The Skeptics Annotated Bible (169 page)

(3.3-4)
“So the LORD our God delivered into our hands Og … and all his people: and we smote him until none was left to him remaining … from … threescore cities.”

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

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

(3.6)
“We utterly destroyed … the men, women, and children, of every city.”

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

8 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;

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

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

11 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.

(3.11)
“Only Og king of Bashan remained of the remnant of giants; behold his bedstead … nine cubits was the length thereof.”
Og, the king of the giants, was a tall man, even by NBA standards. His bed measured 9 by 4 cubits (13.5 feet long and 6 feet wide).

12 And this land, which we possessed at that time, from Aroer, which is by the river Arnon, and half mount Gilead, and the cities thereof, gave I unto the Reubenites and to the Gadites.

13 And the rest of Gilead, and all Bashan, being the kingdom of Og, gave I unto the half tribe of Manasseh; all the region of Argob, with all Bashan, which was called the land of giants.

14 Jair the son of Manasseh took all the country of Argob unto the coasts of Geshuri and Maachathi; and called them after his own name, Bashan-havoth-jair, unto this day.

15 And I gave Gilead unto Machir.

16 And unto the Reubenites and unto the Gadites I gave from Gilead even unto the river Arnon half the valley, and the border even unto the river Jabbok, which is the border of the children of Ammon;

17 The plain also, and Jordan, and the coast thereof, from Chinnereth even unto the sea of the plain, even the salt sea, under Ashdoth-pisgah eastward.

18 And I commanded you at that time, saying, The LORD your God hath given you this land to possess it: ye shall pass over armed before your brethren the children of Israel, all that are meet for the war.

19 But your wives, and your little ones, and your cattle, (for I know that ye have much cattle,) shall abide in your cities which I have given you;

20 Until the LORD have given rest unto your brethren, as well as unto you, and until they also possess the land which the LORD your God hath given them beyond Jordan: and then shall ye return every man unto his possession, which I have given you.

21 And I commanded Joshua at that time, saying
, Thine eyes have seen all that the LORD your God hath done unto these two kings: so shall the LORD do unto all the kingdoms whither thou passest.

(3.21)
“Thine eyes have seen all that the LORD your God hath done unto these two kings: so shall the LORD do unto all the kingdoms whither thou passest.”
Moses promises Joshua that God will massacre kings and kingdoms for him.

22 Ye shall not fear them: for
the LORD your God
he
shall fight for you.

(3.22)
“The LORD your God … shall fight for you.”
When going to war, don’t be afraid. God is on your side; “he shall fight for you.”

23 And I besought the LORD at that time, saying,

24 O Lord GOD, thou hast begun to shew thy servant thy greatness, and thy mighty hand: for
what God is there in heaven or in earth, that can do
according to
thy works
, and according to thy might?

(3.24)
“What God is there in heaven or in earth, that can do … thy works?”
What other God can kill so many people?
9 How many gods are there?

25 I pray thee, let me go over, and see the good land that is beyond Jordan, that goodly mountain, and Lebanon.

26 But the LORD was wroth with me for your sakes, and would not hear me: and the LORD said unto me, Let it suffice thee; speak no more unto me of this matter.

27 Get thee up into the top of Pisgah, and lift up thine eyes westward, and northward, and southward, and eastward, and behold it with thine eyes: for thou shalt not go over this Jordan.

28 But charge Joshua, and encourage him, and strengthen him: for he shall go over before this people, and he shall cause them to inherit the land which thou shalt see.

29 So we abode in the valley over against Beth-peor.

4
Now therefore hearken, O Israel, unto the statutes and unto the judgments, which I teach you, for to do them, that ye may live, and go in and possess the land which the LORD God of your fathers giveth you.

2
Ye shall not add unto the word which I command you, neither shall ye diminish ought from it
, that ye may keep the commandments of the LORD your God which I command you.