Deuteronomy 3:11 is a short, almost puzzling note in Moses’ farewell speech. It tells us that Og, the last surviving giant-king of Bashan, was so large that his bed was made of iron and measured about thirteen feet long, and it adds that the bed could still be seen in the Ammonite city of Rabbah. Moses says this as a parenthetical aside while recounting Israel’s victories east of the Jordan River, speaking to the new generation of Israelites about to enter the Promised Land.
(For only Og king of Bashan remained of the remnant of the Rephaim. Behold, his bedstead was a bedstead of iron. Isn’t it in Rabbah of the children of Ammon? Nine cubits was its length, and four cubits its width, after the cubit of a man.)
Deuteronomy 3:11 (WEB)
What Deuteronomy 3:11 Means
The verse does two things at once. It identifies Og as the only one left of the Rephaim, a people remembered as unusually tall and fearsome, and it offers a physical detail to prove how remarkable he was. The “bedstead of iron” was probably a large stone or basalt frame, but the point is size. The measurement, nine cubits by four, is roughly thirteen and a half feet by six, meaning Og was enormous by any standard.
Read in context, the verse is not a lesson about beds or about measuring giants. Its purpose is to magnify what the Lord accomplished. Israel had just defeated a king whose reputation and stature made him a symbol of terror, and Moses wants the people to understand that the enemy who once looked unbeatable was now defeated and remembered only as a curiosity. The verse does not promise that God will always defeat our giants, nor does it teach that size or strength decides outcomes. It simply records a fact and lets the scale of the victory speak.
The Context of Deuteronomy 3:11
Deuteronomy is presented as Moses’ final addresses to Israel on the plains of Moab, shortly before his death and before the people cross into Canaan. Tradition attributes the book to Moses, with scholars recognizing that its final chapter was likely added later. The audience is the second generation of Israelites, most of whom were children during the wilderness wandering and had not seen the Exodus firsthand. Moses is retelling their history so they will remember who has been faithful to them.
Verses 8 through 10 describe how the land east of the Jordan was taken from the Amorite kings Sihon and Og, and verses 12 through 14 explain how that territory was assigned to the tribes of Reuben, Gad, and the half-tribe of Manasseh. Verse 11 sits in the middle as a brief digression about Og’s remaining remnant and his giant-sized bed. Knowing that it interrupts a land-distribution record helps explain why it feels so abrupt, and why its main job is to add weight to the victory before the reader returns to the practical question of who received which territory.
Key Phrases in Deuteronomy 3:11
Joshua 1:9
Haven’t I commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Don’t be afraid. Don’t be dismayed, for the LORD your God is with you wherever you go.”
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This verse comes at the threshold of the conquest, when Joshua takes over leadership after Moses. The same Lord who defeated Og promises to be with Joshua wherever he goes, which shows that the courage needed to face large enemies comes from God’s presence rather than from the size of the threat.
Psalm 136:17-20
17 To him who struck great kings; for his loving kindness endures forever; 18 And killed mighty kings; for his loving kindness endures forever: 19 Sihon king of the Amorites; for his loving kindness endures forever; 20 Og king of Bashan; for his loving kindness endures forever…
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This psalm recounts God’s mighty acts, including the defeat of Sihon and Og, and repeats the refrain that his loyal love endures forever. It turns the historical victories of Deuteronomy into a song of thanksgiving that Israel could sing for generations.
A Short Prayer From Deuteronomy 3:11
Lord, you are the one who has stood with your people through every battle they have faced. When I look at the giants in my life, the problems that seem too large and too heavy to move, help me to see them honestly without being crushed by them. Remind me of the times you have already carried me through hard places, and let those memories steady my heart today. Give me courage to take the next faithful step, trusting that you are greater than whatever stands before me. Amen.
