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Og

Fausset's Bible Dictionary

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An Amorite king of Bashan, ruling 60 cities, including Ashteroth Karnaim and Edrei (Joshua 13:12; Joshua 12:4; Genesis 14:5). After conquering Sihon's land from the Arnon to the Jabbok, Israel marched by way of Bashan which is N. of the Jabbok. (See BASHAN; ARGOB.) Og met them and perished with all his people at Edrei, and Israel took his land (Numbers 21:33-35). Og was of a different race, namely, "of the remnant of the giants," the Rephaim before the Amorites came (Deuteronomy 3:13). The Amorites by intermarriage with the Rephaim were in "height like that of the cedars and strong as the oaks" (Amos 2:9). Og's bedstead was in Rabbath of Ammon when Moses wrote Deuteronomy 3:1-11.

Either the Ammonites, like the Bedouin, followed in the wake of Israel's armies as pillagers, and so got possession of it; or Israel sent it to Ammon as a pledge of their having no hostile intentions, the Lord having forbidden them to disturb Ammon, and as a visible token of Israel's power in having overcome such mighty kings as Sihon and Og. It was nine cubits long and four broad. "Of iron," perhaps the black basalt of the country, which is called by the Arabs "iron," having 20 percent of that metal. His body was of course shorter. Knobel thinks Og's "bier" is meant, a sarcophagus of black basalt. His corpse may have been carried, in this view, to the territory of the friendly Ammonites. So Dr. Geddes conjectures Og, after his defeat, fled to Rabbath where he died and was buried in this coffin.

After traversing the smooth pasture land, Israel suddenly came on the marvelous rock barrier of Argob, an oval basalt island, 60 miles by 20 miles, "all the girdle (Hebrew) of Argob" ("the stony country"), rising abruptly 30 ft. from the surrounding Bashan plains. The rocky fastnesses, on which Og's 60 cities were, almost impregnable, compensated by security for their inconveniences. Had Og remained in them, Israel could not have dislodged him. God therefore saw it needful to encourage Israel in facing such a foe, "fear him not"; and God sent hornets which, as well as infatuation, drove Og into the open field where he was overthrown (Joshua 24:12). God's special interposition for Israel against Og is the theme of praise (Psalms 135:11; Psalms 136:20).