Deuteronomy 3:24 Kommentar

Moses, in this chapter, relates, I. The conquest of Og, king of Bashan, and the seizing of his country (Deu 3:1-11). II. The distribution of these new conquests to the two tribes and a half (Deu 3:12-17). Under certain provisos and limitations (Deu 3:18-20). III. The encouragement given to Joshua to carry on the war which was so gloriously begun (Deu 3:21, Deu 3:22). IV. Moses's request to go over into Canaan (Deu 3:23-25), with the denial of that request, but the grant of an equivalent (Deu 3:26, etc.).

INTRODUCTION TO DEUTERONOMY 3 In this chapter the account is carried on of the conquest of the Amorites by Israel, of Og king of Bashan, and his kingdom, Deu 3:1, and of the distribution of their country to the tribes of Reuben and Gad and the half tribe of Manasseh, Deu 1:12 and then the command to the said tribes is observed, to go out armed before their brethren, and assist them in the conquest of the land of Canaan, and then return to their possessions, Deu 3:18 and also that to Joshua not to fear, but to do to the Canaanitish kings and kingdoms what he had seen done to the two kings of the Amorites, Deu 3:21. After which Moses relates the request he made, to go over Jordan and see the good land, which was denied him, only he is bidden to look from the top of an hill to see it, Deu 3:23. And the chapter is closed with the charge he was to give Joshua, Deu 3:28 which was received in the valley where they abode, Deu 3:29.

I pray thee, let me go over and see the good land that is beyond Jordan,.... The land of Canaan, the land flowing with milk and honey; a land which he describes as a most excellent one, Deu 8:7. To see this land, he was very desirous of going over the river Jordan, beyond which it lay with respect to the place where he now was: that goodly mountain, and Lebanon; or, "that goodly mountain, even Lebanon"; which lay to the north of the land of Canaan, and was famous for cedar and odoriferous trees. But if two distinct mountains are meant, the goodly mountain may design Mount Moriah, on which the temple was afterwards built, and of which Moses might have a foresight; and some by Lebanon think that is meant, which was built of the cedars of Lebanon, and therefore goes by that name, Zac 11:1 and a foreview of this made the mountain so precious to Moses, and desirable to be seen by him. So the Targum of Jonathan;"that goodly mountain in which is built the city of Jerusalem, and Mount Lebanon, in which the Shechinah shall dwell''to which agrees the note of Aben Ezra, who interprets the goodly mountain of Jerusalem, and Lebanon of the house of the sanctuary. In the Septuagint it is called Antilibanus. Mount Libanus had its name not from frankincense growing upon it, as some have thought; for it does not appear that any did grow upon it, for that came from Seba in Arabia Felix; but from the whiteness of it, through the continual snows that were on it, just as the Alps have their name for the same reason; and so Jerom says (b) of Lebanon, that the snow never leaves from the tops of it, or is ever so overcome by the heat of the sun as wholly to melt; to the same purpose also Tacitus (c) says, and Mr. Maundrell (d), who was there in May, speaks of deep snow on it, and represents the cedars as standing in snow. (b) In Hieremiam, c. 18. 14. (c) Hist. l. 5. c. 6. (d) Journey from Aleppo, p. 139, 140.

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.