Who was Og king of Bashan in this passage?

Og was the ruler of Bashan, a rich land east of the Jordan known for many towns and strong cities. He is described as one of the last of the giants, so he was unusually large and strong. His iron bed, over thirteen feet long, is mentioned to show how big and fearsome he was. Og led his people out to fight Israel at Edrei, but God handed him and his whole kingdom over to Israel, showing that even a giant king could not stand against God’s purpose.

Why did God tell Moses, “Fear him not,” about Og?

Og looked like a terrifying enemy. He was a giant and ruled sixty walled cities with high walls, gates, and bars. Humanly speaking, Israel might have felt small and weak in front of him. God told Moses, “Fear him not,” because the outcome did not depend on Israel’s strength but on God’s promise. God had already helped them defeat Sihon, and here He promised to deliver Og, his people, and his land into their hand. This word was meant to calm their fear and build their trust in Him.

What is the significance of Og’s iron bedstead being described?

The description of Og’s iron bedstead shows how huge and impressive he was. The bed was about nine cubits long and four cubits wide, far larger than a normal man would need. It was made of iron, not wood, pointing either to his great size and weight or to the desire for something very strong and lasting. The bed being kept in Rabbath of the Ammonites suggests it was remembered as a kind of curiosity. By mentioning it, the passage highlights that even such a giant could not stand before God’s power.

Why were the men, women, and children of these cities destroyed?

The passage says Israel “utterly destroyed” the people of Og’s cities, just as they did with Sihon. This was not ordinary warfare or personal revenge but God’s appointed judgment on nations that opposed Him and His people. God had given Israel a clear command to remove these peoples when He gave them the land. The wording is hard for many readers today, but the Bible presents it as God judging long-standing evil and protecting Israel from being drawn into the same ways, while also keeping His promise to give them this land.

What does this story teach about God’s character and power?

This story shows that God is stronger than any enemy, no matter how large or well-armed. Og was a giant, and his kingdom had many fortified cities, yet God gave Israel complete victory. God cares about His people’s fears, telling them not to be afraid and reminding them of past help. He keeps His promises about the land and the covenant, guiding His people step by step. At the same time, God is shown as Judge over nations that resist Him, deciding when their time is up and their land will be given to others.

What was happening when Moses spoke about Og and Bashan?

Moses was speaking near the end of Israel’s forty years in the wilderness, as they camped east of the Jordan River. They had already defeated Sihon, king of the Amorites, and Og, king of Bashan. Moses was recounting how God had given them the land from the Arnon River up to Mount Hermon, including Gilead and Bashan with its sixty cities. He wanted the people to remember God’s help in these battles as they prepared to cross the Jordan and face more enemies in the land that God had promised them.

How does Israel’s victory over Og encourage believers today?

Israel’s victory over Og encourages believers to trust God when problems feel huge and frightening. Og was a giant with strong cities, but he still fell when God fought for Israel. Today, followers of God also face things that feel too big, like deep worries, strong temptations, or heavy burdens. This passage reminds us to look at God’s power, not our weakness. When we remember how He has helped His people before, it helps us pray, obey, and keep going, even when the “giants” in front of us seem impossible to face.

What is the meaning of the different names for Mount Hermon in this passage?

The passage notes that Mount Hermon was called Sirion by the Sidonians and Shenir by the Amorites. This shows that different peoples around that region knew the same mountain by their own local names. Mentioning these names roots the story in real geography and real history. It reminds the reader that God’s work with Israel happened in a specific land, among known peoples and places. It also shows how wide the victory was, reaching from the Arnon River in the south up to this well-known northern mountain.

Why does the passage mention the sixty walled cities of Bashan?

The sixty walled cities show how strong Og’s kingdom was. These cities had high walls, gates, and bars, which normally made them hard to capture. Besides these, there were many unwalled towns. By saying that Israel took every city, the passage underlines how complete the victory was. It was not a small raid, but a total defeat of a powerful king and his land. This would remind Israel that when God sends them and is with them, even many strong defenses cannot block His plan or His promises.

Deut.3.1

Deuteronomy 3:1

KJV

Then we turned, and went up the way to Bashan: and Og the king of Bashan came out against us, he and all his people, to battle at Edrei.

The Defeat of Og

Then we turned, and went up the way to Bashan: and Og the king of Bashan came out against us, he and all his people, to battle at Edrei.

And the Lord said unto me, Fear him not: for I will deliver him, and all his people, and his land, into thy hand; and thou shalt do unto him as thou didst unto Sihon king of the Amorites, which dwelt at Heshbon.

So the Lord our God delivered into our hands Og also, the king of Bashan, and all his people: and we smote him until none was left to him remaining.

And we took all his cities at that time, there was not a city which we took not from them, threescore cities, all the region of Argob, the kingdom of Og in Bashan.

All these cities were fenced with high walls, gates, and bars; beside unwalled towns a great many.

And we utterly destroyed them, as we did unto Sihon king of Heshbon, utterly destroying the men, women, and children, of every city.

But all the cattle, and the spoil of the cities, we took for a prey to ourselves.

And 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;

(Which Hermon the Sidonians call Sirion; and the Amorites call it Shenir;)

All the cities of the plain, and all Gilead, and all Bashan, unto Salchah and Edrei, cities of the kingdom of Og in Bashan.

For 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.

Cross References

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