Chapter Three

The conquest of Bashan — Division of the lands of the eastern Transjordan — The prohibition against Moses entering Canaan

Deuteronomy 3:1. And 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 do battle at Edrei. Deuteronomy 3:2. And the Lord said to me: Do not fear him, for I will deliver him into your hand, with all his people and all his land, and you shall do to him as you did to Sihon king of the Amorites, who lived in Heshbon. Deuteronomy 3:3. So the Lord our God delivered into our hands Og king of Bashan as well, and all his people; and we struck him down until no survivor was left to him. Deuteronomy 3:4. And at that time we captured all his cities; 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. Deuteronomy 3:5. All these cities were fortified with high walls, gates, and bars, besides a great many unwalled towns. Deuteronomy 3:6. And we devoted them to destruction, as we had done to Sihon king of Heshbon, devoting every city to destruction — men, women, and children. Deuteronomy 3:7. But all the livestock and the spoil of the cities we took as plunder for ourselves. Deuteronomy 3:8. And at that time we took from the hand of the two Amorite kings this land that is on this side of the Jordan, from the Wadi Arnon to Mount Hermon — Deuteronomy 3:9. (The Sidonians call Hermon Sirion, while the Amorites call it Senir) — Deuteronomy 3:10. all the cities of the tableland, all Gilead, and all Bashan as far as Salcah and Edrei, cities of the kingdom of Og in Bashan. Cf. Num 21:33-35.

Deuteronomy 3:12. This is the land that we took possession of at that time: starting from Aroer, which is on the edge of the Wadi Arnon, and half the hill country of Gilead with its cities — I gave it to the tribe of Reuben and to the tribe of Gad. Deuteronomy 3:13. And the rest of Gilead, and all Bashan, the kingdom of Og, I gave to the half-tribe of Manasseh — the whole region of Argob, with all of Bashan. [That is called the land of the Rephaim.] Deuteronomy 3:14. Jair son of Manasseh took the whole region of Argob as far as the border of Geshur and Maacah, and called it, after his own name, Havvoth-jair, as it is to this day. Deuteronomy 3:15. To Machir I gave Gilead. Deuteronomy 3:16. And to the tribe of Reuben and to the tribe of Gad I gave the territory from Gilead as far as the Wadi Arnon, the land between the wadi and the border, as far as the Wadi Jabbok, the border of the Ammonites. Deuteronomy 3:17. And the Arabah also and the Jordan, which is the boundary, from Chinnereth as far as the sea of the Arabah, the Salt Sea, at the foot of the slopes of Pisgah on the east. Deuteronomy 3:18. And I commanded you at that time, saying: The Lord your God has given you this land to possess; all your able men, armed, shall cross over ahead of your brothers, the children of Israel. Deuteronomy 3:19. Only your wives and your little ones and your livestock [for I know that you have much livestock] shall remain in your cities that I have given you, Deuteronomy 3:20. until the Lord [God] gives rest to your brothers as he has to you, and they also take possession of the land that the Lord your God is giving them beyond the Jordan; then each of you may return to his possession that I have given you. Deuteronomy 3:21. And at that time I gave Joshua this charge, 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 that you are going to cross over into. Deuteronomy 3:22. Do not fear them, for the Lord your God himself fights for you. Cf. Num 32. Chinnereth is the Sea of Galilee. The sea of the Arabah, or Salt Sea, is the Dead Sea.

Deuteronomy 3:26. But the Lord was angry with me on your account and would not listen to me; and the Lord said to me: That is enough — do not speak to me of this matter again. Cf. Num 20:1-13; Deut 1:37.

Deuteronomy 3:27. Go up to the top of Pisgah and lift up your eyes westward and northward and southward and eastward, and look with your eyes, for you shall not cross over this Jordan. Cf. Num 27:12-14.

Deuteronomy 3:28. But give Joshua a charge, and strengthen him and encourage him; for he shall go over at the head of this people, and he shall put them in possession of [all] the land that you will see. Cf. Num 27:15-23.

Deuteronomy 3:29. And we remained in the valley opposite Beth-peor. This refers to the gathering of Israel on the plains of Moab after the conquest of the kingdoms of Sihon the Amorite and Og of Bashan.