And they possessed his land, and the land of Og king of Bashan, two kings of the Amorites, which were on this side Jordan toward the sunrising;

DEUTERONOMY 4:47KJV
Know the Bible

Deuteronomy 4:47 (KJV)

What does Deuteronomy 4:47 mean?

Deuteronomy 4:47 states that the Israelites took possession of the land belonging to Sihon, king of the Amorites, and Og, king of Bashan—two Amorite kings whose territories lay east of the Jordan River, toward the sunrise. This verse summarizes a key moment when Israel gained control of these lands before crossing into Canaan.

Moses is speaking to the Israelites as they prepare to enter the Promised Land. He reminds them of their recent victories over Sihon and Og, highlighting that these lands are on the eastern side of the Jordan River, in the direction of the rising sun. This sets the stage for understanding the boundaries of Israel’s inheritance and the fulfillment of God’s promises up to that point.

The Hebrew behind Deuteronomy 4:47

  • "Possessed" (יָרַשׁ, yarash) means to take possession or inherit. This word often carries the sense of settling in and making the land one’s own, not just conquering it.
  • "Land" (אֶרֶץ, erets) appears twice, emphasizing both the specific territories taken and the broader idea of land as inheritance.
  • "Sunrising" (מִזְרָח־שֶׁמֶשׁ, mizrach-shemesh) literally means "toward the east, where the sun rises," clarifying the geographic orientation and showing that these lands are east of the Jordan.

Why Deuteronomy 4:47 matters

  • This verse clarifies that Israel’s possession of land began before entering Canaan proper, showing God’s faithfulness in giving them victories even before crossing the Jordan.
  • The mention of Sihon and Og, both powerful Amorite kings, highlights the significance of these victories and the security of Israel’s eastern borders.
  • By specifying the location "toward the sunrising," the verse helps readers understand the geography of Israel’s early conquests and the division of land among the tribes.

Where else these words appear

“Og” Hebrew H5747 · used in 22 verses

  • Numbers 21:33 And they turned and went up by the way of Bashan: and Og the king of Bashan went out against them, he, and all his people, to the battle at Edrei.
  • Deuteronomy 3:11 For only Og king of Bashan remained of the remnant of giants; behold, his bedstead was a bedstead of iron; is it not in Rabbath of the children of Ammon? nine cubits was the length thereof, and four cubits the breadth of it, after the cubit of a man.
  • Joshua 13:12 All the kingdom of Og in Bashan, which reigned in Ashtaroth and in Edrei, who remained of the remnant of the giants: for these did Moses smite, and cast them out.

“Bashan” Hebrew H1316 · used in 53 verses

  • Numbers 21:33 And they turned and went up by the way of Bashan: and Og the king of Bashan went out against them, he, and all his people, to the battle at Edrei.
  • Joshua 13:11 And Gilead, and the border of the Geshurites and Maachathites, and all mount Hermon, and all Bashan unto Salcah;
  • 1 Chronicles 6:62 And to the sons of Gershom throughout their families out of the tribe of Issachar, and out of the tribe of Asher, and out of the tribe of Naphtali, and out of the tribe of Manasseh in Bashan, thirteen cities.

“sunrising” Hebrew H4217 · used in 71 verses

  • Exodus 27:13 And the breadth of the court on the east side eastward shall be fifty cubits.
  • Joshua 16:6 And the border went out toward the sea to Michmethah on the north side; and the border went about eastward unto Taanathshiloh, and passed by it on the east to Janohah;
  • 2 Chronicles 4:4 It stood upon twelve oxen, three looking toward the north, and three looking toward the west, and three looking toward the south, and three looking toward the east: and the sea was set above upon them, and all their hinder parts were inward.

“side” Hebrew H5676 · used in 84 verses

  • Genesis 50:10 And they came to the threshingfloor of Atad, which is beyond Jordan, and there they mourned with a great and very sore lamentation: and he made a mourning for his father seven days.
  • Joshua 9:1 And it came to pass, when all the kings which were on this side Jordan, in the hills, and in the valleys, and in all the coasts of the great sea over against Lebanon, the Hittite, and the Amorite, the Canaanite, the Perizzite, the Hivite, and the Jebusite, heard thereof;
  • 2 Samuel 10:16 And Hadarezer sent, and brought out the Syrians that were beyond the river: and they came to Helam; and Shobach the captain of the host of Hadarezer went before them.