How does Moses arrange the eastern land and Israel’s next advance while being forbidden to cross the Jordan himself?

Atlas of Saints · Chapter summary

He assigns the conquered land to Ruben, Gad, and half the tribe of Manasses, while requiring their strong men to help their brothers until those brothers also receive rest and land. He encourages Josue to trust the Lord’s help. The Lord refuses Moses’ request to cross, commands him to view the land from Phasga, and tells him to strengthen Josue, who will lead Israel and divide the land.

Chapter breakdown

Israel turns and goes up toward Basan. Og, its king, comes out with all his people to fight at Edrai. The Lord tells Moses not to fear him: he has delivered Og, his people, and his land into Israel’s hand. Israel will deal with him as it did with Sehon the Amorrhite, king of Hesebon. The Lord delivers Og and all his people, and Israel utterly destroys them. They take all his cities at once; no town escapes. These are the sixty cities of Argob in Og’s kingdom of Basan. They have very high walls, gates, and bars. There are also innumerable unwalled towns. Israel destroys the cities and their men, women, and children as it did in Sehon’s kingdom. The cattle and city spoils become its prey.

Israel takes the land of the two Amorrhite kings beyond the Jordan, from the torrent Arnon to mount Hermon. The Sidonians call Hermon Sarion, and the Amorrhites call it Sanir. The land includes all the cities in the plain, all Galaad, and all Basan as far as Selcha and Edrai, cities of Og’s kingdom. Og alone remains of the race of giants. His iron bed is shown in Rabbath of the children of Ammon. It is nine cubits long and four wide, measured by the cubit of a man’s hand. These are the stated measurements; the chapter does not calculate his height from them.

Moses gives Ruben and Gad the land from Aroer on Arnon’s bank to half the mountain of Galaad, with its cities. He gives the other part of Galaad and all Basan, Og’s kingdom, to half the tribe of Manasses, including all Argob. Basan is called the land of giants. Jair, son of Manasses, takes all Argob as far as the borders of Gessuri and Machati. He names Basan after himself, Havoth Jair, meaning the towns of Jair; the name lasts to the day of the account. Moses gives Galaad to Machir. To Ruben and Gad he gives land from Galaad to Arnon, half the torrent and its confines, as far as Jeboc, the border of Ammon. He also gives the plain of the wilderness, the Jordan, and the borders of Cenereth to the sea of the desert, the most salt sea, at the foot of mount Phasga eastward.

At that time Moses commands them concerning the land the Lord has given them as an inheritance. All their strong men, ready for battle, must go before their brothers, the children of Israel. Their wives, children, and cattle may remain in the cities Moses has assigned them; he notes that they have much cattle. The men must continue until the Lord gives their brothers rest as he has given them, and those brothers possess the land the Lord will give beyond the Jordan. Then every man may return to the possession Moses has assigned him. The chapter states this requirement and promised return; it does not narrate their later acceptance or completed service.

Moses also commands Josue at that time. Josue’s own eyes have seen what the Lord did to these two kings. The Lord will do the same to all the kingdoms Israel will cross into. They must not fear them, because the Lord their God will fight for them.

Moses recalls praying to the Lord at that time. He says the Lord has begun to show his greatness and mighty hand to his servant. No other god in heaven or on earth can do such works or acts of strength. Moses asks to cross and see the excellent land beyond the Jordan, the good mountain, and Libanus. But the Lord is angry with him on the people’s account and does not hear him. He tells Moses that it is enough and that he must speak no more about this matter. The refusal stops the request; it does not mean Moses has already seen enough of the land.

The Lord commands Moses to go to the top of Phasga and look west, north, south, and east with his own eyes. Moses will not cross the Jordan. He must command, encourage, and strengthen Josue. Josue will go before the people and divide for them the land Moses will see. The chapter ends with Israel staying in the valley opposite the temple of Phogor. The viewing is commanded here; the chapter does not report Moses carrying it out.

The story inside

The eastern land grants come with a continuing duty. Moses gives land to Ruben, Gad, and half of Manasses, but the grant does not end the strong men’s part in Israel’s advance. Their families and cattle may stay in the assigned cities while the men go before their brothers. Their return depends on the Lord giving those brothers rest and possession too. Moses then points Josue to what his own eyes saw in the defeat of the two kings. Moses’ own request to cross is refused, and the Lord gives him commands about viewing the land and strengthening Josue. The account states the arrangements and instructions. It does not report completed service, an accepted agreement, or a completed viewing.

Lessons worth keeping

1
The eastern allotments include a duty toward the other Israelites. Strong men must help until their brothers receive rest and possession, while wives, children, and cattle remain in the assigned cities.
2
Josue is reminded of something he has seen. The defeat of the two kings is the stated basis for Moses’ assurance that the Lord will fight for Israel in the kingdoms ahead.
3
The Lord refuses Moses’ request and gives him a task concerning his successor. Moses must stop asking to cross, view the land as commanded, and encourage and strengthen Josue to lead and divide it.

Test your recall

What must happen before the strong men of the eastern tribes may return to their own assigned possessions?

Source edition and notes

Douay–Rheims, revised by Richard Challoner (1749–1752). Project Gutenberg no. 1581. Locators refer to lines in the admitted pg1581.txt edition. Source notes may include Challoner commentary.

Lines 18851–18877
Deuteronomy Chapter 3 The victory over Og king of Basan. Ruben, Gad, and half the tribe of Manasses receive their possession on the other side of Jordan. 3:1. Then we turned and went by the way of Basan: and Og the king of Basan came out to meet us with his people to fight in Edrai. 3:2. And the Lord said to me: Fear him not: because he is delivered into thy hand, with all his people and his land: and thou shalt do to him as thou hast done to Sehon king of the Amorrhites, that dwelt in Hesebon. 3:3. So the Lord our God delivered into our hands, Og also, the king of Basan, and all his people: and we utterly destroyed them, 3:4. Wasting all his cities at one time, there was not a town that escaped us: sixty cities, all the country of Argob the kingdom of Og in Basan. 3:5. All the cities were fenced with very high walls, and with gates and bars, besides innumerable towns that had no walls. 3:6. And we utterly destroyed them, as we had done to Sehon the king of Hesebon, destroying every city, men and women and children: 3:7. But the cattle and the spoils of the cities we took for our prey.
Lines 18879–18892
3:8. And 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, 3:9. Which the Sidonians call Sarion, and the Amorrhites Sanir: 3:10. All 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. 3:11. For 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.
Lines 18894–18915
3:12. And we possessed the land at that time from Aroer, which is upon the bank of the torrent Arnon, unto the half of mount Galaad: and I gave the cities thereof to Ruben and Gad. 3:13. And I delivered the other part of Galaad, and all Basan the kingdom of Og to the half tribe of Manasses, all the country of Argob: and all Basan is called the Land of giants. 3:14. Jair the son of Manasses possessed all the country of Argob unto the borders of Gessuri, and Machati. And he called Basan by his own name, Havoth Jair, that is to say, the towns of Jair, until this present day. 3:15. To Machir also I gave Galaad. 3:16. And to the tribes of Ruben and Gad I gave of the land of Galaad as far as the torrent Arnon, half the torrent, and the confines even unto the torrent Jeboc, which is the border of the children of Ammon: 3:17. And the plain of the wilderness, and the Jordan, and the borders of Cenereth unto the sea of the desert, which is the most salt sea, to the foot of mount Phasga eastward.
Lines 18917–18928
3:18. And I commanded you at that time, saying: The Lord your God giveth you this land for an inheritance, go ye well appointed before your brethren the children of Israel, all the strong men of you. 3:19. Leaving your wives and children and cattle. For I know you have much cattle, and they must remain in the cities, which I have delivered to you. 3:20. Until the Lord give rest to your brethren, as he hath given to you: and they also possess the land, which he will give them beyond the Jordan: then shall every man return to his possession, which I have given you.
Lines 18930–18934
3:21. I commanded Josue also at that time, saying: Thy eyes have seen what the Lord your God hath done to these two kings: so will he do to all the kingdoms to which thou shalt pass. 3:22. Fear them not: for the Lord your God will fight for you.
Lines 18936–18946
3:23. And I besought the Lord at that time, saying: 3:24. Lord God, thou hast begun to shew unto thy servant thy greatness, and most mighty hand, for there is no other God either in heaven or earth, that is able to do thy works, or to be compared to thy strength. 3:25. I will pass over therefore, and will see this excellent land beyond the Jordan, and this goodly mountain, and Libanus. 3:26. And the Lord was angry with me on your account and heard me not, but said to me: It is enough: speak no more to me of this matter.
Lines 18948–18958
3:27. Go up to the top of Phasga, and cast thy eyes round about to the west, and to the north, and to the south, and to the east, and behold it, for thou shalt not pass this Jordan. 3:28. Command Josue, and encourage and strengthen him: for he shall go before this people, and shall divide unto them the land which thou shalt see. 3:29. And we abode in the valley over against the temple of Phogor.