Psalm 136:20

Psalm 136:20, in plain English

Og of Bashan was another formidable king, and his defeat sealed Israel's conquest of the eastern lands.

Why it's here

Og was reportedly a giant with an iron bed—a figure of seemingly overwhelming power. Yet he too fell before Israel. No opponent, however impressive, could stand against God's purpose.

Who's speaking

The psalmist, naming the second specific enemy defeated

Where it sits in the story

This completes the conquest narrative section—Israel went from enslaved people to victors, not through their own strength but through God's faithfulness to His ancient promises.

The scholarly reading

The psalmist continues with the second exemplary king: Og of Bashan, whose defeat (recounted in Numbers 21:33-35) similarly represented a significant victory enabling Israel's consolidation of territory east of the Jordan before crossing into Canaan proper.

Language and setting

Og, king of Bashan, is presented in biblical tradition as a giant of extraordinary strength (Deuteronomy 3:11 notes his bed was over thirteen feet long). His defeat despite his power demonstrates God's capacity to overcome any human strength or advantage—a pattern the community would recognize as central to understanding how Israel, seemingly vulnerable, could conquer established kingdoms.

Voice

The voice completes its enumeration of exemplary conquered kings, having moved from general narrative to specific cases that exemplify God's power over human strength and military capacity.

Significance

Og's defeat, like Sihon's, becomes memorable precisely because he represents overwhelming human strength that proves no match for God's power. Later Jewish tradition associates Og with primordial giants, embedding his defeat within larger mythological frameworks. For the community reciting Psalm 136, whether in Second Temple times or later, Og and Sihon exemplify the pattern: God overcomes every obstacle, no matter how formidable it appears to human perception.

18and slaughtered mighty kings—

19Sihon king of the Amorites

20and Og king of Bashan—

21and He gave their land as an inheritance,

22a heritage to His servant Israel.

Read all of Psalm 136 — Twenty-six verses. Twenty-six times the refrain: His steadfast love endures forever. Repetition becomes revelation.