Deuteronomy 3:5-11 · Bible study
Deuteronomy 3:5-11 Commentary: God's Faithfulness in Conquest of Og
Hebrew · 10 what the commentators say
Meaning in one sentence
How the defeat of the giant king Og and his sixty fortified cities demonstrates God's faithfulness to His promises. Analyze the text, history, and debate.
Research Summary
- Meaning: God’s faithfulness to His promise is shown by the complete defeat of Og’s fortified kingdom.
- Key words: fortified (בצר), utterly destroy (חרם), bedstead (ערש), iron/black basalt (ברזל).
- Main debate: Whether the “iron” bedstead was literal iron or black basalt, and whether the herem command is morally normative for today.
- Theological theme: God’s sovereignty over human power; faith over fear; the memorial of God’s acts.
- Best use: Teaching on trusting God in overwhelming circumstances; a basis for thanksgiving and testimony.
Translation Comparison
BSB Berean Standard Bible 2020
5All these cities were fortified with high walls and gates and bars, and there were many more unwalled villages.
6We devoted them to destruction, as we had done to Sihon king of Heshbon, utterly destroying the men, women, and children of every city.
7But all the livestock and plunder of the cities we carried off for ourselves.
8At that time we took from the two kings of the Amorites the land across the Jordan, from the Arnon Valley as far as Mount Hermon—
9which the Sidonians call Sirion but the Amorites call Senir—
10all the cities of the plateau, all of Gilead, and all of Bashan as far as the cities of Salecah and Edrei in the kingdom of Og.
11(For only Og king of Bashan had remained of the remnant of the Rephaim. His bed of iron, nine cubits long and four cubits wide, is still in Rabbah of the Ammonites.)
WEB World English Bible 2000
5All these were cities fortified with high walls, gates, and bars, in addition to a great many villages without walls.
6We utterly destroyed them, as we did to Sihon king of Heshbon, utterly destroying every inhabited city, with the women and the little ones.
7But all the livestock, and the plunder of the cities, we took for plunder for ourselves.
8We took the land at that time out of the hand of the two kings of the Amorites who were beyond the Jordan, from the valley of the Arnon to Mount Hermon.
9(The Sidonians call Hermon Sirion, and the Amorites call it Senir.)
10We took all the cities of the plain, and all Gilead, and all Bashan, to Salecah and Edrei, cities of the kingdom of Og in Bashan.
11(For only Og king of Bashan remained of the remnant of the Rephaim. Behold, his bedstead was a bedstead of iron. Isn’t it in Rabbah of the children of Ammon? Nine cubits was its length, and four cubits its width, after the cubit of a man.)
KJV King James Version 1769
5All these cities were fenced with high walls, gates, and bars; beside unwalled towns a great many.
6And we utterly destroyed them, as we did unto Sihon king of Heshbon, utterly destroying the men, women, and children, of every city.
7But all the cattle, and the spoil of the cities, we took for a prey to ourselves.
8And 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;
9(Which Hermon the Sidonians call Sirion; and the Amorites call it Shenir;)
10All the cities of the plain, and all Gilead, and all Bashan, unto Salchah and Edrei, cities of the kingdom of Og in Bashan.
11For 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.
ASV American Standard Version 1901
5All these were cities fortified with high walls, gates, and bars; besides the unwalled towns a great many.
6And we utterly destroyed them, as we did unto Sihon king of Heshbon, utterly destroying every inhabited city, with the women and the little ones.
7But all the cattle, and the spoil of the cities, we took for a prey unto ourselves.
8And we took the land at that time out of the hand of the two kings of the Amorites that were beyond the Jordan, from the valley of the Arnon unto mount Hermon
9(which Hermon the Sidonians call Sirion, and the Amorites call it Senir);
10all the cities of the plain, and all Gilead, and all Bashan, unto Salecah and Edrei, cities of the kingdom of Og in Bashan.
11(For only Og king of Bashan remained of the remnant of the Rephaim; behold, his bedstead was a bedstead of iron; is it not in Rabbah of the children of Ammon? nine cubits was the length thereof, and four cubits the breadth of it, after the cubit of a man.)
YLT Young's Literal Translation 1898
5All these are cities fenced with high walls, two-leaved doors and bar, apart from cities of villages very many;
6and we devote them, as we have done to Sihon king of Heshbon, devoting every city, men, the women, and the infants;
7and all the cattle, and the spoil of the cities, we have spoiled for ourselves.
8`And we take, at that time, the land out of the hand of the two kings of the Amorite, which is beyond the Jordan, from the brook Arnon unto mount Hermon;
9(Sidonians call Hermon, Sirion; and the Amorites call it Senir,)
10all the cities of the plain, and all Gilead, and all Bashan, unto Salchah and Edrei, cities of the kingdom of Og in Bashan,
11for only Og king of Bashan had been left of the remnant of the Rephaim; lo, his bedstead is a bedstead of iron; is it not in Rabbath of the sons of Ammon? nine cubits its length, and four cubits its breadth, by the cubit of a man.
Darby Darby Bible 1890
5All these cities were fortified with high walls, gates, and bars; besides unwalled towns very many.
6And we utterly destroyed them, as we had done to Sihon the king of Heshbon, utterly destroying every city, men, women and little ones.
7But all the cattle and the spoil of the cities we took as booty for ourselves.
8And we took at that time the land out of the hand of the two kings of the Amorites, that were on this side the Jordan, from the river Arnon to mount Hermon
9(the Sidonians call Hermon Sirion, and the Amorites call it Senir):
10all the cities of the plateau, and all Gilead, and all Bashan, as far as Salchah and Edrei, the cities of the kingdom of Og in Bashan.
11For only Og the king of Bashan remained of the residue of giants: behold, his bedstead was a bedstead of iron; is it not in Rabbah of the children of Ammon? its length was nine cubits, and its breadth four cubits, after the cubit of a man.
Douay-Rheims Douay-Rheims Bible 1899
5All the cities were fenced with very high walls, and with gates and bars, besides innumerable towns that had no walls.
6And we utterly destroyed them, as we had done to Sehon the king of Hesebon, destroying every city, men and women and children:
7But the cattle and the spoils of the cities we took for our prey.
8And we took at that time the land out of the hand of the two kings of the Amorrhites, that were beyond the Jordan: from the torrent Arnon unto the mount Hermon,
9Which the Sidonians call Sarion, and the Amorrhites Sanir:
10All the cities that are situate in the plain, and all the land of Galaad and Basan as far as Selcha and Edrai, cities of the kingdom of Og in Basan.
11For only Og king of Basan remained of the race of the giants. His bed of iron is shewn, which is in Rabbath of the children of Ammon, being nine cubits long, and four broad after the measure of the cubit of a man's hand.
Verse in Context
Original Language (Biblical Hebrew)
Old Testament · Biblical Hebrew · Deuteronomy 3:5
Source: STEPBible TAGNT/TEHB (CC-BY 4.0). Click or tap a morphology code to see the full parsing.
Scholars' Consensus
Commentators across traditions agree that this passage magnifies God's faithfulness by showing the complete defeat of a seemingly invincible enemy. Matthew Henry calls it "another brave country delivered" and pairs it with the conquest of Sihon to the praise of God. Keil and Delitzsch argue that the mention of Og's bed of iron deliberately recalls "the greatness of the grace of God" in granting such a victory. Barnes notes that the stone doors of Bashan, their height pointing to a race of great stature, still exist to illustrate the statements of these verses. The consensus is that every detail, from the fortified cities to the giant king's bed, underlines one point: what looked impossible became certain because God had promised the land.
How settled is the interpretation?
Interpretive difficulty: Medium
Main views:
- Literal historical: The details of cities, geography, and Og's bed are taken as straightforward history, confirming God's power.
- Typological / spiritual: The defeat of giants and fortified cities prefigures Christ's victory over sin and the believer's spiritual warfare.
- Moral / ethical critique: The herem command is problematic for some interpreters, who see it as a culturally situated practice not binding on Christian ethics.
What is clear: God fought for Israel and gave them victory over formidable enemies, fulfilling His promise to give them the land east of the Jordan.
What Scholars Agree and Debate
| Topic | Agreed | Debated |
|---|---|---|
| Herem (total destruction) | The command to utterly destroy the Canaanite cities was given by God and carried out by Israel. | Some Christians see this as a unique, non-repeatable divine judgment within redemptive history; others question the moral implications and interpret it as a type of spiritual warfare or see it as problematic for a God of love. |
| Og's bedstead | The bed was an object of legendary size, serving as a memorial of Og's stature and Israel's victory. | The material (iron vs. black basalt) is debated. Clarke, Barnes, and the Cambridge Bible argue for basalt; other commentators take the iron literally. |
| Rephaim (giants) | The Rephaim were an ancient people of great stature, known from other biblical texts (Genesis 14:5, Deuteronomy 2:11). | Their origin and exact size are uncertain. Some see them as literal giants (Og's bed suggests a height of about 12-13 feet); others see the numbers as rhetorical or symbolic. |
| Gloss on verse 9 | The verse provides alternate names for Mount Hermon, showing geographical knowledge. | Clarke and the Cambridge Bible suggest it may be a later marginal note inserted into the text; others see it as original to Moses. |
Historical & Cultural Context
The Transjordan campaign against Sihon and Og is Israel's first major territorial conquest after the wilderness wanderings. Bashan, east of the Sea of Galilee, was famous for its fertility, "fruitful" is one meaning of its name, and for its formidable cities. The sixty fortified towns of the region of Argob (verse 4) had high walls, double gates, and iron bars. Archaeological remains in the Hauran confirm the existence of such strongholds made of black basalt.
The Rephaim, of whom Og was the last survivor, were an ancient people of legendary stature. Og's bedstead, nine cubits long by four cubits wide (about 13.5 by 6 feet), is described as made of "iron." Many commentators, including Barnes and the Cambridge Bible, note that "iron" probably refers to the black basalt of the region, which contains a high proportion of iron and is still called "iron" by local Arabs. The bed, displayed in Rabbah of the Ammonites, served as a trophy of Og's former power.
Mount Hermon, the northern boundary of the conquest, had different names among the peoples who lived around it. The Sidonians called it Sirion, the Amorites Senir. This parenthetical note (verse 9) shows the geographical knowledge of the writer and reflects the multi-ethnic world of the ancient Near East. The conquest from the Arnon valley to Hermon fulfilled the territory God had promised (Deuteronomy 1:7).
Textual Notes
The supplied sources note no significant textual variants for this passage. Some commentators (Clarke, Cambridge Bible) suggest that verse 9, which gives the Sidonian and Amorite names for Mount Hermon, may have originated as a marginal gloss that later entered the text. This is a minority view; the verse is present in all extant manuscripts and is generally accepted as original.
Reception History
Early Christian writers often read the conquest of Og as a type of Christ's victory over the spiritual giants of sin and death. Origen and others allegorized the battles as the soul's struggle against evil. The Reformation saw this passage as a testimony to God's sovereignty and the certainty of His promises even when the enemy seems overwhelming. In the modern era, the passage has been used to teach on faith and the memorial of God's works, while also prompting serious ethical reflection on the herem commands. The giant cities of Bashan continue to be cited by archaeologists as evidence of the historicity of the biblical account.
Preaching This Verse
Three-point outline
- The strength of the enemy. These were not sleepy villages. The text stresses "high walls, gates, and bars" and a great many unwalled towns besides. Og himself was a giant, the last of the Rephaim. Israel faced a foe that humanly speaking was overwhelming.
- The completeness of God's victory. Moses uses the verb "utterly destroy" (חרם, herem) repeatedly. Every city fell. The ban meant total dedication to God, no survivors and no booty from the people, only livestock and goods. This was not a partial success but a full deliverance.
- The testimony that endures. Og's iron bedstead remained in Rabbah as a monument. The land itself, from Arnon to Hermon, was divided among Reuben, Gad, and Manasseh. The victory was not only remembered in story; it was carved into geography and inheritance.
Five-point outline
- God’s promise to give the land (v.2)
- The human impossibility (vv.5-6)
- The divine intervention (vv.3-4, implied in the narrative)
- The total victory (vv.6-10)
- The lasting memorial (v.11)
Illustration hooks
- A gated community with high walls and security systems, how do you get in? Only by invitation or force. God broke through.
- A person facing a “giant” problem, cancer, debt, broken relationship, that feels as permanent as an iron bed. This story says nothing is permanent when God gives the victory.
- The tourist attraction of a giant’s bed, what would it feel like to stand beside it and know that God brought it down?
Questions your congregation is asking
- Did God really command the killing of women and children? How do we reconcile that with Jesus’ teaching on love?
- Are the giants in the Bible literal? How tall was Og really?
- This happened east of the Jordan, not in the Promised Land proper. Why does it matter to us today?
Leading a Discussion
This passage describes Israel’s first taste of conquest. They had just defeated Sihon, and now they face Og, a giant with sixty fortified cities. The odds looked impossible, but God had already promised the victory. As you read, notice how Moses emphasizes both the strength of the enemy and the completeness of the victory. Why do you think he includes these details?
Discussion questions
- What do the details about the cities (high walls, gates, bars, and many unwalled villages) tell you about the challenge Israel faced?
- Why does Moses repeat the phrase “utterly destroyed” (herem)? What does this tell you about the nature of the conquest?
- How does the description of Og’s bed (v.11) function in the story? Is it just historical trivia, or does it serve a theological purpose?
- Compare this passage to the report of the spies in Numbers 13:28. How do the same details now become a source of encouragement rather than fear?
- What does this chapter teach us about the kind of God who fights for His people?
- In what ways do we face “fortified cities” or “giants” in our own lives? How can this story shape our faith?
- Different Christians interpret the herem command differently. Some see it as a unique judgment in redemptive history; others struggle with it morally. How do you respond to this part of the passage?
Word Study
The key original-language words in this verse. Select any word for its full lexicon entry — meaning, every occurrence in Scripture, and related words.
Cross-References
Source: Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (TSK, public domain)
| Numbers 13:28 | However, the people who dwell in the land are strong, and the cities are fortified and very large. Moreover, we saw the children of Anak there. |
| Deuteronomy 1:28 | Where are we going up? Our brothers have made our heart melt, saying, ‘The people are greater and taller than we. The cities are great and fortified up to the sky. Moreover we have seen the sons of the Anakim there!’” |
| Hebrews 11:30 | By faith the walls of Jericho fell down after they had been encircled for seven days. |
| Leviticus 27:28 | “‘Notwithstanding, no devoted thing that a man devotes to Yahweh of all that he has, whether of man or animal, or of the field of his possession, shall be sold or redeemed. Everything that is permanently devoted is most holy to Yahweh. |
| Leviticus 27:29 | “‘No one devoted to destruction, who shall be devoted from among men, shall be ransomed. He shall surely be put to death. |
| Numbers 21:2 | Israel vowed a vow to Yahweh, and said, “If you will indeed deliver this people into my hand, then I will utterly destroy their cities.” |
| Deuteronomy 2:24 | “Rise up, take your journey, and pass over the valley of the Arnon. Behold, I have given into your hand Sihon the Amorite, king of Heshbon, and his land; begin to possess it, and contend with him in battle. |
| Deuteronomy 2:34 | We took all his cities at that time, and utterly destroyed every inhabited city, with the women and the little ones. We left no one remaining. |
Interlinear and lexical data from STEPBible (CC BY 4.0). Cross-reference data from OpenBible.info (CC BY 4.0). Commentaries are public domain.
For personal reflection
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What the Commentators Say
9 public-domain commentaries, condensed into plain language.
Adam Clarke's Commentary Methodist/Wesleyan 1826
Clarke calculates that Og was about twelve feet tall based on the bedstead's dimensions, rejecting attempts by other commentators to reduce his height. He dismisses rabbinical traditions on the subject as sinful trifling.
Barnes' Notes on the Bible Protestant 1832
Barnes notes that the "iron" bedstead of King Og was likely made of black basalt, a stone rich in iron that locals called "iron." He also suggests the word translated "bedstead" may actually mean a bier or sarcophagus, pointing to a funeral container rather than a piece of furniture.
Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges Anglican 1880
The commentary notes that Mount Hermon was known by different names among surrounding peoples: the Sidonians called it Sirion and the Amorites Senir. On Og, the commentator argues his iron bedstead was likely a basalt sarcophagus, a stone coffin, rather than a wooden bed.
Geneva Bible Notes Reformed 1599
The Geneva Notes emphasize that every fortified city with high walls and bars was completely destroyed, with all inhabitants killed. Yet the livestock and plunder were kept by Israel. The notes highlight King Og of Bashan as the last giant, evidenced by his enormous iron bed measuring nine cubits by four.
Gill's Exposition of the Bible Baptist 1748
Gill focuses on the enormous iron bedstead of Og, king of Bashan, preserved in Rabbath as a curiosity. He calculates that at nine cubits long and four cubits wide, it implies Og stood about six cubits tall, making him a giant far beyond normal human stature. This detail underscores that God gave Israel victory over even the most formidable enemies.
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Commentary Protestant 1871
Jamieson, Fausset and Brown note the difficulty of Og's iron bedstead being found in Rabbath of Ammon rather than Bashan. They observe that some Hebrew scholars translate "bedstead" as "coffin," suggesting Og fled there after being wounded, died, and was buried in a coffin of that size.
Lange's Commentary Reformed 1857
Lange reads the departure from Horeb as the world-historical advance of Israel, a step for humanity toward the rest Augustine described: the heart restless until it rests in God. Canaan is the localized promise that the whole earth will be filled with God’s glory.
Matthew Henry's Commentary Reformed/Presbyterian 1710
Henry highlights that the conquests of Sihon and Og are frequently linked in Scripture because they mark the beginning of Israel's triumphs, and are recalled in the Psalms to the praise of God. He notes that even a formidable giant like Og was no match for God's promise, making these victories a foundation for later confidence.
Wesley's Explanatory Notes Methodist/Wesleyan 1754
Wesley clarifies that location names in the passage reflect the writer's perspective before Israel crossed the Jordan. He notes the same mountain had several names given by different peoples, while Og's bed's nine-cubit length is given as a literal measurement of the giant king.