But Jewish tradition sees so much more.

The Midrash, specifically Bamidbar Rabbah 19, unpacks this verse, revealing layers of meaning and offering profound insights into the nature of faith, fear, and divine providence.

The Rabbis start with that curious phrase, "They turned and ascended." Some suggest this "turning" marks the timing of events. They link the war with Siḥon to the month of Elul, followed by the celebration of Sukkot in Tishrei, with the battle against Og occurring right after the festival. There's a hint of this order in Deuteronomy 16:7: "You shall turn in the morning and go to your tents," which connects to the post-festival return.

But here's where it gets really interesting. "Og king of Bashan emerged," the text tells us, and the Midrash sees this as the Holy One, blessed be He, assembling Og's army specifically to deliver them into the hands of the Israelites. It’s like God is setting the stage. This is reinforced by God's words to Moses: “Do not fear him, for I have delivered him into your hand, him and his entire people and his land; and you shall do to him as you did to Siḥon king of the Emorites, who resides in Ḥeshbon” (Numbers 21:34).

But why would Moses, the great leader, need reassurance? The Midrash quotes Proverbs 28:14: “Happy is a person who is always afraid.” It explains that even when God promises protection, the righteous retain a sense of awe and fear. It's not about cowardice, but about a deep awareness of human fallibility and the immense power of the Divine.

Think about Jacob, for instance. Even after receiving God's promise, "Jacob was afraid" (Genesis 32:8). Why? He worried that he might have become "sullied" during his time with Laban, and thus unworthy of God's protection. As Deuteronomy 23:15 says, “He shall not see a shameful matter in you, and turn from behind you.” In other words, sin can create a barrier between us and divine favor.

Moses, too, shared this fear. He wondered if the Israelites had committed some transgression during the war with Siḥon. But the Holy One, blessed be He, reassured him: “Do not fear.” They had acted justly.

And then there's Og himself. The Midrash emphasizes just how formidable he was. He was, as Deuteronomy 3:11 tells us, “As only Og king of the Bashan remained from the rest of the Refaim.” He was a survivor of the giants slain by Amrafel and his allies (Genesis 14:5). He was a remnant, like "olives that remain among the pomace." According to Ginzberg's Legends of the Jews, Og was even present when Abraham rescued Lot and his family.

The Midrash even suggests that Og, in fact, was the one who informed Abram about Lot's capture, hoping that Abram would go out and be killed. As a reward for running this message, God allowed him to live for hundreds of years. But ultimately, he would fall by the hands of Abraham's descendants.

So, when Moses prepared to fight him, he was understandably afraid. He knew Og was ancient and powerful. "I am one hundred and twenty years old," Moses thought, "and this one is more than five hundred. If he did not have merit, he would not have lived all these years."

God's reassurance – “Do not fear him, for I have delivered him into your hand” – wasn't just a promise of victory, but a command to act. Moses was to kill him with his own hand. And just as they had utterly destroyed Siḥon ("vanaḥarem"), so too would they defeat Og.

A subtle point is made about the spoils of war. While Deuteronomy 3:7 says they looted the cities, Deuteronomy 3:6 says they "destroyed" (vanaḥarem). The resolution? They "proscribed" (heḥerimu) the corpses, ensuring no benefit was derived from them.

Finally, the verse states, “They smote him, his sons [banav], [and his entire people]” (Numbers 21:35). But the Midrash notes that the word "sons" [banav] is written in a way that suggests "son" [beno] – implying that Og had a son even tougher than himself!

The Midrash concludes with a powerful message of hope: "In this world, you eradicate the nations a little at a time, but in the future, I will eliminate them all at once," as Isaiah 33:12 proclaims: “Nations will be burnings of lime, cut thorns ignited with fire.”

So, what does this all mean for us? It's a reminder that even in the face of overwhelming odds, faith and action can triumph. It's a call to recognize our own limitations while trusting in a power greater than ourselves. And it's a glimpse into the rich tapestry of Jewish tradition, where even the simplest verses hold endless layers of wisdom and meaning.