Moses reminds us that Israel now turns and goes up along the road toward Bashan, and Og, the king of Bashan, with his whole army marched out to meet them in battle at Edrei, Deuteronomy 3:1. Og were a ‘remnant of the Rephaim’, Deuteronomy 3:11, and the Rephaim were a race of giant people, Genesis 14:5.
God told Israel not to be afraid of him, for He has delivered him into their hands, along with his whole army and his land, but they weren’t to do to him what you did to Sihon king of the Amorites, who reigned in Heshbon, Deuteronomy 3:2.
God also gave into Israel’s hands Og, the king of Bashan and all his army, and Israel struck them down, leaving no survivors, Deuteronomy 3:3. Israel totally defeated Og, the king of Bashan, Numbers 21:33-35 / Psalms 135:5 / Psalms 135:10-11 / Psalm 136:17- 21, and as a result of that victory, Israel celebrated and became greatly encouraged. Og were the last hurdle to entering Canaan, Nehemiah 9:22 / Psalm 135:11 / Psalm 136:19-20.
The victory was so great that they took sixty cities, Deuteronomy 3:4, but because they were heavily fortified cities, this would make the battle long and hard, as they must have taken one city at a time.
The sixty cities, Deuteronomy 3:4, didn’t include the surrounding towns and villages. They utterly destroyed cities with fortified walls, gates, and bars in addition to the giants of the land, Deuteronomy 3:5.
Israel completely destroyed them, as they had done with Sihon, king of Heshbon, destroying every city, men, women, and children, but all the livestock and the plunder from their cities they carried off for themselves, Deuteronomy 3:6-7. Israel took from these two kings of the Amorites the territory east of the Jordan, from the Arnon Gorge as far as Mount Hermon, Deuteronomy 3:8.
We are told that Hermon is called Sirion by the Sidonians; the Amorites call it Senir, Deuteronomy 3:9. Israel finally ‘took the land’, Deuteronomy 3:10, which is exactly what God commanded them to do the first time, Deuteronomy 1:21.
Notice the size of Og’s ‘bed’, Deuteronomy 3:11, it was around thirteen and a half feet long, and six feet wide. This tells us just how big the people of Bashan were, which in turn tells us how much more glorious their defeat was.
The size of the bed implies that the people of Bashan were physically larger and stronger than the Israelites, Deuteronomy 2:10-11, but through faith in God, the Israelites were victorious, Numbers 21:33-35.
Barnes, in his commentary, says the following concerning Og’s bed made of iron.
‘The ‘iron’ was probably the black basalt of the country, which not only contains a large proportion, about 20 per cent, of iron, but was actually called ‘iron,’ and is still so regarded by the Arabs. Iron was indeed both known and used, principally for tools, Deuteronomy 19:5 and compare Genesis 4:22, at the date in question by the Semitic people of Palestine and the adjoining countries, but bronze was the ordinary metal of which weapons, articles of furniture, etc., were made.’
As long as Israel feared their enemy, they demonstrated a lack of faith in God, and God wasn’t with them, Deuteronomy 1:19-21 / Deuteronomy 1:26 / Deuteronomy 1:29-32.
However, when they trusted God and God was with them, their fears left, and God gave them the victory. The Scriptures teach that our fear can be seen as a lack of faith in God, Matthew 8:25-27, and a demonstration of doubting His promises, Matthew 14:24-31. As Christians, we have nothing to fear from men, Matthew 10:24-31 / 2 Timothy 1:7.
The land north of the valley of Arnon up northward through Gilead now belonged to Israel, Deuteronomy 3:12. The rest of Gilead and also all of Bashan, the kingdom of Og, God gave to the half-tribe of Manasseh, Deuteronomy 3:13. The whole region of Argob in Bashan used to be known as a land of the Rephaites, Deuteronomy 3:13.
Jair, a descendant of Manasseh, took the whole region of Argob as far as the border of the Geshurites and the Maakathites; it was named after him, so that to this day Bashan is called Havvoth Jair, Deuteronomy 3:14 / Numbers 32:41.
Barnes, in his commentary, says the following.
‘These Geshurites held territory adjoining, if not included within, Bashan. They are not to be confounded with those mentioned in Joshua 13:2, who were neighbours of the Philistines 1 Samuel 17:8. The exact position of Maachah, like that of Geshur, cannot be ascertained; but it was no doubt among the fastnesses which lay between Bashan and the kingdom of Damascus, and on the skirts of Mount Hermon.’
God gave Gilead to Makir, but to the Reubenites and the Gadites, God gave the territory extending from Gilead down to the Arnon Gorge, the middle of the gorge being the border and out to the Jabbok River, which is the border of the Ammonites, Deuteronomy 3:15-16.
Its western border was the Jordan in the Arabah, from Kinnereth to the Sea of the Arabah, that is, the Dead Sea, below the slopes of Pisgah, Deuteronomy 3:17 / Numbers 34:11.
Israel was to remember that God did fight for them, Deuteronomy 3:18 / Deuteronomy 1:29. God had commanded Israel at that time to take possession of the land, but all Israel’s able-bodied men, armed for battle, must cross over ahead of the other Israelites, Deuteronomy 3:18.
The fighting men were obligated to continue with their brethren in the suppression of the nations from the land of Canaan west of the Jordan. At this time, however, only the wives, children and livestock of these tribes remained in the land, Deuteronomy 3:19.
Israel’s wives, children and livestock were to stay in the towns until God gives rest to their fellow Israelites as He has to them, and they too have taken over the land that God is giving them across the Jordan.
After that, each of them may go back to the possession He has given them, Deuteronomy 3:19-20. Gad, Reuben, and half the tribe of Manasseh were given this land with the promise of their fighting men crossing the Jordan to wage war with their brethren, Numbers 32:1-42.
Moses recognised the all-powerful state of the Lord God, as many before and later would, Genesis 18:14 / Jeremiah 32:17 / Jeremiah 32:27. Joshua had a massive responsibility in bringing the whole nation into the land and fighting for it, hence why the Lord told him not to be afraid because God himself would fight for them, Deuteronomy 3:21-22 / Numbers 27:12-23.
Moses pleaded with God and said, Sovereign LORD, you have begun to show to your servant your greatness and your strong hand. For what god is there in heaven or on earth who can do the deeds and mighty works you do? Let me go over and see the good land beyond the Jordan, that fine hill country and Lebanon, Deuteronomy 3:23-25.
Barnes, in his commentary, says the following.
‘The whole of this prayer of Moses is very characteristic. The longing to witness further manifestations of God’s goodness and glory, and the reluctance to leave unfinished an undertaking which he had been permitted to commence, are striking traits in his character, Exodus 32:32-34 / Exodus 33:12 / Exodus 33:18-22 / Numbers 14:12-45.’
Moses himself desired earnestly to see the land of Canaan, but because of his sins and Aaron’s sin at the waters of Meribah, they were unable to enter in, Numbers 20:1-13. Moses pleads with God, the Lord, but God didn’t want to speak to him anymore about it, Deuteronomy 3:26 / Jeremiah 15:1.
It was at this time that the Lord got angry with Moses, Numbers 27:14 / Deuteronomy 32:51, and because he had been given the privilege of leading Israel from Egypt to this point, and so carried the great responsibility of leadership, James 3:1.
Barnes, in his commentary, says the following.
‘Here, as in Deuteronomy 1:37 / Deuteronomy 4:21, the sin of the people is stated to be the ground on which Moses’ prayer is denied. In Deuteronomy 32:51, and in Numbers 27:14, the transgression of Moses and Aaron themselves is assigned as the cause of their punishment.’
With such responsibility comes great judgment, which judgment was brought upon him for striking a rock for water at Meribah. Moses and the water from the rock point us to Jesus, who was that rock, 1 Corinthians 10:4.
God only allowed Moses to see the land from Pisgah, but not to go over and experience the land, Deuteronomy 3:27. Because of Moses’ sin, the responsibility of leading God’s people into the Promised Land was given to Joshua, Deuteronomy 3:28 / Numbers 27:12-23.
Beth-Peor is located in the vicinity of Mount Peor, Deuteronomy 3:29 / Numbers 23:28. The name means ‘house of Peor,’ which comes from a temple of the Moabite god, Peor. Baal-Peor was the area where the initial entry into Canaan occurred, Numbers 25-26.
Clarke, in his commentary, says the following.
‘It is very likely that what God speaks here, both concerning Moses and Joshua, was designed to be typical of the procedure of his justice and grace in the salvation of man.
1. The land of Canaan was a type of the kingdom of heaven.
2. The law, which shows the holiness of God and the exceeding sinfulness of sin, could not bring the people to the possession of that kingdom.
3. Moses may probably be considered here as the emblem of that law by which is the knowledge of sin, but not redemption from it.
4. Joshua, the same as Jesus, the name signifying a Saviour, is appointed to bring the people into the rest which God had provided for them; thus it is by Jesus Christ alone that the soul is saved, fitted for and brought into the possession of the heavenly inheritance, John 1:17 / Galatians 2:16 / Galatians 3:12-13 / Galatians 3:24, for he is the end of the law, the great scope and design of the law, for righteousness, for justification, to them that believe, Romans 10:4. Such a use as this every pious reader may make of the circumstances recorded here, without the danger of pushing analogy or metaphor beyond their reasonable limits.’