This record is also very similar to the previous account of this conquest in Numbers 21:33-35, though Moses provided more information here. Again Moses interpreted Israel's history to emphasize God's faithfulness. The land of Bashan, or Argob, was a fertile, heavily forested plateau famous for its oaks (Isa. 2:13) and livestock (32:14; Amos 4:1).41The spies had feared the giants and walled cities of Canaan. Nevertheless in this campaign God delivered to His people 60 heavily fortified cities besides many other rural towns plus at least one real giant, Og. Moses probably recorded the size of his king size bed (v. 11) to document the fact that God gave the Israelites victory over the giants they had so greatly feared. Some writers have argued that the Hebrew word eresmeans sarcophagus rather than bed.42Most translators disagree. His bed probably contained iron decorations since at this time iron was a precious metal.43
