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Deuteronomy 3:9-11
New English Translation
Deuteronomy 3:9-11
New English Translation
9 (the Sidonians[a] call Hermon Sirion[b] and the Amorites call it Senir),[c] 10 all the cities of the plateau, all of Gilead and Bashan as far as Salecah[d] and Edrei,[e] cities of the kingdom of Og in Bashan. 11 Only King Og of Bashan was left of the remaining Rephaites. (It is noteworthy[f] that his sarcophagus[g] was made of iron.[h] Does it not, indeed, still remain in Rabbath[i] of the Ammonites? It is 13½ feet[j] long and 6 feet[k] wide according to standard measure.)[l]
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- Deuteronomy 3:9 sn Sidonians were Phoenician inhabitants of the city of Sidon (now in Lebanon), about 47 mi (75 km) north of Mount Carmel.
- Deuteronomy 3:9 sn Sirion. This name is attested in the Ugaritic texts as sryn. See UT 495.
- Deuteronomy 3:9 sn Senir. Probably this was actually one of the peaks of Hermon and not the main mountain (Song of Songs 4:8; 1 Chr 5:23). It is mentioned in a royal inscription of Shalmaneser III of Assyria (saniru; see ANET 280).
- Deuteronomy 3:10 sn Salecah. Today this is known as Salkhad, in Jordan, about 31 mi (50 km) east of the Jordan River in the Hauran Desert.
- Deuteronomy 3:10 sn Edrei. See note on this term in 3:1.
- Deuteronomy 3:11 tn Heb “Behold” (הִנֵּה, hinneh).
- Deuteronomy 3:11 tn The Hebrew term עֶרֶשׂ (ʿeres), traditionally translated “bed” (cf. NAB, NIV, NRSV, NLT) is likely a basaltic (volcanic) stone sarcophagus of suitable size to contain the coffin of the giant Rephaite king. Its iron-like color and texture caused it to be described as an iron container. See A. Millard, “King Og’s Iron Bed: Fact or Fancy?” BR 6 (1990): 16-21, 44; cf. also NEB “his sarcophagus of basalt”; TEV, CEV “his coffin.”
- Deuteronomy 3:11 tn Or “of iron-colored basalt.” See note on the word “sarcophagus” earlier in this verse.
- Deuteronomy 3:11 sn Rabbath. This place name (usually occurring as Rabbah; 2 Sam 11:11; 12:27; Jer 49:3) refers to the ancient capital of the Ammonite kingdom, now the modern city of Amman, Jordan. The word means “great [one],” probably because of its political importance. The fact that the sarcophagus “still remain[ed]” there suggests this part of the verse is post-Mosaic, having been added as a matter of explanation for the existence of the artifact and also to verify the claim as to its size.
- Deuteronomy 3:11 tn Heb “9 cubits.” Assuming a length of 18 in (45 cm) for the standard cubit, this would be 13.5 ft (4.1 m) long.
- Deuteronomy 3:11 tn Heb “4 cubits.” This would be 6 ft (1.8 m) wide.
- Deuteronomy 3:11 tn Heb “by the cubit of man.” This probably refers to the “short” or “regular” cubit of approximately 18 in (45 cm).
Deuteronomy 3:9-11
New International Version
Deuteronomy 3:9-11
New International Version
9 (Hermon is called Sirion(A) by the Sidonians; the Amorites call it Senir.)(B) 10 We took all the towns on the plateau, and all Gilead, and all Bashan as far as Salekah(C) and Edrei, towns of Og’s kingdom in Bashan. 11 (Og king of Bashan was the last of the Rephaites.(D) His bed was decorated with iron and was more than nine cubits long and four cubits wide.[a] It is still in Rabbah(E) of the Ammonites.)
Footnotes
- Deuteronomy 3:11 That is, about 14 feet long and 6 feet wide or about 4 meters long and 1.8 meters wide
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