1Obrátili jsme se a vystupovali cestou na Bašan. Bašanský král Og a všechen jeho lid vytáhl, aby se s námi utkal v bitvě u Edrei. 2Hospodin mi řekl: ‚Neboj se ho, neboť jsem ti ho vydal do rukou se vším jeho lidem i s jeho zemí. Učiníš mu, co jsi učinil amoritskému králi Sichonovi, který sídlil v Chešbonu.’ 3Hospodin, náš Bůh, nám tak vydal bašanského krále Oga se vším jeho lidem. Zahubili jsme ho, nikdo mu nezůstal naživu. 4Tehdy jsme se zmocnili všech jeho měst; nebylo město, které bychom jim nezabrali – šedesát měst, celé území Argob, Ogovo království v Bašanu. 5Všechna tato města byla opevněna vysokými hradbami s branami a závorami – zabrali jsme i velmi mnoho neopevněných měst. 6Vyhladili jsme je, jako jsme to učinili chešbonskému králi Sichonovi. Vybili jsme ve všech městech muže, ženy i děti. 7Všechen dobytek a kořist z měst jsme si však nechali. 8Tak jsme tehdy zabrali zemi obou amoritských králů, kteří byli v Zajordání, od potoka Arnon až k pohoří Chermon - 9Sidoňané užívají pro Chermon názvu Sirjon, Amorité ho nazývají Senir -, 10všechna města náhorní roviny, celý Gilead a celý Bašan až po Salku a Edrei, města, nad kterými kraloval Og v Bašanu. 11Z Refajitů totiž přežil jen bašanský král Og. Jeho lůžko bylo ze železa. Cožpak není v ammonitské Rabě? Je devět loket dlouhé a čtyři lokte široké, měřeno podle běžného lokte. 12Tuto zemi jsme tehdy obsadili od Aroeru, který je na břehu potoka Arnon. Polovinu pohoří Gilead a jeho města jsem dal potomkům Rubenovým a Gadovým. 13Zbytek Gileadu a celý Bašan, království Ogovo, jsem dal polovině kmene Manasesova, celé území Argob. Celý Bašan se nazývá zemí Refajitů. 14Manasesův potomek Jair se zmocnil celého území Argob až k hranicím Gešuru a Maakatu. Přejmenoval Bašan na Jairovy vesnice. Tak se nazývají dodnes. 15Makirovi jsem dal Gilead. 16Potomkům Rubenovým a Gadovým jsem dal část Gileadu až k potoku Arnon – s hranici ve středu údolí – a až k potoku Jabok, k hranici Ammonitů, 17pustinu s Jordánem a území od Kin-neretu až po moře v pustině. Solné moře, od úpatí Pisgy směrem na východ. 18Tehdy jsem vám přikázal: ‚Hospodin, váš Bůh, vám daroval tuto zemi, abyste ji obsadili. Všichni válečníci vyjdou ozbrojeni před svými izraelskými bratry. 19Jen vaše ženy, děti a stáda – vím, že máte velká stáda – zůstanou ve vašich městech, která jsem vám daroval. 20Teprve až Hospodin dopřeje vašim bratrům, tak jako vám, aby se usadili, až zaberou také oni zemi, kterou vám dává Hospodin, váš Bůh, za Jordánem, vrátíte se každý ke svému vlastnictví, které jsem vám daroval.’ 21Jozuovi jsem tehdy přikázal: ‚Na vlastní oči jsi viděl všechno, co Hospodin, váš Bůh, učinil těm dvěma králům. Tak učiní Hospodin všem královstvím, kterými budeš procházet. 22Nebojte se jich, protože Hospodin, váš Bůh, bojuje za vás.’ 23Tehdy jsem prosil Hospodina o milost: 24‚Pane, Hospodine, ty jsi začal zjevovat svému služebníku svou velikost a svou mocnou ruku. Vždyť kdo je Bohem na nebi i na zemi, který dokáže učinit, co činíš ty, a má sílu, jakou máš ty? 25Chci přejít a spatřit tu dobrou zemi, která je za Jordánem, to krásné pohoří i Libanon.’ 26Hospodin se však na mě kvůli vám rozhněval a nevyslyšel mě. Řekl mi: ‚To stačí! Už přede mnou o této záležitosti nemluv. 27Vystup na vrchol Pisgy a rozhlédni se na západ, na sever, na jih a na východ. Na vlastní oči se podívej, protože tento Jordán nepřejdeš. 28Pověř Jozua, posiluj ho a dodej mu odvahy, neboť on přejde před tímto lidem, on jim dá do vlastnictví zemi, kterou vidíš.’ 29Usadili jsme se tedy v údolí naproti Bet-Peoru.
Jamieson Fausset Brown Bible Commentary 1 CONQUEST OF OG, KING OF BASHAN. (Deu. 3:1-20)
we turned, and went up the way to Bashan--Bashan ("fruitful" or "flat"), now El-Bottein, lay situated to the north of Gilead and extended as far as Hermon. It was a rugged mountainous country, valuable however for its rich and luxuriant pastures.
Og the king of Bashan came out against us--Without provocation, he rushed to attack the Israelites, either disliking the presence of such dangerous neighbors, or burning to avenge the overthrow of his friends and allies.
2 The Lord said unto me, Fear him not: for I will deliver him, and all his people, and his land, into thy hand--Og's gigantic appearance and the formidable array of forces he will bring to the field, need not discourage you; for, belonging to a doomed race, he is destined to share the fate of Sihon [
Num 21:25].
3 Argob was the capital of a district in Bashan of the same name, which, together with other fifty-nine cities in the same province, were conspicuous for their lofty and fortified walls. It was a war of extermination. Houses and cities were razed to the ground; all classes of people were put to the sword; and nothing was saved but the cattle, of which an immense amount fell as spoil into the hands of the conquerors. Thus, the two Amorite kings and the entire population of their dominions were extirpated. The whole country east of the Jordan--first upland downs from the torrent of the Arnon on the south to that of the Jabbok on the north; next the high mountain tract of Gilead and Bashan from the deep ravine of Jabbok--became the possession of the Israelites.
9 Hermon--now Jebel-Es-Sheick--the majestic hill on which the long and elevated range of Anti-Lebanon terminates. Its summit and the ridges on its sides are almost constantly covered with snow. It is not so much one high mountain as a whole cluster of mountain peaks, the highest in Palestine. According to the survey taken by the English Government Engineers in 1840, they were about 9376 feet above the sea. Being a mountain chain, it is no wonder that it should have received different names at different points from the different tribes which lay along the base--all of them designating extraordinary height: Hermon, the lofty peak; "Sirion," or in an abbreviated form "Sion" (
Deut 4:48), the upraised, glittering; "Shenir," the glittering breastplate of ice.
11 only Og king of Bashan remained of the remnant of giants--literally, "of Rephaim." He was not the last giant, but the only living remnant in the trans-jordanic country (
Josh 15:14), of a certain gigantic race, supposed to be the most ancient inhabitants of Palestine.
behold, his bedstead was a bedstead of iron--Although beds in the East are with the common people nothing more than a simple mattress, bedsteads are not unknown. They are in use among the great, who prefer them of iron or other metals, not only for strength and durability, but for the prevention of the troublesome insects which in warm climates commonly infest wood. Taking the cubit at half a yard, the bedstead of Og would measure thirteen and a half feet, so that as beds are usually a little larger than the persons who occupy them, the stature of the Amorite king may be estimated at about eleven or twelve feet; or he might have caused his bed to be made much larger than was necessary, as Alexander the Great did for each of his foot soldiers, to impress the Indians with an idea of the extraordinary strength and stature of his men [LE CLERC]. But how did Og's bedstead come to be in Rabbath, of the children of Ammon? In answer to this question, it has been said, that Og had, on the eve of engagement, conveyed it to Rabbath for safety. Or it may be that Moses, after capturing it, may have sold it to the Ammonites, who had kept it as an antiquarian curiosity till their capital was sacked in the time of David. This is a most unlikely supposition, and besides renders it necessary to consider the latter clause of this verse as an interpolation inserted long after the time of Moses. To avoid this, some eminent critics take the Hebrew word rendered "bedstead" to mean "coffin." They think that the king of Bashan having been wounded in battle, fled to Rabbath, where he died and was buried; hence the dimensions of his "coffin" are given [DATHE, ROOS].
12 this land, which we possessed at that time, from Aroer . . . gave I unto the Reubenites and to the Gadites--The whole territory occupied by Sihon was parcelled out among the pastoral tribes of Reuben and Gad. It extended from the north bank of the Arnon to the south half of mount Gilead--a small mountain ridge, now called Djelaad, about six or seven miles south of the Jabbok, and eight miles in length. The northern portion of Gilead and the rich pasture lands of Bashan--a large province, consisting, with the exception of a few bleak and rocky spots, of strong and fertile soil--was assigned to the half-tribe of Manasseh.
14 Jair the son of Manasseh took all the country of Argob--The original inhabitants of the province north of Bashan, comprising sixty cities (
Deut 3:4), not having been extirpated along with Og, this people were afterwards brought into subjection by the energy of Jair. This chief, of the tribe of Manasseh, in accordance with the pastoral habits of his people, called these newly acquired towns by a name which signifies "Jair's Bedouin Villages of Tents."
unto this day--This remark must evidently have been introduced by Ezra, or some of the pious men who arranged and collected the books of Moses.
15 I gave Gilead unto Machir--It was only the half of Gilead (
Deut 3:12-
Deut 3:13) which was given to the descendants of Machir, who was now dead.
16 from Gilead--that is, not the mountainous region, but the town Ramoth-gilead,
even unto the river Arnon half the valley--The word "valley" signifies a wady, either filled with water or dry, as the Arnon is in summer, and thus the proper rendering of the passage will be--"even to the half or middle of the river Arnon" (compare
Josh 12:2). This prudent arrangement of the boundaries was evidently made to prevent all disputes between the adjacent tribes about the exclusive right to the water.
25 I pray thee, let me go over, and see the good land that is beyond Jordan, that goodly mountain, and Lebanon--The natural and very earnest wish of Moses to be allowed to cross the Jordan was founded on the idea that the divine threatening might be conditional and revertible. "That goodly mountain" is supposed by Jewish writers to have pointed to the hill on which the temple was to be built (
Deut 12:5;
Exod 15:2). But biblical scholars now, generally, render the words--"that goodly mountain, even Lebanon," and consider it to be mentioned as typifying the beauty of Palestine, of which hills and mountains were so prominent a feature.
26 speak no more unto me of this matter--that is, My decree is unalterable.