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Deuteronomy

About this book
Chapter 3

1 Next we set out on the route to Bashan, but King Og of Bashan and his whole army came out to meet us in battle at Edrei. 2 The Lord, however, said to me, “Don’t be afraid of him because I have already given him, his whole army, and his land to you. You will do to him exactly what you did to King Sihon of the Amorites who lived in Heshbon.” 3 So the Lord our God did indeed give over to us King Og of Bashan and his whole army, and we struck them down until not a single survivor was left. 4 We captured all his cities at that time—there was not a town we did not take from them—sixty cities, all the region of Argob, the dominion of Og in Bashan. 5 All of these cities were fortified by high walls, gates, and locking bars; in addition there were a great many open villages. 6 We put all of these under divine judgment just as we had done to King Sihon of Heshbon—every occupied city, including women and children. 7 But all the livestock and plunder from the cities we kept for ourselves. 8 So at that time we took the land of the two Amorite kings in the Transjordan from Wadi Arnon to Mount Hermon 9 (the Sidonians call Hermon Sirion and the Amorites call it Senir), 10 all the cities of the plateau, all of Gilead and Bashan as far as Salecah and Edrei, cities of the kingdom of Og in Bashan. 11 Only King Og of Bashan was left of the remaining Rephaites.⁠ (It is noteworthy that his sarcophagus was made of iron. Does it not, indeed, still remain in Rabbath of the Ammonites? It is 13½ feet long and 6 feet wide according to standard measure.)⁠ 12 This is the land we brought under our control at that time: The territory extending from Aroer by the Wadi Arnon and half the Gilead hill country with its cities I gave to the Reubenites and Gadites. 13 The rest of Gilead and all of Bashan, the kingdom of Og, I gave to half the tribe of Manasseh. (All the region of Argob, that is, all Bashan, is called the land of Rephaim.⁠ 14 Jair, son of Manasseh, took all the Argob region as far as the border with the Geshurites and Maacathites—namely Bashan—and called it by his name, Havvoth Jair, which it retains to this very day.) 15 I gave Gilead to Machir. 16 To the Reubenites and Gadites I allocated the territory extending from Gilead as far as Wadi Arnon (the exact middle of the wadi was a boundary) all the way to the Wadi Jabbok, the Ammonite border. 17 The rift valley and the Jordan River were also a border, from the Sea of Kinnereth to the sea of the rift valley (that is, the Salt Sea), beneath the slopes of Pisgah to the east. 18 At that time I instructed you as follows: “The Lord your God has given you this land for your possession. You warriors are to cross over equipped for battle before your fellow Israelites. 19 But your wives, children, and livestock (of which I know you have many) may remain in the cities I have given you. 20 You must fight until the Lord gives your countrymen victory as he did you and they take possession of the land that the Lord your God is giving them on the other side of the Jordan River.⁠ Then each of you may return to his own territory that I have given you.” 21 I also commanded Joshua at the same time, “You have seen everything the Lord your God did to these two kings; he will do the same to all the kingdoms where you are going. 22 Do not be afraid of them, for the Lord your God will personally fight for you.” 23 Moreover, at that time I pleaded with the Lord, 24 “O, Sovereign Lord, you have begun to show me your greatness and strength. (What god in heaven or earth can rival your works and mighty deeds?) 25 Let me please cross over to see the good land on the other side of the Jordan River—this good hill country and the Lebanon!” 26 But the Lord was angry at me because of you and would not listen to me.⁠ Instead, he said to me, “Enough of that! Do not speak to me anymore about this matter. 27 Go up to the top of Pisgah and take a good look to the west, north, south, and east, for you will not be allowed to cross the Jordan. 28 Commission Joshua, and encourage and strengthen him, because he will lead these people over and will enable them to inherit the land you will see.” 29 So we settled down in the valley opposite Beth Peor.

Texts in conversation

Compare Deuteronomy 3:11 and Pirkei DeRabbi Eliezer 23:7

Hebrew Bible · Rabbinic

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Summary

In Deuteronomy, Og king of Bashan is described as the last of the Rephaim, an ancient race of giants connected to the Nephilim. Pirkei DeRabbi Eliezer describes Og clinging to the side of the ark to explain how the Nephilim survived the flood.

Passages

Deuteronomy 3:11

Hebrew Bible
10 all the cities of the plateau, all of Gilead and Bashan as far as Salecah and Edrei, cities of the kingdom of Og in Bashan. 11 Only King Og of Bashan was left of the remaining Rephaites. (It is noteworthy that his sarcophagus was made of iron. Does it not, indeed, still remain in Rabbath of the Ammonites? It is 13½ feet long and 6 feet wide according to standard measure.) 12 This is the land we brought under our control at that time: The territory extending from Aroer by the Wadi Arnon and half the Gilead hill country with its cities I gave to the Reubenites and Gadites.
750–400 BCE (scholarly estimate) Read in Deuteronomy

Pirkei DeRabbi Eliezer 23:7

Rabbinic
Rabbi Meir said: One pearl was suspended in the ark, and shed light upon all the creatures in the ark, like a lamp which gives light inside the house, and like the sun yonder which shines in his might, as it is said, "A light shalt thou make to the ark" (Gen. 6:16). Rabbi Zadok said: On the 10th of Marcheshvan all the creatures entered the ark; on the 17th of the same (month) the waters of the Flood descended from heaven upon the earth, for they were the waters (endowed with the) male (principle). And there came up the waters of the depths, for they are the waters (endowed) with the female (principle), and they were joined with one another, and they prevailed so as to destroy || the world, as it is said, "And the waters prevailed exceedingly upon the earth" (Gen. 7:19). And all living things which were upon the face of the earth decayed, as it is said, "And every living thing was destroyed which was upon the face of the ground" (Gen. 7:23), except Noah and those who were with him in the ark, as it is said, "And Noah only was left, and they that were with him in the ark" (ibid.), except Og, king of Bashan, who sat down on a piece of wood under the gutter of the ark. He swore to Noah and to his sons that he would be their servant for ever. What did Noah do? He bored an aperture in the ark, and he put (through it) his food daily for him, and he also was left, as it is said, "For only Og, king of Bashan, remained of the remnant of the giants" (Deut. 3:11). (The Flood was universal) except in the land of Israel, upon which the water of the Flood did not descend from heaven, but the waters were gathered together from all lands, and they entered therein, as it is said, "Son of man, say unto her, Thou art a land that is not cleansed, nor rained upon, in the day of indignation" (Ezek. 22:24).
630–1030 CE (scholarly estimate) Read in Pirkei DeRabbi Eliezer

References

... Noah’s self-interest can also be found in a tradition depicting him helping Og, king of the Bashan, to survive the flood. He blotted out every living thing that was on the face of the ground (Genesis 7:23). Except Noah and those who were with him in the ark, as it is said, Only Noah was left and those that were with him in the ark, except Og, king of Bashan, who sat down on a piece of wood under the gutter of the ark. He swore to Noah and to his sons that he would be their servant forever. What did Noah do? He bored an aperture in the ark, and he put [through it] his food daily for him, and he also was left, as it is said, For only Og, king of Bashan, was left of the remnant of the giants (Deuteronomy 3:11). (Pirqe Rabbi Eliezer 23). Although this midrash does not condemn Noah for helping Og survive the flood, it is notable that Noah is not said to save him out of mercy or compassion, but because Og promised to be his servant forever. This midrash is supposedly interested mainly in accounting for Og’s survival of the flood, following Deuteronomy 3:11. ...
Aryeh Amihay, “Noah in Rabbinic Literature,” in Noah in Rabbinic Literature, ed. Aryeh Amihay Michael E. Stone and Vered Hillel (Atlanta: Society of Biblical Literature, 2010), 207.

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Deuteronomy 3:11 and Pirkei DeRabbi Eliezer 23:7

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