The defeat of King Og of Bashan

(Numbers 21.31-35)

Moses said to Israel:

1When we turned on to the road that leads to Bashan, King Og of Bashan led out his whole army to fight us at Edrei. 2But the LORD told me, “Moses, don't be afraid of King Og. I am going to help you defeat him and his army and take over his land. Destroy him and his people, just as you did with the Amorite King Sihon of Heshbon.”

3-6The LORD our God helped us destroy Og and his army and conquer his entire kingdom of Bashan, including the Argob region. His kingdom had lots of villages and sixty towns with high walls and gates that locked with bars. We completely destroyed3.3-6 completely destroyed: The Hebrew word means that the town was given completely to the LORD, and since it could not be used for normal purposes any more, it had to be destroyed. Every person was killed and sometimes all the animals as well. them all, killing everyone, 7but keeping the livestock and everything else of value.

8Sihon and Og had ruled Amorite kingdoms east of the River Jordan. Their land stretched from the gorge of the River Arnon in the south to Mount Hermon in the north, and we captured it all. 9Mount Hermon is called Mount Sirion by the people of Sidon, and it is called Mount Senir by the Amorites. 10We captured all the towns in the highlands, all of Gilead, and all of Bashan as far as Salecah and Edrei, two of the towns that Og had ruled.

Og's coffin

11King Og was the last of the Rephaim,3.11 Rephaim: See the note at 2.10,11. and his coffin3.11 coffin: Or “bed”. is in the town of Rabbah in Ammon. It is made of hard black rock3.11 hard black rock: The Hebrew text has “iron”, which probably refers to basalt, a hard black rock. and is four metres long and almost two metres wide.

The land east of the River Jordan is divided

(Numbers 32.1-42)

Moses said to Israel:

12-17I gave some of the land and towns we captured to the tribes of Reuben and Gad. Their share started at the gorge of the River Arnon in the south, took in the town of Aroer on the edge of the gorge, and went far enough north to include the southern half of the Gilead region. The northern part of their land went as far east as the upper gorge of the River Jabbok, which formed their border with the Ammonites.3.12-17 The northern part…border with the Ammonites: The River Jabbok flowed from south to north, then it turned west and formed the northern border of the land belonging to the Reuben and Gad tribes. I also gave them the eastern side of the valley of the River Jordan, from Lake Galilee3.12-17 Lake Galilee: The Hebrew text has “Lake Chinnereth”, an earlier name. south to the Dead Sea3.12-17 the Dead Sea: Hebrew “the Sea of the Arabah, the Salt Sea”. below the slopes of Mount Pisgah.

I gave the northern half of Gilead and all of the Bashan region to half the tribe of Manasseh.3.12-17 half the tribe of Manasseh: Or “East Manasseh”. Bashan had belonged to King Og, and the Argob region in Bashan used to be called the Land of the Rephaim. Jair from the Manasseh tribe conquered the Argob region as far west as the kingdoms of Geshur and Maacah. The Israelites even started calling Bashan by the name “Villages of Jair”,3.12-17 Villages of Jair: Or “Havvoth-Jair”. and that is still its name. I gave the northern half of Gilead to the Machir clan.3.12-17 Machir clan: One of the clans of the Manasseh tribe.

18-19At that time I told the men of Reuben, Gad, and East Manasseh:3.18-20: Js 1.12-15.

The LORD our God told me to give you this land with its towns, and that's what I have done. Now your wives and children can stay here with your large flocks of sheep and goats and your large herds of cattle. But all of you men who can serve in our army must cross the River Jordan and help the other tribes, because they are your relatives. 20The LORD will let them defeat the enemy nations on the west side of the Jordan and take their land. Afterwards, you can come back here to the land I gave you.

21-22Then I told Joshua, “You saw how the LORD our God helped us destroy King Sihon and King Og. So don't be afraid! Wherever you go, the LORD will fight on your side and help you destroy your enemies.”

God refused to let Moses enter Canaan

Moses said to Israel:

23At that time I prayed and begged,3.23-27: Nu 27.12-14; Dt 32.48-52. 24“Our LORD, it seems that you have just begun to show me your great power. No other god in the sky or on earth is able to do the mighty things that you do. 25The land west of the Jordan is such good land. Please let me cross the Jordan and see the hills and the Lebanon Mountains.”

26But the LORD was angry with me because of you people,3.26 But the LORD…people: See 1.37. and he refused to listen. “That's enough!” he said. “I don't want to hear any more. 27Climb to the top of Mount Pisgah and look north, south, east, and west. Take a good look, but you are not going to cross the River Jordan. 28Joshua will lead Israel across the Jordan to take the land, so help him be strong and brave and tell him what he must do.”

29After this we stayed in the valley at Beth-Peor.