Deuteronômio 3

Deuteronômio 3

Moses on Mt Nebo (Deuteronomy 34:1+) Listen to Mt Nebo as you Ponder How Moses' May Have Felt Deuteronomy by Irving Jensen- used by permission Source: Ryrie Study Bible Deuteronomy Dt 1:1-4:43 Dt 4:44-26:19 Dt 27:1-34:12 Moses' First Discourse Moses' Second Discourse Moses' Third Discourse Historical Review Legal Exposition Prophetical Promises Looking Back 40 Years Looking Up What God Expected of Israel Looking Ahead What God Will Do for Israel Recapitulation of Wanderings Rehearsal of Israel's Law Ratification of Israel's Covenant Historical Appendices Remembrance of the past Commandments for the Present Dt 27:1-30:20 Blessing and Cursing Dt 31:1-34:12 Death of Moses Take Heed Don't forget Ten Commands Related Commands Two Choices Affecting the Future Moses' Parting Words Dt 1:1-4:43 Looking Back Dt 4:44-11:32 Exposition of Decalogue Dt 12:1-16:17 Ceremonial Laws Dt 16:18-20:20 Civil Laws Dt 21:1-26:19 Social Laws Dt 27:1-28:68 Ratification of Covenant Dt 29:1-30:20 Terms of Covenant Dt 31:1-34:12 Moses' Song, Blessing, Death Plains of Moab ca. 2 Months Moses: Author (Except Dt 34) Remembrances of the Past (Deuteronomy 1:1-4:43) Jensen's Survey of Deuteronomy scroll to p311 Deuteronomy 3:1 "Then we turned and went up the road to Bashan, and Og, king of Bashan, with all his people came out to meet us in battle at Edrei. Og: Dt 1:3-4 Dt 4:47-49 Dt 29:7-8 Dt 31:4-5 Nu 21:33-35 Jos 9:10 12:4 13:30 1Ki 4:19 Ne 9:22 Ps 135:10,11 136:20 Click to see Multiple Bible Versions on this verse - to go to next verse click arrow (>>) at top of page Deuteronomy 3 Resources - Multiple Sermons and Commentaries Related Passages: Numbers 21:33-35+ - (ISRAEL AGAINST OG) Then they turned and went up by the way of Bashan, and Og the king of Bashan went out with all his people, for battle at Edrei. 34 But the LORD said to Moses, “Do not fear him, for I have given him into your hand, and all his people and his land; and you shall do to him as you did to Sihon, king of the Amorites, who lived at Heshbon.” 35 So they killed him and his sons and all his people, until there was no remnant left him; and they possessed his land. Deuteronomy 1:3-4+ In the fortieth year, on the first day of the eleventh month, Moses spoke to the children of Israel, according to all that the LORD had commanded him to give to them, 4 after he had defeated Sihon the king of the Amorites, who lived in Heshbon, and Og the king of Bashan, who lived in Ashtaroth and Edrei. Deuteronomy 4:47-49+ They took possession of his land and the land of Og king of Bashan, the two kings of the Amorites, who were across the Jordan to the east, 48 from Aroer, which is on the edge of the valley of Arnon, even as far as Mount Sion (that is, Hermon), 49 with all the Arabah across the Jordan to the east, even as far as the sea of the Arabah, at the foot of the slopes of Pisgah. Deuteronomy 29:7-8+ “When you reached this place, Sihon the king of Heshbon and Og the king of Bashan came out to meet us for battle, but we defeated them; 8 and we took their land and gave it as an inheritance to the Reubenites, the Gadites, and the half-tribe of the Manassites. Bashan and Gilead - Kingdom of Og Holman Old Testament Commentary MAIN IDEA: When his people trust him, God demonstrates his power and glory by giving them victories. (ED: Corollary - Stated another way, to tap into the power and promises of Yahweh, we need to trust Him and we show we trust Him by obeying Him. We also show we love Him by our obedience. cf Jesus' words = Jn 14:15). Then - Always pause and ask "When is then?" In this case after the total victory over Sihon king of the Amorites. We turned and went up the road - Israel turned after the victory over Sihon indicating they were not on the road (the King's Highway) and went north. Up the road suggests up the King's Highway (see map above or here). What did they turn from? They had just defeated Sihon and if you look at this map directly to the east of the land Israel had just conquered is the land of Ammon. They were prohibited from taking that land. I suggest that they "turned" from Ammon and instead of going East, they went North toward Og, king of Bashan, To Bashan - The name means smooth and it was prime non-rocky land for growing crops (region of modern Golan Heights). Bashan, in fact was one of the most fertile districts of the Holy Land, bounded on the west by the Jordan River and Sea of Galilee (Lake of Gennesareth), on the east by Trachonitis, on the south by the brook Jabbok, and on the north by Mount Hermon (see map). It seems to have been composed of two or three districts, on the south Gilead, on the north the region of Argob, and east of both, the plain of Hauran. (Dt 3:13-15) The scenery of this elevated tract is described as extremely beautiful as the plains were covered with a fertile soil, hills with forests, and at every turn beautiful landscapes. It is in the region today known as the Golan Heights. NET Note adds that "This plateau country, famous for its oaks (Isa 2:13) and cattle (Deut 32:14; Amos 4:1), was north of Gilead along the Yarmuk River (See map of Yarmuck River just south of Sea of Galilee on the East)." And Og, king of Bashan, with all his people came out to meet us in battle at Edrei (see location on map above ~30 miles east of the southern tip of Sea of Galilee or "sea of Kinnereth" - Nu 34:11 - see another map) - Note that this time Moses gives no peace offering! Note as with the arrogant Sihon, Og came out to meet Israel rather than stay in his fortified city. This is clearly arrogance because (1) they had the dread and fear of Israel placed on their hearts by God and (2) they surely must have heard of Israel's total annihilation of Sihon. A reasonable Edrei was "Built on a bluff overlooking a southern fork of the Yarmuk River, along the S boundary of Bashan (q.v.) near the eastern desert. Here Og could watch for invaders from the S or from the E. Moses defeated Og in a pitched battle outside of Edrei, which was then destroyed (Num 21:33-35; Deut 3:1-6)." Og arrogantly choose to come out from this fortress city! Turned (turned back, to face, to look) (06437) panah means basically to turn, usually physically turning (first use - Ge 18:22, Ex 7:23, 10:6, 32:15), but it has a number of meanings depending on the context. Vine has "to turn towards, turn back, turn around (Dt 1:40, 2:1, Dt 9:15) Panah is the Hebrew word the Spirit of God used to save Charles Haddon Spurgeon (see his testimony) when on a cold, winter day his heart was warmed by the command. “Turn (Hebrew = panah; Lxx = epistrepho) to Me and be saved, (Lxx = sozo) all the ends of the earth; For I am God, and there is no other. (Isa 45:22) Panah in Deuteronomy - Deut. 1:7; Deut. 1:24; Deut. 1:40; Deut. 2:1; Deut. 2:3; Deut. 2:8; Deut. 3:1; Deut. 9:15; Deut. 9:27; Deut. 10:5; Deut. 16:7; Deut. 23:11; Deut. 29:18; Deut. 30:17; Deut. 31:18; Deut. 31:20 Edrei - EDREI ĕd’ re ī (אֶדְרֶֽעִי, strong? [meaning uncertain]). Town name. A residence city of Og, king of Bashan (Deut 1:4; 3:10; Josh 12:4; 13:12). Built on a bluff overlooking a southern fork of the Yarmuk River, along the S boundary of Bashan (q.v.) near the eastern desert. Here Og could watch for invaders from the S or from the E. Moses defeated Og in a pitched battle outside of Edrei, which was then destroyed (Num 21:33-35; Deut 3:1-6). The ruins were included in the allotment to the Machir clan of the tribe of Manasseh (Josh 13:31). Edrei is identified with modern Daraa, a town of 5,000 in southern Syria, about. sixty miles south of Damascus and thirty m. E of the Jordan. The site has ruins going back to Early Bronze times as well as a remarkable subterranean city of numerous streets, shops, rooms, and cisterns, prob. from the Hel. or Rom. period (youtube video), in underlying caves in the basaltic rock (Unger’s Bible Dict., p. 287; HGHL, p. 576). Edrei - 8v - Num. 21:33; Deut. 1:4; Deut. 3:1; Deut. 3:10; Jos. 12:4; Jos. 13:12; Jos. 13:31; Jos. 19:37 Deuteronomy 3:2 "But the LORD said to me, 'Do not fear him, for I have delivered him and all his people and his land into your hand; and you shall do to him just as you did to Sihon king of the Amorites, who lived at Heshbon.' Fear: De 3:11 20:3 Nu 14:9 2Ch 20:17 Isa 41:10 43:5 Ac 18:9 27:24 Rev 2:10 just as you did to Sihon De 2:24-37 Nu 21:23-25 Deuteronomy 3 Resources - Multiple Sermons and Commentaries Related Passages: Numbers 21:34 But the LORD said to Moses, “Do not fear him, (WHY NOT?) for I have given him into your hand, and all his people and his land; and you shall do to him as you did to Sihon, king of the Amorites, who lived at Heshbon.” Joshua 10:8; The LORD said to Joshua, “Do not fear them, (WHY NOT?) for I have given them into your hands; not one of them shall stand before you.” Joshua 11:6 Then the LORD said to Joshua, “Do not be afraid because of them, (WHY NOT?) for tomorrow at this time I will deliver all of them slain before Israel; you shall hamstring their horses and burn their chariots with fire.” DO NOT FEAR YOUR ADVERSARY But - Moses just recorded that "Og, king of Bashan, with all his people came out to meet us in battle at Edrei." If you are the Israelite army, there might be a temptation to fear an oncoming army. And if Og was at the helm and was (as we think) a giant, this might have been quite an intimidating entourage! So the Spirit inspires a change of direction (but)! The LORD said to me, 'Do not fear (yare) him - Yahweh speaks this to Moses who would have passed this on to the people. This is a repeated emphasis in Deuteronomy (Deut. 1:21, 29; 3:2, 22; 7:18; 20:1, 3; 31:6, 8; cf. Josh. 1:9; 8:1) Fear God and you will fear no man, for no man is greater than God. Pr 29:25 warns and encourages declaring " The fear of man brings a snare, But he who trusts in the LORD will be exalted." The Scriptural antidote for fear is faith. Holman OT Commentary comment on Do not fear him - These words, which constitute the most common imperative in Scripture (ED: Do not fear = 58x in 57v, Do not be afraid = , recognize the tendency of the fallen heart to panic at the sight of any threat and to forget the living reality of the God of heaven. (Holman Old Testament Commentary – Deuteronomy) (Related Resource: How to Handle Fear) Utley on the LORD said to me - Deuteronomy depicts itself as a revelation from YHWH to Moses (cf. Dt 3:1, 2, 9, 17, 31). YHWH directed His people by: direct revelation to Moses (cf. Dt 3:2), the movement of the Shekinah cloud of glory and the use of the Urim and Thummim (i.e., High Priest) Do not fear - if you wrestle with "fear", you might want to meditate on this phrase use 57x in Bible (always establish the context) - Gen. 15:1; Gen. 21:17; Gen. 26:24; Gen. 35:17; Exod. 14:13; Num. 14:9; Num. 21:34; Deut. 1:21; Deut. 3:2; Deut. 3:22; Deut. 31:8; Jos. 8:1; Jos. 10:8; Jos. 10:25; Jdg. 6:23; Ruth 3:11; 1 Sam. 12:20; 2 Sam. 9:7; 2 Sam. 13:28; 1 Ki. 17:13; 2 Ki. 6:16; 2 Ki. 17:34; 1 Chr. 22:13; 1 Chr. 28:20; 2 Chr. 20:15; 2 Chr. 20:17; 2 Chr. 32:7; Ps. 55:19; Ps. 64:4; Isa. 10:24; Isa. 40:9; Isa. 41:10; Isa. 41:13; Isa. 41:14; Isa. 43:1; Isa. 43:5; Isa. 44:2; Isa. 51:7; Isa. 57:11; Jer. 10:5; Jer. 46:27; Jer. 46:28; Lam. 3:57; Joel 2:21; Joel 2:22; Hag. 2:5; Zech. 8:13; Zech. 8:15; Mal. 3:5; Matt. 10:26; Matt. 10:28; Matt. 10:31; Lk. 5:10; Lk. 12:7; Lk. 18:4; 1 Pet. 3:14; Rev. 2:10 For - Term of explanation. Why there is no need to fear the approaching mighty forces of king Og. The omnipotent God was fighting for Israel! It would have been enough for the omnipotent God to say "Do not fear," but God gives they a reason not to fear and a prophecy of sure victory. I (YAHWEH) have delivered (given; Lxx = paradidomi) him and all his people and his land into your hand - NRSV = "I have handed him over to you." NJB = "I have put him at your mercy." Note the reversal of what Israel had declared in Dt 1:27+! Note the past tense (have delivered) so certain is this divine "special delivery." God says it is a "as good as done" even though the battle had not yet been waged! When God says it, it is "money in the bank." You can "take it to the bank!" You can trust God's immutable Word implicitly and eternally! The sovereign God delivered the despicable Amorites into the power (hand = power) of the Israelites. Technically this is what is known as Proleptic speaking of a future even as if it were a past completed action. Deliver (delivered) in Deut - Deut. 1:27; Deut. 2:30; Deut. 2:31; Deut. 2:33; Deut. 2:36; Deut. 3:2; Deut. 3:3; Deut. 7:2; Deut. 7:16; Deut. 7:23; Deut. 7:24; Deut. 19:12; Deut. 21:10; Deut. 23:14; Deut. 25:11; Deut. 31:5; Deut. 32:39; DELIVER is the verb nathan which is used in 163 verses in Deuteronomy - Deut. 1:8; Deut. 1:15; Deut. 1:20; Deut. 1:21; Deut. 1:25; Deut. 1:27; Deut. 1:35; Deut. 1:36; Deut. 1:39; Deut. 2:5; Deut. 2:9; Deut. 2:12; Deut. 2:19; Deut. 2:24; Deut. 2:25; Deut. 2:28; Deut. 2:29; Deut. 2:30; Deut. 2:31; Deut. 2:33; Deut. 2:36; Deut. 3:2; Deut. 3:3; Deut. 3:12; Deut. 3:13; Deut. 3:15; Deut. 3:16; Deut. 3:18; Deut. 3:19; Deut. 3:20; Deut. 4:1; Deut. 4:8; Deut. 4:21; Deut. 4:38; Deut. 4:40; Deut. 5:16; Deut. 5:22; Deut. 5:29; Deut. 5:31; Deut. 6:10; Deut. 6:22; Deut. 6:23; Deut. 7:2; Deut. 7:3; Deut. 7:13; Deut. 7:15; Deut. 7:16; Deut. 7:23; Deut. 7:24; Deut. 8:10; Deut. 8:18; Deut. 9:6; Deut. 9:10; Deut. 9:11; Deut. 9:23; Deut. 10:4; Deut. 10:11; Deut. 10:18; Deut. 11:9; Deut. 11:14; Deut. 11:15; Deut. 11:17; Deut. 11:21; Deut. 11:25; Deut. 11:26; Deut. 11:29; Deut. 11:31; Deut. 11:32; Deut. 12:1; Deut. 12:9; Deut. 12:15; Deut. 12:21; Deut. 13:1; Deut. 13:12; Deut. 13:17; Deut. 14:21; Deut. 14:25; Deut. 14:26; Deut. 15:4; Deut. 15:7; Deut. 15:9; Deut. 15:10; Deut. 15:14; Deut. 15:17; Deut. 16:5; Deut. 16:10; Deut. 16:17; Deut. 16:18; Deut. 16:20; Deut. 17:2; Deut. 17:14; Deut. 17:15; Deut. 18:3; Deut. 18:4; Deut. 18:9; Deut. 18:14; Deut. 18:18; Deut. 19:1; Deut. 19:2; Deut. 19:8; Deut. 19:10; Deut. 19:12; Deut. 19:14; Deut. 20:13; Deut. 20:14; Deut. 20:16; Deut. 21:1; Deut. 21:8; Deut. 21:10; Deut. 21:17; Deut. 21:23; Deut. 22:16; Deut. 22:19; Deut. 22:29; Deut. 23:14; Deut. 23:24; Deut. 24:1; Deut. 24:3; Deut. 24:4; Deut. 24:15; Deut. 25:15; Deut. 25:19; Deut. 26:1; Deut. 26:2; Deut. 26:3; Deut. 26:6; Deut. 26:9; Deut. 26:10; Deut. 26:11; Deut. 26:12; Deut. 26:13; Deut. 26:14; Deut. 26:15; Deut. 26:19; Deut. 27:2; Deut. 27:3; Deut. 28:1; Deut. 28:7; Deut. 28:8; Deut. 28:11; Deut. 28:12; Deut. 28:13; Deut. 28:24; Deut. 28:25; Deut. 28:31; Deut. 28:32; Deut. 28:48; Deut. 28:52; Deut. 28:53; Deut. 28:55; Deut. 28:65; Deut. 28:67; Deut. 29:4; Deut. 29:8; Deut. 30:1; Deut. 30:7; Deut. 30:15; Deut. 30:19; Deut. 30:20; Deut. 31:5; Deut. 31:7; Deut. 31:9; Deut. 32:49; Deut. 32:52; Deut. 34:4; And you shall do to him just as you did to Sihon king of the Amorites, who lived at Heshbon - This is essentially a divine prophetic promise from the non-lying God. To do just as they did to Sihon means Israel was to obliterate Og and his people from the face of the earth! The defeat of Og was also a divine encouragement. Moses would use the second generation's victory over Og to remind them that “The LORD will do to them (THE NATIONS IN CANAAN - Dt 31:3) just as He did to Sihon and Og, the kings of the Amorites, and to their land, when He destroyed them. 5 “The LORD will deliver them up before you, and you shall do to them according to all the commandments which I have commanded you." (Dt 31:4-5+) Sihon - sī’ hŏn (סִיחֹ֥ן, סִיחֹֽון). Name of the Amorite king the Israelites defeated on their way to Canaan. 1. A Trans-Jordan king Moses (ISRAEL) defeated (Nu 21:21-30+). Sihon was the king of the Amorites to whom Moses sent messengers, hoping to obtain permission to lead the Israelites through his land. He refused to grant this permission; rather he went out against Israel with his army, was defeated and slain. Israel then claimed his land as its first conquered area. Heshbon had been his capital city; his southern boundary was the Arnon; and his northern boundary was the Jabbok (Num 21:24). Further, his land was a land of many villages and cities (21:25). His land became a part of the Trans-Jordan claimed and settled by Reuben, Gad, and part of Manasseh. 2. Defeat of Sihon remembered and retold. Moses’ defeat of Sihon was a great event remembered centuries later, because of Israel’s phenomenal historical memory. Ballad singers made a poetic account of Sihon’s downfall a part of their repertoire (Num 21:27-30). Moses used it as a meaningful reference to the past when he spoke to Israel “beyond the Jordan” and endeavored “to explain the law” (Deut 1:5). He retold the great victory over Sihon (2:24-37) in order to recall how it had been a rallying point in going against Og of Bashan (3:1-11), and to inspire confidence in God with respect to nations still before them across the Jordan (29:7; 31:4). It is of interest to observe that other peoples told about Sihon’s defeat and spread the news, causing dread among the inhabitants on the W side of the Jordan (Josh 2:10; 9:10). Joshua used Sihon’s defeat as a significant point of reference in Israel’s past as he recounted great victories and apportioned the conquered land to certain tribes (12:2, 5; 13:10, 21, 27). Historians included occasional references to it: Jephthah confronted by the belligerent Ammonites related to them how Sihon dared to engage Israel in battle and how he had been defeated (Judg 11:12-28, esp. vv. 19 and 20); the territory assigned by Solomon to Geber in Trans-Jordan was known as Gilead and also as “the country of Sihon king of the Amorites” (1 Kings 4:19). Ezra, addressing his people in a public confession of sin, spoke about great events of Israel’s past, including the defeat of Sihon (Neh 9:22). Psalmists reviewing and retelling past events wrote and sang about the way God gave victory over Sihon (Pss 135:11; 136:19). Jeremiah in an oracle against Moab declared that destructive fire shall come forth from the “house of Sihon” to bring about the collapse of Moab (Jer 48:45). HESHBON hĕsh’ bŏn (חֶשְׁבֹּ֖ון; ̔Εσεβῶν, reckoning, account). A city c. eighteen m. E of the Jordan, and c. fifty m. E of Jerusalem, and c. nine m. N of Madaba; between the brooks Jabbok and Arnon. According to Numbers 21:25-30 it was originally Moabite. Sihon, king of the Amorites, wrested it from the Moabites and made it his capital (Num 21:25f.). It was taken from Sihon by the Israelites under Moses on their way to Canaan. It was located on the border of Reuben and Gad, although actually within the territory assigned to Reuben (Num 32:37). The Reubenites rebuilt it after the conquest of Canaan (Num 32:37). Gad later came into possession of it, and it was assigned as a town of Gad to the Merarite Levites (Josh 21:39; 1 Chron 6:81). Later it again fell into the hands of the Moabites, as the prophets repeatedly mention it in their denunciations of Moab (Isa 15:4; 16:8, 9; Jer 48:2, 34, 45; 49:3). In later days the Maccabees and Herod the Great controlled it (Jos. Antiq. 13. 15. 4; 15. 8. 5). It was located on the site of the modern Hesban. Ruins of the city which are chiefly Rom., lie on the summit of a hill and are about a m. in circuit. Nearby there is a large ruined reservoir, which may be the “pools of Heshbon” mentioned in the Song of Solomon (7:4). Deuteronomy 3:3 "So the LORD our God delivered Og also, king of Bashan, with all his people into our hand, and we smote them until no survivor was left. De 2:33-34 Nu 21:33-35 Jos 13:12,30 Deuteronomy 3 Resources - Multiple Sermons and Commentaries Related Passages: Deuteronomy 2:33-34+ “The LORD our God delivered him (SIHON) over to us, and we defeated him with his sons and all his people. 34“So we captured all his cities at that time and utterly destroyed (charam) the men, women and children of every city. We left no survivor. Numbers 21:33-35+ Then they turned and went up by the way of Bashan, and Og the king of Bashan went out with all his people, for battle at Edrei. 34 But the LORD said to Moses, “Do not fear him, for I have given him into your hand, and all his people and his land; and you shall do to him as you did to Sihon, king of the Amorites, who lived at Heshbon.” 35 So they killed him and his sons and all his people, until there was no remnant left him; and they possessed his land. Israel Defeats Og and Sihon (ESV Study Bible) (Click to Enlarge) So - Term of conclusion. God promised it and God kept His promise. The LORD our God delivered (given; Lxx = paradidomi = into power of another) Og also, king of Bashan, with all his people into our hand - Here Moses is explaining how Yahweh had given Og into Israel's hands. God is faithful to His Word and He delivered Og into their power. It was Yahweh's power that delivered, but Israel's responsibility to exercise that power. :LORD our God -Deut. 1:6; Deut. 1:19; Deut. 1:20; Deut. 1:25; Deut. 1:41; Deut. 2:29; Deut. 2:33; Deut. 2:36; Deut. 2:37; Deut. 3:3; Deut. 4:7; Deut. 5:2; Deut. 5:24; Deut. 5:25; Deut. 5:27; Deut. 6:20; Deut. 6:24; Deut. 6:25; Deut. 29:15; Deut. 29:18; Deut. 29:29; HAND (יָד, 03027, hand; כַּף, palm of hand; יָמִינ֒, , right hand; שְׂמֹאל, , left hand; Gr. χεῖρ, hand; δεξία, right hand; ἀριστερά, left hand). The hand is used more than any other part of the body. It includes not only the agile fingers (Ge 41:42) but the wrist on which Abraham’s servant put the bracelets for Rebekah (Gen 24:22 KJV). Generally the hand suggests power (Ex 14:30+) Into our (your) hand - Is used 5x in Deuteronomy and speaks of Yahweh giving Israel's adversary into their power - Deu 2:24 Deu 2:30 Deu 3:2 Deu 7:24 Deu 20:13 And we smote them until no survivor was left (see utterly destroyed in Dt 3:6+) - Total annihilation reflecting "holy war." The Septuagint says there was "none left (kataleipo) of his descendants (sperma)." In other words the lineage of Og was totally and completely terminated forever! Deuteronomy 3:4 "We captured all his cities at that time; there was not a city which we did not take from them: sixty cities, all the region of Argob, the kingdom of Og in Bashan. all his cities: Nu 32:33-42 Jos 12:4 13:30,31 all the region: 1Ki 4:13 Deuteronomy 3 Resources - Multiple Sermons and Commentaries Related Passages: Numbers 32:33+ So Moses gave to them, to the sons of Gad and to the sons of Reuben and to the half-tribe of Joseph’s son Manasseh, the kingdom of Sihon, king of the Amorites and the kingdom of Og, the king of Bashan, the land with its cities with their territories, the cities of the surrounding land. We captured (Lxx = krateo = held in one's grasp and power) all his cities at that time; there was not a city which we did not take from them - We captured = Israel carried out their responsibility (by faith - they believed Yahweh had delivered Og the giant into their hands) to lay hold of God's promise. Yahweh gave Israel total domination over his kingdom. Of course, in the final analysis the ultimate victory belongs to the LORD! Captured (caught) (03920) lakad means to capture, seize, catch, as in a net, trap or pit (Ps 9:15). Literally and figuratively, the latter sense poignantly illustrated in Pr 5:22+ where Solomon notes that the wicked is captured with the cords of his own sins (exactly what happened to Solomon! - 1 Ki 11:1-11) (Josh 6:20, cf 1Sa 14:41-42). Captured (defeated) cities (Dt 2:34, 35; 3:4, Jericho = Josh 6:20; Jdg 1:8, 12-13, 18). Sixty cities, all the region of Argob, the kingdom of Og in Bashan - Argob was the heart of Og's kingdom within the larger area known as Bashan (see Bashan in northern area). It is interesting that the text does not say they utterly destroyed the cities (as they had done to the people), suggesting that the cities were part of their spoil and booty. Deuteronomy 3:5 "All these were cities fortified with high walls, gates and bars, besides a great many unwalled towns. De 1:28 Nu 13:28 Heb 11:30 Deuteronomy 3 Resources - Multiple Sermons and Commentaries Related Passages: Deuteronomy 1:28+ ‘Where can we go up? Our brethren have made our hearts melt, saying, “The people are bigger and taller than we; the cities are large and fortified to heaven. And besides, we saw the sons of the Anakim there.”’ Numbers 13:28+ “Nevertheless, the people who live in the land are strong, and the cities are fortified and very large; and moreover, we saw the descendants of Anak there. Psalm 135:10-11+ He smote many nations And slew mighty (atsum) kings, 11 Sihon, king of the Amorites, And Og, king of Bashan, And all the kingdoms of Canaan; Psalm 136:18-22+ And slew mighty kings, For His lovingkindness is everlasting: 19 Sihon, king of the Amorites, For His lovingkindness is everlasting, 20 And Og, king of Bashan, For His lovingkindness is everlasting, 21 And gave their land as a heritage, For His lovingkindness is everlasting, 22 Even a heritage to Israel His servant, For His lovingkindness is everlasting. ISRAEL CAPTURED THE CITIES WITH INTIMIDATING WALLS Intimidation by the cities fortified with high walls had led to unbelief in the first generation, which resulted in failure to possess the possessions God had promised them. Unbelief is always the great hindrance to laying hold of the precious and magnificent promises of God (2 Pe 1:4+). Holman Old Testament Commentary - It should be noted that the word city does not suggest an area of exceptional size or population. Archaeologists have discovered that the typical fortified settlement of the time enclosed an area of five to fifteen acres and would have housed no more than a few thousand people. All these were cities fortified with high walls, gates and bars, besides a great many unwalled towns - NLT - "High walls and barred gates." The picture is of a formidable fortress. Since the Most High God (Who is "higher" than any "high wall"!) had delivered Og into Israel's hand/power, their high walls were no obstacle to the Israelites, despite the fact that the first generation had considered them to be a major obstacle. The point is that 60 walled cities would be a formidable obstacle against easy conquest and yet their conquest was complete because God was fighting for them. THOUGHT - We need to apply this principle to the obstacles that would seek to defeat each of us in our growth in grace and the knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. As Paul makes clear in Romans 8:31+ "What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who is against us?" The apostle John adds "You are from God, little children, and have overcome them; because greater is He who is in you than he who is in the world.... For whatever is born of God overcomes the world; and this is the victory that has overcome the world–our faith. Who is the one who overcomes the world, but he who believes that Jesus is the Son of God?" (1 Jn 4:4+, 1 Jn 5:4-5+) This begs the question, are we living like victors in Christ? Earl Kalland points out "This success was fixed in Israel's memory (Num 32:33; Josh 9:10; Ps 135:10-11; Ps 136:18-22).(The Expositor's Bible Commentary – Volume 3: Deuteronomy, Joshua, Judges, Ruth, 1 & 2 Samuel)