Matthew Poole and continuators on Deuteronomy 3

2 And the LORD said unto me, Fear him not : for I will deliver him, and all his people, and his land into thy hand, and thou shalt do unto him, as thou didst unto Sihon King of the Amorite, which dwelt at Heshbon.

Though he be of so frightful a look and stature, ver. 11.

Marginal references: Num. 21. 24.

4 And we took all his cities at that time, there was not a city which we took not from them; threescore cities, all the region of Argob the kingdom of Og in Bashan.

A Province within Bashan, or at least subject and belonging to Bashan, as appears from ver. 13. and 1 King. 4. 13. called Argob possibly from the name of a man its former Lord and owner.

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

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.

8 And we took at that time out of the hand of the two Kings of the Amorite, the land that was on this side Jordan , from the river of Arnon, unto mount Hermon e:

So it was when Moses wrote this book, but afterward when Israel passed over Iordan it was called the land beyond Iordan.

9 (Which Hermon the Zidonians call Sirion: and the Amorite call it Shenir.)

f Elsewhere called mount Gilead, and Libanus or Libanon, 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 Sc[illegible: 1+ letters]nir and Hermon are mentioned as distinct places, Cant. 4. 8.

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.

Gilead is sometimes taken largely for all the Israe[illegible: 1+ letters]ites possessions beyond Iordan, 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.

Marginal references: [illegible: 1+ letters]osh. 12. 5. [illegible: 1+ letters]d 13. 11.

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 .

The other giants of Bashan were destroyed before; and therefore when Og was killed, the Israelites work was done.

Where it might now be, either because the Ammonites in some former battel with Og had taken it as a spoil: or because after Ogs death, the Ammonites desired to have this monument of his greatness and the Israelites permitted them to carry it away▪ to their chief city.

To wit, of ordinary stature. So his bed was four yards and an half long, and two yards broad.

Marginal references: 2 S[illegible: 1+ letters]m. 12. 26. Jer. 49. 2.

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

Or, Geshurites, a people towards the North of Canaan, 2 Sam. 3. 3. and 15. 8. See also Ios. 13. 13.

Of whom see 2 Sam. 3. 3. and 10. 6.

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 into this order and inserted some very few passages to accommodate things to their own time and people.

Marginal references: 1 Chro. 2. 2[illegible: 1+ letters].; Num. 32. 41.

15 And I gave Gilead unto Machir .

(i. e.) The half part of Gilead, as appears from ver. 12, 13. See on Numb. 32. 40.

(i. e.) Unto the children of Machir son of Manasseh, for Ma[illegible: 1+ letters]hir was now dead.

Marginal references: Num. 32. [illegible: 1+ letters]9.

16 And unto the Reubenite, and unto the Gadite 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 ▪

Or rather to the middle of the River: for the word rendred 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 rendred in the next foregoing clause of this verse, than of a valley, which was not mentioned before, especially seeing there is here an article added which seems to be emphatical, and to note that River, to wit, now mentioned. Adde to this, that there was no such valley, much less any half-valley, belonging both unto the Reubenites and Gadites. But according to the other translation the sense is plain and agreeable to the truth, that their Land extended from Gilead unto Arnon, and, to speak exactly, to the middle of that River, for as that River was the border between them and others, so one half of it belonged to them, as the other half did to others. And that this is no subtil device, as some may think it, but the truth of the thing and the reall meaning of the place, will appear by comparing this place with two others, 1. with Ios. 12. 2. where the same thing is expressed in the same words in the Hebrew which are here, though our translatours render the self-same words there, from the middle of the River, which here they render, half of the valley; and where the bounds of Sihons Kingdom, which was the same portion here mentioned as given to Reuben and Gad, are thus described, from Aroer, which is upon the ba[illegible: 1+ letters]k of the River of Arnon, and from the middle of the River, and from half Gilead, even unto the river Iabbok, which is the border of the children of Ammon. 2. With Deut. 2. 36. From Aroer, which is by the brink of the River of Arnon, and from the city that is by the River, or rather, as the Hebrew hath it, in the River, i. e. from Ar, which was the chief city of the Moabites, and therefore denied to the Israelites, as is here implyed, and more fully expressed Deut. 2. 9. which City was seated in an Island in the middle of the River. So that here we have a just and full reason why the border of this Land given to Reuben and Gad is so nicely and critically described here, even to the middle of a River, which although in truth and strictness it be the bound of those Lands which are divided by a River, yet is not usually expressed in the deleription of borders, either in Scripture or other Autnours▪ because here was an eminent City of the Meabites in the middle of this River, which by this curious and exact description is excepted from their possession, as God would have it to be.

The meanning seems to be this, And the border, to wit, of their Land, was. which [illegible: 1 word] substantive is commonly understood, or went [illegible: 1 word] ▪ (as the phrase is I[illegible: 1+ letters]. 15. 6, 7, &c.) from thence, to [illegible: 1 word], from the River Ar[illegible: 1+ letters]on, even unto the River Iabbok, for so indeed their border did proceed.

Object. This was the border between them and the [illegible: 1 word], as is evident▪ and therefore not the border of the Ammonites. [illegible: 1 word]. It bordered upon the [illegible: 1 word] in one part, and upon the Ammonites in another part, to wit, in that part which is remoter from Iordan, and so both are true.

Marginal references: Num 21. 24. Josh. 12. [illegible: 1+ letters].

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.

The Low Country towards Iordan.

Of which see on Numb. 34. 1[illegible: 1+ letters]. Ios. 12. 3.

(i. e.) That salt Sea, as it here follows, which before that dreadful conflagration was a goodly plain, called the plain of Iordan, Gen. 13. 10.

The proper name of a City, of which Ios. 13. 20.

Marginal references: Or, [illegible: 1+ letters]nder the springs of Pisgah, or the hill.

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 .

To wit, the Reubenites and Gadites mentioned ver. 16. to whom he now turns his speech by an Apostrophe.

In such number as your brethren shall judge necessary. See Ios. 1. 14. and 4. 13.

Marginal references: Num. 32. 20.; Heb. sons of power.

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.

A peaceable and fixed possession.

Marginal references: Josh. 22. 4.

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

For he supposed Gods threatning might be conditional and reversible, as many others were.

Or, that blessed mountain, which the Jews not improbably understand of that mountain on which the Temple was to be built. For as Moses desired and determined to prepare an habitation for God, Exod. 15. 2. and knew very well that God would chuse a certain place for his habitation, and to put his name there, Deut. 12. 5. So he also knew that it was the manner both of the true worshippers of God and of Idolaters to worship their God in high-places, and particularly that Abraham did worship God in the mount of M[illegible: 1+ letters]a, Gen. 22. 2. and therefore did either reasonably conjecture that God would chuse some certain mountain for the place of his habitation▪ or possibly understood by revelation that in that very mount of M[illegible: 1+ letters] where Abraham performed that eminent and glorious act of worship there also the children of Abraham should have their place of constant and settled worship. This he seems to call that mountain, emphatically and eminently, that which was much in Moses his thoughts, though not in his eye, and the blessed (as the Hebrew tob oft signifies) or the goodly mountain. Or, the mountain may be here put for the mountainous countries, as that word is oft used, as Gen. 36. 9. Numb. 13. 2[illegible: 1+ letters]. and 2[illegible: 1+ letters]. 7. Deut. 1. 7. Ios. 10. 6. and 11. 16, 21. &c. And it is known that a great part of the glory and beauty and profit of this Country lay in its Hills or Mountains. See Deut. 11. 1[illegible: 1+ letters]. and 33. 15. And that goodly mountain may by an Enallage of the number be put for those goodly mountains in Canaan, which were many. Thus also he proceeds gradually in this desire and description, and prays that he may see in general the good Land that is beyond Iordan, and then particularly, the goodly mountains of it, and especially that famous mount of Lebanon, which was so celebrated for its tall and large Cedars, and other Trees and excellent Plants. See Psal. 29. 5. and 1[illegible: 1+ letters]4. 16. Isa. 2. 13. and 14. 8.

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.

By occasion of your sins which provoked me to unadvised words and carriages, Psal. 106. 32, 33. See Numb. 20. 12. Deut. 31. 2. and 34. 4.

That this is my pleasure and unalterable resolution. Compare 2 C[illegible: 1+ letters]r. 12. 8, 9▪

Marginal references: Num. 20. 1[illegible: 1+ letters]. and 27. 14. chap. 1. 37. and 32. 51.

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.

Of which see on Numb. 27. 12.

Towards the Land of Canaan and its several quarters.

Marginal references: Num. 2[illegible: 1+ letters]. 1[illegible: 1+ letters].; Or, [illegible: 1 word].

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

Give him commission and authority and a command to execute his trust and conduct the people.

With exhortations and promises and assurances of my presence and help and of good success.

Marginal references: Num. 2[illegible: 1+ letters]. 1[illegible: 1+ letters].

29 So we abode in the vally over against Beth-Peor .

The House or Temple of Peor, or of Baal-Peor, of which see Numb. 25. 3. whence this place or city had its name.

Marginal references: Deut. 34. 6.