Devarim (Deuteronomy) Chapter 2

31God said to me, ‘Behold, I have begun to deliver Sichon and his land before you. Begin to take possession of it, so that you may possess his land.’   לאוַיֹּ֤אמֶר יְהֹוָה֙ אֵלַ֔י רְאֵ֗ה הַֽחִלֹּ֨תִי֙ תֵּ֣ת לְפָנֶ֔יךָ אֶת־סִיחֹ֖ן וְאֶת־אַרְצ֑וֹ הָחֵ֣ל רָ֔שׁ לָרֶ֖שֶׁת אֶת־אַרְצֽוֹ:
הַֽחִלֹּתִי תֵּת לְפָנֶיךָ - I have begun to deliver before you. He subdued the celestial guardian angel of the Amorites under Moses’ feet and had Moses tread on his neck.   הַֽחִלֹּתִי תֵּת לְפָנֶיךָ.  כָּפָה שַׂר שֶׁל אֱמוֹרִיִּים שֶׁל מַעְלָה תַּחַת רַגְלָיו שֶׁל מֹשֶׁה וְהִדְרִיכוֹ עַל צַוָּארוֹ:
32Then Sichon went forth toward us—he and all his people—for war at Yahatz.   לבוַיֵּצֵא֩ סִיחֹ֨ן לִקְרָאתֵ֜נוּ ה֧וּא וְכָל־עַמּ֛וֹ לַמִּלְחָמָ֖ה יָֽהְצָה:
וַיֵּצֵא סִיחֹן - Then Sichon went forth. He did not send for Og to help him. This shows you that they had no need for each other’s assistance.   וַיֵּצֵא סִיחֹן.  לֹא שָׁלַח בִּשְׁבִיל עוֹג לַעֲזֹר לוֹ, לְלַמֶּדְךָ שֶׁלֹּא הָיוּ צְרִיכִים זֶה לָזֶה:
33But God, our God, delivered him to us, and we smote him, his sons, and his entire people.   לגוַיִּתְּנֵ֛הוּ יְהֹוָ֥ה אֱלֹהֵ֖ינוּ לְפָנֵ֑ינוּ וַנַּ֥ךְ אֹת֛וֹ וְאֶת־בָּנָ֖יו (כתיב ואת־בנו) וְאֶת־כָּל־עַמּֽוֹ:
וְאֶת־בניו - His sons. Although read as בָּנָיו, in the plural, it is written as בְּנוֹ, in the singular. We learn from here that he had a son who was as mighty as he was.   וְאֶת־בניו.  בנו כְתִיב, שֶׁהָיָה לוֹ בֵן גִּבּוֹר כְּמוֹתוֹ (תנחומא חקת):
34We conquered all his cities at that time and utterly destroyed every city: men, women, and young children; we left no survivor.   לדוַנִּלְכֹּ֤ד אֶת־כָּל־עָרָיו֙ בָּעֵ֣ת הַהִ֔וא וַנַּֽחֲרֵם֙ אֶת־כָּל־עִ֣יר מְתִ֔ם וְהַנָּשִׁ֖ים וְהַטָּ֑ף לֹ֥א הִשְׁאַ֖רְנוּ שָׂרִֽיד:
מְתִם - means men. Regarding what was plundered from Sichon, it says: בָּזַזְנוּ לָנוּ “we took as pillage for ourselves,” 1 from בִּזָּה “plunder,” for it was important to them and each person took plunder for himself. But when they came to the plunder of Og, they were already satiated and full with booty, and thus it was contemptible in their eyes. They ripped and threw away animals and clothing, taking only silver and gold. It therefore says there: בַּזּוֹנוּ לָנוּ, 2 related to בִּזָּיוֹן “scorn.” So it is expounded in Sifrei on the passage “Israel settled in Shitim.” 3   מְתִם.  אֲנָשִׁים, בְּבִזַּת סִיחוֹן נֶאֱמַר בָּזַזְנוּ לָנוּ, לְשׁוֹן בִּזָּה, שֶׁהָיְתָה חֲבִיבָה עֲלֵיהֶם וּבוֹזְזִים אִישׁ לוֹ, וּכְשֶׁבָּאוּ לְבִזַּת עוֹג, כְּבָר הָיוּ שְׂבֵעִים וּמְלֵאִים, וְהָיְתָה בְּזוּיָה בְּעֵינֵיהֶם, וּמְקָרְעִין וּמַשְׁלִיכִין בְּהֵמָה וּבְגָדִים, וְלֹא נָטְלוּ כִּי אִם כֶּסֶף וְזָהָב, לְכָךְ נֶאֱמַר בַּזּוֹנוּ לָנוּ, לְשׁוֹן בִּזָּיוֹן, כָּךְ נִדְרָשׁ בְּסִפְרֵי בְּפַ' וַיֵּשֶׁב יִשְׂרָאֵל בַּשִּׁטִּים:
35We took only the cattle as pillage for ourselves, along with the spoils of the cities that we had taken.   להרַ֥ק הַבְּהֵמָ֖ה בָּזַ֣זְנוּ לָ֑נוּ וּשְׁלַ֥ל הֶֽעָרִ֖ים אֲשֶׁ֥ר לָכָֽדְנוּ:
36From Aro’er, which is on the edge of the Arnon gorge, and the city that is in the gorge, until Gilead, there was not one communal city that was too strong for us: God, our God, gave all of it to us.   לומֵֽעֲרֹעֵ֡ר אֲשֶׁר֩ עַל־שְׂפַת־נַ֨חַל אַרְנֹ֜ן וְהָעִ֨יר אֲשֶׁ֤ר בַּנַּ֨חַל֙ וְעַד־הַגִּלְעָ֔ד לֹ֤א הָֽיְתָה֙ קִרְיָ֔ה אֲשֶׁ֥ר שָֽׂגְבָ֖ה מִמֶּ֑נּוּ אֶת־הַכֹּ֕ל נָתַ֛ן יְהֹוָ֥ה אֱלֹהֵ֖ינוּ לְפָנֵֽינוּ:
37The only place you did not approach was the land of the Ammonites: all the area south of the Yabok River, the cities of the hill country, and wherever else God, our God, commanded us not to conquer.   לזרַ֛ק אֶל־אֶ֥רֶץ בְּנֵֽי־עַמּ֖וֹן לֹ֣א קָרָ֑בְתָּ כָּל־יַ֞ד נַ֤חַל יַבֹּק֙ וְעָרֵ֣י הָהָ֔ר וְכֹ֥ל אֲשֶׁר־צִוָּ֖ה יְהֹוָ֥ה אֱלֹהֵֽינוּ:
כָּל־יַד נַחַל יַבֹּק - means: All the area next to the Yabok River.   כָּל־יַד נַחַל יַבֹּק.  כָּל אֵצֶל נַחַל יַבֹּק:
וְכֹל אֲשֶׁר־צִוָּה ה' אֱלֹהֵֽינוּ - And wherever [else] God, our God, commanded - us not to conquer, we left alone.   וְכֹל אֲשֶׁר־צִוָּה ה' אֱלֹהֵֽינוּ.  שֶׁלֹּא לִכְבֹּשׁ, הִנַּחְנוּ:

Devarim (Deuteronomy) Chapter 3

1We then turned and went northward toward Bashan, and King Og of Bashan came forth toward us, he and all his people, going to war at Edre’i.   אוַנֵּ֣פֶן וַנַּ֔עַל דֶּ֖רֶךְ הַבָּשָׁ֑ן וַיֵּצֵ֣א עוֹג֩ מֶֽלֶךְ־הַבָּשָׁ֨ן לִקְרָאתֵ֜נוּ ה֧וּא וְכָל־עַמּ֛וֹ לַמִּלְחָמָ֖ה אֶדְרֶֽעִי:
וַנֵּפֶן וַנַּעַל - Then we turned and went (lit.) up. Any northward travel is termed “going up.”   וַנֵּפֶן וַנַּעַל.  כָּל צַד צָפוֹן הוּא עֲלִיָּה:
2God said to me, ‘Do not fear him, for I have given him, his entire people, and his land into your hand, and you will do to him as you did to King Sichon of the Amorites, who dwelt in Cheshbon.’   בוַיֹּ֨אמֶר יְהֹוָ֤ה אֵלַי֙ אַל־תִּירָ֣א אֹת֔וֹ כִּ֣י בְיָֽדְךָ֞ נָתַ֧תִּי אֹת֛וֹ וְאֶת־כָּל־עַמּ֖וֹ וְאֶת־אַרְצ֑וֹ וְעָשִׂ֣יתָ לּ֔וֹ כַּֽאֲשֶׁ֣ר עָשִׂ֗יתָ לְסִיחֹן֙ מֶ֣לֶךְ הָֽאֱמֹרִ֔י אֲשֶׁ֥ר יוֹשֵׁ֖ב בְּחֶשְׁבּֽוֹן:
אַל־תִּירָא אֹתוֹ - Do not fear him. But regarding Sichon, was there no need to say, “do not fear him”?! It was only that Moses was afraid here that the merit of Og’s having helped Abraham might stand up for him, as Scripture says: “the survivor came and told Abram,” 4 and that was Og.   אַל־תִּירָא אֹתוֹ.  וּבְסִיחוֹן לֹא הֻצְרַךְ לוֹמַר אַל תִּירָא אֹתוֹ אֶלָּא מִתְיָרֵא הָיָה מֹשֶׁה שֶׁלֹּא תַעֲמֹד לוֹ זְכוּת שֶׁשִּׁמֵּשׁ לְאַבְרָהָם, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (בראשית י"ד) "וַיָּבֹא הַפָּלִיט", וְהוּא עוֹג:
3Thus God, our God, also delivered King Og of Bashan and his entire people into our hands. We smote him until no remnant remained of him.   גוַיִּתֵּן֩ יְהֹוָ֨ה אֱלֹהֵ֜ינוּ בְּיָדֵ֗נוּ גַּ֛ם אֶת־ע֥וֹג מֶֽלֶךְ־הַבָּשָׁ֖ן וְאֶת־כָּל־עַמּ֑וֹ וַנַּכֵּ֕הוּ עַד־בִּלְתִּ֥י הִשְׁאִֽיר־ל֖וֹ שָׂרִֽיד:
4We conquered all his cities at that time. There was not one communal city that we did not seize from them—60 cities, all the territory of Ogs royal palace—the kingdom of Og in Bashan.   דוַנִּלְכֹּ֤ד אֶת־כָּל־עָרָיו֙ בָּעֵ֣ת הַהִ֔וא לֹ֤א הָֽיְתָה֙ קִרְיָ֔ה אֲשֶׁ֥ר לֹֽא־לָקַ֖חְנוּ מֵֽאִתָּ֑ם שִׁשִּׁ֥ים עִיר֙ כָּל־חֶ֣בֶל אַרְגֹּ֔ב מַמְלֶ֥כֶת ע֖וֹג בַּבָּשָֽׁן:
חֶבֶל אַרְגֹּב - is translated by Onkelos as בֵּית פְּלַךְ טְרָכוֹנָא. I saw that Targum Yerushalmi on Megillat Esther calls a palace טְרָכוֹנִין. From there I learned that חֶבֶל אַרְגֹּוב means “the territory of the king’s palace,” i.e., the entire local kingdom is named after the palace. Similarly, from the fact that it states אֶת הָאַרְגֹּב in 2 Kings, 5 after stating that Pekach son of Remalyahu killed Pekachyah son of Menachem next to the king’s palace, we learn that the region is thus named.   חֶבֶל אַרְגֹּב.  מְתַרְגְּמִינַן בֵּית פֶּלֶךְ טְרָכוֹנָא, וְרָאִיתִי תַּרְגּוּם יְרוּשַׁלְמִי בִּמְגִלַּת אֶסְתֵּר קוֹרֵא פָּלָטִין טְרָכוֹנִין, לָמַדְתִּי חֶבֶל אַרְגּוֹב הִפַּרְכִיָּא – הֵיכַל מֶלֶךְ, כְּלוֹמַר שֶׁהַמַּלְכוּת נִקְרֵאת עַל שְׁמָהּ; וְכֵן אֶת הָאַרְגּוֹב דִּמְלָכִים (מלכים ב ט״ו:כ״ה), אֵצֶל הֵיכַל מֶלֶךְ הֲרָגוֹ פֶּקַח בֶּן רְמַלְיָהוּ לִפְקַחְיָה בֶן מְנַחֵם, לָמַדְתִּי שֶׁכָּךְ נִקְרָא שֵׁם הִפַּרְכִיָּא:
5All these cities were fortified with high walls, double doors, and bolts. Besides these, we captured a great many unwalled cities.   הכָּל־אֵ֜לֶּה עָרִ֧ים בְּצֻרֹ֛ת חוֹמָ֥ה גְבֹהָ֖ה דְּלָתַ֣יִם וּבְרִ֑יחַ לְבַ֛ד מֵֽעָרֵ֥י הַפְּרָזִ֖י הַרְבֵּ֥ה מְאֹֽד:
מֵֽעָרֵי הַפְּרָזִי - (lit.) Open cities - i.e., spread out and open without a wall, and similarly we find: פְּרָזוֹת תֵּשֵׁב יְרוּשָׁלַיִם “Jerusalem will be settled as an open city.” 6   מֵֽעָרֵי הַפְּרָזִי.  פְּרוּזוֹת וּפְתוּחוֹת בְּלֹא חוֹמָה, וְכֵן (זכריה ב') "פְּרָזוֹת תֵּשֵׁב יְרוּשָׁלַיִם":
6We utterly destroyed them, as we did to King Sichon of Cheshbon, utterly destroying every city—the men, the women, and the young children.   ווַנַּֽחֲרֵ֣ם אוֹתָ֔ם כַּֽאֲשֶׁ֣ר עָשִׂ֔ינוּ לְסִיחֹ֖ן מֶ֣לֶךְ חֶשְׁבּ֑וֹן הַֽחֲרֵם֙ כָּל־עִ֣יר מְתִ֔ם הַנָּשִׁ֖ים וְהַטָּֽף:
הַֽחֲרֵם - Destroying. This is a continuous present tense form, indicating an ongoing process of destruction.   הַֽחֲרֵם.  לְשׁוֹן הֹוֶה – הָלוֹךְ וְכַלּוֹת:
7We scorned all the cattle and the spoils of the cities.   זוְכָל־הַבְּהֵמָ֛ה וּשְׁלַ֥ל הֶֽעָרִ֖ים בַּזּ֥וֹנוּ לָֽנוּ:
8We took at that time the land out of the rule of the two kings of the Amorites who were on the east side of the Jordan River, from the Arnon Brook to Mount Hermon.   חוַנִּקַּ֞ח בָּעֵ֤ת הַהִוא֙ אֶת־הָאָ֔רֶץ מִיַּ֗ד שְׁנֵי֙ מַלְכֵ֣י הָֽאֱמֹרִ֔י אֲשֶׁ֖ר בְּעֵ֣בֶר הַיַּרְדֵּ֑ן מִנַּ֥חַל אַרְנֹ֖ן עַד־הַ֥ר חֶרְמֽוֹן:
מִיַּד - From (lit.) the hand of - means from the possession of.   מִיַּד.  מֵרְשׁוּת:
9The Sidonians called Mount Hermon ‘Mount Sirion,’ and the Amorites called it ‘Mount Senir.’   טצִֽידֹנִ֛ים יִקְרְא֥וּ לְחֶרְמ֖וֹן שִׂרְיֹ֑ן וְהָ֣אֱמֹרִ֔י יִקְרְאוּ־ל֖וֹ שְׂנִֽיר:
צִֽידֹנִים יִקְרְאוּ לְחֶרְמוֹן וגו' - The Sidonians called Hermon… and elsewhere it says: וְעַד הַר שִׂיאֹן הוּא חֶרְמוֹן “to Mount Sion, which is Hermon.” 7 This mountain thus has four names. And why was it necessary to record all of them? To tell us the praise of the Land of Israel, for four kingdoms wished to pride themselves in this way, one saying, “It will be called by my name,” and the other saying, “It will be called by my name.”   צִֽידֹנִים יִקְרְאוּ לְחֶרְמוֹן וגו'.  וּבְמָקוֹם אַחֵר הוּא אוֹמֵר (דברים ד') "וְעַד הַר שִׂיאֹן הוּא חֶרְמוֹן", הֲרֵי לוֹ אַרְבָּעָה שֵׁמוֹת, לָמָּה הֻצְרְכוּ לִכָּתֵב? לְהַגִּיד שֶׁבַח אֶרֶץ יִשְׂרָאֵל – שֶׁהָיוּ אַרְבַּע מַלְכֻיּוֹת מִתְפָּאֲרוֹת בְּכָךְ, זוֹ אוֹמֶרֶת עַל שְׁמִי יִקָּרֵא, וְזוֹ אוֹמֶרֶת עַל שְׁמִי יִקָּרֵא:
שְׂנִֽיר - Senir. This is “snow” in German (schnee) and in Canaanite.   שְׂנִֽיר.  הוּא שֶׁלֶג בִּלְשׁוֹן אַשְׁכְּנַז וּבִלְשׁוֹן כְּנַעַן:
10We took all the cities of the plain, all of Gilead, and all of Bashan until Salchah and Edre’i, royal cities of Og in Bashan.   יכֹּ֣ל | עָרֵ֣י הַמִּישֹׁ֗ר וְכָל־הַגִּלְעָד֙ וְכָל־הַבָּשָׁ֔ן עַד־סַֽלְכָ֖ה וְאֶדְרֶ֑עִי עָרֵ֛י מַמְלֶ֥כֶת ע֖וֹג בַּבָּשָֽׁן:
11For only King Og of Bashan was left from the remnant of the Rephaim. His bed was a bed of iron. Is it not in Rabbah of the Ammonites? It is nine cubits long and four cubits wide according to the cubit of the man Og himself.   יאכִּ֣י רַק־ע֞וֹג מֶ֣לֶךְ הַבָּשָׁ֗ן נִשְׁאַר֘ מִיֶּ֣תֶר הָֽרְפָאִים֒ הִנֵּ֤ה עַרְשׂוֹ֙ עֶ֣רֶשׂ בַּרְזֶ֔ל הֲלֹ֣ה הִ֔וא בְּרַבַּ֖ת בְּנֵ֣י עַמּ֑וֹן תֵּ֧שַׁע אַמּ֣וֹת אָרְכָּ֗הּ וְאַרְבַּ֥ע אַמּ֛וֹת רָחְבָּ֖הּ בְּאַמַּת־אִֽישׁ:
מִיֶּתֶר הָֽרְפָאִים - From the remnant of the Rephaim - whom Amrafel and his allies killed at Ashterot Karnayim. 8 Og escaped from the war, as it says: “the survivor came,” 9 which is referring to Og.   מִיֶּתֶר הָֽרְפָאִים.  שֶׁהָרְגוּ אַמְרָפֶל וַחֲבֵרָיו בְּעַשְׁתְּרוֹת קַרְנַיִם, וְהוּא פָּלַט מִן הַמִּלְחָמָה שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (בראשית י"ד) "וַיָּבֹא הַפָּלִיט" – זֶהוּ עוֹג:
בְּאַמַּת־אִֽישׁ - According to the cubit of (lit.) a man - i.e., using the cubit of Og.   בְּאַמַּת־אִֽישׁ.  בְּאַמַּת עוֹג:
12Regarding this land, which we took possession of at that time, I gave the land from Aro’er, which is on the Arnon gorge, and half of Mount Gilead and its cities, to the tribes of Reuben and Gad.   יבוְאֶת־הָאָ֧רֶץ הַזֹּ֛את יָרַ֖שְׁנוּ בָּעֵ֣ת הַהִ֑וא מֵֽעֲרֹעֵ֞ר אֲשֶׁר־עַל־נַ֣חַל אַרְנֹ֗ן וַֽחֲצִ֤י הַר־הַגִּלְעָד֙ וְעָרָ֔יו נָתַ֕תִּי לָרֽאוּבֵנִ֖י וְלַגָּדִֽי:
וְאֶת־הָאָרֶץ הַזֹּאת - This land - mentioned above: “from the Arnon brook to Mount Hermon” 10 – “we took possession of at that time.”   וְאֶת־הָאָרֶץ הַזֹּאת.  הָאֲמוּרָה לְמַעְלָה, מִנַּחַל אַרְנוֹן וְעַד הַר חֶרְמוֹן, ירשנו בעת ההיא:
מֵֽעֲרֹעֵר אֲשֶׁר־עַל־נַחַל אַרְנֹן - From Aro’er, which is on the Arnon gorge. This phrase is not connected to the beginning of the verse, but to its end, namely, to: “I gave to the tribes of Reuben and Gad.” But regarding the full inheritance of the land, it reached until Mount Hermon.   מֵֽעֲרֹעֵר אֲשֶׁר־עַל־נַחַל אַרְנֹן.  אֵינוֹ מְחֻבָּר לְרֹאשׁוֹ שֶׁל מִקְרָא אֶלָּא לְסוֹפוֹ – עַל נָתַתִּי לָראוּבֵנִי וְלַגָּדִי, אֲבָל לְעִנְיַן יְרֻשָּׁה עַד הַר חֶרְמוֹן הָיָה:
13I gave the rest of Mount Gilead and all of Bashan—the kingdom of Og—to the half-tribe of Manasseh: all the territory of Ogs royal palace with all of Bashan. This is called the land of the Rephaim.   יגוְיֶ֨תֶר הַגִּלְעָ֤ד וְכָל־הַבָּשָׁן֙ מַמְלֶ֣כֶת ע֔וֹג נָתַ֕תִּי לַֽחֲצִ֖י שֵׁ֣בֶט הַֽמְנַשֶּׁ֑ה כֹּ֣ל חֶ֤בֶל הָֽאַרְגֹּב֙ לְכָל־הַבָּשָׁ֔ן הַה֥וּא יִקָּרֵ֖א אֶ֥רֶץ רְפָאִֽים:
הַהוּא יִקָּרֵא אֶרֶץ רְפָאִֽים - This is called the land of the Rephaim - i.e., this is what I gave to Abraham. 11   הַהוּא יִקָּרֵא אֶרֶץ רְפָאִֽים.  הִיא אוֹתָהּ שֶׁנָּתַתִּי לְאַבְרָהָם:
14Ya’ir great-grandson of Manasseh took all the territory of Ogs royal palace as far as the boundaries of the Geshurites and the Ma’achatites. He called Bashan after his own name, “the villages of Ya’ir,” as they are known to this day.   ידיָאִ֣יר בֶּן־מְנַשֶּׁ֗ה לָקַח֙ אֶת־כָּל־חֶ֣בֶל אַרְגֹּ֔ב עַד־גְּב֥וּל הַגְּשׁוּרִ֖י וְהַמַּֽעֲכָתִ֑י וַיִּקְרָא֩ אֹתָ֨ם עַל־שְׁמ֤וֹ אֶת־הַבָּשָׁן֙ חַוֹּ֣ת יָאִ֔יר עַ֖ד הַיּ֥וֹם הַזֶּֽה: