Deut. 3 Their march to Bashan, Deut. 3:1. Og its king is put to flight; they possess his land, Deut. 3:2–11; which is distributed to two tribes and half, Deut. 3:12–17; who are commanded to assist their brethren to possess the land beyond Jordan, Deut. 3:18–20. Moses encourages Joshua, Deut.

Fear him not, though he be of so frightful a look and stature, Deut. 3:11.

Argob; a province within Bashan, or at least subject and belonging to Bashan, as appears from Deut. 3:13, 1 Kings 4:13; called Argob possibly from the name of a man, its former lord and owner.

High walls, gates, and bars; which may encourage you in your attempt upon Canaan, notwithstanding the fenced cities which the spies told you of, and you must expect to find.

On this side Jordan; so it was when Moses wrote this book, but afterward, when Israel passed over Jordan, it was called the land beyond Jordan.

Elsewhere called Mount Gilead, and Libanus or Lebanon, and here Shenir, and Sirion, and, by abbreviation, Sion, Deut. 4:48; which several names are given to this one mountain, partly by several people, and partly in regard of several tops and parts of it, whence Shenir and Hermon are mentioned as…

Gilead is sometimes taken largely for all the Israelites’ possessions beyond Jordan, and so it comprehends Bashan, but here more strictly for that part of it which lies in and near Mount Gilead, and so it is distinguished from Bashan and Argob.

The other giants of Bashan were destroyed before; and therefore when Og was killed, the Israelites’ work was done. In Rabbath of the children of Ammon; where it might now be, either because the Ammonites in some former-battle with Og had taken it as a spoil; or because after Og’s death the…

Geshuri, or Geshurites, a people towards the north of Canaan, 2 Sam. 3:3, 2 Sam. 15:8, Josh. 13:13. Maachathi; of whom see 2 Sam. 3:3, 2 Sam. 10:6. Unto this day: this must be put among those other passages which were not written by Moses, but added by those holy men who digested the books of Moses…

i.e. The half part of Gilead, as appears from Deut. 3:12–13. See Poole “Num. 32:40”. Unto Machir, i.e. unto the children of Machir son of Manasseh, for Machir was now dead.

Half the valley, or rather to the middle of the river; for the word rendered half signifies commonly middle; and the same Hebrew word signifying both a valley and a brook or river, it seems more reasonable to understand it of a river, as the same word is here rendered in the next foregoing clause…

The plain; the low country towards Jordan. Chinnereth; of which see on Num. 34:11, Josh. 12:3. The sea of the plain, i.e. that salt sea, as it here follows, which before that dreadful conflagration was a goodly plain, called the plain of Jordan, Gen. 13:10.

I commanded you, to wit, the Reubenites and Gadites, mentioned Deut. 3:16, to whom he now turns his speech by an apostrophe. Meet for the war; in such number as your brethren shall judge necessary. See Josh. 1:14, Josh. 4:13.

Rest; a peaceable and fixed possession.

For he supposed God’s threatening might be conditional and reversible, as many others were. That goodly mountain, or, that blessed mountain, which the Jews not improbably understand of that mountain on which the temple was to be built.

For your sakes; by occasion of your sins, which provoked me to unadvised words and carriages, Ps. 106:32–33, Num. 20:12, Deut. 31:2, Deut. 34:4. Let it suffice thee that this is my pleasure and unalterable resolution. Compare 2 Cor. 12:8–9.

Pisgah; of which see on Num. 27:12. Lift up thine eyes towards the land of Canaan and its several quarters.

Charge Joshua; give him commission and authority, and a command to execute his trust, and conduct the people. Strengthen him with exhortations and promises, and assurances of my presence and help, and of good success.

The house or temple of Peor, or of Baal-Peor, of which see Num. 25:3, whence this place or city had its name.