“And when ye came unto this place, Sihon the king of Heshbon, and Og the king of Bashan, came out against us unto battle, and we smote them:”
My Notes
What Does Deuteronomy 29:7 Mean?
"Sihon the king of Heshbon, and Og the king of Bashan, came out against us unto battle, and we smote them." Moses recounts the eastern victories as covenant evidence: you saw what God did. Sihon and Og came out to fight. We defeated them. The evidence is recent, personal, and undeniable. The new generation watched these victories with their own eyes.
The kings' names — Sihon and Og — represent two specific, remembered opponents: Sihon ruled the Amorite territory, and Og ruled Bashan (including the fortress of Edrei). Both were formidable. Both attacked first. Both were defeated. The victories are cited because they're the freshest proof of God's fighting power.
The "we smote them" includes the current audience: you were there. You participated. This isn't inherited testimony from your parents' generation. This is your own battle experience. The evidence for God's faithfulness is in your own biography.
Reflection Questions
- 1.What personal victories (not inherited testimonies) support your faith for the next challenge?
- 2.How do past battles build confidence for future ones?
- 3.Why does Moses emphasize that the current generation saw these victories personally?
- 4.What evidence from your own experience proves God fights for you?
Devotional
Sihon attacked us. Og attacked us. We beat both of them. You were there. You saw it. This is your evidence, not your parents' story.
Moses cites the eastern victories because the current generation needs their OWN evidence — not just inherited testimony from the Exodus they didn't witness. The Red Sea was their parents' miracle. Sihon and Og are theirs. The defeats happened in their lifetime, before their eyes, with their participation. The evidence is personal.
The kings attacking first is a repeated detail: they came out against US. Israel didn't invade unprovoked. The enemies initiated. The battles were defensive, and the victories were comprehensive. The narrative establishes both Israel's innocence (they attacked first) and God's faithfulness (we won completely).
The evidence-building is deliberate: Moses is constructing a case for the Jordan crossing. You're about to face Canaanite kings who are stronger than Sihon and Og. But you've already beaten Sihon and Og. The God who fought with you on the east side of the Jordan will fight with you on the west side. The evidence behind you supports the faith ahead of you.
What recent victories — your own, not inherited — support the faith your next challenge requires? What Sihon and Og can you point to as evidence that the God who fought before will fight again?
Commentary
Trusted original commentary from respected historical Bible scholars and theologians.
And when ye came unto this place,.... The borders of Moab, the wilderness before it, to which joined the plains they…
Now that Moses had largely repeated the commands which the people were to observe as their part of the covenant, and the…
came unto this place Deu 1:31; Deu 9:7.
Sihon … and Og Deu 2:32 ff., Deu 3:1 ff.
Cross References
Related passages throughout Scripture