The Eastern Tribes Receive Their Land
- King Og of Bashan is defeated just like King Sihon. Same song, different verse (1-7). In case you're curious, Moses lists the lands the Israelites took from the Amorites (8-10).
- The writer again interrupts the text to tell us more about Og of Bashan. Apparently, you can still see his bed in Rabbah. We're not sure about the price of admission, but seeing a bed thirteen feet long and six feet wide might be worth it.
- No wonder the Israelites were afraid of this giant. Looks like God's power can even decimate some larger-than-life humans. The Israelites can literally make a killing in this business with God's help.
- Moses doles out different lands to different tribes, including the Reubenites, the Gadites, and the half-tribe of Mannasseh.
- Geography time: Manasseh is called a "half-tribe" because the tribe's land rests on either side of the Jordan River. Half is on the east, the other half on the west. We'll see a lot more dividing of the land in the book of Joshua when the Israelite conquest kicks into high gear (12-17).
- Don't get too cozy, though. These tribes will have to help the other tribes conquer their territories. Only their wives, children, and livestock will stay on this side of the Jordan (18-22).
- Moses begs God to let him enter the Promised Land. The Lord angrily refuses his request, and Moses blames the people for the Lord's stubbornness in the matter.
- But he sticks to his guns: Joshua will lead the people into the land (23-29). What's God's deal?