Israel.”
19. “Only your wives, your little ones, and your livestock (I know that you have much livestock) shall remain in the cities that I have given you,”
20. “until the Lord gives rest to your brothers, as to you, and they also occupy the land that the Lord your God gives them beyond the Jordan. Then each of you may return to his possession which I have given you.'”
Interpretation:
This passage outlines the distribution of the conquered territories east of the Jordan River to the tribes of Reuben, Gad, and half of Manasseh. The specific allocations reflect careful planning and consideration of the needs and strengths of each tribe. The command for men of valor to aid their fellow Israelites in conquering the land west of the Jordan reinforces themes of unity, mutual responsibility, and collective fulfillment of divine promise.
Verses 20-29: Joshua’s Commission as Moses’ Successor
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 will the Lord do to all the kingdoms into which you are crossing.”
22. “Do not fear them, for the Lord your God himself fights for you.’”
23. “And I pleaded with the Lord at that time, saying,”
24. “O Lord God, you have only begun to show your servant your greatness and your mighty hand. For what god is there in heaven or on earth who can do works and mighty acts like yours?”
25. “Please let me go over and see the good land beyond the Jordan, that good hill country and Lebanon.’”
26. “But the Lord was angry with me because of you and would not listen to me. And the Lord said to me, ’Enough from you; do not speak to me of this matter again.”
27. “Go up to the top of Pisgah and lift up your eyes westward and northward and southward and eastward and look at it with your eyes, for you shall not cross this Jordan.”
28. “But charge Joshua, and encourage and strengthen him, for he shall go over at the head of this people, and he shall put them in possession of the land that you shall see.’”
29. “So we remained in the valley opposite Beth-peor.”
Interpretation:
In verses 21 and 22, Moses reassures Joshua, his successor, with the victories over Kings Sihon and Og as evidence of God’s power and promise. He encourages Joshua not to fear the future battles for the Promised Land because God will be fighting for Israel. In verses 23 through 28, Moses shares his personal plea to God to allow him to enter the Promised Land, a request denied due to previous disobedience. God commands Moses to instead ascend Mount Pisgah to view the land and to prepare Joshua for leadership, reinforcing the transition of leadership to Joshua. Finally, verse 29 concludes with Moses and the Israelites staying in the valley opposite Beth-peor, indicating a period of waiting and preparation before moving to conquer the land. This serves as a transitional moment, emphasizing the end of Moses’ leadership journey and the beginning of Joshua’s.
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