Bashan

Bashan in the Bible

• The war with Og: According to Numbers 21:33-35, before entering Canaan, Israel defeated Sihon, king of the Amorites, east of the Jordan. Israel then defeated Og, king of Bashan, at Edrei and took possession of his land. Deuteronomy 3:1-11 recounts these events in the words of Moses. The passage records sixty walled cities in the region of Argob, as well as Og's "bedstead of iron," nine cubits long. Og reigned in Ashtaroth and Edrei (Deuteronomy 1:4; Joshua 12:4).
• Allotment of the land: Bashan was given to the half-tribe of Manasseh (Deuteronomy 3:13; Joshua 13:29-31). Golan in Bashan was designated one of the cities of refuge, to which a person who had killed someone unintentionally could flee (Deuteronomy 4:43; Joshua 20:8).
• The monarchy: In the time of Solomon, Bashan appears as one of the administrative districts (1 Kings 4:13). Later, Hazael, king of Aram, seized the territory (2 Kings 10:32-33).

Geography and Background

Bashan is a plateau lying east of the upper Jordan River and the Sea of Galilee. To the south it borders Gilead, and to the north it extends toward Mount Hermon. Its fertile basalt soil, formed by volcanic activity, was well suited to grain cultivation and livestock, and the region was also renowned for its oak forests. Its boundaries varied from period to period and are difficult to define precisely. It is generally thought to correspond to the present-day Golan Heights and the Hauran region of southern Syria. The Hebrew name is Bashan, and the original meaning of the word is uncertain.

Bashan as a Symbol

• Abundance and plenty: Scripture uses expressions such as "rams of the breed of Bashan" (Deuteronomy 32:14) and "fatlings of Bashan" (Ezekiel 39:18). Micah 7:14 prays for the people: "let them feed in Bashan and Gilead, as in the days of old."
• Strength and pride: Psalm 22:12 likens the enemies surrounding the psalmist to "strong bulls of Bashan." Amos 4:1 addresses the wealthy of Samaria who oppress the poor as "ye kine of Bashan" (that is, cows of Bashan). Isaiah 2:13 declares that "all the oaks of Bashan," in their loftiness, will come under judgment.
• Remembrance of God's victory: The victory over Sihon and Og is recalled repeatedly as evidence that God gave Israel the land (Psalm 135:10-12; Psalm 136:19-21; Nehemiah 9:22). Rahab of Jericho also says that she had heard this news (Joshua 2:10).

Connection to the New Testament

The name Bashan does not appear in the New Testament. However, the church has long read Psalm 22 in connection with the sufferings of Christ. On the cross, Jesus cried out the opening words of this psalm (Mark 15:34). For this reason, the "strong bulls of Bashan" are sometimes interpreted as a picture of the adversaries who surrounded Christ. In the Hellenistic and Roman periods, the region was divided into several districts, and Trachonitis, mentioned in Luke 3:1, is known to overlap with part of the ancient territory of Bashan.

Interpretation and Debated Questions

• Og and the Rephaim: Deuteronomy 3:11 describes Og as a remnant of the Rephaim (KJV: "the remnant of giants"). Traditionally, Og has been understood as a giant. Others hold that the size of the bedstead signifies the king's majesty rather than his actual stature. Some scholars interpret "iron" as basalt and regard the bedstead as a stone sarcophagus or a ritual object.
• "The hill of Bashan": Psalm 68:15-16 contrasts the lofty hill of Bashan with the mountain God has chosen (Zion). Some identify this hill with Mount Hermon, while others identify it with the highlands of eastern Bashan.
• "Kine of Bashan": Many interpreters take the "kine" (cows) of Amos 4:1 to be the upper-class women of Samaria. Others understand the phrase to refer to the ruling class as a whole.
• Extrabiblical traditions: Later Jewish tradition includes stories such as Og's survival of Noah's flood, but these are not found in the biblical text.