Discovery BoxDeuteronomy 3:11 
Context3:11 Only King Og of Bashan was left of the remaining Rephaites. (It is noteworthy 1 that his sarcophagus 2 was made of iron. 3 Does it not, indeed, still remain in Rabbath 4 of the Ammonites? It is thirteen and a half feet 5 long and six feet 6 wide according to standard measure.) 7
Deuteronomy 5:31
Context5:31 But as for you, remain here with me so I can declare to you all the commandments, 8 statutes, and ordinances that you are to teach them, so that they can carry them out in the land I am about to give them.” 9
Deuteronomy 21:23
Context21:23 his body must not remain all night on the tree; instead you must make certain you bury 10 him that same day, for the one who is left exposed 11 on a tree is cursed by God. 12 You must not defile your land which the Lord your God is giving you as an inheritance.
1 tn Heb “Behold” (הִנֵּה, hinneh).
2 tn The Hebrew term עֶרֶשׂ (’eres), 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.”
3 tn Or “of iron-colored basalt.” See note on the word “sarcophagus” earlier in this verse.
4 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.
5 tn Heb “nine cubits.” Assuming a length of 18 in (45 cm) for the standard cubit, this would be 13.5 ft (4.1 m) long.
6 tn Heb “four cubits.” This would be 6 ft (1.8 m) wide.
7 tn Heb “by the cubit of man.” This probably refers to the “short” or “regular” cubit of approximately 18 in (45 cm).
8 tn Heb “commandment.” The MT actually has the singular (הַמִּצְוָה, hammitsvah), suggesting perhaps that the following terms (חֻקִּים [khuqqim] and מִשְׁפָּטִים [mishpatim]) are in epexegetical apposition to “commandment.” That is, the phrase could be translated “the entire command, namely, the statutes and ordinances.” This would essentially make מִצְוָה (mitsvah) synonymous with תּוֹרָה (torah), the usual term for the whole collection of law.
9 tn Heb “to possess it” (so KJV, ASV); NLT “as their inheritance.”
10 tn The Hebrew text uses the infinitive absolute for emphasis, which the translation indicates by “make certain.”
11 tn Heb “hung,” but this could convey the wrong image in English (hanging with a rope as a means of execution). Cf. NCV “anyone whose body is displayed on a tree.”
12 sn The idea behind the phrase cursed by God seems to be not that the person was impaled because he was cursed but that to leave him exposed there was to invite the curse of God upon the whole land. Why this would be so is not clear, though the rabbinic idea that even a criminal is created in the image of God may give some clue (thus J. H. Tigay, Deuteronomy [JPSTC], 198). Paul cites this text (see Gal 3:13) to make the point that Christ, suspended from a cross, thereby took upon himself the curse associated with such a display of divine wrath and judgment (T. George, Galatians [NAC], 238-39).
