This page gives you ready-to-use study questions for Deuteronomy 3, Moses’s account of the conquest of Og king of Bashan, the division of the land east of the Jordan, and his own disappointment at being told he would not enter the promised land. It is written for a small group, a Sunday class, or personal reflection, and each question comes with a leader’s note so you can lead a discussion without preparing a separate summary.
Deuteronomy 3 at a Glance
Moses recounts how Israel turned north toward Bashan, where Og and his army met them at Edrei. The LORD assures them of victory, and they take sixty fortified cities and the surrounding region. The land is then allotted to the Reubenites, the Gadites and the half-tribe of Manasseh, with Reuben and Gad settling east of the Jordan on condition that their fighting men cross over to help the rest of Israel.
The second half shifts to Moses himself. He commissions Joshua as his successor and then pleads with God to be allowed to cross the Jordan. The LORD refuses, tells him to climb Pisgah and look at the land, and directs him to encourage Joshua. The chapter closes with Israel camped in the valley near Beth Peor.
Observation Questions
Use these questions first, before anyone offers an opinion. Ask group members to point to the exact words in the text, and keep the answers short and grounded in what the chapter says.
Deuteronomy 3:2
The LORD said to me, “Don’t fear him; for I have delivered him, with all his people, and his land, into your hand. You shall do to him as you did to Sihon king of the Amorites, who lived at Heshbon.”
(WEB)
This verse records God’s direct word of encouragement to Moses before the battle. Reading it aloud sets the tone for the whole chapter by showing that victory begins with God’s promise.
Deuteronomy 3:22
You shall not fear them; for the LORD your God himself fights for you.”
(WEB)
Reading this verse aloud gives the group the central assurance that the LORD fights for his people. It is a natural high point for the courage questions in the application section.
Deuteronomy 3:24-25
24 “Lord the LORD, you have begun to show your servant your greatness, and your strong hand. For what god is there in heaven or in earth that can do works like yours, and mighty acts like yours? 25 Please let me go over and see the good land that is beyond the Jordan, that fine mountain, and Lebanon.”
(WEB)
This short passage captures Moses’s honest prayer. Hearing his own words read aloud helps the group see that bringing a heartfelt request to God is part of faithful life.
Deuteronomy 3:26
But the LORD was angry with me for your sakes, and didn’t listen to me. The LORD said to me, “Let this satisfy you. Speak no more to me of this matter.
(WEB)
Reading the LORD’s answer to Moses helps the group face the hard limit of his request. Pair it with the discussion of accepting God’s answer and of trusting him when the outcome is not what we hoped.
Deuteronomy 3:28
But commission Joshua, and encourage him, and strengthen him; for he shall go over before this people, and he shall cause them to inherit the land which you shall see.”
(WEB)
This verse shows God’s commission of Joshua and the continuation of his promise. It makes a fitting close to the reading, reminding the group that God’s work carries on through the people he raises up.
Memory Verse for Deuteronomy 3
A Closing Prayer for the Group
Father, we thank you that you go before us as you went before Israel, and that you fight for us when we cannot see the way ahead. Give us the courage to trust your word when fear rises, and the humility to accept your answers when they differ from our own desires. Help us, like Moses, to be faithful in the work you give us even when we will not see its full end. Raise up those who will carry on what you have begun, and make us generous toward them. Amen.
