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Deuteronomy 3

Deuteronomy book home•Chapter 3 of 34•29 verses

Chapter overviewAt a glance + deeper study

REVIEWED OVERVIEW

Deuteronomy 3 Overview

Israel defeats Og king of Bashan, completing its major victories east of Jordan. Moses reviews how the conquered territory was given to Reuben, Gad, and half the tribe of Manasseh on the condition that their fighting men cross Jordan with their brethren. He then encourages Joshua and recalls that God refused his request to enter Canaan.

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Before you read Deuteronomy 3

Coming from

Chapter 2 ended with Sihon defeated and his Amorite territory taken as Israel began possessing land east of Jordan.

In this chapter

The eastern victories are completed, eastern inheritances are confirmed, Joshua is strengthened by what he has seen God do, and Moses faces the finality of his own exclusion from the land.

Leads into

Chapter 4 turns from historical review to direct exhortation: Israel must hear, remember, reject idolatry, and keep God’s statutes in the land.

Key understandingExplore deeper

Bashan lay north of Sihon’s territory and was ruled by Og, one of the last noted remnants of the Rephaim. The chapter’s measurements and place names ground the account in geography rather than myth. The eastern tribes receive land before the crossing, but Numbers 32’s condition remains: their warriors must help the rest of Israel. Moses’ denied entrance recalls his failure at Meribah, while Joshua’s commissioning shows continuity of leadership without pretending Joshua is another Moses.

Major truths in this chapterExplore deeper

Truth 1

Past victories are meant to strengthen Joshua for the battles still ahead.

Truth 2

Inheritance brings responsibility: the eastern tribes must fight beside their brethren before settling fully into their own territory.

Truth 3

Moses’ unique role does not exempt him from temporal consequences for disobedience.

Truth 4

God’s work continues beyond one human leader; Joshua is prepared to carry the mission forward.

Connections to the rest of ScriptureExplore deeper

Connection 1

Numbers 21:33–35 narrates the defeat of Og; Numbers 32 gives the agreement with Reuben and Gad in fuller detail.

Connection 2

Numbers 20:7–13 explains the Meribah event behind Moses’ exclusion from Canaan.

Connection 3

Joshua 1 opens with the transfer of leadership that Deuteronomy 3 anticipates.

What is clear, and where care is neededExplore deeper

Keep this clear 1

Do not treat Og’s description as permission to build speculative giant traditions beyond what Scripture states.

Keep this clear 2

Moses’ exclusion from the land is a temporal governmental judgment; the chapter does not say he lost eternal life.

Keep this clear 3

The eastern tribes’ land is not outside God’s provision, but their possession of it does not cancel their obligation to help the other tribes.

Read Deuteronomy 3 watching for…

How Og’s defeat parallels Sihon’s defeat.

The specific lands assigned to the eastern tribes.

The military obligation that accompanies those inheritances.

Moses’ words of encouragement to Joshua.

The LORD’s final answer to Moses about entering the land.

Chapter outline3 sections

1-11Israel defeats Og king of Bashan 12-20The land east of Jordan is given to Reuben, Gad, and half Manasseh 21-29Joshua is encouraged and Moses is denied entrance into Canaan

Then we turned, and went up the way to Bashan: and Og the king of Bashan came out against us, he and all his people, to battle at Edrei.

And the LORD said unto me, Fear him not: for I will deliver him, and all his people, and his land, into thy hand; and thou shalt do unto him as thou didst unto Sihon king of the Amorites, which dwelt at Heshbon.

So the LORD our God delivered into our hands Og also, the king of Bashan, and all his people: and we smote him until none was left to him remaining.

And we took all his cities at that time, there was not a city which we took not from them, threescore cities, all the region of Argob, the kingdom of Og in Bashan.

All these cities were fenced with high walls, gates, and bars; beside unwalled towns a great many.

And we utterly destroyed them, as we did unto Sihon king of Heshbon, utterly destroying the men, women, and children, of every city.

But all the cattle, and the spoil of the cities, we took for a prey to ourselves.

And we took at that time out of the hand of the two kings of the Amorites the land that was on this side Jordan, from the river of Arnon unto mount Hermon;

(Which Hermon the Sidonians call Sirion; and the Amorites call it Shenir;)

All the cities of the plain, and all Gilead, and all Bashan, unto Salchah and Edrei, cities of the kingdom of Og in Bashan.

For only Og king of Bashan remained of the remnant of giants; behold, his bedstead was a bedstead of iron; is it not in Rabbath of the children of Ammon? nine cubits was the length thereof, and four cubits the breadth of it, after the cubit of a man.

And this land, which we possessed at that time, from Aroer, which is by the river Arnon, and half mount Gilead, and the cities thereof, gave I unto the Reubenites and to the Gadites.

And the rest of Gilead, and all Bashan, being the kingdom of Og, gave I unto the half tribe of Manasseh; all the region of Argob, with all Bashan, which was called the land of giants.

Jair the son of Manasseh took all the country of Argob unto the coasts of Geshuri and Maachathi; and called them after his own name, Bashanhavothjair, unto this day.

And I gave Gilead unto Machir.

And unto the Reubenites and unto the Gadites I gave from Gilead even unto the river Arnon half the valley, and the border even unto the river Jabbok, which is the border of the children of Ammon;

The plain also, and Jordan, and the coast thereof, from Chinnereth even unto the sea of the plain, even the salt sea, under Ashdothpisgah eastward.

And I commanded you at that time, saying, The LORD your God hath given you this land to possess it: ye shall pass over armed before your brethren the children of Israel, all that are meet for the war.

But your wives, and your little ones, and your cattle, (for I know that ye have much cattle,) shall abide in your cities which I have given you;

Until the LORD have given rest unto your brethren, as well as unto you, and until they also possess the land which the LORD your God hath given them beyond Jordan: and then shall ye return every man unto his possession, which I have given you.

And I commanded Joshua at that time, saying, Thine eyes have seen all that the LORD your God hath done unto these two kings: so shall the LORD do unto all the kingdoms whither thou passest.

Ye shall not fear them: for the LORD your God he shall fight for you.

And I besought the LORD at that time, saying,

O Lord GOD, thou hast begun to shew thy servant thy greatness, and thy mighty hand: for what God is there in heaven or in earth, that can do according to thy works, and according to thy might?

I pray thee, let me go over, and see the good land that is beyond Jordan, that goodly mountain, and Lebanon.

But the LORD was wroth with me for your sakes, and would not hear me: and the LORD said unto me, Let it suffice thee; speak no more unto me of this matter.

Get thee up into the top of Pisgah, and lift up thine eyes westward, and northward, and southward, and eastward, and behold it with thine eyes: for thou shalt not go over this Jordan.

But charge 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 thou shalt see.

So we abode in the valley over against Bethpeor.

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Deuteronomy 3:1

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